Dancing high filial Savannah cat in the bedroom

There is one overriding impression when I watch this short TikTok video; the athleticism of the F1-F3 Savannah cat. I am guessing that this is either a first or second filial Savannah cat judging by the size. This places them in a rare category because these high filial Savannah cats have a lot of the male serval genes in them. 

Dancing Savannah cat in the bedroom on the bed. Screenshot.

They are quite closely related to the wild cat, the male serval, who is the father or grandfather of these cats. There's a lot of wild cat blood in them. In fact, for this reason, in a lot of the states of the USA you will find that these sorts of domestic cats are forbidden unless you have a licence. 

They are sometimes considered dangerous by the authorities. Some authorities bracket the F1 and F2 Savannah cat with some genuine wild cat species or other exotic pets. 

RELATED: Why is the Savannah cat illegal?

You really have to be a special kind of person to look after an F1-F3 Savannah cat to a high level. They are not for every cat lover. They require a little more input because they are more intelligent. They need stimulating more than the average domestic cat. Because of their value and their impressive stature, you can't let them wander outside. They are likely to be stolen. They are worth about $20,000 (F1) and perhaps more sometimes. It depends upon the filial.

So, you've got to keep them inside and if you do that they want to go outside because they are intelligent and active. And if they've managed to escape then your neighbours, and people further afield, might be concerned because they can mistake an F1 Savannah cat with a genuine wild cat. They call the police. The police turn up and they also mistake the animal for a wild cat of unknown origin and rather than trap or sedate the cat they shoot it. That sort of thing has happened in America.

RELATED: How was Trouble killed?

A famous F1 Savannah cat called Trouble was at one stage the biggest domestic cat in the world as per Guinness World Records. This beautiful feline escaped his full-time captive lifestyle inside the owner's home and was fairly quickly killed on the road in a traffic accident. That terminated the cat's reign as the biggest cat. A horrendous ending. The owner had difficulty discussing it with anybody. I guess she was too shocked and upset.

Small Girl Carries Big Cat

This is an outtake from videos made by me with video material generously provided by Kathrin Stucki of A1 Savannahs. A1 Savannahs is the premier Savannah cat breeders in the world and they are located near Ponca City, Oklahoma, USA. Oklahoma has a wide open landscape with a big sky; and a warm wind.

Leonie is Martin and Kathrin's daughter. She has grown up a bit since this video was filmed. I think she looks very cute carrying Magic, a female F1 Savannah cat, raised at A1 Savannahs who was soon, at the time of filming, to become the world's biggest domestic cat and the world's most celebrated and exotic domestic cat.

You have probably seen Andreas with Magic in the famous boy/cat relationship video also made by me with video material filmed by Kathrin.

You can see that Magic is a beautiful cat in more ways than just appearance. She has a great character. She was socialised really professionally. Being a first filial wildcat hybrid she has a lot of wild cat serval in her yet she behaves in many respects like a docile domestic cat.

In the video you see her rubbing her head against a towel. This is scent exchange. I think the towel may be impregnated with catnip as she seems very animated. She is crazy about it.

Three Valuable Savannah Kittens

A picture of three valuable Savannah kittens. I say valuable because these are special cats. They are at the very top end in terms of quality and when they grew up they no doubt went to great homes with, I hope, cat caretakers that are of equal quality!

Three classy Savannah kittens - Photo: Michael at PoC.

Anyone is free to use the picture under a creative commons license provided it is used "as is" and a link and credit given. In fact you can hot link to this image because it is a direct link from Flickr and Flickr lets you use their website as a server. This by the way is the Flickr page. These darlings where being socialised at A1 Savannahs. There were born and raised at A1 Savannahs.

You can see how the coats change. The coats of these kittens are undeveloped. The contrast has yet to develop as have the spots. Servals have deep, rich spots and the objective of the Savannah cat breeder is to mimic that. This is not the same objective as the Bengal cat breeder.

As I said, these kittens are expensive. Why is that? Well, it is hard to breed savannah cats that have a high percentage of wild cat in them. These are rare cats and keeping servals (the wild cat parent) is difficult and expensive too. Servals, though, are relatively gentle medium sized wild cats and sometimes domesticated. Personally I find them a little intimidating to be next to if they are semi-wild. There are only a few breeders who do this successfully.

The famous Magic is probably the epitome of what the Savannah cat breeder is aiming for:

Real Calvin and Hobbes Picture

This is the real life Calvin and Hobbes. If you have seen the well known video, I apologize. This is a still from an outtake of video material made with a Flip camcorder - not bad quality under the circumstances.

