Unlike a domestic cat, the Savannah cat can take 3 years to reach maturity. Their bodies tend to grow during the first 2 years and they develop their muscle in the third year. While this is the norm, there are exceptions to the case and they have been known to continue growing for 4 years.

You can never really say for definite what size a Savannahcat will grow to,  but the general rule of thumb as that they will be approximately double the size of a domestic cat and weigh around 25 pounds. Unlike other cats, it is also very rare for them to be in any way overweight, as they are pretty much solid muscle, without any excess fat accumulating around the gut.

The appearance and demeanour of a Savannah cat gives the impression that they weigh more than they do. They are also incredible sleek and flexible for their size, and can slip into spaces you would never think possible, and from the kitchen floor can easily stretch to get their front paws onto the worktops.

The main reason they never develop a gut is their excessive energy. Get out of the way if your kitty is pleased to see you and comes barelling towards you. Their energy is boundless, and they will run and climb endlessly, most of the time for no other reason that because they can.

If you are looking for a quiet pet, you may want to reconsider acquiring a Savannah cat, they are one of the most vocal cats you will ever come across. Their vocal range far exceeds a typical meow, and if you think you can hear a bird close by, chances are it’s your cat chirping. If you try and make them do something you don’t want to, you will be treat to a range of around 100 different meows in varying pitches.

They are very cautious around new items, so anything new you acquire place it in the centre of the room. They will eventually come up and sniff it, stretching their neck way out from their body. They will be so intent on examining this new thing that if you make it twitch, they will spring a good 4ft in the air, which can be very funny to witness.

Savannah cats have enormous back feet, akin to a rabbit, they also have large ears and teeth. The latter can be painful when they are kittens, as they have no bite inhibitions. If they do actually catch you, their teeth are so sharp they will invariably draw blood. This needs correcting from an early age, similar to training a puppy, as they are highly intelligent and can be trained to be great pets.

Siamese are among the best known and most popular purebred cats. As the name suggests, they are the ancestors of today’s Siamese cats from the East Asian Siam, now Thailand. The first exports from Thailand were at the end of the 19th Century by British diplomats to Britain who founded the breed in Europe.

Siamese cats are part albinos. This form of mutation is characterized by a blue eye colour and a white coat with dark-coloured bodies.  Through intensive breeding efforts, especially in the 80s and 90s, there were substantial differences in the appearance of the Siamese.

We now distinguish a “modern type”, which is still known as the Siamese cat and a so-called “traditional guy” under the name Thai Cat or “Traditional Siamese” already recognized by many organizations as its own breed standard. More closely related breed with Siamese, are the Balinese and the Oriental Shorthair Cats (OSH), which differ only by different colour eyes and the coat colour of the Siamese cat.

The ancestors of today’s Siamese cat are from the Southeast Asian region.  One hypothesis is that Arab and Indian sailors brought cats from the Mediterranean or Asia Minor to southeast Asia, where they often encountered the gene pool of the Southeast Asian predecessor cats.  The zoologist Paul Leyhausen suspected that the Siamese cat came from an intersection with the Asian domestic cats and the Bengal, but this could not proven scientifically.

History

The first recorded mention of Siamese cats can be found in the manuscript of “Poems of the cat,” by the author Phra Nakhon, which is now in the National Library in Bangkok. It dates in its origins to the mid-14th century and comes from Ayutthaya, the capital of the kingdom. The inserted cat illustrations show pictures of cats and the typical characteristics of a Siamese cat.

These include points at the ears, face, paws and tail.
In ancient Siam “Vichi Mas” (also “Wichi Maat”) Siamese cats were the preferred pets of royalty and the Siamese aristocracy.  Some of them were bred and kept in temples and monasteries. The Siamese cat played an important part in ancient writings in the Buddhist religion.

When a member of the royal or noble family died, they selected cat as the soul of a deceased person. The cat then had reputed spiritual forces, and spent the rest of their lives in the temple, where it was revered as the reincarnation of the deceased.

