Savannah: description of the breed, features of character and content

Savannah is a rare breed of cats with a unique cheetah color. These amazing cats are distinguished by their sharp minds, excellent health, and are also known throughout the world for their huge value up to 20 thousand dollars. In this article, you will familiarize yourself with the description of this breed, the nature of the individual individuals, as well as the conditions for their maintenance.

Savannah is an extremely young breed that appeared only at the end of the 20th century. Around the 60s after the Second World War, breeders began to actively engage in breeding and crossing different types of pets. Among them was also the wild African cat Serval.

Around the 80s of the XX century, a large number of nurseries appeared on the territory of America, which were engaged in breeding these wild pets. At that time, the fashion for exotic animals was very popular and many celebrities preferred to buy leopards, cheetahs and even tigers from their farms. The domestication of the serval was in some way an attempt to reduce the pressure on wildlife while providing rich people with animals that would better fit the definition of a pet.

Almost at the same time, one of the owners of the then popular cat farms came up with the idea to bring one wild serval to her farm. The new pet quickly adapted to the new life and soon found a companion for himself - the Siamese cat Dzhuti. It was this cat in 1986 that gave birth to several kittens, including one spotted girl, who in all her appearance resembled her wild father.She inherited from him such qualities as strength, grace, natural beauty and excellent health, but from her mother, according to the mistress, she received the most important thing for any breeder - love and affection for people.

The girl was given the name Savannah - for her amazing color and similarity to a cheetah. This generation, a mixture of Siamese domestic cat and serval, was named F1. Very soon, already from a thoroughbred Angora cat, Savannah gave birth to several kittens, the generation of which was named F2.

Further, the breed was subjected to multiple selection studies of another breeder and breeder - Patrick Kelly, who bought one of the kittens born. The result of these experiments was the official announcement in 1996 of Savannah cats as a completely individual breed. The first standard for this variety was adopted by the International Cat Association.

Many may be familiar with this breed thanks to the high-profile case of Simon Brody. This is a well-known fraudster who, at the end of the 20th century, using the little popularity of the breed, as well as numerous marketing techniques, literally proclaimed this cat as his new, independently bred breed called Ashera. The name of the allegedly new breed comes from the name of the goddess of West Semist mythology.

The emergence of the "new breed" on the market caused a real sensation. Even despite the huge cost of about 20 thousand dollars, many collectors and rich people began to order these unusual cats at breakneck speed. They were not only unusual in exotic terms, but, according to the assurances of the selling company, they had a sharp mind and friendly character. The company also stated that this is the only breed in the world that required daily walks on a leash, which is why Ashera was able to enter the market not only to feline, but also to dog lovers.

Over time, the popularity of this breed began to reach the point of absurdity: the price increased significantly, and the queues for the purchase of one individual began to stretch for years to come. At the same time, none of the rich who bought the cat had any idea that their rarest and most prestigious breed in the world was already known in world society.

The exposure of Simon Brody's activities came only in 2008. While the photo of the new and scandalous breed was circulating in the press all over the world, one of these newspapers was noticed by Chris Shirk, a breeder of this rare breed in Pennsylvania. His experience and knowledge helped shed light on the true origins of the mysterious Asher breed. With this exposure, Simon Brody's campaign ended, however, even after exposure, this breed did not lose popularity. Moreover, many breeders even now use the name of the Asher breed in their advertisements, which betrays their ignorance in terms of the history and pedigree of this type of cats.

All other varieties of savannahs, the so-called F3, F4, and so on, are the result of breeding the serval with other purebred breeds.. It is believed that the larger the number after the letter F, the less data in this variety of the purebred African serval.... Another famous savannah species is a variety created by crossing a serval and an Egyptian Mau cat.

Despite the tireless work of international breeders, the Savannah remains one of the rarest breeds - around the world, at best, there are several thousand purebreds. Most of them are kept in nurseries in the United States and Great Britain, the rest are from private breeders or wealthy people around the globe.

There is a mythical opinion that in the formation of the Savannah breed, breeders used the genetic material of real cheetahs. All the grace, dexterity and natural beauty of these wild animals has been embodied in a miniature form of a pet.

You should consider in more detail the features of the exterior of such cats.

• Head... Regular and proportional, in relation to the body it is of medium size. Wears the shape of an equilateral triangle (excluding ears). The cheeks stand out slightly against the background of the muzzle, the mustache is long, frequent, and white.

