Savannah

Savannahs are often described as independent but friendly, and they usually like interacting with their owners. Their personality can vary a great deal, and they are unlikely to be quiet lap cats. They are typically very athletic and keen on hunting, chasing and catching games.

Hybrid cats can be more aggressive and territorial with their owners, other pets and wildlife than domestic cats. Socialising a Savannah from kittenhood, including to handling, travel boxes and vet visits, matters: trying to force an unwilling adult into a carrier can lead to serious injury to the owner.

Savannahs are larger and often leaner than domestic cats, and can be very large. Adults typically weigh around 3.5 to 9 kg, with size depending partly on the domestic cat used. The coat can be bold spotted, marbled or classic patterned, with snow, blue and other dilute colours. The ears are large, upright and deeply cupped, and the eyes are large and round.

This is a highly active, exploratory cat that needs a lot of space to play, climb and relax. Expect to provide extensive cat trees, climbing ramps and platforms, simulated hunting games, interactive play and a steady supply of food-dispensing toys and puzzles. Unsupervised Savannahs can damage a home, so larger cats are best not left to roam the house unless it has been fully cat-proofed.

Savannahs usually manage most of their own grooming, and a weekly groom is typically enough. Getting your cat used to grooming and full-body handling makes it easier to spot injuries or parasites such as fleas. A greasy coat can be a sign that a cat has stopped grooming itself, which may point to poor health.

Savannahs need a lot of outdoor space, and it must be completely secure: a loose Savannah is likely to prompt calls to the police about a stray wild cat, and the breed is at high risk of theft. One suggested set-up is a cat room indoors linked to a large, fully secure outdoor run, so the cat can choose where to be.

Welfare groups point out a difficulty here. Because of their predatory and territorial behaviour, Savannahs are often kept indoors for the safety of other cats and wildlife, but meeting their needs indoors is extremely difficult, and many are likely to have poor welfare as a result. Savannahs should never be left alone for long and are not suited to homes where people are often out.

The Savannah is a specialist cat for people already very familiar with large, wild cat behaviour. It is not recommended for family homes or as a first cat. Whatever the breed, young children should be supervised around cats and shown how to stroke them gently and let them walk away.

Savannahs have strong hunting instincts, so small pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs and birds are at real risk, as are neighbours' pets. They can be aggressive towards neighbourhood cats and sometimes dogs. How well a Savannah gets on with dogs may depend on its generation: an early-generation cat may find it harder than a later one.

Purina describes the Savannah as generally healthy, but the main welfare concerns lie in how hybrids are bred and kept. Breeding female domestic cats with much larger captive male wild cats risks injury or death to the female. Differences in pregnancy length between the species can lead to premature or difficult births and more health problems in young kittens. The wild male cats, and the early crosses, live entirely captive lives. As pets, hybrid cats may see the vet less often than other cats, and their particular nutritional needs are often not met.