I am looking to become a first time savannah owner after I fell in love with the breed years ago. I have always imagined having an F3 as my first but now I am starting to think I may not have enough space in my 2 bedroom apartment to give an f3 room to play. I found a breeder near me with a litter of F7c kittens that are beautiful, and will be small enough that they will have plenty of room. Obviously, Savannah's aren't just a cool looking cat. I am interested in the breed primarily because they are said to be loyal, intelligent, and love doing things like going on a walk or playing fetch. Unfortunately, I can't find much information on the later generations. What are the general personality traits and behavioral tendencies that I could expect with an F7c compared to an earlier generation? Will they still tend to play fetch, enjoy water, be loyal etc. or will they be more similar to your average house cat?
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F7C traits versus Earlier Generations?
- Thread starter Brenden
- Start date
Kristin
Animal Communicator
Hi Brenden, welcome to the forum!
I am just a savannah slave to one savannah, and in no way an expert. I am sure the breeders will pop on soon and give you some more advice.
From what I understand, the earlier generations are more stubborn than the later generations. They are typically larger, but there is a huge variance is size. For example, my F4 girl is 10 lbs, her brother from the same litter is 22 lbs.
Energy/mischief varies per cat as well. Since I only have one, I can't attest to it personally, but the majority of the people on here have multiple cats, and often will say their late generations get into more mischief than their earlier generations. @WitchyWoman can tell you about that.
As for the traits, again, each cat is an individual. My girl doesn't really care for water. She isn't afraid of it, but she just doesn't care to go in it. She does love to problem solve though, so it took awhile to get our water fountain "Zeddie-proof", and she still can open cupboards and drawers to reach her treats. She doesn't fetch, she believes it is a lowly dog game. Soccer is a lot of fun to her though. She walks on leash, but not well. One thing about savannahs, though, is that they are loyal. I have never seen someone say their savannah was not loyal. Cuddles....not so much. Depending on the cat.
As for space, I really don't think an F3 would be much different from an F7. You can make anything work, really, as long as you give your kitten vertical space.
The later generations aren't talked about as much, but are just as amazing as the early generations. Full of purrsonality and spunk. No matter what generation, your kitten will keep you on your toes
I am just a savannah slave to one savannah, and in no way an expert. I am sure the breeders will pop on soon and give you some more advice.
From what I understand, the earlier generations are more stubborn than the later generations. They are typically larger, but there is a huge variance is size. For example, my F4 girl is 10 lbs, her brother from the same litter is 22 lbs.
Energy/mischief varies per cat as well. Since I only have one, I can't attest to it personally, but the majority of the people on here have multiple cats, and often will say their late generations get into more mischief than their earlier generations. @WitchyWoman can tell you about that.
As for the traits, again, each cat is an individual. My girl doesn't really care for water. She isn't afraid of it, but she just doesn't care to go in it. She does love to problem solve though, so it took awhile to get our water fountain "Zeddie-proof", and she still can open cupboards and drawers to reach her treats. She doesn't fetch, she believes it is a lowly dog game. Soccer is a lot of fun to her though. She walks on leash, but not well. One thing about savannahs, though, is that they are loyal. I have never seen someone say their savannah was not loyal. Cuddles....not so much. Depending on the cat.
As for space, I really don't think an F3 would be much different from an F7. You can make anything work, really, as long as you give your kitten vertical space.
The later generations aren't talked about as much, but are just as amazing as the early generations. Full of purrsonality and spunk. No matter what generation, your kitten will keep you on your toes
I agree with most of what Kristin said except for the stubbornness part. My F6 is more stubborn and hyper than my other 3 which consist of 2 adult F2s and an F1 kitten. My F6 is 10 lbs but there are others out there who are much larger even in lower generations. Regardless of generation, you'll get all the personality and charm that is a SV. What they like to do and for how long is up for grabs. I have two who are leashed trained and excellent walkers. The other 2 hate the leash and go outside in a pet stroller.
All of them played fetch when kittens but none of them (except for the F1 kitten) do it now. All loved water as kittens, only 2 of them love it now. One thing that doesn't change as they age is the loyalty and love they give.