• Ears... The auricles are large, in a calm position, set perpendicularly, with their open side looking forward. The tips of the ears are usually rounded, without tassels. They are set wide apart, but the distance between the bases above the brow ridges is only 1.5-2 cm.

• Eyes... Standard round or almond-shaped, small in size. Set wide enough (distance between eyes is equal to the length of one eye). The iris is usually sandy, pale green or honey-colored - regardless of the color itself.

• Muzzle and nose - rather wide, but smoothly stand out against the background of the entire head. The front of the muzzle is white or light in color, as are the cheeks themselves with a mustache. The nose is dark, gray or reddish.

• The chin... Massive, smooth and proportional, covered with thick hair, looks harmonious with the muzzle. The bottom part is white or light.

• Frame... Significantly elongated, wide, regular in shape. Covered with a thick layer of cheetah hair with dark spots. The shoulders and hips are strong and the bones are of medium weight.

• Rib cage wide, stands out against the background of the limbs in a sitting position. It is thanks to such a peculiar posture and convex chest that Savannah cats are considered aristocrats in their family.

• Limbs... The paws are very long, well-muscled, covered with a thick layer of hair. The hind legs are more powerful than the front ones and are much longer in size. The paws themselves are medium in size, the pads are large, oval or round in shape, the color is dark or black.

• Neck... Oblong, but not particularly thick. Flexible, flows smoothly to the head.

• Tail... Medium length, not particularly wide, tapering at the tip. Has a characteristic striped color (most often black and copper). Tip color is usually dark.

• Hairline... It covers absolutely all parts of the cat's body in a continuous layer, on the back and muzzle it is slightly thinner, on the chest and stomach, on the contrary, it is noticeably longer. The color is predominantly cheetah or slightly darker - yellowish, wheaten or white at the base with frequent dark spots along the entire body. The texture of the wool is coarse, springy, thick.

Below you can familiarize yourself with the standards typical for cats of this breed.

• Savannah refers to cat breeds with an extremely massive physique and body... Because of this, an individual individual can reach a weight of up to 15 kg. The largest females weigh much less than males and rarely reach 10 kg.
• Even after reaching six months of age, the savannah can grow up to 40 cm in height. (at the withers), and by the age of majority, which comes at about 2.5-3 years, it can even grow up to half a meter.
• average life expectancy... Servals, which are the ancestors of this cat breed, live no longer than 12 years in the wild. However, with the help of selection and domestication, today they and their direct descendants (savannah) can live at home for up to 17-20 years. Before buying such a pet, you should understand that it will become your friend for a very long time.
• approximate cost... Purebreds can sell for $ 10,000-20,000. Individuals with external defects, bad documents, or a tainted pedigree can sell for $ 600 or more. The price also depends on the uniqueness and correctness of the color and sex, the health of the animal.

Savannahs, like the Rex breed, are extremely friendly pets.Their main feature is considered to be affection for the owner and a constant need for attention. Even at a mature and old age, these cats do not stop climbing, are constantly mischievous and do not tolerate long sitting in one place.

Below are the distinctive character traits of Savannah cats.

• Devotion and affection... From the very first day when this pet appears in your house, get ready that he will accompany you everywhere. When you go to prepare food, he will sit in front of you and will watch the whole process with interest. When you lie down to rest, he will lie down next to you and will rather rumble under your side.

• Activity and thirst for adventure... A large area with obstacles for climbing is vital for these cats. The same applies to active games and entertainment, without which these cats cannot live a day. Such restlessness has a price - often savannahs, succumbing to excitement, can turn over or overturn something fragile. In addition, savannahs are very inquisitive and often like to poke their noses into closed spaces.

• Passion for everything edible and inedible... The curiosity of these cats often leads to damage to various equipment and decor items. At a young age, they begin to actively grow claws and teeth, and without a good scratching post, they move on to furniture, curtains, they are very fond of chewing on laces and gnawing wires.

• If the cat is in the apartment of its owner, then it feels completely protected.... Basically, savannas are great with new family members, children, guests and even other pets (although they prefer a dominant position in such relationships). It is difficult to call them bully or aggressors. However, some individuals are extremely fearful and can simply run away and hide at the sight of a new person in the house.

• Unlike most cats, savannahs are great at water procedures... Here we are not talking about a full bath, but about water games and entertainment. These pets especially love to play with toys floating in the water. They also like to dip their paws into the water to cool, wash or play.

