Savannah Info | Coachella Kittens

What is a Savannah cat?

The breed started in the late 1980’s and has successfully continued to flourish. The first successful breeding of a Savannah Cat was accomplished by Judee Frank with a male Serval and a domestic Siamese cat in April of 1986. A Savannah cat is a cross between the beautiful African serval and the domestic house cat. This results in the largest and rarest hybrid cat in the world. The savannah breed is classified into filial categories, the “F” is sometimes confused for foundation. This is the only breed of cats that classifies their generations in this way and it can become very confusing so we will try to break it down in simple terms.

F1 means one parent (the dad) is an African serval and the mom is a savannah. They can come in many percentages of serval blood depending on which female generation the serval is bred too. For example our girl Kara is 56% serval because her mom is a lower generation savannah F6 meaning she’s 6 generations away from the serval. The F1 savannahs are one of the largest savannahs and tend to have more of the serval markings and personality traits.

F2 means the grandfather is a serval, Kara’s babies will all be F2 savannahs. It is also important to note all F1-F3 savannah males are sterile. There has been some large F2s produced in the savannah community, some even larger than most F1s which makes them the most sought after.

F3 means the great grandfather is a serval, this generation is greatly encouraged to first time savannah owners if they are nervous about owning a hybrid or can’t afford the price of the higher generations.

If you are looking for a puppy in a cats body that’s not only beautiful to look at but very entertaining and smart then look no further. I promise you owning a savannah is unlike anything you’ll experience in any other breed of cat. They are extremely affectionate, high energy, funny, goofy, independent, and so much more!

How big will my

Savannah get?

F1 Savannah

Sizes in savannahs will vary depending on the parents and how much genetics they inherit from the African serval but in general you can expect your higher generation savannahs to weigh in at 15-20 lbs lean some F2s even tipping the scale at the 25 lbs mark! The higher generations will continue to grow until they reach the age of 3. Think of your large breed dogs like your Mastiff or Great Danes were this applies as well.

F2 Savannah

F2Savannah

Savannah Personalities

F1 savannahs: cats require a large amount of your time, love and patience. Because these cats are the closest to the Serval they will inherit a lot of their quirks and antics. They are extremely affectionate and will give their family lots of head butts and purrs. They will get into everything and I mean everything, no height will stop them. Be prepared to child proof your cabinets with child locks! They can jump very high and balance on objects like you wouldn’t imagine. If you work a lot and cannot dedicate time for you F1 I would highly discourage you from owning one. They will follow you around like a puppy and can easily train to walk on a leash with a harness, this generation is defiantly a dog in cats clothing.

F2 savannahs will also need attention and time but they tend to be a tad bit more laid back then the F1s. They still love to play and will give you lots of headbutts and body rubs. If you want to keep that exotic look but want a little bit more freedom from constant antics then the F2 maybe more up your ally. They don’t need to be with you as much as the F1s and can be okay at home while you work. They are still very smart and can easily be leash trained as well.

F3 savannahs are were most breeders would recommend starting at if you are concerned about price and time away from home. This is a good middle ground for owning an exotic hybrid that is closer in temperament to your domesticated cat. They can still be mischievous but definitely tend to be more laid back at times. They are also very good with children as you can see below with our past F3s.

SBT savannahs: are quite honestly some of the best cats you can own that don’t require much special attention unlike higher generations. You will have to sacrifice size with the SBT which is made up for in personality. They are still beautiful but they tend to be closer to the size of your average cat with still keeping their beautiful markings just not as vibrant. They are still fun and enjoyable cats to own!

F2Savannah

F1 Savannah

F2Savannah

F3Savannah