Tiam O’Shian IV, Seal Point Siamese cat (recording 1902)

Possession of Siamese cats was strictly regulated, and no animal was allowed to leave the country.  Siamese cats arrived in the 1870s in England and the United States and were isolated but quickly died due to lack of climatic adaptation and incorrect posture.  In 1884, the Siamese King Rama V and the British Consul General Sir Edward Blencowe Gould gave them a male and a female. Pho and Mia, as both were called, became the first breeding pair in England. Shortly after their arrival, Siamese was incorporated into the breeding program and introduced to other animals in England.

The first offspring of Pho and Mia were issued on the big cat show at London’s Crystal Palace in 1885.  In the first decades they could only be grown with a few animals, which probably led to the creation of inbred genetic defects in existence today.  Siamese cats were either directly imported from Siam (until the 1930s) or came from European zoos, where they were kept as an attraction.  A distinction was made in these early years of breeding the type ‘Siamese Cat King’ and ‘Temple Cat’ which differed in body colour and in the tail length.

The first breed standard for Siamese cats, which was then known as the Royal Cat of Siam, was created in 1892 and in 1902 was greatly expanded.  In 1901, they were incorporated in England into ‘The Siamese Cat Club.’  By the end of the 19th century, Siamese cats had been bred for centuries in England and France and also in the U.S.  It was not until 1927, in Germany at the “1st German Angoras – Protection and Breeding Association” that two registered breeders planned a breeding.

From the mid-20th century Siamese cats have been bred around the world in a big way.  Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s was breeding for different colour varieties such as Chocolate, Lilac or Red Point, and this continued deliberately, leading to the recognition of additional medium-independent colour varieties by the large cat breeding associations.

Appearance
2 adult Siamese Seal Point male, modern type
Seal Point Siamese cat, a traditional type

The Siamese is a very lean, muscular shorthair cat of medium size. The cats weigh from 3.0 to 4.0kgs and tomcat’s 4.0 to 5.0kgs.  One of the characteristics of the Siamese is the colour of eyes (blue), and outer extremities such as head and ears, tails, paws and, in males, the scrotum.  Because of their long legs, it belongs with the Abyssinian, the long-legged cat breeds. The hind legs are longer than the front legs. The feet shape is oval. The tail is longer than in most other cats, and are thin, tapering to a point.

The head of the Siamese cat is, according to the distinction in modern or traditional type, wedge-shaped and slightly rounded. Ideally, the face and form are large and has diagonal standing ears. The eyes of the Siamese are almond-shaped, wide apart and slightly oblique position.  The nose of the Siamese is relatively long and straight and runs down from the apex. The chin is slightly marked but not receding.  The coat of the Siamese is brighter the younger the animals are.   The coat is very short, close-fitting and very soft. Due to the original source, it has almost no undercoat.

Character
Siamese cat with her a few weeks old litter

Due to high birth numbers, (the average is between four and six puppies),  they have distinct social behaviour. They have, like all the other oriental cats too, a shared intense group life.   Siamese cats should never be considered as a single cat.  Siamese cats are considered highly intelligent, self-willed and yet very people oriented.  They are pedigree cats and are communicative cats, with a very loud voice. Their playfulness is particularly evident in the company of other cats, and is very pronounced in older cats.

Their willingness to learn with humans is reflected in their willingness to run on a leash or a harness.  With the Siamese cats this is the most pronounced of any breed. Due to the high degree of interaction with humans, Siamese cats are often referred to as the “dog” among purebred cats.

Cats improve the quality of life of disabled people and children.  The Siamese cat even interacts with hypoactive children because of its lively character and good nature.  They animate disabled children who suffer from forms of autism, for example, to increase their own activities.

Breed standard and breeding

The first breed was formulated in 1892 England by Harrison Weir.  10 years later in 1901 they adapted the still existing British Siamese Cat Club.  In the 19th Century, they were bred in France.  In the United States they began a planned studbook in 1900.

Further adjustments to the standards were made later by each of the major national and international associations of racial cat breeding associations.  This led to an acceptance of different types and various shades of colour in the U.S. and Europe for widely differing standards and classifications of Siamese cats.   Thus, the FI Fe (Federation Internationale Feline) is one of the largest European umbrella organizations in the acceptance of coat colours and types.

