History of the Savannah Cat

PREVENT YOURSELF FROM BEING SCAMMED

First let me start by saying there are plenty of things you can do to prevent yourself from being scammed. 

1.  Just because someone is a registered with TICA registered does not mean they are actually a breeder! Unfortunately just about anyone register a cattery & cats to the cattery. No one from TICA comes to check on them, or if they are doing the right thing. TICA is a world renowned cat registry but that’s where it stops. TICA does not do a background check to verify identity of people or someone claiming to be a breeder. The first clue is price. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. If someone is claiming to have a kitten/cat available, compare the cat in question & it’s stated generation to others of the same generation. Does it look like what you were expecting or the quality of other kittens of the same generation with very slight differences? Or does it look like something completely different than the average? There are distinct differences you can see with Savannahs verses a pure African Serval, or lower generation compared to an F1 Savannah Cat.  
2. Always ask questions, & a lot of them. If your breeder is hesitant telling you information about them, their program, how they got started, & where their cats came from that is a red flag. Ask for pics of parents, ask if pedigree is available (most breeders have this for their program), ask about testing, & what kind of contract they offer for health guarantee. 
3. Secure a contract ! All ethical breeders that I know offer some type of guarantee in case anything goes wrong. In my opinion is you are spending the money for a premium pet you should have some type of peace of mind knowing the breeder will be fair when it comes to any issue that may arise or if they pass away shortly after purchase due to a genetic defect. We do our best to make sure if there is something popping up in our lines with a genetic default that we do not introduce that to future breedings, so we want to know the good, the bad and ugly. Any ethical breeder will do the right thing and refer back to contract for reference. 
4. Do basic research to see if the breeder you are going to buy from is ethical! Even a basic google search... Unfortunately there is a new trend. Breeders are purchasing kittens & reselling, this means they are not a breeder but a broker. Your breeder should know about your cat, & it’s background. A middle man will not stand behind an extensive health guarantee. If your breeder is claiming to import your kitten & resell it or claim being a rescue this is a BIG RED FLAG!!!! The early  generation savannahs can be difficult to produce, it is unlikely that they are rescued and then should be resold at a very high cost, especially with breeding rights. Also importing & exporting is a complicated process. It can take several months to be cleared by fish & game when it comes to the first 4 generations of any hybrid. The breeder must apply for CITES in addition to import export permit & then must report all shipping or transporting involved to the USDA & Fish and Game. Buying and reselling animals without a brokers license supported by insurance is a huge fine and regulated by the USDA. I don’t know about you, but I do not feel comfortable buying a premium priced animal with no knowledge of the animal & where it came from, the odds are a broker isn’t going to stand behind a contract if issues arise. 
5. Last but not least - REFERENCES! But not just any reference, check their social reference, if they are on social media, what date did they start posting in comparison to the time they have been breeding or posting kittens available. If they have an Instagram, Facebook page, Facebook personal, tiktok, Snapchat, etc. check how far back they started interacting. OR Ask for other people that might vouch for who they are, perhaps a peer in the business or a mentor. Unless they have a long standing reputation of buyers or breeders that are known & their name is familiar, I would highly suggest doing a little research. Or ask who is the veterinarian that the breeder frequently works with, & ask for their information. The vets office cannot tell you about what they have been in for but they can verify they have been there. Every breeder has incurred a vet at some point, & likely is happy to give this information.