Here’s a question that’s asked repeatedly in the pet circles and it’s often a question dripping with disgust and dismay, “Why do breeders just discard their older breeding cats? Why don’t they keep them forever? I mean—they’ve made their money off of them—shouldn’t they keep that cat for the rest of its lifetime?” While this may seem like a sensible question, it is a judgment that is being fobbed onto breeders from a pet owner’s point of view without any understanding in regard to a breeder’s place in the community.

Let’s start by saying—not all breeders will retire their breeding stock and place those cats into pet homes. Small hobby breeders with a short term plan may indeed spay and neuter their queens and studs and keep them in their homes—this is an excellent way to handle retirees in a small program. Yet it also is not feasible for the majority of cat breeders. Let’s look at why this is the case.

Making a Difference in the Breed Requires Longevity

Can we agree that reputable breeders would like to make a difference in the breeds they are involved with? Whether this is by improving breed health, working on breed type, or any other issue—a good breeder is going to want to make a difference in their breed of choice. If you enter breeding with the thought, “I’ll only breed for a year or two and then get out”—you are probably more interested in having kittens underfoot and profits versus actually improving the breed.

In order to change a breed, you need to invest time within the breed. The repeat pairing of the same set of cats is not going to drastically improve lineages or type. Yet breeding a pair, keeping the best kitten back, and then finding the best stud to pair with that kitten to breed—and then wash and repeat throughout the years can and will change a breed. This leads me to my next point.

Breeders Can Only Own X Number of Cats

This is probably the biggest reason breeders choose to retire their cats and place them into pet homes. No, they are not ‘discarding’ them. In fact, placing retirees often requires more work than placing kittens. Yet we will discuss this fact later on—for now let’s consider the number game in regard to breeding cats.

• Legally, breeders may only have x number of cats in their household.

Whether it’s a county law or city law, most areas of the country control the number of cats permitted to be kept within a household. Since the majority of breeders actually breed and raise their cats within their homes, they are required to follow the law when it comes to their head count.
 
So if the city states that I can only keep 8 cats on premises, but I already own 6 breeding cats, have 2 kittens that I have spayed/neutered and kept back as pets—I have no additional space. If I take in 2 new kittens to grow up and keep in my cattery—I have already went over my legal limit. What should I do? Most breeders will consider their cattery—look at their studs and queens and decide it’s time to retire an older cat (or a cat that hates motherhood or a stud that isn’t producing, etc.)
 

• Cats and catteries are healthier with lower populations.

This is a fact that most pet owners tend to ignore. Cats (and therefore catteries) are healthiest when there is a limited number in a certain space. Breeders need to know their cattery and their cats’ limits! The smallest health problem spreads like wildfire in a highly populated feline space—that’s why shelters (and even catteries) can have issues with the simplest things—URIs, ringworm, etcetera. Also cats’ immune systems function best when they are not overstressed and what causes stress for our feline friends? More cats.
 
Personalities don’t always mesh with cattery living or within the breeders’ household.

This is a painful truth—a truth that has frustrated breeders year after year. First, there are certain cats that are not made out to be breeders. They may hate other cats, they may hate kittens, they may be high strung or more dedicated to their human companions than their newborns, but some cats simply do not work in a cattery. Good breeders will try their best to work around the cat’s needs, but in the end—certain cats need to be spayed and neutered sooner rather than later.

Yet this also plays into keeping a cat in the household after they are altered. If the cat does not like other cats, how will you keep him or her in a home that is dedicated to raising socialized, healthy kittens? It’s difficult to say the least if not impossible! The realization that a cat that you love—absolutely adore—will do better in a different home is heartbreaking, but it’s a reality breeders face with their retirees day after day.

Breeders Prefer to Alter Young

I’m going to add a caveat here—while yes, a lot of reputable breeders do prefer to alter their breeding stock at a younger age and retire them sooner versus later, there are breeds working through serious health issues that are either starting breeding later in life or keeping breeders later to try to work through the health problems surfacing.

However it still stands that a lot of breeders prefer to spay and neuter their studs and queens at an earlier age. Why? I can only speak for myself, but I prefer my cats—all of my cats—to spend the majority of their lives as pampered pets. Yes, I do believe the pet life is the better life—no hormones, no babies, no pressing need to spray every surface of the home. I also believe in the beauty of the purebred cat raised by reputable breeders—therefore the trade off is an early spay and neuter for the cats who enter my homes as breeders.

