Savannah Cat and Kitten Information

The Savannah is a wild looking cat that evidently has a pleasing personality. They are exotic, rare and very pricey. They are a slim breed with a varying coat, depending upon the breed of cat used in the cross. The International Cat Association breed standards has these colors, silver spotted tabby, black, brown spotted tabby and black smoke.

According to the current standard, the ears of the Savannah should be large, sitting high in the head with rounded tips. In fact, small ears are detrimental to judging the Savannah. The coat should feel slightly course and should be of sh women's coats ort medium length. By nature, the Savannah is a curious and loving companion.

Savannah Cat History

The Savannah cat is a hybrid cat that resulted from breeding an African Serval cat with a domestic shorthair cat. The domestic shorthairs ranged from Oriental shorthairs, Egyptian Maus, Bengels, etc. Judy Frank from Pennsylvania accomplished breeding the wild African Serval with a domestic cat in the 1980s. The Serval runs about forty pounds while the Savannah cat runs from fifteen to about twenty pounds, although there have been reports of larger specimens.

The ancestor of all domestic cats is the African Wildcat, the genus Felis Lybica. This genus is comprised of smaller cats. Cats are thought to have been domesticated with the advent of farming and the storage of grain. The grain attracted rats and other vermin which naturally attracted wild cats. As time evolved, certain of these cats were domesticated for the mutual benefit of both cat and man. The African Wildcat has certain features which is obvious in the housecat of today.

Feline Health Considerations

Cats who reside in the house should generally visit the veterinarian yearly, unless health problems are evident. Cats who enjoy the outdoors may need to see the vet as many as four times a year. When you take your cat to the vet, be sure to bring along a fresh stool sample so the vet can do a fecal exam to check for worms such as tapeworm, round Worm, whip worms and hook worms. The vet can also check for fleas and other external parasites such as lice ticks and ear mites. Decisions about vaccinations can be made at this time. Maintaining a regular schedule of required vaccinations is essential to good feline health.

Any vet check should include a comprehensive dental examination and a cleaning if necessary. Cats who are eight years plus are considered geriatric and additional blood and urine tests may be necessary to catch any health problems. At about six months of age, the kitten should also be examined for sexual maturity and decisions about birth control should be made.

Savannah Kittens

The Savannah cat is quite rare but might be found for sale as kittens. Kittens are generally available and the price depends upon bloodlines color and markings. Unlike puppies, kittens should not be separated from their mother until twelve to sixteen weeks of age. Some very important developmental stages occur during this period including emotional, mental and health. Curtailing this development may lead to any number of medical and behavioral problems.

Kittens that are separated from their mother at too young an age often fail to gain weight fast enough, have immune system problems because they have not had enough mothers milk. The may also develop eating and eliminating problems, and can have problems socializing with other cats and with people.

Every cat and kitten is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your cat or kitten. This information is meant as a good faith guideline only.