Savannah Cats

Savannah cats are considered one of the larger races of domesticated cats. A Savannah cat's body size is higher, slenderer, and larger than other domestic cats. These cats are the result of breeding 2 cat breeds; the Serval cats (wild cats from Africa) and exotic domestic cats that are smaller than the Serval cats like the Bengal cat, Oriental Shorthair, Egyptian Mau, or Serengeti.

Savannah cats have a loyalty to its owner much like a dog's. These cats will follow you around just like any loving dog does. They can even be trained like to sit, pretend sleep, jump, walk on the rope, fetch, and any other trick that a smart dog can do.

Even more interesting is the fact that Savannah cats can leap to about 8 FEET! That's 96 inches! It can technically jump on any living person on this planet!

Unlike most domestic cats, Savannah Cats are by nature not afraid of water. They will even play on water and owners are known to shower with them.

These cats are by nature very social to humans, dogs, cats, and any other animals. Savannah cats have no temperament problems more common in other domestic cat breeds like shy and aggressive. Cats as they are, Savannah cats are very curious, and have been known to get into all sorts of things and troubles. They often learn how to open doors and cabinets (maybe to get food?).

Thinking of owning one already? Hold up.Savannah cats belong to the top ten most expensive cat breeds in the World with prices ranging from U.S. $4,000-10,000! Sorry folks! This cat will have to remain a dream for the 99% of us on this planet.

Size of Savannah cats

Savannah cats are so friendly and cuddly

• Savannah Cats Health Issues

At the time of writing, there aren't any health issues specifically associated with the Savannah cat. Some vets on the other hand have noticed Servals to have smaller livers relative to their size. For this reason, medications on Savannah cats are advised to be lower compared to their body weight. In addition, the blood values of Savannahs may vary from the typical domestic cat, due to the Serval genes that they inherit.

It has also been noted that Savannah cats and other high breeds like Bengals do not respond well to anesthesia that contains Ketamine. Many Savannah breeders request that Ketamine be not used for surgeries.

Some (but not all) Savannah breeders believe strongly that modified live vaccines should not be used on Savannahs, that only killed virus vaccines should be used. Others are the complete opposite, having had poor reactions to killed vaccines, and no vaccine reaction (lethargy, illness, etc) to the modified live vaccines. This, also, has not been studied, and opinions vary widely from breeder to breeder.

Some breeders state that Savannah cats have no known special care or food requirements, while others recommend a very high quality diet with no grains or by-products. Some recommend a partial or complete raw feeding/raw food diet with at least 32% protein and no by-products. Some Savannah breeders recommend calcium and other supplements, especially for growing cats and earlier generations. Others consider it unnecessary, or even harmful. Most Savannah breeders agree that Savannahs have a need for more taurine than the average domestic cats, and therefore recommend taurine supplement which can be added to any food type. Issues of Savannah diet are not without controversy, and again, it is best to seek the advice of a veterinarian or exotic cat specialist before feeding a Savannah cat any non-standard diet.

• Legal ownership of Savannah Cats

Laws governing ownership of Savannah cats in the United States vary state by state. The majority of states follow the code set by the United States Department of Agriculture which defines wild/domesticated hybrid crosses as domesticated. Some states have set more restrictive laws on hybrid cat ownership, including, but not limited to: Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Georgia. See HybridLaw.com for specific state-by-state laws regarding ownership of Savannah cats. Some cities may invoke laws that differ from the state. For example, Savannahs more than five generations from the Serval are allowed to be owned in New York state, but not in the city of New York.

The Australian Federal government has banned the importation into Australia of the Savannah cat, as the larger cats could potentially threaten species of the country's native wildlife not threatened by smaller domestic cats. A government report into the proposed importation of the cats has warned the hybrid breed may introduce enhanced hunting skills and increased body size into feral cat populations, putting native species at risk. The report states that the Savannah cats are not worth the risk.