I don't think there is anything approaching this on the internet. It was taken some time ago but is still worth publishing. I have been meaning to do this for a while. The boy is Andreas, the son of Martin and Kathrin Stucki and the cat is the famous, Magic, at one time the Guinness World Record largest domestic cat and a female F1 Savannah cat. They had a great relationship as is clear from this picture and the videos. Both Andreas and Magic were raised by Martin and Kathrin at A1 Savannahs, Ponca City, OK, USA.

Calvin and Hobbes: Fiction and Reality. Montage: Michael at PoC.

If anyone wants to use this montage they can but please link back to this page and provide a credit: "Montage by Michael at Pictures-of-cats.org (PoC)".  I don't expect anyone will! You will also have to justify publishing the cover of the book as has Wikipedia. I have adopted their arguments.

Note: I adopt the arguments of the Wikipedia authors in justifying the publication of the Calvin and Hobbes book cover in the illustration above. The real Calvin and Hobbes picture is taken from a Flip camcorder video by Kathrin Stucki of A1 Savannahs, Ponca City, Oklahoma, USA.

A bit about Calvin and Hobbes: Calvin is the precocious 6 year old boy and Hobbes the tiger. To Calvin, Hobbes is alive and humanized (here goes..anthropomorphized..). To other people Hobbes is simply a stuffed tiger. I guess imagination can take you there. And it gave the author and artist, Bill Watterson a medium through which he expressed some of his principled ideas.

Calvin had alter egos. In his mind he was someone else.  His parents were standard, middle of the road, middle class Americans; a foil against the exotic Calvin.

Bill Watterson was a bored and frustrated advertising executive. His mind took flight and he had the courage to get out and create the now famous Calvin and Hobbes. It was a tough road at the beginning it seems as his work was first rejected. Isn't it always that way?

Kitten Stare

Kitten Stare, a photo by broadsurf on Flickr.

Gorgeous F2 Savannah kitten playing at home. He is being socialised. He has a very intense stare. Perhaps this is the look of a wild cat hybrid.

"F2" means second generation from the wild cat serval. So there is quite a bit of serval in this little charmer. I had lots of fun photographing these kittens. They were very inquisitive and active. What else?

The photograph was taken at the home of Martin and Kathrin Stucki owners of A1 Savannahs. The kittens are socialised at their home. He is playing on one of the chairs. This was a very nice chair. One thing about this chair that we all recognised was dangerous was that it was a recliner and one or perhaps two of the kittens had a habit of crawling into the mechanism space under the sofa. That could prove very dangerous so it was locked into a static position as I recall. This eliminated the danger. This is the kind of thing you have to watch out for when kittens are growing up.

The original picture is in colour but I like it in black and white for some reason. See more Savannah cats and detailed information.

Silver F2 Savanah Cat

This is a classy F2 silver Savannah cat and a breeding cat. She is in an outdoor den within in an enclosure. She is in her little den because of me, mainly. I entered her enclosure and she eventually went into the igloo home.

I like the expression and the face. This is a very classy cat as her role is to create beautiful Savannah cats.

The picture was taken by me in natural light. I used a Canon EOS 7D.

Savannah Cat Picture

An active, dynamic Savannah cat picture by Helmi Flick. She is very good at capturing movement and shape on digital camera. A photograph of a Savannah cat should be dynamic because this is a large, active cat. When I say large I am referring to the F1s and F2s which can weigh up to 30 lbs. This is because the wildcat parent is a serval, which is a medium sized cat, the size of a large dog. The serval is quite intimidating. The Savannah cat, however, is a very beautifully socialized domestic cat no matter whether the cat is a first or fifth filial - proper socialization is emphasized. The F1-F2 Savannah cat is the cat of kings, the rich and the super rich. These are the world's most impressive domestic cats. The number one breeder is A1 Savannahs in the USA.

The guiding objective in respect of appearance is the wild cat parent, the serval, which has a clean, high contrast, spotted coat on a rustic, functional, buff-yellow background. The tail is not long and the cat is elegant in conformation. This is a long legged athletic domestic cat. The body conformation is really about function, which I think is sensible as it makes this breed a true cat rather than a fluffy accessory. You should have proper expectations of cat management if you intend to adopt an F1 or F2. The first three places in respect of the world's biggest domestic cats go to Savannah cats: Trouble (F1), Magic (F1- former world champion) and Motzie (F2). The serval has large ears for homing in on small prey in long grass. The Savannah also has large ears. Read and see lots more on this majestic cat breed....

California Spangled Cat Picture

This is a rare California Spangled cat picture because it is a scanned copy of the 1989 calendar that promoted this now rare cat. This cat breed was first publicized in the 1986 Neiman-Marcus Christmas Book. Many orders came out of that but it is very rare to sell a purebred cat through a shop.

