A Complete Price Guide for the Savannah Cat
Cat lovers preferring exotic species of house pets love the Savannah Cat. This is a hybridized breed of wildcat that is among the most beautiful examples of felines in the world. The cost of purchasing a Savannah Cat is expensive. If the ownership of this exotic breed is your goal, there is much to consider before you invest. We’ve prepared a complete price guide for the Savannah Cat, along with essential facts about the breed to help you decide if this is the right choice for your situation.
How much does a purebred Savannah Cat cost?
The cost of a purebred Savannah Cat can range into the thousands. The average cost is between $1,200 to $20,000. A-1 Savannahs was among the most reputable breeders but the company has recently ceased its breeding programs due to the economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Their official website provides a wealth of information about the Savannah Cat with a breakdown of the costs for these exotic creatures.
Why is the price range so varied?
The price of a Savannah cat is varied per the value of each cat offered. Reputable breeders charge the highest prices because their investment in obtaining breeding pairs and the maintenance is expensive. It’s rare to find a Savannah Cat for less than $1,200 and if you do, it’s wise to obtain an explanation of why.
Animals that are born with genetic conditions, illnesses, or deformities may be offered for a lower cost. Older breeder cats that are past their prime may also be cheaper to buy. Those that are not purebred may also cost less. The quality of the animal determines its overall value.
Factors in determining the quality of a Savannah cat and its value
The price of a Savannah Cat is usually commensurate with its estimated value on the market today. This breed is assessed per TICA Standards. Each animal is compared against these standards with a ranking system from F1 to F7. The highest quality cats are F1 Savannahs. The starting price for a female is $10,000 and $12,000 for the males.
These cats have pure bloodlines from parents with pedigrees and full registrations. They are genetically tested and pass with flying colors, free of genetic medical conditions. The more exquisitely marked animals can fetch prices as high as $20,000. The F1 designation is the cat’s Finial value that means it is fifty-percent Serval Cat and a fifty-percent domestic house cat. The higher finial numbers indicate a lesser percentage of Serval Cat genetics.
- F2 Savannah Cats start at $5,000 for males and females. These cats are lower in price because they don’t quite meet the strict standards of the F1. The difference is reflected in the cost of the animals. They’re purebred and come with a certification of their registration status, but the coat is not as remarkable as the F1 Savannah classification.
- F3 Savannah Cats cost between $2,500 to $8,000 for females and $2,500 to $6,000 for males. This is the third-highest quality of cat, with purebred status. The females are more valuable than the males for breeding purposes. The cost among F3 Savannah Cats varies per the quality of each cat or kitten, and its age.
- F4 Savannah Cats range between $1,500 to $5,000 for the females and $1,500 to $3,500 for the males. F5 Savannah’s and F6 and F7 Savannah Cats range between $1,200 to $4,000 for females and $1,200 to $9,000 for males. In this category, the males are more valuable.
What to consider when buying a Savannah cat
Savannah Cats are expensive, even when you purchase the lowest quality on the ranking scale. It’s wise to only purchase this cat from a reputable and experienced breeder. If possible, visit the breeding environment to make your purchase. Give the area a visual inspection to make sure that the cats are born in a healthy and loving environment.
Avoid purchasing from breeders who keep their animals caged in small kennels under unhygienic conditions. The environment impacts the overall health and quality of the cat. Reputable breeders will produce both parents or at least one of the parents for your inspection.
They will also maintain health records proving that the kitten you’re considering for purchase has been genetically tested and had its first vaccinations along with a physical examination to assure good health and high quality. The breeder should produce records from the veterinarian clinic along with registration papers that prove the quality of the kitten. If these are not immediately available, you may want to think twice and continue looking as you cannot guarantee that what you’re being told about the kitten is true.
The price of the Savannah Cat should be in line with its physical appearance and quality. If the cost is far lower, you may be dealing with an inexperienced or shady breeder. Find out why the price is so low as this is a red flag for those in the breeding industry. Another caution is to avoid being taken by online scams. Some people steal information from the legitimate websites of Savannah Cat breeders and offer the cats for sale to the public. They charge the same rates and offer to ship the cats via freight services.
They charge you the cost of the cat plus shipping fees, but your shipment never arrives. It’s essential to confirm that you are dealing with a reputable breeder and to confirm this through multiple sources before you purchase an animal. Some reputable breeders offer shipping services, but it’s sometimes hard to tell if you’re dealing with an authentic person or a cybercriminal.
Can you find a Savannah Cat at a shelter?
Finding a Savannah Cat at an animal rescue shelter is much like looking for a needle in a haystack. These cats are high-dollar commodities. Even the crossbreeds and Savannah Cat mixes are expensive to purchase. It’s not likely that you will find one that is homeless, but if you happen to get lucky, you’ll save hundreds and even thousands.