Placing Retirees into Good Homes is Hard Work

Now is a good time to reiterate that placing retirees into pet homes is not ‘easy.’ It’s heartbreaking—we have seen these cats grow up from kittenhood and adored every moment of it. We know their personalities, their quirks, and we love them. Just because you love a cat, however, does not mean you are the best place for that individual feline.

Locating the right home requires weeding out a lot of homes that are not ideal. Most retirees will be offered at a discounted price. This is due to the cat already being an adult, being set in its personality, and having specific needs/wants to be catered to. This is not because breeders are looking to discard their stock as soon as possible! Yet the lower adoption fees often bring out the sketchiest of pet owners—the people who want a purebred, but at the cheapest price possible. These homes may not have the money for emergencies, may not have the flexibility to incorporate an adult cat into their home or may simply be the wrong home for the breed. A good breeder often has to sift through numerous offers for a retiree to find the best fit for their feline friend.

The positive side of this, however, is that sometimes you—as a potential buyer—can bring home the perfect cat (sometimes even an older kitten) into your home to adore at a lower fee! Don’t disregard retired breeding cats if you are looking for the perfect kitty companion. You never know—your local breeder might have the ideal cat for you.
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Have you ever adopted a retiree? What are your thoughts about bringing home an older cat? Do you understand why breeders might have a retired cat for sale now that you’ve read this article? Let us know in the comments and please—share pictures of your own retired kitties!

If you are currently looking for a purebred kitten, you may have noticed most breeders are now altering their kittens before placing them into pet homes. Many owners are relieved that this surgery is done before placement, but a few potential owners are skeptical. In fact, some individuals have even claimed that breeders are greedy for spaying and neutering their pet stock. Yet is this action intended to protect the ‘breeding market’ as some proclaim or is it done for multiple reasons, all for the health and welfare of the kitten being sold to a pet home? Let’s discuss some of the reasons your breeder may choose to alter your kitten before it goes home.

1. An Altered Cat is a Healthier Cat
When it comes to feline health, altering your pet is an ideal way to avoid a plethora of health problems involved with the reproductive tract. Unaltered females (queens) are at risk of uterine infection throughout their lifespan and are at increased risk for mammary cancer—both of these conditions can be fatal. Altering your female will remove or reduce these risks. Neutering your male also eliminates the risk of testicular cancer and reduces/eliminates a male’s need to mark their territory. From a breeder’s point of view—altering helps provide new owners with a healthier cat in the long run.

2. An Altered Cat is a Happier Cat
Sometimes kitten buyers believe an unaltered cat makes a better pet, but nothing can be further from the truth. Unaltered males will spray—and they will spray every surface of your home when they believe there is a female available to be bred. Of course, you might think if you don’t have another cat in your house, there’s no issue, but think again. You know the cats your next door neighbor lets wander? Yes—your male can smell that queen in heat outdoors and he will spray your pillows, your toaster, your front door, and even you in his quest to advertise his manhood.
Unaltered male cats can also be unpredictable. While we believe our boys are the best boys, the sweetest boys, the most amazing testosterone filled animals around—unaltered cats can also be moody. There are plenty of breeders who can attest that their perfect sweet stud has taken a swipe or two at them over the years—why? Because they heard a female calling, because they smelled a girl in heat, or perhaps just because hormones can be difficult to control when you are a 10 pound animal and Mother Nature is screaming your name.

Of course, you may think owning a girl cat is a completely different story. Why put her through an extensive spay surgery when she won’t spray? I mean—she won’t, right? Wrong. Unaltered girls can and do spray (sometimes worse than the males!), they are also moody and they call. Day and night, girls in heat will caterwaul for a mate. Don’t think it will bother you? Your neighbors might have a difference of opinion on this matter. Therefore your breeder is thinking about your cat’s personality as they age—most cats are rehomed due to urinary and behavioral issues and your breeder wants to ensure their kitten has a home for life.

