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Find the ancestry of your cat!

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The Cat Ancestry test was developed from research performed by the Feline Genetics Research Laboratory of Dr. Leslie Lyons in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Lyons collected a majority of samples while attending cat shows hosted by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA) and other shows around the world.

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Various research and information on the breed

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Physical Characteristics

The Savannah house cat is an unusual, exotic breed that looks much like its ancestor, the African Serval, but is smaller in size. One of the features that make this breed so unique is its strikingly bold and spotted coat, which can vary from brown, tan or gold with black or dark brown spots; silver with black or dark grey spots; black with black spots; and black tipped silver with black spots.

The Savannah's fur can also have the classic marble pattern, snow coloration, and other diluted colors. Their overall look depends greatly on generational breeding and genetic dilution.

The Savannah cat has a lean muscular build, a short, thick tail, a long neck and long legs. These features give the feline a tall appearance, but it is actually medium sized and tends to weigh less than other similarly sized domestic cats. One of its other most striking features is the shape of its hooded eyes, which are flat on top, and its large, tall ears that are situated right at the top of its head.

Personality and Temperament

This very active cat is curious, assertive, and an adventure-seeker. It requires a lot of interaction and attention on a daily basis, either with its companion human(s) or other companion cats. This cat is also very loyal, and will develop a strong bond with people.

The Savannah is not a lap cat, but will show affection to its human family by following them around the house and giving them frequent head butts. They love to play in water, and are easily trained to walk on a leash with a harness. They also love to play active games such as fetch. Because of these traits, Savannahs are thought to have "dog-like" personalities.

Health and Care

Despite their exotic appearance, Savannah cats are one of the healthiest breeds and have no known established health problems. Due to their direct lineage from Servals, care should be taken to establish whether they have inherited the Serval's tendency to have a proportionately small liver for their body size.

Care should also be taken by veterinarians to not administer ketamine during medical treatment, as ketamine is metabolized through the liver and has been known to cause potentially serious health complications for the Savannah cat breed.

Special attention should be given to the Savannah's diet to guard against a deficiency of taurine, a particularly dangerous condition resulting from lack of the amino acid taurine, which is found in meats and fish and to which the Savannah is believed to be especially prone. Because of this, it is recommended the Savannah cat be provided with a high protein, low or no grain diet (especially corn). High concentrations of taurine can be found in meat, poultry (which can be partially boiled), fish, and premium cat foods.

Overall, Savannah house cats are healthy, hardy and athletic, and are considered to be one of the healthiest of the domestic feline breeds.

History and Background

The first documented Savannah cat was born in April 1986, when Bengal cat breeder Judee Frank paired her eight-pound female Siamese Sealpoint cat with Ernie, a thirty-pound male Serval cat belonging to Suzy Wood. Neither one expected the unusually beautiful and graceful offspring that resulted, which Suzy took home with her. The kitten was christened "Savannah," after the African grasslands that are home to the Serval's ancestors. This kitten became the first F1 (first generation hybrid cross).

With Savannah, Suzy was able to breed the first known F2 (second generation) Savannah cat. The feline's unique physical traits and dynamic personality attracted the attention and interest of Patrick Kelly, who then obtained one of the kittens. Patrick Kelly wanted to produce a new breed of domestic cat, and enlisted the aid of cat breeder Joyce Sroufe to assist him.

By painstakingly researching the steps needed to create a feline breed that would be recognized by the national cat registry, Patrick Kelly and Joyce Sroufe were able to successfully produce a new feline breed. Together, Kelly and Sroufe are credited with writing and presenting the Savannah cat breed standard to The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1996. Kelly and Sroufe were successful, and as of 2001, the Savannah cat has been recognized as a New Advanced Breed Class.

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The Savannah house cat is an unusual, exotic breed that looks much like its ancestor, the African Serval, but is smaller in size. One of the features that make this breed so unique is its strikingly bold and spotted coat, which can vary from brown, tan or gold with black or dark brown spots; silver with black or dark grey spots; black with black spots; and black tipped silver with black spots.