• Savannahs are smart enough to memorize a few commands, can bring some things according to your order or perform tricks. Training will not last long - these cats have innate training and taming skills.

• In the negative for some other breeds of cats, these are patient in nature... In the absence of the owner of the house, they are able to remain calm for a long time and just wait, while they always find something to do with themselves if the owners left enough toys at home. When the owner returns, the savannah will greet him like a real dog - he can not only curl around his legs and rub his head against them, but also simply jump onto his arms or shoulders.

• Cats of this breed are tolerant of petting and stroking.... If the animal needs your attention, it will give a sign - it will spin around its feet, beg to kneel or purr. The rest of the time the savannahs either play on their own, or simply rest and observe the actions of the owner.

There is a direct dependence of the color of the savanna on the breed of cats, the material of which served for crossing a certain individual. As a rule, the material of a purebred serval and a cat of a completely different breed is taken as a basis.

This breed has several individual colors. The name of the color speaks of the dominance of this shade in the entire appearance of the animal. As for cheetah spots, they always remain dark, black or brown.

There are the following color options:

• silver or platinum;
• brown or dark honey;
• dark chocolate;
• golden or wheat;
• tabby cinnamon (pale or pale brown).

There is also a list of certain external signs by which the suitability of an individual for exhibitions and competitions is determined.

Defects in appearance are:

• white oval spots on the chest or abdomen;
• cheetah spots have an unusual color, lighter than brown and black;
• the spots are completely absent, the color consists of dark tiger stripes against the background of the main color.

As has been said many times, the servals are direct relatives of the savannahs. It is thanks to the good health of these wild cats and their adaptability to adverse environmental conditions that savannas do not need any special care.

You can see a list of approximate recommendations for caring for these pets below.

• House... The savannah should have its own place where the pet can rest, sleep and eat. These can be both houses and special beds for cats. The house should be in a warm place, after all, the servals themselves live in Africa, which means they are accustomed to a large amount of natural heat. There should be no drafts, damp corners or frequent ventilation near the house.

• Water... Provide constant access to drinking water. Many breeders report that the animal prefers to swim in this water and pollutes it, in this case it is recommended to put two containers. The first is for water: the bowl must be heavy enough so that the cat does not turn it over. The second container is more voluminous to make it easier for the cat to take a bath.

• Interior... All small and fragile items that you have on tables, shelves and cabinets should be removed on the very first day of the animal's arrival in the apartment. The pet will almost certainly damage or break them during the games, and it is possible that it will hurt itself. The same goes for domestic flowers - many of them, especially violet, euphorbia, ficus, azalea, and Kalanchoe, can be fatal to your cats. Similar attention should be paid to household appliances and chemicals. Keep your pet out of a bathroom full of harmful powders, mixtures, and gels. Also hide any wires in plain sight. Special attention should be paid to curtains and furniture, about which these cats love to sharpen their claws. Immediately it is worth stopping these attempts and giving the animal a special scratching post.

• Wool... Savannahs have a fairly thick hairline, which is why they can leave a lot of hair on furniture and clothes. To deal with this, it is worth buying special flea combs or gloves. So you can kill two birds with one stone.

• Entertainment... As already mentioned, these animals do not tolerate boredom and long rest.Therefore, before you get such an exotic pet, you should buy him some interesting toys. Also, these pets are very fond of climbing various obstacles, so you should think about placing special racks in the rooms for such games.

• Hygiene... Remember to pay attention to basic hygiene procedures. This includes trimming regrown claws, brushing teeth, rinsing your eyes, examining and cleaning your ears to remove dirt and wax. The animal is unlikely to be delighted with such procedures, so you should distract it by giving it a nibble.

• Upbringing... Do not under any circumstances beat these animals, otherwise they will become angry and aggressive, and they remember the offense for a long time. Use a reward method, try to connect some lessons with the delivery of certain treats.

• Content... In small apartments with limited squares, such pets should not be got, they will be too cramped for this entertainment lover. The best option would be to keep the savanna in a large country house with constant access to the street.

• Trainings and lessons should be carried out regularly and sometimes return to the material already covered. If the animal is at some point extremely excited and categorically refuses to exercise, leave it alone for a while, and then try again.

• Toilet... The latrine should be marked as soon as the animal steps onto the threshold of your apartment. For the toilet, you should choose a special tray with good filler. The tray should be in an accessible place where the cat could enter at any time convenient for her. If you bought a kitten, then at first you will have to put up with dirty corners and puddles.

