Thank you for this site!

[wolviechick121]

And that's why I joined this site! I knew I'd get REAL answers! haha So thank you so much for that! Sounds very much like it just depends on how the genes go and how the individual cats grow up! =) And omg yes I love maine coons. ;P Just not big on long fur.

 

[Niels]

i also saw grown up f2 that didn't seem big at all.
I also saw f5 with real nice size. so it's hard to know.
In mine case the kitten was pretty big so i'm kinda getting what i'm expecting.
the way he's growing i'm sure it's gonne be a big boy.
But it's a risk if you paying a lot of money and your to much interested in size.

Funny that you want a tiger, that Always been my childhood dream haha.

 

[John Popp]

Welcome and good luck on finding your first Savannah!

A guarantee on size is definitely a non-mover in my opinion. You just never know because you have a lot of variance in the gene pool. Estimates aren't really that big of an issue, and after a week, they have won your heart it won't matter. Our still young boy at just 6 months was as tall as our larger domestics and definitely longer with about half the weight. So it's the package that makes them appear larger, longer legs, torso, neck and of course those ears.

 

[wolviechick121]

It'd be NICE to have a big savannah, but it's not going to be a deal breaker by any means as far as my love for my kitty! teehee. I love their overall look, especially the sleekness. Very very beautiful! I love your profile avatar, by the way, John Popp. Made me laugh. haha

 

[John Popp]

Thanks! That was Chongo's first day free wheeling out of the crate after a 2 month stint recovering from an injury. He was all over laying a hurting on that hanging thing and it had obviously been taunting him the whole time he was incarcerated.

 

[Louie'sDad]

Welcome Wolviechic. You generally get what you pay for.

If you watch a breeder's site for awhile, you'll see price variations between same sexed cats from different litters. A result of how desirable the kittens are likely to be based on the parentage. You are correct that F1 males cost less than F1 females, and the difference in price can be 25%. If a male from a very desirable breeding costs 15K, then you are spot-on that a breeder female from that same litter will cost 20K.

The same breeder might offer kittens from a less desirable parentage for about 20% less. And then there are the "elite" cats which command upwards of a 50% premium over a kitten from a desirable litter.

 

[Trish Allearz]

Welcome Wolviechic. You generally get what you pay for.

If you watch a breeder's site for awhile, you'll see price variations between same sexed cats from different litters. A result of how desirable the kittens are likely to be based on the parentage. You are correct that F1 males cost less than F1 females, and the difference in price can be 25%. If a male from a very desirable breeding costs 15K, then you are spot-on that a breeder female from that same litter will cost 20K.

The same breeder might offer kittens from a less desirable parentage for about 20% less. And then there are the "elite" cats which command upwards of a 50% premium over a kitten from a desirable litter.

I'm going to edit this to make it softer...

'Elite' is a marketing term used by one cattery. It is not an acceptable term in the Savannah community nor does it actually describe anything that makes one cat 'better' then another.

There are generations of Savannahs, there are different colors of Savannahs, and there are different classifications due to outcrossing. You may call a Savannah an F1, F2, F3, F4, etc. You may call your Savannah an F4B or F6SBT, etc. Those are appropriate terms to describe the breed. When it comes to labels such as 'elite'- realize, it's only elite if you are choosing to buy into the term and pay those prices for that kitten.

Think smart before you buy. ASK yourself- "Why am I paying 50% more for this kitten?" and then- go to other websites and compare. Is there a reason why this kitten is more then that kitten? Ask questions. Be a smart consumer.

 

[SV Dad]

. You generally get what you pay for.

Well said.
From what I can see, the higher prices are the kittens with traits in higher demand. And not necessarily the traits listed in the breed standard.
As for the very high priced kittens, that is the asking price, not necessarily the selling price.
Which all rolls back to You generally get what you pay for.

 

[John Popp]

Smart consumers and value purchasers aren't the target market for "Elite" Savannahs. They are pretty clearly not marketed to the "if you need to ask the price, you can't afford it" crowd.

Every breeder with an ounce of business sense has a tiered price schedule for how they price cats of the same generation. Some cats are just going to command more dollars, be it bigger ears, shorter tails, darker spots or whatever. That someones hangs a tag on one of the better kittens they've produced is pretty much without relevance to the breed as a whole, but definitely gets the juices flowing for someone who is purchasing a cat as a statement of stature.

 

[Louie'sDad]

It's all "relative". The term "you get what you pay for" of course has a caveat, and that is, is that you should educate yourself as much as possible before purchasing anything. It is always "buyer beware" especially in today's climate of buying sight unseen in a very high percentage of cases. However, all else being equal, and when comparing animals from reputable catteries, the term "you get what you pay for" will always be valid as applied to how many desirable traits a cat has, its absence of defects, its bloodline proven to be relatively free of disease or genetic problems, and its comparison to the breed Standard. Since size (not weight) is expressed as a linear range, then generally, all else being equal, a bigger cat should have more value than a smaller one, so long as it does not fall outside the range specified in the breed Standard. Facial dimensions, such as eye spacing, equilateral triangular dimension between centerlines of eyes and nose, ear size and shape, eye shape, markings, deliniation, size and contrast of spots are also considered "desirable".