And beware what you wish for when it comes to intelligence. When your cat is turning on the lights and faucets, manipulating the DVR, and making long distance phone calls to Europe, you may wish for a cat with a lower IQ
All of them played fetch when kittens but none of them (except for the F1 kitten) do it now. All loved water as kittens, only 2 of them love it now. One thing that doesn't change as they age is the loyalty and love they give.
And beware what you wish for when it comes to intelligence. When your cat is turning on the lights and faucets, manipulating the DVR, and making long distance phone calls to Europe, you may wish for a cat with a lower IQ
NikkiA
Site Supporter
Welcome Brenden!
I second Witchy and Kristin.
I have three SV boys at home, and F3, an F4, and an F5 sbt. They are three very different cats.
Our f5 Diablo gets into the most mischief and is the smartest of the bunch. He is also a total cuddle bug and all around love. . . When he isn't opening doors and drawers, raiding the cabinets, getting into the fridge, and bringing sopping wet toys to drop on my chest to try to entice me to play fetch at 2 in the morning.
Our other two boys are just not on the same level of intensity.
Jarvis our f3 is turning out to be more mellow, Mickey our f4 to be more of a snuggle/play/eat/sleep start again kitty. They are all persistent, it is just a question of what they consider important. Jarvis is food motivated. Dialo loves nothing more than fetch and walks. Mickey most wants to snuggle and play. He is not the brightest but he is sweet as sugar. he doesn't often "want" something but when he does all bets are off. Eventually he will get it. He is my boy who taught the other two to open drawers. I was hiding treats and toys in them, and persistence pays. . .
We started with only diablo enjoying going out for walks, but now if we take Diablo and leave Mickey in the house he crys, and if Mickey and diablo are both in the back yard on their leashes, Jarvis is interested in coming too. I think you will find a later generation just as chock full of personality as an early generation IMHO.
I second Witchy and Kristin.
I have three SV boys at home, and F3, an F4, and an F5 sbt. They are three very different cats.
Our f5 Diablo gets into the most mischief and is the smartest of the bunch. He is also a total cuddle bug and all around love. . . When he isn't opening doors and drawers, raiding the cabinets, getting into the fridge, and bringing sopping wet toys to drop on my chest to try to entice me to play fetch at 2 in the morning.
Our other two boys are just not on the same level of intensity.
Jarvis our f3 is turning out to be more mellow, Mickey our f4 to be more of a snuggle/play/eat/sleep start again kitty. They are all persistent, it is just a question of what they consider important. Jarvis is food motivated. Dialo loves nothing more than fetch and walks. Mickey most wants to snuggle and play. He is not the brightest but he is sweet as sugar. he doesn't often "want" something but when he does all bets are off. Eventually he will get it. He is my boy who taught the other two to open drawers. I was hiding treats and toys in them, and persistence pays. . .
We started with only diablo enjoying going out for walks, but now if we take Diablo and leave Mickey in the house he crys, and if Mickey and diablo are both in the back yard on their leashes, Jarvis is interested in coming too. I think you will find a later generation just as chock full of personality as an early generation IMHO.
I love to see people posting about the individual nature of their Savannahs. In truth, you can make generalizations about Savannahs, e.g., loyal, intelligent, and love doing things like going on a walk or playing fetch - but you will also find individual personalities within the breed.
Personally, I don't find much difference between F3 and F6 (so imagine the same for F7s) in personality or size. I bred an F5 that is tipping 20lbs, I have also had F3s barely hitting 9lbs (females). It is true that F1s can be more persistent when there is something they want, but by the time you get to F3 I don't know that this is any different from a later generation.
Right now I have a litter of F2s - the runty boy weighed in at 3oz at a week old, his sister was 8oz at the same time. I don't think this boy will ever be large, but his personality was evident from birth - he is a fighter and a survivor - and he has a gorgeous, striking face to boot (pictures will be coming soon). Size-wise he may fit better into an apartment, personality-wise I suspect one of his less feisty siblings would fit in better.
BTW, I have a colony of four cats (F3 and 2 F5 Savannahs, and F3 Chausie) that are in lifelong quarantine. They have been living in one room for the past four years. They have their cat trees and toys and have done just fine in that relatively small space.
Bottom line, talk to your breeder and discuss the personalities of their kittens. Explain to them what you are looking for and help them pick out the perfect kitten for you and for your living situation.