• Breeding... Initially, savannahs were bred in extremely small quantities, and therefore breeders had to cross related individuals. At the same time, no hereditary ailments were found in the kittens. This is why breeding these animals is considered profitable and not particularly difficult.

Unfortunately, in all of Europe there are no more than a couple of thousand of such individuals, and therefore it is difficult to say unequivocally about the most suitable food for this breed. To answer this question, one should turn to the ancestors of the breed - the noble serval. In the natural environment, their diet consists only of natural food of animal origin. Young servals should consume at least a kilogram of natural fresh meat per day for the full development of the body.

Today, there are two feeding schemes for these cats. The first concerns feeding exclusively with natural products of our own preparation.

This method is good for several reasons.

• Control over the quality, quantity of the product and calories... You yourself prepare all the food, which means you can have a complete picture of those vitamins that the animal's body will receive.
• All cats prefer cooked natural food.... It has a natural odor and does not seem dangerous or suspicious to the animal.
• This kind of food is always varied., because you can independently add some new product to the diet and not worry that it will spoil the taste or harm the animal.

But this option also has its drawbacks.

• You have more worries about regular food preparation. You must constantly track and count all calories so that your pet does not have any problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Not everyone has time for this.
• Such food is much less stored and retains the most useful elements only in the first hours after cooking.
• Naturally cooked foods do not contain other essential vitamins that are found in every quality food.

The second feeding scheme concerns feeding exclusively dry food to savannas. In this case, only the highest quality feed is selected. This scheme also has its advantages:

• long storage time of feed in suitable conditions;
• no headache about what to cook for your pet for dinner;
• usually contains the most essential vitamins and minerals.

There are also disadvantages here.

• Such food, despite its balance, does not differ in variety. The pet quickly gets used to it and can very soon refuse to eat without additional treats.
• Good feed is very expensive, and this will already affect the financial situation of the owner.
• You will never know exactly what is inside such a food. Many companies prefer to add cheap cereal to their feed to give it weight.

So, healthy foods: raw or boiled meat, offal, turkey, tuna, minced chicken or chicken. In general, always rely on foods high in acid, such as taurine.

Dangerous and not recommended products: most fish products (after all, servals are predators), fermented milk products (in order to avoid problems with the gastrointestinal tract). Cereals and crops are given only in minimal amounts as an additive, but not as a main food - the body of savannahs is not adapted to digest these crops.

If you took the animal from the cattery or took it from other hands, then you should ask the previous owner what he fed the cat. This way you can organize a smooth and even transition from old products to new ones. Try to introduce new foods, gradually increasing their percentage in the daily diet.

Proper feeding depends not only on the general condition of your pet, but also on its life expectancy. It has been proven by breeders that balanced feeding can extend the natural lifespan of this breed by several years.

An adult should be fed no more than 3 times a day, but water should be available at all times. Allocate a strictly defined time for feeding, and also try to keep the dose of food strictly to avoid obesity.

In winter, it is imperative to add vitamin supplements and minerals to the diet, this also applies to elderly individuals and pregnant cats... In the latter case, the amount of feed should be doubled.

Savannah cats are distinguished by simply wonderful health, they do not have any genetic diseases. Experienced breeders cite the roots of wild servals as the reason for this strong immunity, which have been adapted to even the most severe environmental conditions.

The main part of the diseases of these cats concerns diseases common among all other breeds. More than half of these diseases can be prevented with timely vaccinations and regular check-ups with a veterinarian.

These cats also show some predisposition to congenital external defects. Basically, they cannot affect the health of your pet, however, if you have a pet for sale in breeding farms, then such individuals will be considered defective. As, in general, and their offspring.

To prevent many diseases, it is enough to carefully monitor your pet and its well-being.

Below is a list of symptoms that you should immediately contact your veterinarian for:

• decreased general activity, excessive lethargy and drowsiness;
• vomiting or regular diarrhea, problems with urination (screaming or moaning - you can see that the animal is in pain);
• the appearance of blood in feces or urine;
• decreased or complete lack of appetite;
• the appearance of lameness;
• increased absorption of moisture / increased urination, including constant licking of the nose and muzzle;
• the appearance of bruises, itching or redness on the skin, the animal itches regularly;
• supernatural shedding, baldness of certain parts of the body.

For more information on Savannah cats, see the next video.