savannah cat

boof

boof

Well-Known Member
20+ year member
Just read an article in the sun herald about a new cat that will be avaliable to buy in Australia in a few months. it is a cross betwen a serval and a domestic cat. The thing is larger than a domestic cat. It will cost about $5 000 or $10 000 for a breeding animal. It says in the paper that the main supplier in Australia will only sell animals to people with "outdoor premises that is large enough or it's a special cat enclosure." I don't know what that means. they also state that the animals must not be allowed to "roam". At the moment only a small number will be coming into Australia, but I would prefer if they did not come at all.
I think it is one of the dumbest things i have heard for a long time. Why cross a domestic cat with a Serval?
 
there was a thing in NZ a few years ago about someone wanting to import leopard cat X domestic cats (popular in the USA apparently), and obviously there was a lot of opposition to it from conservation groups. I don't know if any were allowed into the country in the end.
 
There is apparently a dealer on Vancouver Island, off the west coast of Canada. I've read a number of articles over the years about serval mixes, and they appear to be more trouble than they are worth. Stinky cats that regularly mark their territory and destroy household curtains.
 
We already have too much trouble with cats and i think this won't help. I would rather have no cats at all in Australia (except big cats in zoos obviously.)
 
These are very common in the states. loads of breeders and we already have a fair few bengal cats available in aus (bengals are the asian leopard cat x domestic). They are gorgeous cats, love to play and have the patterns of a leopard cat (and love water. One of these sold in the uk for around 250,000 pounds four years back as it was something like 90% leopard cat. The savannah which is the serval cross is also already available, I know of three breeders.
 
Jarkari said:
These are very common in the states.
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Which is the best place for them!

Any cat, outside of a zoo, is a menace in this country. I can't believe that our government would let these things into the country.

Although, having allowed the ochonophora bug into the country in recent years, maybe they have learnt nothing since the cane toad fiasco.

Lost your cat? Check my tyres!
 
Apparently under the current live import regulations, hybrid breeds can enter Australia if they are 5 generations removed from a wild animal.

Domestic cats weigh about 4 to 6 kilos but these serval x domestics weigh as much as 11 kilos and the worry is that they will be super predators on species such as koalas.
 
i'm not worried about them turning feral at the moment due to the limited numbers coming to the country. i don't think anyone would pay $5000 and then not keep the cat contained. i just think it is not right to cross breed the serval with a tabby.
 
As a shelter volunteer, I am against unnecessary breeding of mixed breed animals (any many purebreds who aren't in a carefully thought out breeding plan) and designer "breeds" of dogs and cats, especially while there's being thousands being euthanized each year. Luckily the shelter I volunteer doesn't euthanize, but the same cannot be said about others due to the pet overpopulation.
 
It could cause some serious problems. an animal that is even better suited to hunting than our domestic cats. . .
 
They may be rare and expensive now, but in 10 years? They might be bred, be common like muck and set free!
 
For thos that are interested there will be a piece on the savannah cats on mornings with kerri anne today
 
Jurek7 said:
They may be rare and expensive now, but in 10 years? They might be bred, be common like muck and set free!
Click to expand...

The Bengal Cats have been here for over 12 years, they are still expensive and most breeders tend to be very strict in regards to who is able to buy one with conditions on sales.

Does it annoy anyone else that alot of the news reports are saying the bengals are hybridised with asian leopards not asian leopard cats. One article i read even said the asian leopard was considerably smaller than the serval.
 
Yes Jarkari, I too am bugged by the fact that journalists insist in article after article that the leopard rather than the leopard cat is the wild ancestor.

(Incidentally, I want a caracal to keep down the mynah population! :D)
 
haha thankyou ara. . . I do think it i dangerous bringing animals like this in but I think it can be controlled, maybe states could enforce a licensing system.
 
Jarkari - it is the [Australian] States that have lumbered us with the cane toad and, more recently, the ochonophora bug. Do you really think that they can be relied on to oversee a population of exotic hybrid cats?

Not that I think that they would be even remotely interested in doing so.

But, if they were tempted to do so, perhaps they could demonstrate their credentials in this area by bringing our current feral cat population under control.
 
yes, good point steve. . . What is it with americans and hybridising animals? Have recently seen ads for batrian camel hybrids. . . always got to try and make things bigger and better. . . buyt is it really any good.
 
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