Savannah Cats as Pets

There are many things to consider before you decide on a Savannah cat as a pet.  Here I will try to go over the many questions I get about owning a Savannah cat as a pet.

What does a Savannah cat cost?

Savannah cats have a big range of prices.  It depends mostly on the generation of Savannah you choose as a pet.  F1 Savannahs are by far the most expensive.  They range from $12k to about $16k based on male or female and pet or breeder.  Many of the females sell as breeders.  The males are sterile and are pet Savannahs.

• F2 Savannahs start around $6500 and go to $9000.  As the F1’s the males are sterile and are placed in pet homes.  The females can be large and active pets, and some are breed quality.
• F3 Savannah cats range from $3500-$4500 depending on male or female.  The F3 males are still infertile and are all Savannah cat pets.
• F4 Savannah Cats through F7 and including SBT are a range of $1500-$4000.  We get spotty fertility in the F5 males.  The F6 males and later generations are most all fertile.

Are Savannah cats dangerous?

Savannah cats are not vicious or aggressive.  Like any cat, however, if someone is teasing or annoying a Savannah cat, it may swat someone with its paw.  This sort of behavior falls on the person doing the teasing behavior.  Early generation Savannahs can be quite exuberant when it comes to chasing a feather toy.  Their instinct tells them to chase the bird and their size gives them a huge advantage to play chase.  We do not recommend an F1 cat and some F2 cats as Savannah pets in homes with small animals.

What states is it legal to own a Savannah cat?

Savannah Cats are completely legal in the following states:  Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, DC, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

All other states either have permitting restrictions, generation restrictions or total bans. If you live in one of the states not listed above, you may check more information on the Savannah Cat Association website.

Do Savannah cats use a litter box?

Yes, Savannah cats use the litter box.  See our section on preferred litter.

Why are Savannah cats so expensive?

Savannah cats in the later generations are no more or less expensive that any other purebred cat.  The early generation Savannahs, however, are difficult to breed and expensive to house and feed.

To have F1 babies, one must have a serval cat.  Servals are big and along with that goes a big appetite.  Servals will eat a pound or two of raw meat, frozen chicks and mice and dry food daily.  In addition, a serval may like one cat and not another so a breeder might need to house several females to find out which ones he would like to live with.

A breeder will sometimes have to wait 3 to 4 years before the serval decides to breed.  Then if there are live kittens, they are sometimes premature.  Then it takes a team to watch them around the clock for the first week to ten days.  Not any of this is easy or cheap.  To top it off many females who have a litter will then never have another litter.  We don’t know why but we think it is antibodies in some female cats.

Then comes the time to breed F1 and F2 girls.  They are bigger than most any male that can breed them,  It can take a few years or even never that a male can breed them.  Breeding early generation Savannahs is not for the faint of heart or of pocketbook.

How fast can a Savannah cat run?

Serval cats can run 45 miles per hour.  It is their body structure and their long legs.  Early generation Savannah cats can run up to 30 miles per hour.  It is something to see besides.  It will take your heart away to see an F1 run.

How do you take care of a Savannah cat?

For the most part Savannah cats are just like any domestic cat.  They eat the same foods and use the same litterbox and litter type.  They are active so it’s important to keep them busy with toys and enrichment to keep their minds and paws active.  Walking outside on a leash is a big plus.  Some of the early generation Savannahs will be mischievous and open cabinets and doors.  It’s best to childproof any areas you do not want them to get in.