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8 week old kitten playing

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Uploaded by F1Hybrids Savannahs on 2016-03-08.

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Infertility can be seen in the first five hybrid generations, due to the genetics. Reproduction between the Serval and domestic cat is very difficult due to the 10 day difference in gestation lengths. This was first achieved in the 1980's by Judee Frank. In 1996 the new breed was successfully presented to the TICA Board of Directors by Joyce Scroufe, and is now considered a domestic breed. The litter size varies between 1 and 3 kittens.

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Puberty on average is reached at 6-9 months of age. They are seasonally polyestrous breeders (when daylight decreases), will generally continue to go into heat every 14-21 days during until bred, and can be in heat up to five times a year. Domestic cats are also induced ovulators, meaning an extrenal stimulus can trigger ovulation vs. sThe female will be extremely vocal, roll on the ground, assume the posture of head and forelimb near the ground and rump up in the air, become very affectionate, and remain in heat for 3-16 days. Gestation lasts 60-65 days, varying 4-9 kittens in each litter. Kittens can see after 10-12 days after birth, will be weaned from their mother after 4-6 weeks (about 28 days), and may be separated after 8 weeks.

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Both cats are able to eat domestic cat food (canned or bagged food from the pet store), but it is recommended to feed Servals high quality cat food and/or balance their food with a raw meat diet as well. Temperament is great when properly socialized during the sensitive period and will actively seek out attention from owners and other humans. They like routine just like their wild counterparts, but generally are better at adapting to changes, and also are adaptable to new environments.

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Both sexes become sexually mature at about one or two years old. For females oestrus lasts one to four days, occurring typically twice a year. During this time the female will roam restlessly, spray urine with tail in a vertical position, salivate continuously, and give out loud "chirps". Gestation lasts two to three months (about 70 days), and litter size varies from one to four kittens each weighing 8.8 ounces. Newborns, which stay in the den until their canines develop at around 6 months of age, will open their eyes after 9-13 days, and are weaned a month after birth. At 12 months they will leave their mother.

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African servals are crepuscular (nocturnal if humans are close), omnivorous mammals that prey on rodents, small birds, frogs, reptiles, and grasses. They are solitary animals except during breeding season, and very active throughout the day. Servals do not adapt to change very well in daily routines, but are very adaptable, for being cursorial mammals, to environmental changes, especially when the need to change the place of their den when a possible threat is near the cats newborns.

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The Different Generations of Savannah Cats

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The Different Generations of Savannah Cats

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F1 has a Serval as one parent and a domestic cat as the other

F2 is F1 with a domestic cat

F3 is F2 with a domestic cat

F4 is a F3 with a domestic cat

F5 is five generations removed from the wild

F= The filial generation
The Savannah cat is not a  fully recognized breed until it has full-blooded Savannah cat to Savannah cat breeding in its pedigree

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Physical description:
Savannah cats are one of the larger breeds of domestic cats and the size varies on the hybrid generation. Generally they are 14-17 inches tall and  weigh 12-25 pounds, and the early generations (F1 and F2) are usually the largest, due to strong genetic influence of the Serval. Their coat is similar to the Serval as well, being either copper/golden, silver, or black in color with black spots.  The texture and length is dependent on the domestic cat the Serval was bred with. Additional physical characteristics that takes after the Serval are the larger ears, long legs, and lifespan is dependent on the Serval heritage and can range from 12-20.

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Physical Description:
Domestic cats are about 9-12 in and between 9-10 pounds, although some of the larger breeds have been recorded to be up to 24 pounds. Their coats,ear size, and leg size vary in color and length, depending on their ancestral features of wild relatives. The lifespan of a domestic cat is generally around 15 years.

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Physical Description:
African servals are 15-24 inches in height, 30-40 pounds (Females), with long legs and the largest ears in comparison to head size compared to any other cat, domestic or wild. Their coat has a copper hues with black spots and their face and stomachs have white fur. The lifespan of a Serval can reach up to 20 years in captivity and around 10 years in the wild