HP Savannah Cat Info
HP Savannah Cats = High Percentage African Serval in Savannah Cats
First, We would like to point out that the information provided on this page is based on our own opinion on percentage and HP (High Percentage) Savannah Cats. This information also abides by most Savannah Breeder's standards and definition of what makes a Savannah cat "HP."
The Percentage presented in a Savannah Cat's description is represented as the percentage of Wild African Serval blood in a Savannah.
Based on the biology of genetics and the fact that there is no testing that can be done to prove the actual percentage of Serval your Savannah has, most percentages are given as a hypothetical guess and not actual authenticity. (This isn't a negative thing unless the Breeder is being deceptive in the presentation.)
In short, if and when a breeder tells you the % of Their Savannah Cat or kittens, It is not necessarily accurate, it is their estimation and is only factual if the cat or kittens are a product of a serval being bred directly with a domestic cat.
When a serval is bred to a domestic cat, the kittens from this breeding are 50% serval and 50% domestic cat – half of the genes come from the serval parent and half of the genes come from the domestic cat parent. This is the only breeding where the serval percentage is actually known.
What is a "HP" Savannah Cat?
A HP (high percentage) Savannah is considered to be the authentication of the "highest" amount of wild African Serval blood that can be found in a Savannah cat.
The highest percentage of Wild blood is found in the F1 Savannah and secondly, the F2 Savannah.
The term "HP Savannah" used in breeding is mainly focused on the F1, F2 (and HP F3) Generations.
A Breeder may consider their Savannah cat a "HP" and sell their offspring as "HP" even if it doesn't follow the actual standard meaning we are trying to achieve behind the "HP" (or "Elite") Savannah terminology we, ethical breeders, would like it to refer to. It doesn't mean they are wrong, it is just not what we are trying to achieve in the term "HP Savannah Cats".
When a breeder uses the term "HP" to represent an F1 Savannah Litter that is not the offspring of a F1, F2, (or hp F3) queen (mother), at that point, the term "HP" is mainly a selling strategy.
Here is where the term "HP Savannah" starts to be used.
If a breeder breeds an F1 or F2 Savannah to a serval, the breeder reaches the highest amount of serval blood in a Savannah cat. **THIS and THIS Alone should be the ultimate coin for the term, "HP Savannah."
The most rare and difficult of all pairings is a F1 or F2 Savannah bred to a Serval. It is already difficult to create the F1 Savannah cat as it is. *** not a lot of breeders will even attempt the F1 to serval pairing because there are many fertility issues within this HP pairing that the purpose of this mating is almost ineffectual or aimless to the future of the breed. They are mainly only created to be sold as pets.
**F2 Kittens can be labeled as "HP F2 Savannahs" if their mother is a HP F1 Savannah.
**F3 Kittens can be labeled as "HP F3 Savannahs" if their mother is a HP F2 Savannah.
Our simple breakdown of the term "HP Savannah Cats:"
These kittens below can be labeled as a "hp Savannah"
#1. F1 kittens born from a F1 Savannah queen
#2. F1 kittens born from a F2 Savannah queen
#3. F1 kittens born from a HP F3 Savannah queen.
#4. F2 kittens born from a F1 Savannah queen that was born from a F1 Savannah Queen
#5. F2 kittens born from a F1 Savannah queen that was born from a F2 Savannah Queen
#6. F3 kittens born from a HP F2 Savannah queen.
Example of Queens within The Luxury Savannahs cattery:
* HP F1 Savannah Queen "Circe" has a F2 Savannah Mother (Kittens from "Circe" are HP F2)
* HP F1 Savannah Queen "Ahsoka" has a HP F3 Savannah Mother (Kittens from "Ahsoka" are HP F2)
* F1 Savannah Queen "Muse" has a F3 Savannah Mother.
* F1 Savannah Queen "Echo" has a F4SBT Mother. (Kittens will not be HP)
* F1 Savannah Queen "Artemis" has a Domestic Cat mother