This is a page on the Savannah cat. It is written for children and people who like to read plain English.
The Savannah cat is a breed of cat. It is a wild cat hybrid and a domestic cat. “Wild cat hybrid” means a cat whose father or grandfather, and so on, is a wild cat while the mother is a domestic cat. There is some wild cat in the Savannah cat. The main pictures on this page are of two famous Savannah cats. Their names are Magic and Titan. Magic is a female and Titan a male cat.
Magic is the world’s tallest domestic cat. She is in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Both Magic and Titan had a father who was a serval. The serval is a medium sized wild cat from Africa. Because their father was a wild cat both Magic and Titan are called “first generation Savannah cats”.
This means that they are the first generation from the wild cat or the son or daughter of a wild cat. These are rare cats. Most Savannah cats are five generations from the wild cat.
The First Savannah Cats
The first Savannah cat was born on born April 7, 1986, in the United States of America. So, this cat is an American cat. The person who made this happen was Judee Frank. She set up a meeting between a serval wild cat that belonged to a lady named Suzi Woods and a domestic cat that was a Siamese cat. I think the Siamese cat belonged to Judee. The cats got on. They mated and produced a female kitten. The kitten was named Savannah. As the serval is from Africa, the name comes from the grassy places in Africa that are called “savanna”.
Then a person named Patrick Kelley and a lady named Joyce Sroufe worked together. They made sure that more Savannah kittens were born and so the breed began. Today, A1 Savannahs in Oklahoma is the best known breeder of Savannah cats today.
How the Savannah Cat Looks
The Savannah cat should look a bit like a serval wild cat. That means, long legs and a slim body with a wild looking but friendly face. The coat is spotted. The background color of the coat is a warm yellowish color. The ears are quite large.
The first generation Savannah cats are much larger than the average domestic cat. Most Savannah cats, though, are standard sized domestic cats.
What the Savannah Costs
Because servals do not usually mate with a much smaller domestic cat, it is difficult to get them to mate and have a Savannah kitten. That is why the first generation Savannah cat is rare. There are not many of them in the world. Because of this they are expensive to buy. They can cost over $20,000. The more usual 5th generation Savannah cat cost between about $1000 to $6,000. The price depends on how good the cat looks.
Savannah Cat Behavior
Basically, Savannah cats behave just like other domestic cats. The first generation Savannah cats are bigger and more wild but still nice domestic cats. Because they have some wild cat in them their behavior is sometimes a bit like a wild cat. They like water more than average domestic cats. They might join you in the shower in the morning. They can be quite active. If you own a Savannah cat you need to be a very good cat caretaker. If you keep a cat like Titan you’ll need to take him for a walk on a leash like a dog to keep him safe and let him have some fun.
you might need to update your info. I saw somewhere that scarlett’s magic won in 2009 the guiness world record but a new cat did in 2013.
um oops. I thought that pic was for the tiny box sorry. 😛
Catherine, I presume that you mean that the image that you uploaded it is too big. It is large but I can reduce that for you. Thanks for visiting.
You are correct and incorrect. “Trouble” was bigger than Magic but he was killed when he escaped from his home. We have not been told how he was killed, perhaps, he was run over by a vehicle. We are also not told how the world’s largest domestic cat at that time was kept captive. Whatever happened, it was tragic as on his death, the way I see it, Magic we gained the title.
we have 2 savannah cats and they are F3’s and they do very well with people and other cats, when I get home from work they greet me at the door and they love to play. I bought from Select Exotics and we are so pleased we got a second savannah cat from them,super cats
Nice to hear that you are happy with your Savannah cats. Although I don’t live with one I have played with them for many days and they are indeed fine cats. The F1 I played with had a voice that was distinctly different to the usual domestic cat’s voice.
How do I go about getting one? They are so beautiful. I have domestic cats, mostly ones I have rescued and just love them, but this cat is just amazing. I would love to have the opportunity to have one. Can someone give me the info please.
Thanks
Sorry for the delay in responding. I would contact A1 Savannahs in OK, USA. Just google “A1 Savannahs” and go to their website for contact details. A1 Savannahs used to be owned by Martin and Kathrin Stucki. They now part own the business. When I visited it, it was a very high standard breeding cattery. I presume nothing has changed. Their website gives info on prices too. Good luck. I have played with Savannah cats. They are special.
be warned these cats are pretty expensive though. you’ll probably want to save up some extra cash.
I don’t think a savannah will get along to well with other pets. Am I right?
Savannah cats get on fine with other pets. It does depend on how well the individual cat is socialized but a good breeder such as A1 Savannahs socialize their cats very well. The Savannah cat, F1-F5, should all get on fine with other animals and people. I have personally played with these cats (F1 through to F5) and they are just like other domestic cats but a bit more active perhaps. They are beautiful and stimulating to be with.