Black SV's

[ejmgsd]

I have seen some "black" or I'm not really sure what color you would call them.Are they common and can you predict by breeding certain colored cats that you can produce this color? Also are they popular as a whole in the SV Community? Thanks Ellen

 

[Pam Flachs]

Those are what we call "melanistic" Savannahs...a fancy name for a black cat Both parent cats have to carry the gene for melanistic to produce black Savannah kittens, or be one themselves. For instance, my only melanistic Savannah kitten was produced by a blue (gray...another fancy cat color name) spotted DSH girl bred to a brown spotted tabby male. Both of my cats carried the gene to produce melanistic kittens. In the father's case, he had produced mels in the past, and I had my blue girl color tested, and she did test positive to produce melanistic kittens. They are not as commonly seen as other colors: brown spotted or silver spotted...but there have been several born this year it seems! Paige has a wonderful F5SBT mel girl named Siri she has posted elsewhere on the forum, and has made a comparison poster to the melanistic (or black) serval that shows how very nicely she resembles one!

http://www.savannahcatchat.com/threads/melanistic-serval-agato-savannahs-siri.5179/

I think the mels are quite popular, and seem to be gaining. Brigitte has a gorgeous boy named Baz. He is a magnificent and tall boy; I'd even call him sexy, lol.

 

[Carykd7kau]

They are called "Mels" for Melanistic. Black with Black spots. They are several picyts around the forum. The attempt is being made to popularize them. Paige has one. Siri. beautiful cats,.
Not really a common cat. I am sure those in the know will speak to your question.

 

[Carykd7kau]

see I told you. Pam answered before I could even post. LOL

 

[ejmgsd]

I have seen some "black" or I'm not really sure what color you would call them.Are they common and can you predict by breeding certain colored cats that you can produce this color? Also are they popular as a whole in the SV Community? Thanks Ellen

Thanks Pam for the info....I'm wondering if you bred black to black if it would produce only black or if it's a recessive? I did see Paige's photos...

 

[Patti]

Melanistic is a designer term for black that was originally used to describe black exotic animals, but is commonly used to describe black Savannahs as well. Black is a recessive gene so as Pam has pointed out, both parents must carry it to produce it. And yes, if you breed black to black you will only get black, except if both parents are carrying other recessives as well I think you could also get other colors such as blue. I have a black girl now whom I am pretty sure is pregnant, I should know for sure in the next week or so, I am looking forward to seeing if she has any black kittens

 

[NikkiA]

Out f5 boy Diablo is melanistic.
We had our deposit down for an SBT f5 or later gen BST savannah, and I saw his photo on our breeders website, and I was smitten. Mike and me called the breeder, and transferred our deposit to him that night.

I love Mel's, and snows

 

[John Popp]

I think black cats are very special as was our Mel SV Monte and the multiple black cats we had previous to him. Not sure what it is about them but they just peg the sweet and clown meters.