Health
Health in relation to purebred cat means,”are there any genetically inherited diseases?” (see Genetic Diseases in Purebred cats). My research indicates that there are none in relation to this cat breed. There is talk that an anaesthetic called Ketamine is unsuitable for wildcat hybrids. No doubt the veterinarian will be able to confirm or deny this.
In fact hybrid vigor serves to improve health. The scientific term is heterosis. It is also known as outbreeding enhancement and is the opposite to inbreeding depression (ill health or a propensity to ill health caused by inbreeding). Cross breeding from different breeds creates a more robust individual cat genetically it is thought.
There are no special dietary demands for Savannah cats as far as I am aware. Some breeders will always a feed homemade raw diet, while others mix raw and commercial and yet the third group do what the rest of us do and provide commercially sourced cat food.
Make sure that you get what you buy and think hard before buying. Some Savannahs are Servals (perhaps the seller couldn’t cope) and some Savannahs are not Savannahs at all. Do some research and ask questions. For example, study the large format photographs on this website (a lot of the photographs on this page link to large images) and thoroughly understand the appearance.
1. August 2008 – The Savannah cat is in the news again. Australia has banned the importation of this cat breed (src: AFP – Google News). The ban was declared by the Australian government’s Environment Minister Peter Garrett. There was talk about this before it happened. I say that the Savannah cat ban in Australia is wrong (see link to new page on this). Australians are it
seems to me a little paranoic about their feral cat population, which is estimated to be at 12 million. They think that feral cats of Australia are killling native wildlife but there would seem to be no firm data to back this up. There is also a myth that some Australian feral cats are growing to the size of big cats! Anyway, they think if the Savannah cat is imported to Australia, one or two may become feral then breed with the existing feral cats and bingo, you’ve got a super feral cat killing more native wildlife. Who caused the feral cat problem in Australia? There would seem to be a policy of cruelty towards the Australian feral cat and an acceptance of the irresponsible behavior of some people.
2. SBT Savannahs from A1 Savannahs- these are pure Savannah cats. This means that they have no house cat blood (moggie, mixed breed cat) in them. They have at least 3 generations of Savannah cats in their parentage. This makes their character and appearance (type) more predictable and reliable. SBT stands for “Stud Book Tradition”.
Some additional quick questions and answers in an easy read format:
| Question | Answer |
| Do they need vaccinations like other cats? | Yes, see your vet and cat vaccination recommendations. |
| What is their lifespan? | The same as any other domesic cat and hybrid vigor may enhance longevity. |
| Do they eat ordinary cat food? | Yes, but premium is always recommended and/or properly prepared homemade cat food. |
| Do males and females have the same temperament? | Broadly speaking, yes. |
| Can they be shown at a cat show? | Yes, in Preliminary New Breed classes at TICA cat shows. |
| Can they be leashed trained? | Yes, more so than for the average cat. |
| Should I take any precautions in the home when adopting a Savannah? | As they tend to be more active and inquisitive than usual, especially the higher generation cats, the answer is that the home should be “child proofed”. |
A1 Savannahs
Martin & Kathrin Stucki, Ponca City, Oklahoma, USA – Raymond, New Hampshire, USA. A1 Savannahs is the cattery that founded the Savannah Breed. They have started a new venture, A1 Supremes (the website may have been re-rewritten because the link is broken at Nov. 2012) producing the biggest, wildest Savannah cats with the sweetest temperaments.
Avalon Savannahs
Located in California, USA. Savannah Cat information and pictures from a great source.
Kirembo Savannahs
Located in California, USA. This is a good website. Brigitte Cowell runs the cattery.
Click Rescue Centers to see information about rescuing this cat.
Click on the link: Savannah cat breeders world location map, selected breeders to see a map showing the location of Savannah cat breeders worldwide. This is a selection of breeders.
Sources:
- Personal experience
- A1 Savannahs
- Wikipedia
- Catwatching
- Select Exotics
- Messybeast
- Kirembo Savannahs – Brigitte Cowell
- HDW
- As stated in the text
- Various websites
je parle FRANçais je voudrais vous demandez si c’est un savannah même malade je suis prête a le soigner au vétérinaire en france et l’adopté sa serai avec un plaisir si vous pourvez l’envoyais en france avec un carnet de vaccin et la prise en charge du transport envoyé moi un message sur mon mail