This is a picture of a F1 Savannah produced by Joyce, this picture was takes in 2002. it’s one of the oldest pictures I have to show, thanks to Sue of Amara savananhs for letting me share this picture. The first documented Savannah Cat was produced by Jude Frank in 1986. That Savannah cat was named “Savannah”, who was a cross between a Siamese Cat and Pure exotic African Serval cat. It was not till 1996 that Patrick Kelley and Joyce Sroufe wrote the original version of the Savannah Cat Breed Standard which was then presented to the board of the International Cat Association (TICA). It took five years till the Savannah Cat Breed was accepted for registration with TICA. Since then many of the earlier Domestic Cats that where once used to start the foundation of the Savannah Cat breed have been labeled as Non-permissible.
Savannah cats were originally a cross between an African Serval Cat to a domestic cat. Now breeders are using Savannah cats and breeding back to a African Serval cat in order to capture the exotic look in lower generations.Obviously using a regular old barn cat is not going to enhance the Savannah Cat breed. In order to move forward in a progressive manner breeders now focus on using Savannah Cats and breeding back to an African Serval cat. This results in higher percentage F1 Savannah cats. Every “Purebred cat” that exists was formed by select breeding to produce a certain outcome. To get a certain outcome you must increase your odds of reaching your goal. If you remember back when you were in science class your teacher may have referred to “marbles” to explain genetics. Each cat brings a new set of “marbles” or “genetics” to the table. With each new set you never know the outcome. This is why its so important to breed back to the pure exotic! Every time you breed back you chances of retaining the exotic look grows higher. Eventually you can have an F5 savannah that looks like an F3 savannah and so on.
(If any breeders come across this page that would like to share older pictures of Savannah cats please send me an email.)