Savannah Cats (Cat and Serval Cross-Breed)!
Savannahs are a new breed of domestic cat. Savannahs were created by out-crossing domestic cats with Servals. Servals originally came from the Africa grasslands, often near water. Their legs are very long -- superficially giving them the look of a mini-cheetah. In fact, they have been called "the poor man's cheetah" in areas where they have been kept as pets. Full grown, they are about 20" tall at the shoulders and about 3' long. Servals have enormous ears -- the better to hear you with. Servals listen for rodents, which are their primary diet in the Africa wetlands. Unlike many native cats, Servals are often friendly and outgoing and may welcome contact with humans.
"As human societies changed from hunter-gathers to farmers, cats began to live with humans to keep rodents and other pests out of the grain supplies. Cats probably became "pets" later than dogs, and until recently there was much less interest in pedigree breeds of cats as compared to the range of dog breeds. Now, however, modern life-styles have made it easier for many people to keep a cat as apposed to a dog, so interest in cat breeds has increased dramatically. This trend allows us to cater to our desire to pet the "tiger" and simultaneously avoid having to be home to walk the dog three or four times a day. As a result, the number of recognized cat breeds expanded, just like dog breeds had done."
"Unlike dogs, cats appear to be much more difficult to create new sizes and shapes -- it is a lot harder to create the Chihuahuas and Great Dane breeds of cats. Therefore, the hope is that by out-crossing to the larger Serval, bigger cats could be created."
These quotes were taken from the "History of the Savannah", by Patrick Kelly and Phyllis Koch; 2001 Savannah Annual Breed Report Presented to The International Cat Association Board of Directors, by Lorre Smith, Savannah Working Group Chairperson.
The appeal of the Savannah Cat is that it is like a smaller, more domestic version of an African Serval. Most states and municipalities consider the Savannah as a domestic breed and, as such, you may be able to own a Savannah Cat in a location where you are not able to own a Serval. The first generation Savannahs (called F-1's) will be smaller than a Serval but much larger than a domestic cat. The spotting pattern will generally be almost identical to the Serval although the background color will vary. The texture of the fur will also vary from the coarser coats of most Servals to the finer smooth coat of the domestic cat. Some of the domestic breeds used to create Savannah Cats are Bengals, Serengettis, Oriental Shorthairs, Egyptian Maus, Ocicats and Chausies. With each succeeding generation of Savannahs it can be expected that the size will shrink until they will be about the size of a large domestic cat. At least the first 3 generations of males (F-1, F-2 and F-3) can be expected to be sterile. The females of all generations should be fertile. Because of the experimental status of this type of breeding, you can expect quite a bit of variability in the appearance and size of the offspring.
Due to the sterility of the first three generations of male Savannah Cats, they should be neutered. These sterile males make excellent companions. They will have some of the personality traits of the Serval as well as the domestic cats. The females will usually be used in breeding programs. The personality of the Savannah tends to be very dog-like. They like to be in the middle of whatever is going on. They also like to perch in high places such as on your shoulder, on top of entertainment centers, the refrigerator and on shelves. They like to play games with you and will usually initiate the games on their own. Playing fetch is one of their favorites. The F-1 Savannahs will usually get along with children as long as the children are able to understand that they should not tease, chase or pull on the cat. The F-2 and later generations should be more tolerant of rough children. Savannahs will get along with other cats and dogs as long as the Savannah is introduced while it is young.
Savannah Cats are very difficult to breed. There are several factors involved in this difficulty. The first is the that these are two different species and with a great difference in size. Sometimes they just won’t breed. Also the gestation period is very different and the kittens frequently are born premature or they may be miscarried. Because of the difficulty, there are very few Savannahs that are born. The result is that they have a price that may seem high. However, when you consider the wonderful personality, the large size and the exotic looks, the Savannah cat is well worth the price. Their personalities are like no other domestic cat. They are very loyal and behave much like a dog. The prices for a F-1 male kitten start about $3500. The F-1 females will start about $7500. The F-2 and F-3 kittens will sell for considerably less than the F-1's. Their prices will vary depending on the sex, generation and quality of the kitten.
Lots of pics of these cool kitties here.
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Originally Posted by kriegsmaschine
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