Savannah Cat participates in TICA cat show
, , ,

Savannah cats look exotic but they’re not wild cats

by

Savannah cats are just the best.
Savannah cats are just the best.

Savannah cats may look exotic, but after almost 2 decades since the first Savannah was bred from a domestic cat and an African Serval, the cat has become a favorite domestic because of its unusual look and affectionate, outgoing personality. The first thing people ask is how much does a serval cat cost?

Mary Goehring, of Connecticut, said her Savannah cat, Serengeti, is just the best.

Savannah cats continue to be controversial because they were originally a cross-breed with a wild cat. Some still consider the Savannah and the Bengal to be classified as wild cats.

Goehring says this is no wild cat. He snuggles underneath the blankets, every night. That’s not wild. He’s a snugly

Mary Goehring, of Connecticut, and her Savannah Serengeti
Mary Goehring, of Connecticut, and her Savannah Serengetti

domestic cat, just like any other cat.

She says that with a bit of passion, especially since last year, the police came into the Providence, RI cat show and wanted to ‘raid the wild cats’. They were packed with guns. They meant businesses.

She escaped safely with her Savannah, but the wounds are only days old. ‘It was horrible, something I’ll never forget’. I’ll

Savannah Cat participates in the NauTICAts show in Augusta, ME in March.
Judging

never go to a show in Rhode Island ever again.’

There was some conversation they would euthanize the cats. But they were definitely going to confiscate them. And then what, she asked.

Savannah Cat participates in TICA cat show
Savannah Cat participates in TICA cat show

Indeed, the Savannah cat does have an exotic look with their tall lean graceful bodies, striking dark spots and other dark markings. Their large, tall ears are set right on top of the head, and their hooded eyes are flat across the top, giving them an exotic look, unlike any other breed of cat. The Savannah has a long neck and short thick tail. The body and legs are very long, creating the image of being very large. But in reality Savannahs are about the size of a large domestic cat and weigh less than another cat of a similar size.

Paws had heard lots, but ever seen a Savannah cat before, and was surprised at its size. The cat was the size of any domestic cat. Paws expected it to be at least half the size of a German Shepherd or Labrador Retriever. Despite its relatively small size, the cat was incredibly striking. No wonder people want these cats!

Savannah cats aren’t for everyone. They are very curious and assertive, seeking out adventure at every opportunity. It is known as a very active cat, that needs a great deal of interaction on a daily basis. Goehring showed a video of Serengeti jumping almost 4 feet off the ground.

The breed is known to be a very loyal cat who will bond strongly with its humans or a companion cat. But it’s not a lap cat or a docile pet that wants to lounge around for hours on end.

They, like many other cats, will greet family members at their door, and follow them around the house giving them frequent head buts. They love to play in water, a bit unusual for a cat. And they can easily be trained to walk on a leash with a harness. Like a dog, they love to play games like fetch.

The first known Savannah was born on April 7, 1986 after a female domestic cat gave birth to a kitten sired by an African Serval. The F1 First generation hybrid cross was the first on record. This unusual female kitten had both domestic and Serval like traits. Both the kitten and the new breed were named Savannah. Patrick Kelly heard about Savannah and decided he wanted to try to develop a new breed. He persuaded breeder, Joyce Sroufe to join in on his efforts. Together they wrote the original TICA (The International Cat Association) standard, and TICA accepted the Savannah for registration in 2001, and accepted for Championship status in 2012, only 2 years ago.

That’s a lot of years of developing the breed. There’s no doubt the first Savannah might have been more wild than not, but some 28 years later, the domestic traits have most likely taken over.

Hill’s Metabolic Cat Food Give-Away continues

Hills Metabolic Cat Food helps your cat lose weight As Part of Blog Paws 360 Pet Blogger Network, Paws is being compensated to write a series of posts about Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution. The food is formulated to help you help your pet get healthy. Hill’s stands behind it so much that they want to help you with your Veterinarian access to a rebate program worth up to $50 previously.

