Savannah cats are amazing, there's no doubting that!
There are so many options out there when purchasing a Savannah kitten!
I would like to take the time to talk a little bit about why purchasing an SBT kitten over a higher generation kitten, such as an F1, might be right for you.
First, let's talk about what an SBT is. An SBT (stud book tradition) is a savannah cat F4 or later that has at least 3 generations of savannah to savannah breedings with no outcrossing with other breeds. I often hear concerns about a lower gen such as F7's/F8's not having "enough percentage of serval". I laugh every time I hear this. If there are nothing but Savannah to Savannah breedings in the background, whether you're getting an F4 or an F8, the percentages are very similar, there's not much of a difference, if any at all. Once they are at SBT level, as far as pets go, there really is no reason to track generation. At that level they are considered pure bred Savannah cats by TICA. The only reason we as breeders track generation past the SBT level is because many males F5 and above are infertile, F6 and below seem to have a better chance of being fertile. :)
With SBT's you really get the best of both worlds. They are domesticated enough to cuddle with you in bed, yet still have very wild like traits, they're still very intelligent, can be taught to play fetch, walk on a leash, they can be toilet trained, and they look like little cheetahs!
Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE my high gens, and they have their own set of pro's, but I would not leave my kids alone with my F1. She is super sweet and playful, but she doesn't know when to stop playing and she plays very rough. For a first time owner of a Savannah cat, I would recommend starting with an SBT, especially if you have kids that love carrying their kitties all over the house like mine do!
As far as size goes, F1 is the only consistently large generation. Size with F2 to SBT's is going to vary anywhere from 10 lbs - 25 lbs, your breeder can not accurately predict size as there's so much variation in the genetics of a Savannah cat, at best, they can guess. Size is out of both yours and the breeders control. As far as my SBT girls go, some are larger than my F3 and some are similar in size, my F1 beats everyone in size, but my SBT boys are right behind my F1. Males in general are typically larger than females. So if size is what you're looking for, and you can't afford an F1 ($15,000-$25,000 currently), I would recommend getting an SBT male. I get a lot of requests that focus on size, but honestly, size is the last reason to get a Savannah cat, their intelligence, their dog like personalities, and their exotic beauty comes first in my book! Savannahs are not heavy cats in general, they are more so tall and lean.
As far as looks go, a QUALITY SBT can be better looking than the average F2. It's really not about generation (another misconception when it comes to Savannah cats), it's about quality, and I focus on quality. I would rather have a stunning show quality SBT than a poorly bred F2/F3. I have 4 male Savannah studs (all SBT); Arzaelan, Khari, Aries, and Platinum. Arzaelan is a TICA Show Grand Champion, he was 2nd best Savannah cat in his region for the year of 2018. Khari is half brother to TICA's 2nd best Savannah cat in the entire world for 2020. Aries is full brother to the 2nd best Savannah cat 2020. Khari and Aries are incredible Savannahs and the only reason I didn't show them was because of Covid. I have no doubt in my mind that they would have done amazing in TICA shows. Platinum is our home bred boy who has dominated TICA shows as a kitten, son of the incredible, Khari, and our amazing silver goddess, Wynter, he placed number 1 in his region and number 2 in the entire world for the last TICA show season! We are so proud of Platinum's accomplishments!
Let's talk about price! Every once in a while, someone has the nerve to say "I found an SBT for $1000". I can not stress this enough! Be careful of SCAMS! So many scammers are out there preying on people who can not afford a Savannah cat, Savannah cats ARE NOT CHEAP, especially a nice one. Occasionally someone may find one at a lower than average price, but then are either very disappointed in the quality or temperament of their new kitty or very disappointed in the breeder for one reason or another. Just remember, you get what you pay for, please do your research.
If you are interested in a quality SBT kitten, please visit our available kittens page (CLICK HERE) to view our available kittens. If you feel you can provide one of them with a loving lifelong home, and are seriously interested in a kitten from me, please contact me, I'm happy to answer your questions. Please be sure that you want one of our kittens prior to contacting me. I am happy to answer questions for someone who is seriously wanting one of my kittens, but I do not have the time for someone who asks for new photos, has 682 questions taking up hours or days of my time, and then tells me, well, thanks for the information, my husband/wife said no, or they are illegal in my city, etc etc. I can appreciate those situations, but those are things to look into prior to contacting me. Please be respectful of my time as I have a family, including my 3 children, and our animals to care for on top of many other obligations. Thank you for understanding and thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope you enjoy viewing our kittens!
Above are some of our SBT kittens, if interested in our SBT Savannah kittens click here for availability! :) Thank you!