From whom did the Savannah cat descend? - briefly
The Savannah cat descended from the crossbreeding of a domestic cat and the serval, a wild African feline.
From whom did the Savannah cat descend? - in detail
The Savannah cat is a hybrid breed that traces its ancestry to the African serval (Leptailurus serval) and the domestic cat (Felis catus). This unique breed was first intentionally developed in the 1980s by breeder Judee Frank, who successfully crossed a male serval with a Siamese domestic cat. The result was a kitten named Savannah, which became the foundation for the breed. The African serval, native to sub-Saharan Africa, is a wild felid known for its long legs, large ears, and striking spotted coat. These traits were passed down to the Savannah cat, giving it a distinctive wild appearance combined with the temperament of a domesticated feline. Subsequent generations of Savannah cats were produced by crossing the hybrid offspring with other domestic breeds, such as the Egyptian Mau, Bengal, and Oriental Shorthair, to refine the breed’s characteristics and ensure a more manageable temperament. The Savannah cat’s lineage is carefully documented, with early-generation hybrids (F1, F2, and F3) being closer in genetics and appearance to the serval, while later generations (F4 and beyond) exhibit more domestic traits. This deliberate breeding process has resulted in a cat that retains the exotic look of its wild ancestor while being suitable for life as a companion animal.