Hill’s knows that it is often difficult to help your pet lose those extra pounds. The food is formulated to help you help your pet get healthy. Hill’s stands behind it so much that they want to help you with your Veterinary Bill and give you a coupon in order to get started. To cover the vet’s visit, Hill’s is offering a $25 rebate on the vet visit AND a $25 rebate on the prescription food. To enter, fill form to fill out to take advantage of Hill’s offer: Hill’s Rebate and Coupon.

Have you ever owned a Savannah cat? Have you ever thought about adopting one? What do you think about the controversy over Savannah cats being wild, exotic cats? Please weigh in with your thoughts.

15 responses to “Savannah cats look exotic but they’re not wild cats”

  1. Derma Reflexion Moisturizing Cream Avatar
    Derma Reflexion Moisturizing Cream

    I was reading through some of your posts on this site and I think this web site is really instructive!
    Retain posting.

  2. Walter Avatar
    Walter

    Superb type Serval and F1 Savannah kittens available for reservation. We specialise on quality and type by selective breeding and buying the best newest type queens , kittens are very socialised but still look exotic all our cats are brought up around children and normal household noise they will come tica registered, fully vaccinated and a complete vet check before leaving us at around 12 weeks old. There is 2 girls and 2 boys available.

    Visit us at http://www.oaklandexotics.com

    1. BJ Avatar
      BJ

      Good luck with finding homes for the cats. They look adorable.

  3. All Cat Breeds Avatar
    All Cat Breeds

    Thanks for any other wondeful post. Where else could anyone
    get that type of info in such an ideal manner of writing?

    I have a presentation subsequent week, and I’m on the look for such information.

    My web blog; All Cat Breeds

  4. leanora6009 Avatar
    leanora6009

    Hello. Have you figured out the steps to making an internet site smartphone friendly?
    I’m trying to find a style or plug-in that might be able to resolve this problem. If you have any suggestions, please share.
    Quick dilemma that’s fully off of subject matter.
    My webpage appearances unusual when surfing.

    1. BJ Avatar
      BJ

      You are right. Small changes can lead to big results.

  5. Bonita Avatar
    Bonita

    Cats are fine. An owner is nuts when she places a cat before children! Yup Mary, you are quite the gem!

  6. Bonita Avatar
    Bonita

    Wild cats can’t be controlled or owned. It will come around and then you’ll know!

  7. Sue Skipton Avatar
    Sue Skipton

    I have a Savannah here, Good Luck Charm is his name and five generations back on his mothers side is Keystone. Charm is a rescue here and has become one of my personal cats as they do take a little while to adopt into a new situation. He is a totally awesome cat and quite a bit different than regular domestic but a charm in my life none the less. Awesome personality and very good with other cats.

    1. BJ Avatar
      BJ

      I’m glad to hear they get along well with other cats. When I adopt my next kitty, which won’t be for a while, I might consider a Savannah. They are handsome cats.

      1. Sue Skipton Avatar
        Sue Skipton

        Oh yes, and he is particularly fond of kittens, grooms them and teaches them. It did take him a long time to warm up to me as he was an adult when I rescued him. Now he truly is like a loyal dog. Charm is interesting as he can meow, wild cry and purrr. Usually , I understand they cannot do all three. You know, if we had far less people in the world to do damage to animals it would be a much better place.

  8. Kat Gagliano Avatar
    Kat Gagliano

    I love my Savannah cat, he is a big sweetheart. He really loves my husband. He truly has bonded and is a wonderful member of our family along with our 2 Bengal cats. Savannahs remain illegal in several places in the United States, there is a hybrid law website where you can check to see if you can have on in your area. Our boy is almost 8 and he requires to be played with every day, he really needs to let out all that energy that he has. Nice article about the beautiful Savannah cat.

    1. BJ Avatar
      BJ

      Thanks for sharing the website. I’ll check it out.

  9. Sparkle Avatar
    Sparkle

    How awful that the show got raided like that – frightening!

    1. BJ Avatar
      BJ

      Can you imagine? I think she’s still horrified that this happened, and don’t think she’ll ever get over it. I know I wouldn’t.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.