Savannah (SAV)

The overall impression of the Savannah is a tall lean graceful cat with striking dark spots and other bold markings. The Savannah cat is a domestic breed which closely resembles its ancestral source the African Serval, but is smaller in stature.

F1 to F3 Savannah are not allowed in shows. 

The torso is long, lean and well muscled with a full deep rib cage, prominent shoulder blades, and a rounded rump.

The neck is long and lean.

The hip and thigh are full and long and somewhat heavy in proportion to the rest of the body.

The legs are longer than average, well muscled, without appearing heavy or overly delicate. Back legs are slightly longer than the front legs.

The feet are oval, medium in size.

Medium to thick in width. Medium in length, ending just above ground level when standing with preferred length just below the hock. Tail should taper slightly to a blunt end.

The face forms an equilateral triangle: the triangle is formed by the brow line over the eyes; and the sides follow down the jaw bone with a rounded finish at the muzzle. Above this triangle the forehead and ears form a rectangle from the brow line to the tops of the ears.

The head is small in proportion to the body. The forehead is a straight to slightly convex curve from the top of the head to the ridge just above the eye where there is a slight change of direction and a straight to very-slight concave curve from that ridge to the tip of the nose. In profile, the face also forms a triangle from the top of the eye to the tip of the nose, turning to follow the jaw line and back up to the eye.

Viewing from the front, the nose has a broad back and low set nostrils. The profile has a slight downward curve towards the end of the nose, which gives it a rounded appearance.

The nose leather is not flat, but slightly convex.

The muzzle is tapered with no break. Whisker pads are not pronounced.

Ears are remarkably large and high on the head.

They are wide with a deep base. They should be very upright and have rounded tops. The outside base of the ear should start no lower on the head than the height of the eyes, but may be set higher. The inside base of the ears is set close at the top of the head; ideally, a vertical line can be drawn from the inner corner of the eye up to the inner base of the ear.

Ear furnishings may be present; pronounced “eyespots” on the back of the ear is desirable.

Medium sized and set underneath a slightly hooded brow. The top of the eye resembles a boomerang so that the corner of the eye slopes down the line of the nose. The bottom half of the eye has an almond shape. The eyes are moderately deep set, low on the forehead, and at least one eye width apart.

Tear stain markings are present along and between the eye and the nose.

Except for blue eyes, all eye colors are allowed and independent of coat color.

Short with good substance and a slightly coarse feel to it. Coarser guard hairs cover a softer undercoat; the spots have a notably softer texture than the guard hairs.

The coat is not inordinately dense and lies relatively flat against the body. 

Black, brown (black) spotted tabby, black silver spotted tabby, black smoke. No ticking on the ground color. Bold, solid markings are preferred on all tabbies.

In any variation the lips are black, and the tear duct lines are prominent. On the spotted Savannahs the nose leather can be pink to brick red surrounded by liner, solid black, or black with a pink to brick center stripe. In black Savannahs, the nose leather must be solid black.

Paw pads in either color variation should be deep charcoal or brownish black.

Pattern: Only spotted

The spotted Savannah pattern is made up of bold, solid dark-brown to black spots, which can be round, oval, or elongated. Belly is spotted. A series of parallel stripes, from the back of the head to just over the shoulder blades, fan out slightly over the back and the spotting pattern follows the line of the stripes from the shoulders continuing the length of the body. Smaller spots will be found on the legs and feet as well as on the face.

In the black Savannah ghost spotting may occur.

A visible spotting pattern on the smoke Savannah is preferred.  

• Small ears

• Rosettes

• Spots that are any colour other than dark brown to black

• Vertically aligned spots

• Any other pattern except spotted

• Cobby body

• White spots

• F1 - F3 generation

Egyptian Mau, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair and Domestic Shorthair