A Wild and Exciting Journey: Kitten to Full Grown Savannah Cat
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With its magnificently proportioned body structure and wonderful personality, the Savannah cat is the most popular and exciting cat of the cat family with its unique beauty. The most important physical feature that makes her incredibly beautiful is her exotic-looking and strikingly beautiful spots. Long legs and large ears complement this magnificent spotted fur texture. A full grown Savannah cat is considered one of the “ biggest domesticated cats in the world”. Let's learn more about the muscular, strong, and athletic Savannah cat!
Origins of the Savannah Cat
The Savannah cat was born from a cross between a male African serval and a Bengal cat. He is a very recent breed since he only saw the light of day in 1986. Judge Frank, an American breeder interested in wild-looking cats, decided to create a breed of cats based on the model of the African felines. The first specimen of this race is a female named "Savannah". She gave her name to the breed.
A few years later, in 1989, Patrick Kelly decided to formalize the breed by breeding Kitty, a female Savannah. After trying to convince several breeders to join him in creating this breed, it is finally Joyce Sroufe who joins him. Together, they define the standards of the breed, which they will present to TICA (The International Cat Association) in February 1996.
The following year, he presented the cat Savannah at a cat show held in Westchester.
But it was only in 2001 that the Savannah was recognized as a domestic breed. However, only specimens from the third generation are accepted by breed standards. That is to say, only the cats born from the crossing with the serval.
In Australia, the breed has been banned by Environment Minister Peter Garrett because it is potentially dangerous to the country's wildlife.
Similar to a feline straight from Africa, the Savannah cat has special characteristics, starting with its very imposing size.
Indeed, the full grown Savannah cat measures, on average 16 inches at the withers, which makes it one of the largest cats in the world. Furthermore, it is noted that sexual dimorphism is quite marked.
Of semi-foreign type, his body presents a very deep rib cage and a slightly raised croup. He has powerful muscles, and his hips and thighs are very long. He is an athletic and elegant-looking cat.
The legs of the Savannah are long and thin but still very strong. They end in tiny oval feet with elongated fingers. His posteriors are very high compared to his body.
His tail is thick and smaller than a normal cat's tail (about 3/4). It is rounded at its end and does not touch the ground when the cat is standing.
The Savannah cat's head is quite small compared to the rest of its body. It forms a triangle in front, and its skull is very slightly rounded. It is surmounted by two very wide ears at the base and rounded at the tip.
His eyes are medium in size and usually almond-shaped. They are well spaced from each other and are ideally adorned with white tears, characteristic of the breed (in agouti specimens).
His muzzle forms a clean line without the pinch.
The Savannah cat's fur is short to medium in length. To the touch, the hair is a little rough and hides a thick and silkier undercoat.
A full-grown Savannah cat weighs around 22 to 31 lbs.
Coat of Savannah Cat
The coats recognized by the standards of the breed are Black, Brown spotted tabby, Black silver spotted tabby and Black smoke.
Whatever his color, the Savannah cat must have a spotted tabby pattern and as many small spots as possible on the legs and head. The spots, called spots, are always black and round, oval or elongated.
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Temperament of the Savannah
The Full Grown Savannah cat or kitten is described as being very intelligent, sociable, gentle, and affectionate. He is a very active cat who loves to play and go in the water, and a particularity was passed on to him by his ancestor, the Serval.
He very much appreciates the company of humans and other cats or dogs. He demands a lot of attention and loves to be cuddled.
He is a great hunter, so he must be provided with an outdoor space to climb trees and hunt small rodents. If you share your home with a hunter, you must meet his hunting needs with various games. We recommend acquiring lots of interactive toys to keep your Savannah cat interested. Small balls and toys reminiscent of small animals are well suited for this task. In addition, a home decoration suitable for your Savannah cat's exercise needs will make life easier for your cat and yours. For example, you can decorate your house with cat trees and cat towers. Also, don't forget to have cat scratchers available so your cat can file their nails.
Health and care
The Savannah cat is a robust cat that is not subject to any particular pathologies. However, it is important to monitor his health regularly, especially if he goes out into the wild.
The Savannah is also known for a very singular particularity: it is said to be hypoallergenic. Indeed, due to the particular structure of its hair, it would not cause respiratory or cutaneous allergies.
The Savannah cat has a life expectancy of around 13 to 20 years.
The hair of the Savannah cat does not require any particular maintenance. Weekly brushing is enough to keep his hair healthy.
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