3. Surgeries Cost Money
Let’s be real. How often have you put off an oil change? Delayed going to the vet for vaccines or even skipped a doctor’s appointment of your own because money was tight? It happens—there is no shame in accepting reality. When a breeder sells a kitten, they have already budgeted for that kitten’s alter surgery (and probably vaccines and microchip too.) By altering your pet feline ahead of time—it alleviates your need to budget for the spay/neuter surgery in the near future.

4. Surgeries Can Be Scary
Here is another reality—owners worry. Sometimes those worries blossom and grow to the point that an owner has a difficult time taking their kitten into the vet for their spay/neuter. This turns into avoidance and this is when issues begin to occur. Your breeder has confidence in their vet, has experience with surgeries and knows the aftercare involved. By having their kittens altered before placement, a breeder can alleviate a lot of your worries ahead of time.

5. Breeders Deserve To Protect Their Lines
Your breeder has probably worked long and hard to develop their own lines. Even if they are new to breeding—they have probably invested countless hours doing research, being mentored, growing and learning as a breeder. Yes— they have the right to protect their lines. Once a kitten is placed into a home—the breeder loses precious control over theat cat. Even the most responsible owner has had a ‘whoopsie, my kitten slipped outdoors and is now pregnant’ moment. Your breeder wants to avoid intentional and accidental pregnancies.

6. Mentoring New Breeders Takes Time
If you want to become a new breeder, you need a mentor. A mentor is the person who will hold your hand through the ups and downs involved with breeding—and there are more downs typically than ups. However, being a mentor is time consuming. It can also be frustrating, heartbreaking, and inspiring—all at the same time. A lot of breeders choose to sell their cats as pets because they currently do not have the time to mentor new breeders. This protects the breed—it is a positive point of view looking towards the longevity and welfare of your breed.

While not all cat breeders engage in pediatric spays and neuters, the majority of the cat breeding community does. Without even discussing the hardship and finances involved with running a cattery, hopefully you now understand why reputable breeders often choose alter surgeries ahead of sending their kittens home.

If you are a breeder, do you alter your kittens before placement? Tell us your reasons below! If you are a current or potential purebred cat owner, let us know your thoughts as well!

Because of the American Kennel Club and its well-known shunning of mixed breed dogs, people commonly think that the cat show world also abhors a 'mutt' (moggy, domestic  shorthair, mixed breed, alleycat, call it what you will-- at the end of the day, it's a wonderful feline with questionable heritage!) Instead, we at Feline Fine would like to tell you that the cat show world LOVES our pet cats and indeed, TICA (The International Cat Association) and CFA (Cat Fancier's Association) both have show categories for these cats. This is a highly competitive category known as the Household Pet Category.

What type of cat excels as a HHP? First, we want a cat that's social-- who loves people. We have shown an one-eyed old man (10 year old former feral who loved everyone), a mixed breed curl, and even a three legged tortoiseshell kitten  in the HHP categories. As long as your cat enjoys attentuon and isn't scared of the show hall, you may end up with a Champion (or more!) by the end of the day!

Second, you want to properly groom your cat before the show. Yes, this may mean shampooing and conditioner-- but ensure you get all of the residue out of the coat before the day of the show. You'll want clean ears and also ALWAYS trim the claws before your show weekend.

Finally, you will want to go to TICA or CFA and register your cat as a Household Pet and enter the nearest cat show! We highly encourage any cat fancier to enter the HHP categories as it's great fun for everyone!

Here is a video from TICA about registering a HHP. 




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While both of these amazing 501c3 programs deserve their own posts, I wanted to take a moment and talk to you about how the Savannah cat community takes care of itself. 

Originally created by Brigitte Cowell Moyne and Kristine Alessio, both former breeders and ardent exhibitors of the Savannah breed, the national breed rescue has become a community-known entity that has rescued cats all over the country, as well as Canada. As the breed began to develop popularity, both Cowell Moyne and Alessio realized that Savannahs also needed an educated, knowledgeable group to assist with any rescues-- hence Savannah Cat Rescue was born. A team of two has known grown into a team of ten, working daily to assist Savannahs from everywhere.

This rescue is unique in its dedication to the breed and always doing what's right for the cat-- regardless of generation, trauma, health issues, or locale. Unlike the majority of breeds within the cat world, Savannahs may have different needs than the average cat. An F1 that has been in the same home for 10 years will not need the same type of placement as an F5 who's owner has passed away. This is where Savannah Rescue steps in and helps out. They assess the cats, find appropriate foster homes (which in itself is not an easy feat) and then find adoptive homes, although often the fosters turn into adopters. It's hard not to-- after all!

