Savannah

The Savannah is a hybrid cat breed created in the late 1900s by crossing a serval with a domestic cat. These cats are typically large and lean, with the serval’s oversized ears and distinct black-spotted coat. Early-generation males (F1 and F2) can be especially big; in 2016, an F2 male set a world record as the tallest cat, measuring 48.4 centimeters (19.1 inches). However, show-eligible cats from the F4 and F5 generations weigh between 5.0 and 8.2 kilograms (11.0–18.1 pounds), putting them in the same size range as large domestic breeds like the Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest cat.

**History** The first Savannah cat, a female named Savannah, was born on April 7, 1986, when Judee Frank bred a male serval owned by Suzi Wood with a Siamese domestic cat. This female later mated with a Turkish Angora male, producing viable F2 kittens in April 1989. In 1996, Patrick Kelley and Joyce Sroufe wrote the original breed standard for the Savannah and submitted it to The International Cat Association (TICA). TICA accepted the breed for registration in 2001, and in May 2012 granted championship status to F4 and later generations.

**Characteristics**

**Appearance** *Size*: Savannahs appear larger than they weigh due to their tall, slim build. Size depends heavily on generation and sex. Early generations (F1–F2) are usually the biggest, weighing 4.5–11 kilograms (9.9–24.3 pounds), because of the serval’s strong genetic influence. Breeders have a financial incentive to produce F1 cats as large as possible; some can weigh 18 kilograms (40 pounds) or more and fetch very high prices in the U.S. Later-generation Savannahs weigh 3.5–8.2 kilograms (7.7–18.1 pounds), similar to other large domestic breeds. Males are generally larger than females, and like other hybrid breeds (e.g., Chausie, Bengal), most F1 cats retain many wild traits from the serval, which fade in later generations.

*Distinctive features*: Savannahs have serval-like traits, including bold color markings, large upright ears, a long body and legs, wide noses, and hooded eyes. When standing, their hind end is often higher than their prominent shoulders. The head is small and taller than wide, with a long, slender neck. The backs of the ears feature ocelli—a light central band bordered by black, dark gray, or brown, resembling an eye. The short tail has black rings and a solid black tip. Kittens have blue eyes, which may become green, brown, gold, or a blend in adults. The eyes are boomerang-shaped with a hooded brow. Ideally, dark “tear-streak” or “cheetah tear” markings run from the eye corners down the sides of the nose to the whiskers.

*Coat*: The TICA breed standard accepts only a spotted pattern, in four colors: black spotted tabby (brown, tan, or gold with black or dark brown spots), black silver spotted tabby (silver with black or dark gray spots), black (black with black spots), and black smoke (black-tipped silver with black spots). Non-standard patterns and colors—such as rosettes, marble, “snow” (point), blue, cinnamon, chocolate, lilac, and other diluted shades—can occur from domestic cat genetics.

**Behavior** Many Savannahs are unafraid of water and may play in or even submerge themselves. Early-generation Savannahs, especially males, can sometimes show undesirable wild or territorial behaviors, including aggression and marking. Litter box issues are a common reason owners abandon or surrender them to rescue centers.

**Reproduction and Genetics**

**Hybridization** Savannahs are produced by crossing servals with domestic cats, and each generation is labeled with a filial number (F#). F1 cats (50% serval) come directly from a serval × domestic cat cross; their males are sterile. Producing F1s is difficult because servals have a 75-day gestation period versus 65 days for domestic cats, and the species’ sex chromosomes are incompatible. Pregnancies often end in resorption, abortion, or premature birth. Servals can also be picky mates and may attack a domestic cat.

Backcrosses (BC1) can be up to 75% serval, resulting from breeding a 50% F1 female back to a serval. BC2 cats (87.5% serval) exist, but fertility is questionable at that level. More common is a 62.5% BC1, from an F2A (25% serval) female bred back to a serval. The F2 generation (25%–37.5% serval) has a serval grandparent and is the offspring of an F1 female. The F3 generation (at least 12.5% serval) has a serval great-grandparent. The F4 generation is the first that can be classified as “stud book tradition” (SBT) and considered purebred. Breeders may refer to a Savannah cross as “SV × SV” (SV is TICA’s code for the breed). Filial numbers also include letters: A means one parent is a Savannah and the other is an outcross; B means both parents are Savannahs, with one being an A; C designates further generations.