The Savannah Cat breed is a crossbreed of a domestic cat with an African Serval. The Savannah Cat is a hybrid breed created by crossing an African Serval (Leptailurus serval) with a domestic shorthair. Judee Frank crossbred a Siamese cat with a male serval to produce the first Savannah cat in 1986. Bengal Breeder Judee Frank paired her female Seal Point Siamese and a male Serval belonging to Suzy Wood.. The Savannah cat are large in size and look like a wildcat. Much like its wild ancestor, the savannah is a tall, lean cat… Sporting a wild look with its fur and its appearance, and a somber personality like that of a domestic cat, this breed is a rather unique and wonderful pet to have. This F1 (first generation hybrid cross - see FAQ) was the first on record. This unusual female kitten had both domestic and Serval like qualities. The Savannah cat has a lean muscular build, a short, thick tail, a long neck and long legs. How to Breed Cats. This first-generation cross was named Savannah, and when breeder Patrick Kelly heard about her, he decided to create a new breed. Savannah cats are very intelligent and active. Kelly and fellow breeder Joyce Sroufe began a breeding program and wrote a standard for the new cats. Subsequent generations are bred with a savannah cat father (F6 or more generations removed). The first known Savannah was born April 7, 1986 when Judee Frank's female domestic cat gave birth to a kitten sired by an African Serval. … Breeder Judee Frank's domestic cat gave birth to a kitten that had been sired by an African Serval (African wild cat). The Savannah are a cross breed of the wild serval cat of Africa and a domestic cat. Their overall look depends greatly on generational breeding and genetic dilution. History. A Savannah Cat is a breed that is based on the African serval. Will a Savannah cat get along with kids? Both the kitten and breed were named "Savannah" by Suzi Wood (the breeder who came to own her). Suzi was interested in attempting to breed Savannah back to a domestic cat. If you love the animals it is challenging, if not impossible, to really approach it as a business. The savannah cat is a hybrid cross between an African serval and a domestic cat. Although neither expected the beautiful result, this new breed would go on to gain popularity with cat fanciers all over the world. Breeding cats is a serious, time intensive, expensive undertaking. At first, breeders would breed the serval to other breeds of cat like the Ocicat, Siamese, even the Bengal cat, Chausie cat which is a hybrid of the jungle cat and other non-specific breeds of cats. But can also be a very rewarding experience incorporating a lot of very cute kittens! The Savannah was recognized as a breed by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 2012. A Good Savannah Breeder will: Be Available if something occurs that is unexpected with a kitten; a reputable breeder will give you his/her phone number/email information. It wasn’t until 2001 when the International Cat Association began to recognize the Savannah cat as a full registered breed of cat. Bengal Breeder Judee Frank paired her female Seal Point Siamese and a male Serval belonging to Suzy Wood.. Origin: The Savannah cat breed is a relatively young cat breed, dating back to 1986 when the first known Savannah cat was born. Savannah Cat F1, F2, F3, and so on can be found in the chart. Savannah Cats are characterized by their long, slender necks, triangular heads and large, wide ears that sit on top of their heads. Choose the generation of one cat in the column and the generation of the other cat in the row and where the two meet will be the generation of the two cats being bred. The savannah was named after the habitat of the serval and its beauty echoes the lush splendor of those golden plains in Africa.