Adoption fees range between $100 to $350. On the downside, you’ll not know the history of the animal in most cases. Nor will you know its health status, if sit is purebred, its lineage, or if it has any genetic defects. You will not know if the cat has been properly socialized or how it will interact with your family members or other pets. If none of these things matter to you, you may find the next love of your life.
What you need to know about the Savannah Cat
Savannah Cats are aesthetically unique and breathtakingly beautiful creatures. According to The Happy Cat Site, the breed is a hybrid created by breeding a domestic house cat with an African Serval cat. It is worth noting that many of the early generations of a hybrid African Serval Cat and domestic cats are sterile.
Not all of them are barren, but the majority are. Moving down the generations, the instances of infertile kittens decreases. It’s tough to build a group of breeding stock but it’s not impossible. Females are as fertile through all generational lines but males are usually not until the fourth or fifth generation.
That is why these cats are in short supply and high demand, augmenting their value in the exotic housepet market. This makes it easy to understand why the F1 cats with the purest African Serval bloodlines are the most valuable.
Why do breeders charge so much?
F1 Savannah Cats are the hardest to find because it’s hard for breeders to produce healthy kittens. When Servals and domestic cats are crossbred, the results are often either stillbirths or the kittens die while they’re in the infant phases of life. Fewer survive than die and that is why the F1 Savannah Cats are so rare.
The F1 Savannah Cats are distinctly different than later generations. They are often taller than down liners such as the F2 through the F8. Most breeders keep surviving F1 females for breeding purposes. It’s not often that they’re offered for sale. Another notable feature of F1 Savannah cats is that they are as much wild serval as they are domestic cats.
This gives them the temperament of a wild animal. Varial filial generations of Savannah Cats are crossbred to obtain the highest amount of African Serval DNA possible. Each kitten is individual and may inherit more genes from one parent than the other. Percentages don’t always mean that a Savannah Cat will have more of the Serval characteristics. The F2 Savannah Cat is recognizable by its slightly smaller size and its more sociable nature than the F1 cats.
Each filial generation such as the F3 through the F8 Savannah Cats are closer to domestic cats but they still have some of the characteristics and possibly the temperament of the African Serval. It’s recommended that families with children adopt Savannah Cats that are at least an F2 or F3 or higher to reduce the chances of being injured by a wildcat.
Male Savannah Cats may be fertile at the second generation or the third but the odds are still in favor of them being born sterile until the third or fourth generation at least. The further the generations are diluted, the smaller the cats and the more they behave as regular domestic house cats. Savannah Cats in generations beyond the F8 are priced under $1,000.
How much does it cost to raise a Savannah Cat?
Savannah Cats are expensive to buy, but that is not where the cost of ownership ends. Before you bring your Savannah kitten home, you’ll need to prepare your home for his arrival. He will need a comfortable bed and a kitten-proof home. Keep all wires and electrical cords out of his reach. These kittens love to explore and to play.
For his safety, keep all items that he could chew and ingest out of his reach. It’s important to have his toys for him to play with. If you don’t, he will turn your items into his playthings. he will also need food and water bowls and quality nutritious kitten food to eat. He will also need a litter box and extra litter for changing it out and keeping it clean.
Also, provide the kitten with a scratch post. You will need to redirect him to the scratch post when he starts sharpening his claws on your curtains and upholstery. It’s something that all cats instinctually do and you can’t stop him, but you can teach him where it’s okay to do it and where it is not.
Your new Savannah Cat will also need your time. Pet parents need to spend a lot of time with a new Savannah Cat to help him acclimate to his new surroundings. You will also need to be present to train him and help him to learn the rules of the house. The first two weeks are crucial to help him to feel at ease in his new home and to get to know his new family. Spend time playing with him and establishing a relationship.
Other expenses include his medical costs. Even if your Savannah Cat is healthy, he needs to have annual or semi-annual vet checkups to ensure he is growing and developing on schedule. He will also need to have his vaccinations. The ongoing expenses for Savannah Cats are no different than those for other cat breeds, but it is ongoing as long as he lives in your home.
Final thoughts
Savannah Cats are an exotic and rare breed that is expensive to buy. They’re among the most beautiful cats in the world for those who prefer exotics. These cats range in price from $1,000 to $20,000 for the more remarkable cats with the highest amount of Serval DNA, rated as an F1. These are the largest of the breed and the ones that have more Serval characteristics than later generations. They are also the most valuable. It’s wise to only deal with reputable breeders, so do your homework before you make a purchase.
You can also read:
- Five Reasons Your Cat Likes to Hide
- Can Cats Hear Better than Dogs?
- Why is My Cat Hungry All The Time?
- The Siamese Maine Coon Mix: What You Need to Know
- A Complete Price Guide for the Scottish Fold Cat