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 What
is a Savannah Cat?
The Savannah Cat takes its name from the African
Serval, where the African Serval usually resides. It is
a relatively new and well loved breed of cat in the
United Kingdom.
As
far as we know,
a Bengal Breeder by the name of Judee Frank
successfully mated a Domestic cat with an African Serval
to produce the first Hybrid Cat
of its kind on 7th April 1986. She named the kitten
Savannah.
What does the Savannah Cat look like?
Most of the information below has been extracted from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_(cat). It
provides us with a general idea of the description of
the Savannah Cat below:-"Savannahs are considered one of
the larger breeds of domesticated cats.
The savannah's tall and slim build gives the appearance
of greater size than their actual weight.
Size is very dependent on
F1 hybrid and F2 hybrids are usually the largest, due to
the stronger genetic influence of the African Serval
ancestor. Male Savannahs tend to be larger than females.
Early generation Savannahs may weigh 20 to 30 lbs, with
the higher weight usually attributed to the F2 or F3
males. Later generation Savannahs are usually between 12
to 20 lbs.
Because of the random factors in Savannah hybrid
genetics, there can be significant variation in size,
even in one litter.
generation and sex, with
F1 hybrid male cats usually being the largest.
The coat of a Savannah depends a lot on the breed of cat
used for the domestic cross.
Early generations have some form of dark spotting
on a lighter coat, and many breeders employ "wild"
looking spotted breeds such as the Bengal and Egyptian
Mau for the cross to help preserve these markings in
later generations.
The International Cat Association (TICA) breed standard
calls for brown spotted tabby (cool to warm brown, tan
or gold with black or dark brown spots, silver spotted
tabby (silver coat with black or dark grey spots), black
(black with black spots), and black smoke (black tipped
silver with black spots) only. In addition, the Savannah
can come in nonstandard variations such as the classic
or marble patterns, snow coloration (point), and blue or
other diluted colours derived from domestic sources of
cat coat genetics.
The overall look of an individual Savannah depends
greatly on generation, with higher-percentage Savannah
cats often having a more "wild" look. The domestic breed
that is used will influence appearance as well.
The domestic out-crosses for the Savannah breed that are
permissible in TICA are the Egyptian Mau, the Ocicat,
the Oriental Shorthair, and the Domestic Shorthair.
In addition, some Savannah breeders use
"non-permissible" breeds or mixes such as Bengal (for
size and vivid spotting) and Maine Coon cats (for size)
for the domestic parentage. A Savannah's wild look is
often due to the presence of many distinguishing Serval
characteristics.
Most prominent of these include the various colour
markings and tall, erect ears. The bodies of Savannahs
are long and leggy—when a Savannah is standing, their
hind-end is often higher than their shoulders.
The head is taller than wide, and they have a long
slender neck. The backs of the ears have ocelli, a
central light band bordered by black, dark grey or
brown, giving an eye-like effect.
 The
short tail has black rings, with a solid black tip. The
eyes are blue as a kitten (as in other cats), and may be
green, brown, gold or a blended shade as an adult.
The eyes have a "boomerang" shape, with a slightly
hooded brow to protect them from harsh sunlight. Black
or dark "tear-streak" or "cheetah tear" markings run
from the corner of the eyes down the sides of the nose
to the whiskers, much like that of a cheetah.
These tear marks also help reduce glare from sunlight,
which aids the Savannah's vision during hunting.
Most F1 generation Savannahs will possess many or all of
these traits, while their presence often diminishes in
later generations. The hybridised-breed of cat's
appearance can vary far more than cat owners may be used
to".
The Spotted Savannah Cats carries a variety nose leather
colouring as defined below:-
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