Savannah Cat Rescue isn't about profiting from the cats and people it helps. Unlike rescues that charge upwards of hundreds to thousands of dollars for an adoption, SCR has extremely reasonable fees for all generations that are then poured back into the other cats waiting upon homes. SCR works hand-in-hand with breeders and would prefer breeders step in and take their cats back, versus going to rescue in the first place. In fact, as Cowell Moyne points out, the majority of breeders SCR have contacted throughout the years are always willing to take their own cats back, but also are willing to foster/transport other Savannahs in need.

Another unique aspect of our national Savannah Cat Rescue is that ego is kept in check when it comes to helping these cats. SCR has assisted many other rescues throughout the country when they've obtained a Savannah in their care. Whether it's giving advice to the other rescue groups or blasting out the news of a Savannah in need via social media-- SCR isn't concerned with pride or ego. They are only concerned about the cats.

Many years ago, I have had the honor of assisting SCR with two local rescues-- one was a kitten that was on the Vegas strip that the owner wanted gone immediately (Penny) and one was an F2/F3 that was found wondering the streets and its owner could not be located. I was only a brief part of these cats' stories, but I am so glad SCR was in existence to help these babies find loving permanent homes.

Looking to adopt? Check out SCR-- Savannah Cat Rescue.

As the Savannah cat community has grown throughout the years, another important nonprofit sprung up from need-- the Savannah Cat Care Fund. Paige Dana, working with SCR, started noticing that Savannahs were being surrendered and/or euthanized due to extensive veterinarian bills. While this is not a rare situation, for any breed of animal, it is heartbreaking nonetheless. The reality was-- finances do affect the decisions owners are forced to make with their pets and Dana really wanted to assist these owners in a way that did not result in the loss of their pet.

After discussing the need with SCR, Dana created the Savannah Cat Care Fund. This is a 501c3 with a mission full of heart, to quote, "The mission of SVCCF is to ensure that decisions about emergency medical treatment for Savannah cat pets is never made solely on the basis of cost." Ran by Savannah cat breeders and enthusiasts, these volunteers work diligently to keep cats healthy and in their homes versus being surrendered due to medical need, or worse-- euthanized. 

The SVCCF is ran solely on donations from pet owners and breeders alike. 

Would you like to donate? Click here!

We are strong supporters of our community programs and cannot recommend them enough. Whether you are looking to adopt, need assistance with an emergency vet bill, or would like to donate to help others in need-- the Savannah cat community polices and takes care of its own. 

We're going to keep it simple today and talk about patterns-- not colors, but patterns that are prevalent in the Savannah world. 

The first and most common PATTERN we speak about when it comes to Savannahs is spotted-- that's because the vast majority of Savannahs are either brown (black) spotted tabbies or black silver spotted tabbies. Fun fact-- all cats are GENETICALLY TABBIES even if the pattern isn't expressed. We can talk about tabbies later, but let's remember-- spots as the number one PATTERN in the Savannah world.

The next pattern is solid-- and for this, we would look towards the melanistic or black Savannah as a solid cat (although as a youngster you can see ghost spots-- remember the 'all cats are genetically tabbies' mentioned above?')

Another pattern that you may not think of when it comes to Savannahs is pointed-- pointed would be any colorpoint from solids to lynx. Colorpoints are typically found on Siamese, Thai and Oriental Shorthairs-- and indeed, it is probably from the OSH that we see colorpoint within our breed.

Marble is a pattern that is less common nowadays but popped up moreso when the breed was younger. Marbles have swirling spots versus clear concise spots.

And the final, very rare,  pattern that we will discuss today is Servaline. Servaline is hundreds of tiny spots that may or may not be clear upon the coat and give more of a ticked appearance from a distance. 

Are there more patterns? Sure! The breed is still THAT new that we may see patterns we weren't expecting pop up. However, if we are considering the breed as a whole-- only brown (black) SPOTTED tabby, black silver SPOTTED tabby, smoke (which debatably can be a color or a pattern depending upon how you look at it) and melanistic (solid black) is permitted in the show hall.

