Savannah coat/fur

[Samber]

So i was wondering how there fur typically is. my Bengals have super soft fur that I've never felt with any other cat. i have yet to see a Savannah in person so i have no idea on how their fur is. is it similar or is it more like a normal short haired cat?

 

[Wyldthingz]

It can vary but the texture should be somewhat course but still soft to the touch. Often the hair is longer on the underside (belly). Mine vary from a shaggier coat in winter and a glossier lighter coat in summer. There is still all variables of coat in the lower generations but what I described above is typical of the more servally coat.

 

[Samber]

So then its more like i normal cats fur.... i mean my Bengals fur is the softest fur ive felt on any animal. my wife picks them up and rubs her face in their fur cause its so soft. they get annoyed and let her know but she cant stop herself.

 

[Wyldthingz]

A Bengal coat is pelted, soft like that. No, a Savannah coat is different but not pelted. I have had some that get that pelty coat. The Bengal coat is very unique.

 

[Samber]

Ah Ok. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[MK Anderson]

Keebas is more course and short, it is different than my two dsh. his teeth are bigger too, he has claws not little nails, but a big heart

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

So then its more like i normal cats fur.... i mean my Bengals fur is the softest fur ive felt on any animal. my wife picks them up and rubs her face in their fur cause its so soft. they get annoyed and let her know but she cant stop herself.

No it should not feel like a "normal cat", but not like a Bengal either. The Bengal fur is indeed silky soft and fine hairs. The Savannah coat should be "loose and non-resilient" which means if you run your fingers into the coat it shouldn't snap back into position too easily.

Here's what our breed standard says:
"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 guard hairs. The coat is not
inordinately dense and lies relatively flat
against the body."

We don't want it as close-lying and short hairs as an Oriental either... medium length with that added length at the belly like Kelly mentions is good. Because of the extra melanin in the hair shaft, the spots are softer, as are the black Savannahs which can have a very lush feel to their coat because of that

 

[DChap]

I notice when Tojo grooms himself the hairs where he's licked stick up sometimes for a little while. Would that be "non-resilient"?

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Maybe, resilience is the ability to fall back into place...

 

[SV Dad]

This thread was enlightening for me. My F5 has a lot of Bengal in her, and it is the softest coat on a cat I have ever felt.
The F3 brothers on the other hand fit the breed standard solidly. Yet it still has it's own quality of softness.