“This is the closest you can get to owning a wildcat,” said Hoboken resident Nicole Sanders as her 6.5-month-old Savannah cat, “Vicious,” playfully rubbed his head against her hand last week. With strangers, 15-pound Vicious’ wild side makes him a bit jittery and suspicious, but with his owner, the spotted feline is nothing more than a big pussycat.
For those who love the natural beauty and feral nature of the big cats that are mostly seen on African plains or on the Discovery Channel, a Savannah might be an interesting and assessable option. The Savannah is one of the newest cats being developed by a select few breeders around the world. In fact, the first documented planned breeding of an African Serval to a domestic cat, resulting in a Savannah, was only accomplished in the mid 1980s.
The Savannah is currently the largest hybrid cat available on the domestic market at this time, said Sanders. She expects Vicious to be around 30 pounds when fully grown.
The African Serval Cat is a medium-sized species of wildcat that is found throughout a large part of Africa, particularly in the grassy Savannas, hence the name of the hybrid. They can vary from 18 to 24 inches long and weigh from 18 to 45 pounds. The Serval resembles a miniature cheetah except that the Serval has a relatively short tail.
Usually, Bengal domestic cats are used to create the early generation Savannahs; however, other domestic cats, such as Oriental shorthairs, Serengettis, Egyptian Maus, Ocicats, and Chausies have been used.
Vicious, who is the hybrid of a Bengal domestic and Serval, is amber-colored. Vicious’ head is slightly smaller in proportion to his body than a domestic cat. His nose is long but with a small chin, which gives him a wild appearance. His ears are large and alert, with a wide base and slightly rounded tips. His face has distinctive “tear drop” markings around his eyes.
The cat moves in a graceful stride with its long neck, long legs and three quarter-length tail.
“I have always been fascinated by exotic cats,” Sanders said, “and as long as I can remember, [I] have wanted one. This is really the best of both worlds.”
She said that they are legal to own and have a temperament of a domesticated cat, but have the distinctive look of a Serval. “I love the beauty of this cat,” said Sanders.
In most states, Savannahs are considered a domestic cat even though Servals are not, which means that no special permits are need to own a Savannah.
Sanders added that even though Vicious is half-domestic cat, he hasn’t lost all of his wild side.
“He loves to play fetch just like a dog,” said Sanders. She added that he loves to climb and has incredible jumping ability. He loves the water and will even occasionally jump into the shower.
“My advice to a new owner of a Savannah is to give them plenty of things to climb on,” said Sanders.
Vicious is also trained – even if sometimes he is a bit reluctant – to walk on a leash. During the warmer months she takes him on walks through Hoboken.
“The faces that people make when they see him are priceless,” said Sanders. “They’re like ‘Oh my god, what kind of cat it that?’ ”
Not cheap
There are dozens of Savannah cat breeders that can be found on the internet, but a new kitten is costly. Males start at around $3,500, and females can run well over $7,000. Females are more expensive because they can be bred. The first four generations of male Savannahs are sterile.
Sanders said that she got Vicious for around $6,000, but after all of his shots and neutering, the total cost was closer to $7,000.
There is a high demand for the cats. A Savannah is the product of two different species that are of different sizes, making the logistics of breeding difficult. Also, the domestic and wild cats have a very different gestation period, which means that the kittens are often born premature or may be miscarried.
The first generation hybrid, Serval crossed with domestic, is referred to as F1. The second generation, or F2, is a kitten of a Savannah and a domestic. Because the first three or four generations of Savannah males are sterile, it’s often the fifth generation before there can be a Savannah crossed with another Savannah.
The cost of Savannah also depends on the generation of the cat. The most sought-after cats are an F1, like Vicious. This is because the first generation hybrid is going to be the cat that most resembles a Serval. The spotting is more distinct and, while not as large as a wild Serval, an F1 cat is much larger than the average domestic.