Savannah cats are considered one of the larger races of domesticated cats. Savannah cat's body size is higher, slender, and larger than other domestic cats. Savannah cats are the result of marriage between types of Serval cats (wild cats from Africa) with exotic domestic cats that are smaller than the Serval cats like the Bengal cat, Oriental Shorthair, Egyptian Mau, or Serengeti.
Savannah cats have a loyalty to its owner like a dog loyalty, Savannah Cat owners can follow and watch like a dog. Savannah cats can be trained like sitting, sleeping, jumping, walking on the rope, fetch the owner and others.
Interestingly Savannah cat leap very high, Savannah Cats are not afraid of water, there is even the owner who took a bath together like taking the dog a bath together. Savannah cats are reported as very social and friendly with new people and other cats and dogs, while others can run and hide or go back to hissing and growling when seeing a stranger. Savannah cats have no temperament problems that would be associated with basic cat more shy and / or aggressive hybrid. Savannah cats are very curious, and have been known to get into all sorts of things. Savannah cats often learn how to open doors and cabinets. Savannah cats belong to the ten races of the world's most expensive cat, prices ranging from U.S. $ 4 thousand (Rp36, 3 million) to U.S. $ 10 thousand (Rp90, 7 millions).
Size of Savannah cats
Savannah cats so friendly
Different individuals contain different amounts of Serval and of varied domestic cat breeds, and there are currently no established Savannah breed-specific health issues.
Some veterinarians have noted that Servals have smaller livers relative to their body size than domestic cats, and some Savannahs inherit this. For this reason, care is advised in prescribing some medications. Lower doses per weight of the cat may be necessary. In addition, the blood values of Savannahs may vary from the typical domestic cat, due to the serval genes.
There is anecdotal evidence, though no completed scientific studies, that Savannahs and other domestic hybrids (such as Bengals) do not respond well to anesthesia containing Ketamine. Many Savannah breeders request in their contracts that Ketamine not be used for surgeries.
Some (but not all) Savannah breeders believe strongly that modified live vaccines should not be used on Savannahs, that only killed virus vaccines should be used. Others are the complete opposite, having had poor reactions to killed vaccines, and no vaccine reaction (lethargy, illness, etc) to the modified live vaccines. This, also, has not been studied, and opinions vary widely from breeder to breeder.
Some breeders state that Savannah cats have no known special care or food requirements, while others recommend a very high quality diet with no grains or by-products. Some recommend a partial or complete raw feeding/raw food diet with at least 32% protein and no by-products. Some Savannah breeders recommend calcium and other supplements, especially for growing cats and earlier generations. Others consider it unnecessary, or even harmful. Most Savannah breeders agree that Savannahs have a need for more taurine than the average domestic cat, and therefore recommend taurine supplement which can be added to any food type. Issues of Savannah diet are not without controversy, and again, it is best to seek the advice of a veterinarian or exotic cat specialist before feeding a Savannah cat any non-standard diet.
Laws governing ownership of Savannah cats in the United States vary according to state. The majority of states follow the code set by the United States Department of Agriculture which defines wild/domesticated hybrid crosses as domesticated. Some states have set more restrictive laws on hybrid cat ownership, including, but not limited to: Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Georgia. See HybridLaw.com for specific state-by-state laws regarding ownership of Savannah cats. Some cities may invoke laws that differ from the state. For example, Savannahs more than five generations from the Serval are allowed to be owned in New York state, but not in the city of New York.
The Australian Federal government has banned the importation into Australia of the Savannah cat, as the larger cats could potentially threaten species of the country's native wildlife not threatened by smaller domestic cats. A government report into the proposed importation of the cats has warned the hybrid breed may introduce enhanced hunting skills and increased body size into feral cat populations, putting native species at risk. The report states that the Savannah cats are not worth the risk.
