Skeens Savannahs
Capturing the "WILD" in Exotic Hybrid Cats since 2015
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All About the Exotic Savannah Cat
The Savannah cat is a crossbreed of a domestic cat with the African Serval wild cat which is found in most parts of Africa. Savannah characteristics should closely resemble that of a serval. They have long slender necks, triangular heads, and large wide ears that sit on top of the head. The legs should also be longer than that of an average domestic cat, hind legs being slightly longer than the front, giving them the appearance of being larger.F1 generational Savannahs are often mistaken for the Serval wild cat, however the temperament of an F1 more often takes after its domestic counterparts than that of a Serval.
Below pictured is an African Serval wild cat in comparison to one of our F1 Savannah Queens
Skeens Savannahs, F1 Queen Maryha
How Much is a Savannah Cat?
There is so much information to learn about this breed. to make this explanation easier for you here is a link to elaborate in full detail. Info is a direct link from the Savannah Cat Association and what you can expect for price ranges and the reason as to why Savannahs are priced the way they are.
Many people ask why are Savannah Cats Expensive (savannahcatassociation.org)
What Colors can a Savannah Cat be?
Savannah cats come in a range of colors, however here at Skeens Savannahs, we primarily focus on the warm golden coats as Savannahs are meant to resemble their serval ancestor. We are also known to produce a few "Melanistic Savannahs" per year as well. A melanistic savannah is basically like a mini black panther!
Below, pictured is a Melanistic Serval wild cat in comparison to one of our Melanistic Savannah kittens.
An F7 Melanistic Savannah Kitten produced by Skeens Savannahs. As you can see melanistic savannahs still have spotting. Its simply harder to spot due to the black on black coat.
*Savannah cats do come in other colors as well. TICA breed standard colors include, brown, silver, black (melanistic), and "smoke". Any other coloration is considered a "Non-standard" or undesirable trait in the savannah breed, also disqualifying a cat for show. The link below is directly from the Savannah Cat Association and TICA site.
* The Savannah Breed (tica.org)
* TICA Savannah Standard breed profile and appearance (savannahcatassociation.org)
How do you know what generation a Savannah is?
Someone new to the Savannah breed may get confused as to what our abbreviations mean! Understandably it can get confusing! Generations are categorized as the following, F1,F2,F3,and SBT. The letter "F" stands for "Filial" and is followed by a number telling you how many generations a cat is from the actual African Serval wild cat. So an F1 savannah has a Serval father and a savannah mother. An F2 is the granddaughter of a Serval, and an F3 is the great granddaughter of the serval, so on and so fourth. It is at the F4 generation that a cat can be considered an SBT as it has at least three known generations of purebred savannahs in its bloodline. Any outcrossing is unaccepted and frowned upon in the Savannah cat community and also disqualifies a cat from show. The link below explains this in greater detail directly form the Savannah Cat Association and TICA site.
*Savannah Cat F1, F2, F3 explained and why you should know. (savannahcatassociation.org)
How Big is a Savannah?
Every Savannah cat breeder will be asked the question, "How big will my cat be?". Savannah cats can vary across the board in size generation to generation. Size can depend on the Sire and Dam it came from as well as the breeding behind its ancestors and many other genetic factors. Savannah size is often times exaggerated slightly because they are taller than average with the long legs, neck, and large ears, giving them the appearance of being absolutely massive; which often time is not the case. A quote directly from the TICA site states the following, "The body on the Savannah is very long and the legs are quite long as well, creating a false image of a very large or heavy cat, but in reality, most Savannahs are just the size of a large domestic cat, and weigh less than another cat of similar size. It also has a very long neck and a short, thick tail, adding to its distinctiveness."
If you are looking for size we recommend the F1 and F2 generations as these two generations are more likely to take after the Serval's size. Nevertheless, size cannot be guaranteed but a good breeder will provide your moneys worth. Skeens Savannahs produces the F2 on down due to the fact that in Ohio it is illegal to own an African Serval wild cat, thus impossible to create the F1 generation. However we are the proud owners of three F1 generation Queens which have successfully bred and produced exquisite quality F2 generational kittens such as the one displayed to the Right. Or if you are reading this from your phone screen, all the way down to the bottom of your page. This is an F2 Male Savannah kitten, pictured here at 11 weeks old. As you can see he still greatly resembles the Serval due to selective breeding. Should you choose that an F2 or F3 is not within your price range, the F6 and F7 generations are equally as stunting and continue to possess the highly energetic and curious personality. The following
links below from the TICA and Savannah Cat Association sites discuss more on the size of a Savannah and what you can expect when considering the generation that may best suite your desires!
*Savannah Breed (tica.org)
*Savannah cat Size ⋆ Savannah size compared to domestic cat (savannahcatassociation.org)
