CATEGORY: Traditional.

DIVISIONS: Solid, Tabby and Silver/Smoke Division.

COLORS: Black, Brown Spotted Tabby, Silver Spotted Tabby and Black Smoke ONLY.

PERMISSIBLE OUTCROSSES: Egyptian Mau, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, domestic shorthair not a member of a recognized breed.

 

Shape: The face forms an equilateral triangle. The top of the triangle is the brow line over the eyes; the sides follow down the jawbone meeting at the chin. The triangle excludes the ears. The head is small in proportion to the body.

Ears: Ears are extremely large and high on the head. They are wide with a deep base and rounded tops. The inside base of the ears is set close at the top of the head. Ear furnishings may be present; pronounced ocelli are desirable.

Eyes: Medium sized and set underneath a slightly hooded brow. The top of the eye resembles a boomerang set at the exact angle 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. Tearstain markings are present along and between the eye and the nose. All eye colors are allowed and are independent of coat color.

Chin: From the frontal view the chin tapers to follow the triangle of the head. In profile, the angle from the nose to the chin slants back, which may cause the chin to appear shallow.

Muzzle: The muzzle is a tapered muzzle with no break. It falls within the bottom portion of the facial triangle that runs from the brow to the point of the chin.

Profile: 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.

Nose: Viewing from the front, the nose is wide across the top with low set nostrils. In profile, there is a slight downward turn at the end, giving a rounded appearance. Nose leather is slightly convex not flat.

Neck: Long and lean.

 

Torso: A semi-foreign body type with a full deep rib cage with a slight, but not extreme, tuck-up and a rounded rump. The hip and thigh are full and long and somewhat heavy in proportion to the rest of the body.

Legs: Very long and slender yet strong. Back legs are slightly longer than the front legs, and due to this extreme length, may now and then give a false appearance of being cow hocked.

Feet: Oval, small to medium, with elongated toes.

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

Boning: Medium boning with density and strength.

Musculature: Firm and well developed. Athletic, not bulky lean but not delicate.

COAT: Short to medium in length 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 texture of the ground color hairs. The coat is not inordinately dense and lies relatively flat against the body. Glitter is not desired.

COLORS: Black spotted tabby, black silver spotted tabby, black, black smoke. No preference is given to ground color on the Black Spotted Tabby. Bold solid markings are preferred on all tabbies; ghost markings preferred on solid blacks and a visible pattern on black smokes. In any variation the lips are black and the tear duct lines are prominent. On the spotted Savannahs the nose leather can be solid brick red, pink, or black, as well as red or pink surrounded by black. In black Savannahs, the nose leather must be solid black. Paw pads in any color variation should be deep charcoal or brownish black.

PATTERN: The spotted Savannah pattern is made up of bold, solid dark-brown to black spots, which can be round, oval, or elongated.

Rosettes are undesirable. 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. Vertically aligned spots are not desired. Smaller spots may be found on the legs and feet as well as on the face. The black Savannah should be solid black. Black spotting on a black background is preferred. The spots should conform to the spotted Savannah's standard. The smoke pattern should conform to the spotted Savannah’s standard.

TEMPERAMENT: The ideal Savannah is confident, alert, curious and friendly.

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The overall impression of the Savannah is a tall lean graceful cat with striking, dark spots and other bold markings on a background color of any shade of brown, silver, black or black smoke. The Savannah cat is a domestic breed which closely resembles it’s ancestral source the African Serval, but is smaller in stature. Affectionate and outgoing, with exceptionally long neck, legs and ears, as well as a medium length tail, the Savannah is both unusual and

beautiful. The Savannah is also an exceptionally graceful, well-balanced cat with striking color and pattern.

 

PENALIZE: Spots that are any color other than dark brown to black.