Neiman-Marcus is a well known luxury retailer. Clearly the California Spangled was a luxury and rare cat. The only other time I have seen this happen is currently (2010) in relation to the selling of the Savannah cat at the Savannah Cat Shoppe.

The Savannah is a wild cat hybrid while the California Spangled has the wild spotted cat look but is a domestic cat hybrid bringing together breeds such the American and British Shorthairs and the Abyssinian. The idea behind this breed was the same as the Bengal cat; to give cat caretakers a bit of wild cat in the home to allow people to make a connection with the wild and the wild cats and thereby think of conservation. Paul Casey, a true polymath created the breed. He was a talented person and a rare sort himself. Read the full history of the California Spangled.

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Picture of Ashera GD

The Ashera GD is the top flight hypoallergenic cat at Lifestyle Pets Inc. (Allerca Cats). This cat is said to be an Savannah F1 (first filial - one generation removed from the serval), which is also said by a very reliable source to be hypoallergenic. That is how Lifestyle Pets Inc. can claim that this cat is hypoallergenic. Hypoallergenic in practical terms means a cat that is less likely to cause an allergic reaction in a person.

This cat has an identical appearance to the F1 Savannah cat. In short, this is a very large cat at about 25lbs and more (the former world's tallest domestic cat was Magic, an F1 Savannah). The father would be a serval. The serval is a medium sized wild cat with the longest limb length to body size of all the cats. As a result the Ashera has long limbs! This is a rangy, lanky cat with a very strong ability to jump. The Ashera is not formally a cat breed, however. The photo is copyright Lifestyle Pets Inc. and reproduced with their permission. Please respect copyright. Read more about the Allerca cats on this page. They have a range cats.

Who is the tallest cat in the world?

Her name is Magic or Scarlet's Magic. She a first filial Savannah cat and she is an outstanding cat with massive presence but a gentle domestic cat character. Can't beat it. The measurement is from ground to shoulder (17.1 inches or 43.43 centimeters) and she is a Guinness World Record holder at the date of this post. Here she is:

Magic was born and raised at A1 Savannahs near Ponca City in Oklahoma, USA. Her father was a serval wildcat and her mother a domestic cat, probably a Savannah cat. Another very tall and impressive F1 Savannah cat is Titan.

F1 Savannah Cat Magic Wakes Up Andreas

Well, here is another video of Andreas and Magic together. This time Magic wakes up Andreas. The thing is, Andreas is sleeping on the top bunk of bunk beds. So what happens is a WOW. Well it's a totally normal thing for Magic as she is the world's tallest domestic cat (I think the Guinness World Records call the record Tallest Pet Cat). And she is extremely athletic and a great jumper because her father is a Serval. And the serval cat is a medium sized wild cat with very long legs. The serval kills prey by jumping high and down onto the prey to stun it and kill it.



Enjoy the video, MAGIC and Andreas are fantastic in this. This is a beautiful relationship. Please see it in large format here: Waking Andreas Magically.

Savannah Cat Magic with Andreas and Leonie

Here are two videos I made of F1 Savannah cat Magic with Andreas and Leonie. Andreas and Leonie are the son and daughter of Martin and Kathrin Stucki who own and manage A1 Savannahs and who raised Magic. That is why she is so beautifully socialised and domesticated:





Savannah Cat Magic with Andreas and Leonie to Pictures of Cats

F1 Savannah Cat TITAN

I also can't resist showing a video of an F1 male named TITAN. He is going shopping with his human companion. And as can only be expected most of shop comes to a stand still. Well not quite but walking a fantastic cat like this on a lead in a store is pretty well bound to make other shoppers stop and ask and talk.



TITAN, then, is a great way to meet people. Probably the best way! And I think that for a cat like TITAN (who is still growing by the way) it is a perfect way to both satisfy his need to be stimulated and to do it in a safe way.

It seems to be winning way all round. You can see lots more videos of cats on my YouTube channel: Broadsurf. Also see Savannah cats generally.

A1 Savannahs F1 Savannah Cat MAGIC

A1 Savannahs F1 Savannah Cat MAGIC - this is the cat everyone is or should be talking about! I mean when did you see a domestic cat like this? This cat is probably the biggest and most glamorous domestic cat anywhere. MAGIC is magic and a female Savannah cat who has a Serval for a father and a Savannah cat for a mother. She is 2 years old at the time the video was made (early Sept 2009) and is spayed. You can see the video in large format here: F1 Savannah Cat Magic.