The largest U.S. umbrella organization, CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association), recognizes only the original colour varieties (see the chapter on colours).  All new colour varieties are known as Colourpoint Shorthair.   The only major governing body who recognizes it as its own breed is the TICA (The International Cat Association, USA), together with many smaller independent pedigree cat breeding associations while other confederations still refer to it as a Siamese cat.

Siberian cats are from Russia, specifically from the cold region of Siberia.  They are probably the result of crossing between the European wildcat and the Siberian forests.  It is within the category of SLH cats and has abundant hair that has allowed the race to live for a thousand years withstanding temperatures of almost 30 degrees below zero.

At birth and up to three months of age, a Siberian cat has short hair, but then it develops characteristic abundant long hair and colours range from brown to gray, with darker line drawings and white areas on the chin and chest, where the hair grows even longer, giving the appearance of collar.

This phenotype is common in winter, where cold and wet snow are extreme and sebum around the hair follicle helps maintain proper temperature to survive.  This type of cat is solidly built, weighs between 4 and 9 kilos and has an agility and speed worthy of a great hunter.  Its character is very friendly and playful, and is one of the few cats that likes to play with water. They also have a great intelligence.

Specials

The Siberian cat has a particular characteristic of causing allergies in humans, because it produces a protein that causes 80% of allergies called Fel D1.  The Fel D1 is a protein molecule produced by the sebaceous glands of cats present in its saliva.

Competition

The Siberian was recognized as a breed of cat a few years ago by the World Cat Federation (WCF).  In turn, it was recognized as a race of competition by the International Feline (FIFe), placing it in the second of four categories along with the semi-long haired cats, such as the Maine Coon or Ragdoll.

At first these cats had no place within breeds but were recognized and registered as RIEX (experimental record), being an unrecognized colour. After much work by breeders around the world, they failed to meet the necessary requirements and present the race as such in the general assembly of the international federation feline as a new race.

Variety of colours

They are all varieties of colours, but they must present a target within the coloured dots. They are: Seal Point & White, Blue & white point, chocolate point & white, lilac point & white, and Tabbies Tortie & white & white.

Features

The Seychellois ideal is slender, elegant, with long lines that are refined, resilient and well muscled and of medium size.
Head: Medium size, proportionate to the body. Balanced, is wedge shaped with straight lines. The wedge starts at the nose and gradually increases in width towards the ears by means of straight lines. There should be no vacuum at the height of the whiskers. The skull is slightly convex in profile. Long straight nose, continuing the line from the front with no visual break. Snout narrow. Chin and jaw medium size. The tip of the chin as a vertical line with the tip of the nose.

Ears: Large, wide at the base and tip, the tips should not be tilted forward. In terms of location, continue the lines of the wedge.
Eyes: Medium size, neither protruding nor sunken. Almond-shaped and slightly slanted toward the nose.  The colour must be pure and clear, a brilliant blue.
Neck: Long and slender.

Body and structure: Long and lean, sufficiently muscular yet delicate and elegant. The shoulders are not wider than the hips.
Legs: Long and thin, proportionate to the body. Feet small and oval.
Tail: Very long, thin even at the base. Tapering to the tip.

Coat: Very short, thin, shiny, silky, close to the body and almost no undercoat.  Mask on the face, points on ears, legs and tail must match colour points as evenly as possible. The mask does not extend over the entire head but is connected to ears by traces of colour.

History

The Snowshoe was first seen in the 60′s in Philadelphia by the Siamese cat breeder Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty.  At that time, the breeder began to promote and publicize the race. Then, Vikki Olander continued with this task, who sought recognition for the Snowshoe race by an association of cats. Snowshoe in 1993 was accepted by TICA (The International Cat Association).

Origin of the race

This was the result of a cross between Siamese cats (traditional Siamese cat) and British Shorthairs, or American Shorthairs.

Overview

The Snowshoe cat is shorthaired, medium sized and well muscled. The coat pattern is the same colour as the Siamese, but is distinguished by its four “white boots” on their feet, giving rise to its name. It also presents an inverted “V” on its face, which is white. It darkens with each passing year, and the back usually turns a chocolate brown colour. The head can be both triangular and rounded (applehead). The eyes are blue.

