| Coat length | Shorthair |
| Weight | Male: Ø 4.5-12 kg Female: Ø 3.5-8 kg |
| Coat colours: | Golden to beige background with a paler underside |
| Coat patterns: | Spotted |
| Activity / playfulness |  |
| Grooming needs |  |
The Savannah is a relatively recent, exotic-looking domestic cat breed originating from crosses between a serval and a domestic cat. It is recognised by TICA.
History
The first documented Savannah was born on 7 April 1986 to a domestic female owned by Judee Frank and a male serval. Source: TICA, Savannah.
Historical accounts credit Joyce Sroufe of BJ-Game Farm, New Horizon and A1-Savannahs with helping establish the breed in the mid-1990s through repeated successful first-generation matings.
Appearance
The Savannah is tall and slender, with long legs, a long neck, a small narrow head and large ears. Its spotted coat resembles the serval's. A golden to beige background and paler underside are typical, although other colours occur depending on domestic ancestry.
Because early-generation males are often infertile, domestic cats were used in the breeding programme. These included Bengals, Egyptian Maus, Ocicats, Oriental Shorthairs and even Maine Coons. With fertile Savannah males available, Savannah-to-Savannah matings became standard.
The breeding aim is a smaller version of the serval. Early generations can nevertheless be among the largest domestic-cat hybrids, reaching around 10 kg and up to 45 cm at the shoulder. Size decreases in later generations, while breeders aim to retain the spotted coat, long-legged appearance and characteristic movement.
Temperament and keeping
Savannahs are often described as friendly, sociable and playful, often forming bonds with children and other pets. They are highly intelligent and may show affection through head-butting and following their people. Many are interested in water. Their quick reactions and powerful jumping ability are notable; a mature animal may jump from standing onto a cupboard more than two metres high. Full maturity takes almost three years.
Generation and the individual animal's background matter. Early-generation hybrids should not simply be assumed to have the same needs as ordinary domestic cats. Labels such as F1 to F6 are commonly used to describe ancestry. Before acquiring a Savannah, check the current requirements with the responsible local authority: rules depend on location and generation.
This article is based on Savannakatze from the free encyclopaedia Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. Wikipedia provides a list of contributors.
The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence.
English translation and editorial updates by Stubentiger. Text attribution and licensing follow the source notices above; photographs have their own credits.