Personally, I don't find much difference between F3 and F6 (so imagine the same for F7s) in personality or size. I bred an F5 that is tipping 20lbs, I have also had F3s barely hitting 9lbs (females). It is true that F1s can be more persistent when there is something they want, but by the time you get to F3 I don't know that this is any different from a later generation.
Right now I have a litter of F2s - the runty boy weighed in at 3oz at a week old, his sister was 8oz at the same time. I don't think this boy will ever be large, but his personality was evident from birth - he is a fighter and a survivor - and he has a gorgeous, striking face to boot (pictures will be coming soon). Size-wise he may fit better into an apartment, personality-wise I suspect one of his less feisty siblings would fit in better.
BTW, I have a colony of four cats (F3 and 2 F5 Savannahs, and F3 Chausie) that are in lifelong quarantine. They have been living in one room for the past four years. They have their cat trees and toys and have done just fine in that relatively small space.
Bottom line, talk to your breeder and discuss the personalities of their kittens. Explain to them what you are looking for and help them pick out the perfect kitten for you and for your living situation.
Charley
Savannah Super Cat
I have an f7 sbt he's 17lbs! He much bigger than my F5b.
Later gens can get large too. My F7 is soooooo stubborn but yes very, very loyal! I swear my F7 has a lot of traits of higher gen cats. A friend of mine has an F3c we visited over the spring he's teeny tiny compared to our f7 so size isn't necessarily by generation. Our later gen is huge.
When we got Jengo I was in the same boat as you wondering how a later gen would be and assumed he's be more mellow. Not true. He is a very hyper cat only mellowing out now and he seems mellow because we got a new baby. As I play with my new baby I remember just how playful Jengo was and still is. Neither cat likes water although Biz my f5 probably will eventually like it - I can see him getting more comfortable wih the sinks, showers and tubs.
They are both trouble makers but in different ways.
My F7 only loves me and tolerates everyone else. Only since getting biz does he even warm up to anyone else. Competition is a good thing he's really smart.
Neither of my cats play fetch because they are really ADD. I've managed to train them to eat food and poop. Woohoo! Lol!
Common traits between the two kitties: hyper, playful, love treats like will do anything for treats, talkative, emotive, sweet, intelligent, curious
Both cats have learned to respond to "no" but they are sneaky oh so sneaky, they will out smart you and keep you on your toes. Don't let them get near the paper towel...
They are cuddlers when they are sleepy or hungry but mostly sleepy. They are are hilarious! Each cat is really different. I recommend lower gens all day long but warn they are much more exciting than your average cat
We thought about getting a higher gen too but F1's and f2s were oh of our price range. I'm glad we looked to lower gens they've made our home insane, hectic and fun.
I would say aside from personality traits the biggest difference between my f7 and f5 is markings. Jengo is a silver and his markings are not as bold as Biz's but biz is brown so to could the difference in color or because Jengo is a later gen. Not sure and I've seen really dark and gorgeous markings on f7s and more muted markings on F3s it all depends on out crosses and genetics. I personally don't care that Jengo doesn't have dark markings because he is him and he's spent 2.5 years making me laugh and love like I didn't know I could.
Here's a link to Jengo's Facebook page if you're interested in seeing more of what life is like with a later gen.
https://www.facebook.com/JengoPet
Later gens can get large too. My F7 is soooooo stubborn but yes very, very loyal! I swear my F7 has a lot of traits of higher gen cats. A friend of mine has an F3c we visited over the spring he's teeny tiny compared to our f7 so size isn't necessarily by generation. Our later gen is huge.
When we got Jengo I was in the same boat as you wondering how a later gen would be and assumed he's be more mellow. Not true. He is a very hyper cat only mellowing out now and he seems mellow because we got a new baby. As I play with my new baby I remember just how playful Jengo was and still is. Neither cat likes water although Biz my f5 probably will eventually like it - I can see him getting more comfortable wih the sinks, showers and tubs.
They are both trouble makers but in different ways.
My F7 only loves me and tolerates everyone else. Only since getting biz does he even warm up to anyone else. Competition is a good thing
he's really smart.Neither of my cats play fetch because they are really ADD. I've managed to train them to eat food and poop. Woohoo! Lol!
