Savannah Cats
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The Savannah is a relatively new cat breed, not yet recognized by many of the leading cat fancy associations, except for TICA (The International Cat Association). This breed is a hybrid between the wild African Serval and domestic cats of various breeds. The first documented Savannah cat was born in 1986, as a direct deliberate cross between a Serval made by Bengal breeder Judee Frank. The cat was named Savannah and thus gave its name to the entire breed. More breeders have later joined in developing the breed, repeating the crossing with other cats and increasing the breed's gene pool. It was only in the year 2000 that the newly founded organization of Savannah cat breeders managed to have the breed accepted by TICA and an official breed standard was set. Savannah cats resemble their Serval ancestors to various degrees, depending a lot on how further down the genetic line they are from the original Servals used for breeding. Show quality Savannah cats should be fairly large with very large ears positioned high on the head. The ears have a very distinct look and ideally should display a pattern called "ocelli": unique thick dark stripes that seem to form the shape of a large eye. Another extraordinary feature, and part of the breed standard, is the tear stain markings down the eyes and along the nose, generating a cheetah like appearance.
Savannahs have short to medium coat that is not too soft and should never have the glitter associated with Bengal cats. They almost always come in a spotted tabby pattern, typical of the original Servals and can be in shades of gold of silver, where the spots are distinctly darker than the background color. They are also allowed in black and smoked black spotted tabby. In terms of temperament, these cats are said to be active and friendly. Breed standards allow for shyness and some degree of fear, but disqualify any cat that shows aggression towards people. Savannah cats are classed by how far away they are in the genetic line from a true Serval. The cats born to a Serval-domestic cat cross are the F1 generation. Their offspring are labeled as F2 Savannahs, and so on. Depending on which generation a cat is, this somewhat controversial breed cannot be legally owned in some places of the US, due to being a hybrid between wild and domestic cats. If you're considering buying one of these beautiful cats, you should probably check laws and regulations where you live. There is a new type of cat, called Ashera or Asherah, by its developers. It is said to be a mix of Servals, Asian Leopard Cats (same species that was used to create the Bengal cat), and domestic cats. At the time or writing this, the Ashera is not a recognized breed in any of the major cat associations. More Resources: |
