A tall, spotted cat with huge ears and a wild serval as its ancestor: curious and very active.
The Savannah is a cross between the house cat and the serval, a long-legged wild cat from Africa. It is tall and slim, with big ears, a long neck and black spots on a golden-brown coat. It is clever, curious and almost always on the move. It follows its people around the house, but it has no interest in sitting on a lap.
Very loyal and close to its people, but it shows that in its own way, not by cuddling.
Not a lap cat: it would rather go exploring or play.
Loves to play, often fetch too, just like a dog.
One of the most active cats there is. It wants play, climbing and attention every day.
Talks a fair amount, often with a chirp that sounds a bit like a bird.
Clever and quick to learn. Many Savannahs walk on a harness, and some learn to open doors by themselves.
Often wary of visitors. How it gets used to people as a kitten makes a big difference.
Later generations usually suit older children. With toddlers it is often too wild.
Can usually live with a calm dog, if they get to know each other slowly.
Often enjoys a cat friend, but may also want to defend its territory.
It does not like long days alone. A second cat or someone at home helps.
Hard to keep happy indoors only. It needs lots of space, places to climb and ideally a safe outdoor run.
A Savannah is a wild animal.
TICA calls the Savannah a domestic breed, and later generations behave more like ordinary cats. Vets do warn that the first generations especially keep wild habits, such as spraying and a strong urge to hunt.
Savannahs are giant cats.
Only the first generations are really big. Most Savannahs are the size of a large house cat. Their long legs and neck make them look heavier than they are.
Savannahs are hypoallergenic.
That has never been studied. Savannahs were once sold under the name 'Ashera' with that promise, but it was just advertising.
The Savannah began with a serval, a wild cat from Africa. A kitten with a serval as its father or mother is called an F1. Its kitten is an F2, and so on. An F5 is five generations away from the serval. The higher the number, the more house cat.
On 7 April a Siamese queen in Pennsylvania has a spotted kitten by a serval. She is called Savannah.
Savannah has kittens of her own with a Turkish Angora: the first F2s.
Patrick Kelley and Joyce Sroufe write the first breed standard and present it to TICA.
Joyce Sroufe shows the breed to the public for the first time, at a cat show in New York.
The American registry TICA accepts the Savannah as a new breed.
France's LOOF lets Savannahs from F5 on into its shows as a new breed.
Australia bans the import of Savannahs to protect its wildlife.
TICA gives the Savannah championship status. From then on Savannahs are no longer crossed with other breeds.
From 1 July the Netherlands bans new Savannahs from F1 to F4. From F5 on they count as house cats.
LOOF accepts the Savannah for championship.
Tall, slim and graceful, with long legs and a long neck. It looks heavier than it is. Females are smaller than males.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Black(n)
Brown spotted(n 24)
Black smoke(ns)
Black silver spotted(ns 24)The Savannah has only four colours. Other colours are sometimes born from old crosses, but are in no breed standard. Marbled does not count either, and white on the chest or belly is penalised.
The very first kitten was called Savannah, and the whole breed is named after her.
Many Savannahs love water, and some even join their owners in the shower.
A Savannah can learn to play fetch and walk on a harness, just like a dog.
The backs of its ears have light spots, just like a wild serval's.
Savannahs often wait for their family at the door and then hand out lots of headbutts.
Nobody has measured how long Savannahs live. TICA says 12 to 15 years or more, so take it as a rough guide.
Red blood cells break down too soon, so the cat has bouts of anaemia. It is then tired and weak. Usually it is mild. In a small study 1 in 11 Savannahs was a carrier; a kitten only gets it when both parents are carriers.
How it is found: DNA test of the parents. The Dutch breed club requires it.
The retina slowly wears out, so the cat sees less and less, first in the dark. Blind cats cope well at home. How often it happens in Savannahs is not known.
How it is found: DNA test of the parents. The Dutch breed club requires this one too.
The heart muscle thickens, so the heart pumps less well. It is mentioned in Savannahs, but how often it happens has not been studied. There is no DNA test for it.
How it is found: A heart scan of the parents by a specialist.
Little work: a brush once a week and regular nail trims are enough.
Play, climbing and something to do every day. Give it tall cat trees and high places in the house, and take it for a walk on a harness now and then.
Do not let it roam free: that is risky for the cat and for birds and other wildlife. A fenced outdoor run or a harness is a good answer.
A good, complete cat food is enough for later generations. A special diet is usually not needed.
Nobody has ever measured whether Savannahs make fewer allergens. If you are allergic to cats, do not count on it.
Checked on 21 October 2026
A Savannah from F5 on counts as a house cat and you may keep it, as long as a pedigree proves the generation. F1 to F4 may not be taken on since 1 July 2024; people who already had one then may keep it, but not breed from it.
In Flanders you may not keep a Savannah, not even from F5 on, unless you had it before the list applied or the minister gave permission. In Wallonia and Brussels every Savannah, of any generation, needs a permit.
Luxembourg's list of animals you may keep names only the house cat, so a Savannah probably needs a permit from the minister. Whether that also applies to later generations is not clear.
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