The Savannah cat is an enigmatic and intrepid cat. They are not easy to get if you haven’t had much experience with cats. They are very intelligent and curious but can be agitated and particular. Find out more on their origins and characteristics.
History:
The history of the Savannah cat goes back to the 1980s. They were created through the breeding between domestic cats and the African serval, a wild cat living in the Savannah which inspired the name: Savannah Cat. It was in 1986 that the breeder Judee Frank created the breed through simple breeding of the two species. This first generation hybrid was the first Savannah cat in history.
African Serval:
Character:
They love to spend time with their owners making them act more like dogs as they can be educated. In fact, many learn to sit, lie-down, as well as many tricks. They are great at escaping as they can jump very high and have a tendency to fit in small places. Make sure to keep an eye on your Savannah cat to be sure it doesn’t run away. They are very sociable cats that can get on well with different kinds of animals and humans. Despite this good behaviour with people in and around the house, they are not considered true domesticated cats. These hybrids are classified with the letter “F” followed by a number. This represents the generation of domestication (F1, F4,…).
Physical characteristics of the chat Savannah cat:
They have a wild and exotic appearance. The larger ones can grow up to 23 kilos in weight. They have very few health issues. They have an attribute called “hybrid vigour” signifying that they have a strong resistance to illnesses. Their life expectancy is about 25 years which is a lot higher than domestic cats.
Head : Of average size compared to its body. A large and long nose with average size, slightly rounded eyes, in green, brown or yellow.
Body : long, tall and slim.
Tail : long, thin with dark circles going down the length of it.
Colour : accepted colours for this breed are coffee, orange, grey or silver with dark or black markings.
Fur : this is the most visible characteristic, it is short, precious and soft to the touch.