Today, we are going to keep it simple here on Feline Fine and teach you basic Savannah cat terminology. When you first enter the world of the Savannahs, it may seem like people speak in a mysterious code, but it's definitely not as tricky as it looks!

TICA-- The International  Cat Association. This is a genetic registry that also hosts cat shows worldwide where you can find Savannahs and other cats.

African Serval-- the exotic cat that was crossed with domestics to begin the Savannah breed

F1 Savannah-- a Savannah wherein one parent is the African Serval. 50/50 cross.

F2 Savannah-- a Savannah wherein one grandparent is the African Serval. Hypothetical 25/75 cross with 25% being African Serval.

F3 Savannah-- a Savannah wherein one great-grandparent is the African Serval. Hypothetical 12.5/87.5 cross

And this continues downward...

SBT-- Studbook traditonal. A Savannah wherein 4 generations of purebred Savannahs are in its immediate background. The earliest generation this can be achieved is with an F4 Savannah.

BST-- Brown (or black) spotted tabby. This is a contrasting coat with dark spots that are either brown or black.

SST-- Silver spotted tabby. This is a coat with black spots with a white base.

Mel-- Melanistic. Solid black Savannah cat.

Servaline-- A Savannah which has hundreds of tiny solid spots versus the typical bigger spots. This is a very rare pattern.

Snow-- A Savannah with colorpoints (like a Siamese cat in coloration.)

Permissible/nonpermissible colors-- Colors are either permissible (within the show hall therefore also known as 'standard' or nonpermissible (ie nonstandard.)

Are there any other terms you would like to learn about? Let us know!

From Hybrid Beginnings

In 1986, the first kitten that would be recognized as a Savannah was born—Miracle. Born to Ernie, an African Serval, and a Siamese Queen, owned by Judee Frank—this kitten was a complete surprise and lived up to her original name.

Miracle would eventually be renamed Savannah by Suzi Mutascio, the Serval’s previous owner. While nobody knew whether Savannah would eventually produce, Mutascio paired the cat with a Turkish Angora and on April 5th, 1989, the first known F2 Savannahs were born—although the breed still did not have a name at the time.

At this point in time, the breed was simply a hybrid—without a breed standard and dedication to creating a breed, the Savannahs could have simply become the Doodle of the cat world—a mix of two extremely different heritages with no guarantee of results. However, two people would step in and start ushering the breed towards recognition—Patrick Kelley and Lorre Smith-Lemire.

Kelley would set the ground work. He had been introduced to the cats Mutascio was producing and fallen in love. He would eventually bring home an F2 from Mutascio’s breeding—Kitty. Instead of breeding her to a random cat, he thought long and hard and decided an Oriental Shorthair would help replicate the features he loved.—long legs, large upright ears, etc. Finding a breeder who would allow him to purchase a stud for such reasons was difficult—cat breeders diligently protect the purity of their breeds. Yet Kelley persevered and found an OSH to pair his Kitty with.

In the meantime, Kelley was actively campaigning to find other breeders willing to work with this new breed. In particular, the breed needed people to produce F1s. This was a difficult ask—owning an African Serval was not legal in a lot of areas (particularly in California which is where Kelley lived) and Kelley would need to find someone with an unaltered Serval who was willing to attempt breeding to domestics. Joyce Sroufe would eventually accept the challenge and in 1994, another litter of F1s were born—eight years after Miracle’s birth. Sroufe would continue to breed throughout her lifetime and would be one of the first to produce the later generations, including the elusive fertile male.

To Make a Breed
1996 would turn out to be a big year for Savannahs—as it would officially be known as a breed and start to shed its hybrid stigma. Kelley, along with Stroufe and Karen Sausman, a Bengal breeder, submitted the first breed standard for the Savannah to The International Cat Association (TICA.)
While this year was a huge step forward for the Savannah, the breed would immediately face its first official challenge—TICA introduced a two year moratorium on the introduction of new breeds at that time, which then extended into a four year moratorium.

During this time, Lorre Smith-Lemire, a Bengal and Savannah breeder, began to actively campaign for the breed—introducing her own Savannahs to every judge and board member she could. Finally, in 2000—when the moratorium was lifted, the stage was set to advance the breed due to Smith-Lemire’s and Kelley’s diligence.