Common traits between the two kitties: hyper, playful, love treats like will do anything for treats, talkative, emotive, sweet, intelligent, curious
Both cats have learned to respond to "no" but they are sneaky oh so sneaky, they will out smart you and keep you on your toes. Don't let them get near the paper towel...
They are cuddlers when they are sleepy or hungry but mostly sleepy. They are are hilarious! Each cat is really different. I recommend lower gens all day long but warn they are much more exciting than your average cat
We thought about getting a higher gen too but F1's and f2s were oh of our price range. I'm glad we looked to lower gens they've made our home insane, hectic and fun.
I would say aside from personality traits the biggest difference between my f7 and f5 is markings. Jengo is a silver and his markings are not as bold as Biz's but biz is brown so to could the difference in color or because Jengo is a later gen. Not sure and I've seen really dark and gorgeous markings on f7s and more muted markings on F3s it all depends on out crosses and genetics. I personally don't care that Jengo doesn't have dark markings because he is him and he's spent 2.5 years making me laugh and love like I didn't know I could.
Here's a link to Jengo's Facebook page if you're interested in seeing more of what life is like with a later gen.
https://www.facebook.com/JengoPet
Carykd7kau
Reincarnated cat Moderator
Once you know them, they are a part of you and you don't care about their markings, size or gen. You care about the little entity that he/she is. Mine are both just perfect. As would any others that may come into our lives.
SV Dad
Savannah Super Cat
As you read the boards, you may not realize how far the breed has come. The breeders have certainly bred for personality in addition to looks. (Though they might argue the opposite...)
As previously posted, I will emphasize individuality. I have three of these spotted furballs (two F3 brothers and F5 girl), and they each have their own personality. The full brothers have very different personalities. Worth every penny!
I am seeing pictures of later generation cats that have the huge ears and excellent markings the early generations tend to have. I've owned a lot of wonderful shelter cats in my life (ok, I was the servant...) but this breed is in a league of it's own. This seems to be a universal opinion of the servants around here.
They are just the chaos in my life I am looking for!
As previously posted, I will emphasize individuality. I have three of these spotted furballs (two F3 brothers and F5 girl), and they each have their own personality. The full brothers have very different personalities. Worth every penny!
I am seeing pictures of later generation cats that have the huge ears and excellent markings the early generations tend to have. I've owned a lot of wonderful shelter cats in my life (ok, I was the servant...) but this breed is in a league of it's own. This seems to be a universal opinion of the servants around here.
They are just the chaos in my life I am looking for!
I think any reputable breeder will tell you that they breed first for personality, then for health, then for looks that meet the written standard.
Charley
Savannah Super Cat
To Brenden, I retread you op can you go visits the kittens and have you talked to the breeder? I would really recommend talking to them if you haven't already. I still talk to both breeders of my babies and it's immensely helpful. I had Biz's breeder pick one of her available kittens for me because I was torn between the two remaining males - I just knew I wanted a male. She was great and picked the perfect kitten for us and our F7. I think it's always a good idea to share info about your home and life with the breeder because they can help you determine which of their kittens best matches the qualities in a kitty companion you would like.
When we got Jengo the breeder said he would follow me around and meow all the time and at first he didn't but yup, he sure does love to talk and follow me around with Biz I wanted a cat that really liked other cats because I knew he'd do most of the work in making friends with Jengo and once again the breeder was right. Biz loves to play with Jengo and let Jengo be grumpy and dominant. It's funny because of all the kitties I met at the Breeders Biz was the only one who didn't want to come near me. We got him home and he was happy though. Food rules his world, haha, another thing I learned from his Breeder. Most breeders I've met can tell you everything about their kittens and they really want to help both you and kitty make a smooth transition. So if you can visit them
When we got Jengo the breeder said he would follow me around and meow all the time and at first he didn't but yup, he sure does love to talk and follow me around
with Biz I wanted a cat that really liked other cats because I knew he'd do most of the work in making friends with Jengo and once again the breeder was right. Biz loves to play with Jengo and let Jengo be grumpy and dominant. It's funny because of all the kitties I met at the Breeders Biz was the only one who didn't want to come near me. We got him home and he was happy though. Food rules his world, haha, another thing I learned from his Breeder. Most breeders I've met can tell you everything about their kittens and they really want to help both you and kitty make a smooth transition. So if you can visit them