Description of the standard

Standard snowshoe: 1
General: The Snowshoe is a medium sized cat, combining characteristics of their ancestors and Oriental Shorthairs (like Siamese).
Body: Long, firm but not extreme, medium bones and muscles.
Head: Wedge-shaped with rounded contours.  Muzzle of good length, smooth contours with high cheekbones, strong chin.
Ears: Medium to medium large in proportion to body, broad at base, slightly rounded.
Eyes: Oval, slightly inclined towards the base of the ears. The eyes are blue, bright and expressive.
Tail: Medium length in proportion to body.
Coat: Short to medium short, without binder, soft textured.
Colours: Blue point and seal point
Disqualifications: long hair, eye colour other than blue, white pattern that hides the coloured dots. You must have the “white boots” at each of its legs.
Crosses allowed: with Siamese and American Shorthair.

Note the white claws and the inverted “V” in the face.

Character and Personality

This breed is characterized as energetic, playful, intelligent, sociable and affectionate.

This breed is relatively new and is growing rapidly. The aim was to create a breed of domestic cat with the look of a Serval. To this end, they crossed a Bengal parent (hybrid between a Bengal cat) and an oriental mother.  It has been recognized by TICA (The International Cat Association in English) since 2001 and is also recognized by the LOOF (Livre Officiel des Origines felines in French) as a “new generation” of cats.

The Serengeti has black spots with gray or brown backs (depending on their parents).  They have long legs and large ears, unlike domestic cats. Males are usually slightly larger and heavier than females and can weigh up to 7 pounds, females generally weigh between 4 and 6 kilograms.

The modern Siamese is a breed of cat from the ancient kingdom of Siam, now known as Thailand.  In 1880 they were taken to England and in 1890 to the United States.  It is a medium size cat with an oriental body (elegant, slim, supple and well muscled), which has intensified in recent years. Weight varies between 2.5 and 3kg in females and between 3.5 and 5.5kg in males.

Head: of medium height, triangular with the apex at the tip of the nose-chin, the side-lines are continued by the side walls of the face, ears are large, pointed.

Profile: long continuum from the tip of the nose to the top of the head between the ears. It consists of a soft line without depression and sudden changes of angle, may be slightly convex. Nose long, straight, no sharp naso-frontal depression. Flat cheeks. Muzzle fine.

No pinch. Firm chin, forming a straight line with the tip of the nose.

Eyes: Medium, almond-shaped and are positioned obliquely. In all cases are blue.
Ears: large to extra large, well apart, broad at the base, pointed.
Neck: slender, long, elegant, slightly arched.
Body: is long and tubular, muscular and firm.  Shoulders and hips the same width. The bone structure is fine and delicate.

Tips: Fine boned, long and thin. Small oval feet.
Queue: long, whip-shaped. It refines the base to the tip.
Hair: short, shiny, thin, smooth, tight and attached to the body. It has a medium amount of undercoat, practically nonexistent, which makes the fur relatively dense.
Coat colour: Siamese is characterized by its typical pointed colour scheme, i.e. a darker colour at the points where its body temperature is lower (limbs, tail, face and ears), which contrasts with the rest of the body.

Outline and colour distribution
Lilac Point Siamese

This colour scheme is called stippling or pointed. It is the typical colour distribution of the Siamese breed, which is given by the gene “cs” and is part of the albino series called “gene Himalayas. This gene is named with a lowercase letter “cs” to be recessive, so to speak must be in homozygosity in both locus is autosomal loci is located in the “C”.  Cats in the semi-albino Himalayan Series (colour points, cuttlefish, minks) have a thermo-sensitive tyrosinase.

The normal tyrosinase converts the amino acid “tyrosine” in melanin (pigment). In cats with gene “cs” the enzyme is denatured at body temperature and works by activating the production of melanin in the colder areas of the body, so the colour is only developed in cold areas and extremities (tail, legs, ears and nose) increasing the amount of pigmentation. This is the reason why the Siamese are born white (high intrauterine temperature) and is darker in winter and paler in summer.

