Information and characteristics of the Savannah cat breed
savanna cat
The Savannah cat is a hybrid type of cat; It is the result of mating the serval cat, with the domestic cat, which is the largest of the cat breeds in size, and has ears of medium to large size, and this hybrid type of cat became popular among breeders at the end of the nineties, and in 2001 the World Cat Association accepted it as a new breed , Savannah cats have different patterns and colors, however, the World Cat Association accepts only the spotted pattern with some specific colors, and this article will mention some information about the Savannah cat, such as its traits, behavior, cross-breeding and care [1].
Description of the savanna cat
This pedigree of the savanna cat descended from serval cats – which is a type of wild animal – and domestic domestic cats, gave him a special appearance, a distinctive personality, and also difficult to raise as pets, and in general they are expensive animals and difficult to find, and these cats are distinguished by their ears The two large ones that were inherited to her from the African serval cats, and they are located completely above her head and extend straight up, and she has very distinctive eyes drawn upwards, and this shape of eyes contrasts with the shape of the eyes of domestic cats that are completely rounded, and their eyes tear and line of tears are black or brown, and they often have These cats have a rear eye located behind the ear, so that the fur behind the ear is colored in a way that mimics the colors of the eye, and this phantom eye is used for defensive functions, such as confusing enemies from predators. A type of camouflage in animals. The savannah cat is characterized by its fur that resembles that of an African cat. It can be brown, silver or golden with dark spots, and the shape of the spots is circular or oval. or elongated, and has stripe spots extending along its back, the spots on its face and feet are smaller, and it is medium in size, and as the Savannah cat breeds, its size decreases, only the pure Savannah of the first generation can weigh 15-28 pounds, and sometimes it may be The Savannah cat is the same size as the domestic cat, except that it has a long tail that makes it appear larger[2].
savanna cat crossbreed
The first to crossbreed was Jodi Frank, who mated a male serval cat belonging to a woman named Susie Woods, with a female domestic cat[1]. The serval cat is a type of wild cat, preferring to live in areas with vegetation cover and close to bodies of water, It is usually found in savannah forests, or in wetlands, and is of a relatively large size and reaches 54-62 cm in length[3], and it is a fast, flexible cat, and a nocturnal hunter that preys on birds and small mammals such as rodents and hares[4]. The Savannah cat has taken many of the characteristics of the serval cat, especially the size, as the first and second generations of the Savannah cat were larger than the later generations due to the strong influence of the serval cat’s genes, as well as for physical traits, where the first and second generations possess most of the distinguishing features in the appearance of the serval cat except It decreases in subsequent generations, as the Serval cat is married to a domestic cat to produce the first generation, and then the Savannah cats start mating with each other, but as the problem of any hybrid animal, sterility limits the success of experiments, as it was noted that sterility returns to the emergence of approximately the fifth generation, and there are many The difficulties facing the production of the first generation, including the different gestation period between the serval cat and the domestic cat, as the gestation period of animals differs even if they are of the same species, and the young are often aborted, or they are born prematurely, and serval cats can also be difficult to choose in choosing their partners, and these cats often do not want to mate with domestic cats[1].
savanna cat behavior
The Savannah cat is known for its loyalty, it follows its owner around the house, and can be trained to walk and tie like a dog, and to fetch things. Jumping high with a jump of 2.5 meters, they are known for jumping on top of doors, refrigerators and cupboards, they are curious creatures, they learn how to open doors and cupboards, and anyone who owns a savanna cat should take precautions so that the cat does not get into trouble, and the savanna cat is not afraid of Water, he plays in it and can submerge himself in it, some owners bathe with their savannah cat, offering a bowl of water to a savannah cat may be a challenge as they beat the water out to make the bowl empty, the sound of a savanna cat may be like that of a serval or Domestic cats meow or a combination of the two, and the sound may sound unfamiliar to some people[1].
Savannah cat care
Obtaining savannah cats is one of the very difficult things, in addition to being expensive, and one of the rare animals, and many cat shops do not have this type, the matter needs a lot of research, but if anyone can get this cat, there are some observations from breeders with Experience[2], and some Savannah cat breeders say that there is no special care or nutritional requirements for this type of cat, while there are some species that require a customized diet that does not include grains or by-products, and some recommend a diet that contains raw food entirely Or partial and consists of at least 32% protein and no by-products, and some recommend calcium and supplements, especially for kittens and the first crossbreed generations, yet some say it is unnecessary and can be harmful, but most of these breeders believe that taurine is very important for these cats This substance is a type of amino acid, it needs it at a greater rate than domestic cats, so they recommend it as nutritional supplements, as it is added to any type of food [1].
