Savannah Cat Colors
Savannah Cat Colors are meant to resemble its ancestor the Serval Cat, accepted colors are brown, silver, black, and smoke. The Serval Cat has a bright buttery golden base coat with solid black spots. This golden color is a shade of brown spotted tabby and must be registered as a brown spotted tabby or BST.
Brown Spotted Tabby = Aguoti Cat (A-)
Silver Spotted Tabby = Aguoti Cat (A-) + Inhibitor gene
Black = Non-Aguoti Cat (AA)
Smoke = Non-Aguoti Cat (AA) + Inhibitor gene
Brown Spotted Tabby (BST)
Aguoti Cat (A-)
Silver Spotted Tabby
Aguoti Cat (A-) + Inhibitor gene
Non-standard Savannah Cat Colors
Non-standard Savannah Cat Colors are color(s) that disqualify a cat from being shown and additionally have an "undesirable" trait within the said breed. These exist within all pedigree breeds. These cats can still be as valuable as a standard cat within a breeding program depending on what type of desired traits it possesses verse non-desirable traits. Should a Savannah Cat possess exceptional breed body confirmation but has a recessive non-standard pattern the cat can not be shown but can be within a breeding program. However, non-standards should not be offered to or purchased by any new breeder, only a very experienced breeder should attempt using non-standards as they are likely to offer advanced breeding challenges. Any breeder would prefer to keep the standard spotted coat but good judgment must be made on if the non-standard cat may be worthy of breeding.
Cinnamon - Recessive
Chocolate - Recessive
Fawn - Dilute of cinnamon
Blue - Dilute of black
Lilac - Dilute of chocolate
All colors must go through the breed committee to be accepted by TICA to be shown as an "accepted color". Colors currently accepted are meant to resemble the ancestor of the African Serval Cat. However, by default, some coloration must be, view the following example to learn how this is applied. Each time a color is accepted breeders evaluate how genetically it will impact the breed. For instance when silver coloration was accepted that meant breeders were accepting the "inhibitor gene" which suppresses the brown color.
inhibitor gene
The inhibitor gene eliminates yellow pigment in the agouti hairs of the background color but does not affect the non-agouti areas (the markings). The inhibitor gene may suppress all or very little of the yellow pigment which results in some cats appearing a washed-out brown color. This gene does not effect the health of a Savannah Cat in any way. This yellow pigment that shows through is referred to as "Tarnish" or "Tarnishing". Below the kitten on the left is a brown spotted tabby, the kitten on the left is a heavily tarnished silver spotted tabby. In-person, the kitten on right appears almost a creamy milk or tan.
Picture: Inhibitor Gene Impact Diagram
Example: Smoke color (Black cat + Inhibitor Gene) was accepted due to accepting silver (Brown + Inhibitor Gene).
The kitten on the left is a brown spotted tabby, the kitten on the left is a heavily tarnished silver spotted tabby. In-person the kitten on right appears almost a creamy milk or tan.