Colours and varieties
Box Siamese cat genes (enlarge)

The varieties of Siamese cats are determined by the colour of her extremities, resulting in the following classes:

Seal Point, (dark brown). Gen B-D-(gene B = black)
Chocolate point (light brown). Bb dd Gen (gen b = dark chocolate)
Blue point (dark gray). Gen B-dd
Lilac point (gray). Gen bb dd
Red point (dark orange). Bob-B-O-in females: – D-OO (O-linked gene sex chromosome X)
Cream point (or light orange cream). Bob-O-females dd – dd OO (O-linked gene sex chromosome X)
Cinnamon or cinnamon. Gen D-blbl
Fawn and fawn. Gen blbl dd
Dominant white. Gen W-(called white foreing by FIFe).

It is distributed by the pigment or colour scheme (pattern) can be classified as:
Solid or uniforms. Gen aa
Tabbies or scratched. Gen A-pattern tabby
Tortie or tortoiseshell patches. O-linked gene sex, stained with red
Silver and silver and smokes or smoked. May I-Gen plus the polygenes wb
Particolours or with white spots. Pb that is parti gene or piebald (with white Siamese is known as Sychellois FIFe).

There are four categories of colour distribution, although the twins are always pointed:
Traditional (normal colour distribution gene C-):
Mink (series cbcs albino gene)
Sepia (series cbcb albino gene)
Pointed (series albino gene CSCS)

Siamese differences between modern and traditional Siamese
Modern Siamese
Traditional Siamese or Thai

The standard of the modern Siamese body indicates a stylish, slim, supple body and well muscled.  The traditional Siamese or Thai, although it shares some features with the modern Siamese (for example, the colour pattern) differs from it by the rounded shapes. Thus, Thai (which is commonly confused with actual Siamese) have a more compact body and round head with full cheeks and rounded, shorter snout, ears are set high but not huge.  They have elongated eyes (not fully oblique) celestial or blue, and generally have a shorter tail with a rounded, thicker tip. The accepted colors are the same as for the Modern Siamese.

Source: The Turkish Van is developed naturally in the isolated region around Lake Van in Turkey. In 1955, several specimens were exported to England and the breed was recognized in 1969, however the U.S. does not recognize the Turkish Van as an official race.

Morphology: Medium size, muscular. Head triangular, with large ears and very hairy. Eyes oval and slightly slanting position, amber, blue or heterochromatic.

Coat: medium length hair silky and not inferior wool. The background colour is white. Cola stains brown face, red or cream.

Character: Very temperamental, active, playful and curious. It can live with other cats, but likes being the one who takes the lead. Likes to go in the water.

Suitable for: People who want to have a little bit of a stubborn cat and that can adapt to it. You need unconditional commitment.

Although there has been talk of Chinese eared cats, one can not say with certainty that this cat is an ancestor of the Scottish Fold. Other eared cats were born in Scotland in 1961 and were selected to create the breed. The first to appear was a Swedish woman named Susie, who had a white cat who was born in 1961.

It was collected from the street by a couple, who some months later decided to cross it with a British Short, and in 1966 decided to register their offspring as Folds. Its main feature is their ears, which, according to surveys, say that only one parent needs to have the gene for them to inherit them.

Physical

It has a broad, rounded head, but unlike the others they are small and their ears fold forward and down.  They have round eyes separated by a broad nose. They have a specific colour, and their neck is strong and narrow. Their musculature is generally robust, with a compact form, although usually weighs very little.  Its limbs are of normal length and they have a very short, thick tail with rounded tips. These anomalies led to its ban in British exhibitions for a while.  Their hair is very short, stretchy and very soft.

Character

This animal is very friendly, sweet and companionable. It is confident around man and can easily adapt to new environments. In a herd they generally follow a “leader”, which is usually the father, imitating his every move. When crossed with other breeds they are generally peaceful and always attentive.

Deliveries are usually quiet due to the passivity of the female. The cubs are usually born with their ears back. Barely three weeks after birth they begin to develop their characteristics.  It may happen that they fail to develop completely, there are even cases where only one ear grows. To avoid these problems, experts advise not to give them too much milk as infants.

Forbidden family mating

In 1974 a law was introduced which placed a ban on this animal breeding among themselves.  Previously many cases occurred where offspring were born with severe bone abnormalities. It is recommended that they are paired with other breeds such as a Scottish straight (descendant of a Fold) or a similar race called the British Shorthair.