What is a Savannah Cat?
A Savannah cat is a hybrid resulting from the intentional breeding of an African serval and a domestic housecat. A serval is a spotted and striped wild cat found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. People try to keep servals as pets, but most people quickly realize that this is a dangerous, wild animal. In an attempt to create a more “domesticated” version, people began breeding servals with housecats to create Savannah cats.
Savannah cats can also be quite dangerous and wild, though. There are restrictions on owning Savannah cats in many countries and U.S. states, and sometimes they’re even illegal to own. Being half-housecat doesn’t rid them of their wild nature. But because of their beauty and big personalities, people still attempt to keep Savannah cats in their homes. In those cases where this doesn’t work out, places like Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge are called upon to give these animals a great home, where they can live as wild and natural as possible.
Tigger
Tigger was rescued from upstate New York, as his previous owner was illegally buying, breeding, and shipping small exotic cats from the wild in Africa. He had sold 32 exotic animals to private owners before being brought to justice by the New York Department of Conservation and World Animal Protection. In 2018, TCWR rescued Tigger, along with servals Sammy and Enzo. These three had intestinal parasitic worms, and immediately received treatment and preventative vaccinations. Tigger was declawed on all four of his paws, which will continue to affect him throughout his life, especially as he ages.
Tigger is a feisty F1 (first generation) Savannah cat, and he used to live in the spacious serval habitat along our tour loop with four servals. He certainly has a “small but mighty” attitude, and would often hold his own with the larger habitat mates he had. When we built our Freedom Field area, we moved Tigger down there to live in his own habitat near some of our other small cats.
Beacher
Another one of our F1 Savannah cats here at TCWR is Beacher. His previous owner purchased Beacher when he was a seven-week-old kitten from a breeder in Florida for $15,000. Unprepared for the challenges of caring for an exotic cat, the owner soon realized how aggressive hybrids can be. Beacher was declawed by this person in order to “minimize” his wild nature, but this won’t stop a wild animal’s instincts. Things escalated, and after a few scares of him escaping the home, Beacher was surrendered to an accredited sanctuary in Florida as a young adult.
In 2023, TCWR agreed to take in 33 cats from a sanctuary in Florida that was accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. Beacher was one of these cats. He’s a really social and vocal cat. He likes to meow at anyone nearby, whether they’re another cat or a human. He enjoys perching on his benches and watching the staff and interns work. He’ll even follow them around from inside the enclosure as they walk along the outside. Beacher loves his habitat where he has plenty of enrichment items and grass. One of his favorite activities is actually munching on grass while watching the world around him.
Diablo
Diablo is another F1 Savannah cat here at Turpentine Creek. He was likely purchased as an adolescent from a breeder, and was privately owned. His owners could not manage Diablo’s naturally defiant and aggressive behavior as a house pet. They then surrendered him to an accredited sanctuary in Florida.
Diablo was another one of the cats that came from a GFAS accredited Florida sanctuary in 2023. He now lives in his forever home at Freedom Field. He has a standoffish personality, and his care team describes him as grumpy and cautious. Diablo can be difficult and defiant when it is time to take his meds, which the team gives to him through small openings due to his aggressive tendencies. He also likes to mark everything in his habitat, including his enrichment toys, a common behavior among wild cats. In the wild, this is how they would claim their territory. Diablo also enjoys lying in his mulch pile or conversing with his neighbors.
*Published by Sara Edwards on 01/10/2026*