The breed standard was revamped, resubmitted, and the Savannah cats were finally accepted as registration only within TICA—a step forward in breed advancement. In 2001, Savannahs would be accepted for exhibition only and finally in 2002, the first Savannah cat, Sophie owned by Smith-Lemire, would enter the show hall to charm judges and the crowd alike.
 
Spots in the Show Hall

 Now the heavy lifting for the breed would shift to the Savannah cat exhibitors as the breed was introduced throughout the country and even world. Two breeders on the west coast, Brigitte Cowell and Kristine Alessio, could be found in the show hall with their Savannahs almost every month educating not only the public, but the judges. Even with TICA’s acceptance, the judges were fickle—Cowell recalls her first ring being particularly challenging. Judges were unsure what to make of this breed—was it truly domesticated or simply wild cats in disguise? On the other side of the country, exhibitors were also working hard for the breed—Donna Lawver, Carol Streit and Pam Flachs to name a few. Regardless of region, each exhibitor had to learn to deftly navigate the different personalities in the show hall. Yet the new breed rings were also exciting and fun as Savannah exhibitors finally had the opportunity to educate judges on the breed they had fallen deeply in love with.

 The Savannah exhibitors continuously impressed in the show hall—ensuring they brought the best cats each weekend (sometimes choosing personality over perfection in order to charm the judges.) Finally, after proceeding through the Preliminary New Breed rings to the Advanced New Breed rings, the Savannahs would be accepted into Championship with TICA in May of 2012.
Nowadays, spectators can see Savannahs in TICA show halls throughout the world. There is a national 501c3 Savannah rescue as well as a Savannah Cat Care Fund, created to help owners with unexpected vet bills.

While only a handful of people were mentioned in this history, let us be clear—creating a new breed was a labor of love and it required a community of Savannah cat lovers to ensure the breed became recognized and accepted within the show hall.

Acknowledgements:
https://www.savannahbreedsection.com/
https://savannahcatassociation.org/
https://starrlightphotography.com/
And in particular, thank you to Patrick Kelley, Lorre Smith-Lemire, Brigitte Cowell, and Paige Dana, for answering my questions about our breed history!

When the average cat lover thinks of a Savannah, they immediately picture a golden spotted cat-- they don't consider all of the other wonderful colors that exist within the Savannah cat world.

Let's first start with the brown (black) spotted tabby. This is what potential kitten buyers tend to think of when they first embark upon their Savannah journey. This is a contrasting coat with dark spots that are either brown or black-- however, BSTS range in color from cool coats to warm coats. Cool coats tend to have a greyer background versus warm coats which are more golden in depth.

Next, we have the silver spotted Savannah-- which can occasionally be confused with a cool coat BST. The silver spotted Savannah has black spots with a white base and they were accepted into the Savannah standard to mimic the rare leucistic Serval  found in the wild.

The third color option we have within the breed standard itself is the melanistic or black Savannah. Again, this color was accepted due to the mimicking of the (once again rare) melanistic Servals. Black Savannahs as kittens will often have visible spots on their coat that may or may not fade into adulthood.

Finally, to round out our breed standard, we have the smoke Savannah. The smoke is an anomaly in our breed standard. Due to TICA (The International Cat Association) being a genetic registry, we were required to add smoke as a color into our breed as it's the recessive of the silver spotted Savannah. Not to be biased, but smokes are my favorite of this breed as their uniqueness and rarity make them a showstopper in the show hall and out. In a smoke Savannah, the roots are white and the outter shaft of the coat is smoky black. 

However, just because we have four standard colors doesn't mean other colors do not exist within the world of the Savannah. Due to the initial outcrosses and recessives found in the backgrounds of many cats, you may see anything from torbie Savannahs to cinnamon, chocolate to snow.

Just remember-- Savannahs are not defined by their colors or their spots, but by the breed standard which places more points on the build of the cat versus the coloration. After all, a white Serval is still a Serval and a black Serval still looks just like a Serval. Why? Big upright cupped ears, long leggy build, short tail, and of course, those wonderful moderately hooded eyes tell us the story of the Serval much more than fur color.

Do you own a colorful Savannah? Tell us more in the comments!