Savannah Cat Generations: What the Eff Does the "F" Word Mean?

Savannah Cat Facts

Jun 15

One of the first things people new to the Savannah world ask is, "what's the 'F#' mean when reading about Savannahs"? First, it's essential to define what the "F" word means when referring to our beloved Savannahs.

The "F" stands for “Filial” and is descended from Latin "filius" meaning "son," and "filia" meaning "daughter." In English (where it's been used since at least the 14th century), it's always applied to both sexes.

So, now we know that “filial” refers to a son or daughter descendent. We now apply that to mean the son or daughter of the African Serval, the point of origin where the Savannah begins. An easy example is F1 = the son or daughter of a serval. F2 = the grandson or granddaughter of a serval, and so on down the line. Now, let's move onto what the number means.

The number refers to how many generations removed the Savannah is from its African Serval parent/ancestor. An F1 Savannah Cat is a first-generation offspring from a serval parent. Savannah breeding is generally a male serval bred to a domestic or Savannah female, mostly the latter. An F2 is a second-generation offspring, with the serval being his or her grandparent. An F3 is a third-generation offspring, making the serval his or her great-grandparent, and on down the line to F8.

To take things one step further, you'll also see a letter following the filial and number, such as F3 "C" The letters are for Savannah to Savannah breeding only. For example, our Savannah Luna is an "F3C". Here's the breakdown:

A = one parent is a Savannah, and the other parent an outcross, which is the serval in this case. The father is a serval, and the mother is a Savannah. (Fact: F1-F4 and some F5 Savannah males are sterile).
B = both parents are Savannahs, with at least one parent being an "A" and at least one grandparent on either side, an outcross/serval.
C = one parent is "B," and the other can be "B, C, or SBT," and at least one grandparent is an “A.”

You’ll also see "SBT," which stands for "Stud Book Tradition." SBT means the kitten has Savannah's parents for at least three generations, making him or her a purebred Savannah Cat.

In summary, any generation male (usually F5-8), when bred to an F1 female, produces an F2 kitten. An F2 female bred to any generation male produces an F3 and so forth. Here's another example: An F3 female and an F6 male produce an F4 kitten. Lastly, any female bred to a male serval produces an F1 kitten.