Not only is she glamorous she is very exotic, a heady combination of wildcat, domestic cat, wild spirit, passiveness, gentleness, energy, and perfect socialization. Look how she accepts all the handling by Kathrin Stucki's young daughter. MAGIC now resides at Bellina Gattini Cattery which is owned by Kimberly and Lee Draper.

I can't help making posts about this cat. She is certainly the most impressive domestic cat I have seen except for Motzie of course. You can see Motzie an F2 Savannah cat of great fame at the top of this page: Savannah Cat, and on this page: MOTZIE

A1 Savannahs F1 Savannah Cat MAGIC to Home Page

Sokoke Cat

Photographs illustrating this article are by Helmi Flick and are her copyright.

Click here to see all the breeds including an analysis of the rare breeds.

Just had a look at this very little known cat and she is probably the rarest domestic cat on the planet. The breed's history is what interested me but it is a little hazy and to my mind leaves some questions to be answered. This is a great cat with a character a little like the Bengal cat but it is the history that requires the most attention.

It is said that this breed has existed for perhaps centuries in and around the Sokoke Forest which is close to the Savanna that straddles North Tanzania to South East Kenya. There is a town called Sokoke as well.

The local people, of the area, the Giriama tribe, knew of the cat. They knew it wasn't a wild cat nor a domestic cat as her appearance was quite distinct. This cat has an elegant slightly rangy appearance with long legs. She is not dissimilar to the Savannah cat, which is a man made cross between the wild Serval and a domestic cat (and the Bengal being introduced later).

The locals called the cat, "Khadzonzo". This word means "look like tree bark", because as you can see from Helmi Flick's photographs the modified tabby pattern (marbled) against a brown background looks a bit like bark.

It is said that they ate the cat as she tasted sweet. This apparently has stopped (perhaps as a result of the intervention of Western people in exporting this cat to the Wet and making a breed of cat out if her).

Anyway, this is a cat well known to the area in Kenya and is probably a feral domestic cat on the evidence. She still inhabits the area but as far as I can gather is rarely seen.

As she looked very similar to the Savannah cat, whose genetic parents are the Serval and a domestic cat, I thought that the Sokoke could be the result of the mating of a Serval and a local domestic cat. Especially as the habitat of the Serval is the Savanna, which is close to the Sokoke forest area.

As it happened a former horse breeder, plantation owner and artist (Jeni Slater) lived near the forest. One of her servants found kittens and mother hidden in a tree. Their interesting coloring and conformation attracted her and the first steps in the founding of this breed began. The year was 1978.

Since then they cat has been exported to the West, firstly to Denmark, Italy and then the US and Canada. The breed is accepted for full registration by FiFe and the TICA has agreed registration fairly recently

There are few breeders of this lovely cat. She has a pleasant character and like a lot of "jungle type" cats likes or doesn't mind the water. Lots of cats hate it.

As far as I can ascertain there are probably no more than about 50 Sokoke in existence but this is a bit of a guess. It is certainly a very small number as there are very few breeders.

The breeder who seems to top the list is Sunbright Sokokes

From Sokoke to Serval

Iowa Ban Wild/Domestic Hybrid cats

AN ACT REGULATING DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS, INCLUDING THEIR OWNERSHIP AND POSSESSION, REQUIRING REGISTRATION, PROVIDING FOR FEES AND APPROPRIATIONS, AND PROVIDING PENALTIES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA

You can see an extract of this law under another article on the subject just below this one.

The photograph illustrating this article is by Helmi Flick copyright Helmi Flick

Comment: On the face of it this means a ban on Bengals including SBT Bengals (Stud Book Tradition). SBT Bengals are 4th generation, at least, and have about 12% wild blood in them. They are bred to be non-challenging and are true domestic cats, albeit it more active and more demanding than some other breeds.

This legislation which as far as I am aware is in force seems to have gone too far. Breeders have spent years developing a domesticated socialized Bengal cat. The other cats that fall into this category would be the Chausie and Savannah.

The tame wild cat would the Serval. Keepers can keep their "dangerous" cats (obviously) but need to register and pay a fee. As I understand it existing keepers will need also to microchip, supply a color photo of the cat, get insurance and keep the cat in an enclosure except under specific and authorized conditions.

Breeders can it seems seek exemption under conditions.

USDA licensed owners and breeders ARE NOT EXEMPT unless they are 501(c)3
non-profit as well, or are carrying out wildlife rehabilitation

I don't know what this means, if anything, on wider scale. Will there be a knock on effect and why are Bengals banned? What is the underlying thinking? On the face of it the purpose of the Act is the protections of the public from "dangerous" animals.

Are Bengal cats dangerous - No.

From Iowa Ban Wild/Domestic Hybrid cats to Cat Chit Chat