The Savannah is a breed of hybrid cat - a true hybrid - developed in the late 20th century from crossing a Serval (Leptailurus serval) with a Domestic Shorthair (Felis catus). This hybridization typically produces large and lean offspring, with the Serval's characteristic large erect ears and markedly brown-spotted coats. F1 and F2 male Savannahs can be very large. When compared to traditionally domestic cane breeds, the Savannah is comparable in size to the Maine Coon.
Development
On April 7 in 1986, Judee Frank crossbred a male Serval with a Siamese cat to produce the first Savannah (an F1), a female named Savannah. That first Savannah was bred with a Turkish Angora male and gave birth to viable F2 kittens in April 1989. In 1996, Patrick Kelley and Joyce Sroufe wrote the original version of the Savannah breed standard and presented it to the board of The International Cat Association (TICA). In 2001, the board accepted it as a new registered breed, and in May 2012, TICA accepted the Savannah as an eligible championship breed.
Registry
Because the Savannah attained TICA championship status in 2012, outcrossing to domestic cats of other breeds are no longer permitted. Since F1 through F4 Savannah males are sterile, breeders use F5 males to produce the F2 generation with a F1 female. By 2012 most breeders were performing Savannah-to-Savannah pairings, since many fertile F5 Savannah males were by then available for stud, and outcrosses were considered unnecessary and undesirable. Domestic outcrosses from the early days in the 1990s greatly impacted the breed's development in both desired and non-desired traits. Outcrosses previously permitted for the TICA Savannah breed standard before 2012 were the Egyptian Mau, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, and Domestic Shorthair. Outcrosses that were not permitted included the Bengal and Maine Coon, which brought many unwanted genetic influences.
F That
As Savannahs were produced by crossbreeding Servals and domestic cat breeds, each generation of Savannahs is marked with a filial number. For example, the cats produced directly from a Serval and domestic cat cross are termed F1 (filial 1), and they are 50% Serval; males are sterile. F1 generation Savannahs are very difficult to produce, due to the significant difference in gestation periods between the Serval and a domestic cat (75 days for a serval and 65 days for a domestic cat) and incompatibilities between the two species' sex chromosomes. Pregnancies are often absorbed, spontaneous abortion is common. Sometimes, kittens are born prematurely. Also, Servals can be very picky in choosing mates, and often will not mate with a domestic cat.
This can become further complicated by backcrosses being designated as BC1 generations, and F generation linebreeding being classified as FB1, etc. These alphanumeric designations are scientific designations for true hybridization. However, they have been hijacked by layman backyard breeders of designer canines (the Doodle breeders) in an attempt to add credibility and/or value to their for-profit-muttification of the Poodle and other breeds. An FB1 Goldendoodle is just a mixed breed Canis familiaris (domestic dog) and not a hybrid.
In The Home
Well-bred Savannahs are generally playful and develop deep connections with their families. However, they are sometimes known to have a higher-than-normal frequency of urinating outside of the litter box, even when there is nothing medical going on with them to cause them to do so. Many Savannah breeders deny this, and some openly admit it and give advice to buyers to help curb this habit, but from first hand experience with Savannahs and a Savannah breeder I can confirm that this does happen with some regularity.
Additionally, all cats can get an attitude at times. But when a Savannah gets an attitude, it can be a big one. Other pets in the home, and all children, should be taught to avoid a fractious Savannah until it calms down.
Those hurdles aside, they can be absolutely lovely additions to the home, and a joy to watch play.
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