Savannahs are a very high energy breed; an awesome mix of Wild Cat (The Serval) and Domestic Cat DNA.
This newfound addition to your home will give you many exciting years of love, affection, enjoyment, and activity.
Below are some serious factors to consider before deciding The Savannah Breed is the one for you.
This newfound addition to your home will give you many exciting years of love, affection, enjoyment, and activity.
Below are some serious factors to consider before deciding The Savannah Breed is the one for you.
SIZE & SHAPE
Though some will compare the breed to dogs, either in stature or behaviour - Savannah Cats are definitely in a league of their own.
- Some of our Savannah kittens reach 18-22" (From front toes to the top of their head). While they certainly appear larger, most remain under 16-18lbs (7.1-8.2KG).
- The Savannah cats hind legs are longer than their front legs, and are used for running fast & jumping great heights/distances - Your Savannah cat will be able to easily reach almost any place in your home as they can jump an astounding 7 or more feet.
- Specific "Eye Make-up" allows your Savannah to see even better with their already amazingly powerful eyes. They don't need the light on to follow you to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
- With large ears that can pivot a full 180 degrees (each), they have excellent hearing & will often seek sounds out to discover the source.
GENERATION & (PURE)BREED
Our F5SBT kittens are 5 generations from the Serval;
- "SBT" is the 4th tier after an A, B, C, classification & refers to the cat being considered "Studbook Traditional" or Purebred.
- "A" means the Savannah has a non-savannah parent
- "B" means a non-savannah grand-parent
- "C" means a non-savannah great-grand-parent.
TEMPERAMENT
Savannahs are extremely intelligent, deceptively agile-and they know they can outrun you. When they want something they will do their very best to get it. It’s imperative you stimulate your Savannah cat daily with toys & playtime, access to things like scratching posts, jumping places, as well as a cat wheel. Even consider putting a small enclosure on a window so they can feel like they are getting outside. You should also take them for walks as often as you can, a minimum of 3x a week to daily. All of these things will help to keep your cat well behaved & avoid becoming frustrated as a result of being bored (which can lead to other bad behaviour). This will ultimately improve your Savannah experience & their overall health.
- Your Savannah cat is smart enough to try and bridge the gap of vocal communication - Meowing to let you know various things is normal, though when surprised a Savannah cat can hiss like a snake to ward off potential attackers.
- Your Savannah cat wants to stay active and fit, and never misses "leg day". Runnng is something your Savannah cat does well, and they will likely spend several seconds to entire minutes running at full speed on the cat wheel, before going off to do something else - This could happen upwards of 10-15 times a day.
- Your Savannah cat is an affectionate creature, and they want to be where you are. They will enjoy cuddles on the couch, walks in the park, and your attention and affection. They will want to sleep in your bed, and maybe even play in the water as you bathe/shower.
- Your new Savannah cat will enjoy befriending an existing animal in your home (following proper introduction methods for best results) as they are social creatures.
HEALTH
Maintaining a healthy environment and keeping your Savannah cat healthy go hand in hand with several factors;
Your Savannahs overall health is a multi-layered system of intricately balanced factors. The key to optimal health with your Savannah cat is stabilizing as many of these factors as you can.
- Cleaning your Savannahs litter box regularly is essential for their health-they dig in it and ultimately ingest the litter, so keep it clean.
- Sleep is important, and they do it quite a bit - Give them a few places they can sneak away for a quick nap.
- Making sure that products like cleaning chemicals and tasty lotions are locked away to keep them safe (FYI your Savannah will easily open cupboards they want inside).
- Providing jumping, playtime, and wheel opportunity to stimulate your cat actually helps them physically and mentally grow. Running is how your cat stays physically fit, and keeps their metabolism up.
- Your cat was born with claws. In some places in Canada it is illegal to remove the claws of cats. We strongly encourage (contractually) that you never declaw your Savannah cat.
- Rabies Vaccinations protect you & your family from an extremely dangerous & zoonotic disease. A non-adjuvant, 3 year formula is available and we strongly recommend the Savannah cat receives it on schedule.
- Annual/Regular visits to an Actively Licensed & Practicing Veterinarian experienced in Savannah cats for boosters, de-worming, and rabies vaccinations as needed. Revolution is required every 30 days to protect against Fleas, Ticks, & Worms - By prescription only in some Provinces. Booster Shots are an effective shield against several strains of viral infections that result from exposure to bacteria found both in and outside of your home. There is no way to prevent exposure to these bacteria, which is why we strongly recommend vaccinating against the infections they cause.
Your Savannahs overall health is a multi-layered system of intricately balanced factors. The key to optimal health with your Savannah cat is stabilizing as many of these factors as you can.
BUYER BEWARE
There are a lot of scams and frauds seeking to capitalize on the Savannah breed's good name.
- Beware any website/breeder claiming high percentage Savannah cats - There is no "Serval DNA" test to prove heritage. Likewise it is not possible for an F8 to be more closely related to the Serval than an F4 - Regardless of SBT status/pedigree. The number of SBT bred cats behind it does not have an impact on how closely related your Savannah is to the Serval it hails from.
- Beware of Colour Tests - They are available to anyone with the $, however multiple breeds share the "Tabby" colour markings, & thus this is not an indicator of a Savannah cat.
- Beware of cheap prices for hybrid cats - Rearing Savannah cats takes a lot of time, patience, and money. As you get closer to the Serval birthing Savannahs is harder on the cats. This affects the rate of positive outcomes, and thus our ability to further the breed.
- Beware of breeders who claim health guarantees while not providing basic shots & fixing prior to handing over a kitten. Be Especially wary if your kitten-to-be has never seen a vet.
- Beware of facebook and other social media reviews. Google standings have no impact on a business' credibility and/or ethical values.
- Beware of breeders who use Brokers and/or Nannies as part of their services. 3rd parties are not always as reputable as the business you are purchasing from/doing business with.
- Beware of anyone selling an underage (under 14 weeks of age) kitten. If a breeder is saying they can deliver a kitten prior to 3 months of age (for example, delivery at 8 weeks) they likely are not providing everything for the animal that should be to ensure that they remain healthy, even after delivery. Similarly, anyone claiming that an 8 week old kitten is "Fully Vaccinated" is full of SH*T - They may be seriously compromising the health and safety of the animal with their vaccination and/or de-worming schedule.
- Your Breeder is not your Nutritionist, as well as they are not your Veterinarian. Seek qualified, professional advice whenever possible.
BREED STANDARDS
Breed Standards are set out to document, compare & contrast the Savannah Breed with a standard of physical appeal to traits commonly found in the Serval they hail from. This appeal is often subjective region to region, judge to judge. There are several breed standards in the links below.
Look, Pedigree, & Temperament all go hand in hand when it comes to competitive showing of the Savannah breed.
Look, Pedigree, & Temperament all go hand in hand when it comes to competitive showing of the Savannah breed.
- We Train for Pet Capacity Savannah Cats - Show Trained Savannah Cats are conditioned to be shown in a high stress environment with lots of distractions while maintaining their composure and following instructions.
- Your Savannahs Pedigree has a full account of 5 Generations of Savannahs, Outcrosses, Servals, and more. True breeders can discern a lot of information from this pedigree at a glance.
- Breed Standards are ranked by points, and set out by multiple agencies. More points = closer to the breed standard, and higher chance of Placing (obtaining ribbons) in shows.
* The information on this page is not medical advice. Veterinary Medicine is complex as well as subjective Province to Province in Canada. Targeted advice regarding treatment of conditions, illness, or side effects should be sought out from a locally licensed & actively practicing Veterinary professional. *