A Savannah Cat kitten lying on a perch on her climbing post

Savannah Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

They may have wild origins, but they also have a loving side. If you want an active cat who&rsquo;s always on the lookout for their next adventure &ndash; and can give you a lot of laughs along the way &ndash; the Savannah could be the perfect new family member. Here&#39;s everything you need to know about this wild soul.&nbsp;

Exotic hybrid

Type

15 - 20 years

Lifespan

Medium

Size

3.2 - 6.8 kg

Weight

35 - 43 cm

Height

Confident, lively and playful

Temperament

30+ mins per day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

The first Savannah cat was created when a wild African Serval and a domestic cat, a Siamese to be exact, were cross-bred in 1986. Initially considered an unusual pairing, the breed has grown in popularity.

Savannahs are known for being tall, lean cats with long legs, large eared and spotted patterns.

Savannah cats usually stop growing after two to three years. However, every Savannah cat is unique depending on its genes &ndash; so this varies greatly.

What is the typical Savannah cat’s lifespan?

The Savannah is one of the healthiest cat breeds, so it&rsquo;s not uncommon for them to live into their late teens and early twenties.

Savannahs shed fur, but their short coat means a weekly brush should keep it under control.

No cat is truly hypoallergenic, but many consider the Savannah&rsquo;s dander to be less allergy-prone than other breeds due to their wild heritage.

What is the Savannah cat’s temperament like?

Savannah cats have an energetic, curious, and social temperament. They are intelligent, playful, and bond closely with their owners, making them unique and active companions.

That’s All You Need to Know About Savannahs

Savannahs are a relatively new breed of cat. With their striking dark spots and markings, they look unique and exciting. Because they are quite rare, they can be very expensive. The cost will depend on which generation of Serval they are, and if they are male or female kittens.

Athletic, lively, intelligent and curious, these cats will keep you on your toes. They&#39;re more suited to families with older children and more experienced cat owners.

Savannahs are a relatively new <a href="http://cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">breed of cat</a>. With their striking dark spots and markings, they look unique and exciting. Because they are quite rare, they can be very expensive. The cost will depend on which generation of Serval they are, and if they are male or female kittens.

Athletic, lively, intelligent and curious, these cats will keep you on your toes. They&#39;re more suited to families with older children and more experienced cat owners.

<ul>
	<li>Larry Thompson (online) Savannah. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/illustration/savannah" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's Savannah Cat page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/illustration/savannah</a></li>
	<li>Serena Brownlie, Phil Fox, Philip K Nicholls, Penny Watson (online) Heart: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy " target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/heart-hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy&nbsp;</a></li>
	<li>Autumn P Davidson, David Godfrey (online) Infertility: male &ndash; overview. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/infertility-male-overview" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's male cat infertility page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/infertility-male-overview</a></li>
	<li>Michael Day, Urs Giger (online) Pyruvate deficiency. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/pyruvate-kinase-deficiency" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat pyruvate kinase deficiency page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/diseases/pyruvate-kinase-deficiency</a></li>
	<li>Martha Cannon, Marge Chandler, Allison German (online) Obesity. In: Vetlexicon Felis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/obesity" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat obesity page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/felis/freeform/obesity</a></li>
</ul>

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetlexicon.com/felis%C2%A0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's cat information">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Felis</a>.

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

A Savannah kitten looking alert sitting in a blue blanket

Savannah kittens are curious and will investigate anything and everything. Owning a Savannah requires a lot of <a href="/all-things-pet/how-to-kitten-proof-your-home" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to kitten proofing your home">kitten proofing to your home</a> and put any valuable and cherished items away!

Remember that early experiences such as interactions with people and other animals in the first eight weeks are important for <a href="/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance">your kitten</a> to grow into a confident, well-balanced cat.

Savannahs are attention seekers and will use whatever means necessary to get you to notice them. Expect to find them following you around the house or lightly nudging you for some cuddles, but these are not lap cat.

You&rsquo;ll definitely need your wits about you with a Savannah around. But rest assured, they are very loyal and highly intelligent pets. They&rsquo;re great around older children who know when to give them their space. Savannahs can also live harmoniously with other cats and dogs, provided they&rsquo;re socialised from an early age.

A Savannah cat&rsquo;s wild, hunter origins mean it will benefit from a high-protein diet. Ask your vet for advice on how to ensure they get the nutrients they need to optimise their energy levels.

As a natural hunter thanks to the Serval ancestors, you know what&rsquo;s coming next. Don&rsquo;t be surprised if they bring you home some unwanted presents. And it might be wise not to have other small pets in the house such as gerbils, <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Inusrance page">rabbits</a>, hamsters, and goldfish.

A Savannah&rsquo;s exotic fur doesn&rsquo;t require much grooming. Their coat is short and naturally soft, so it only needs a quick <a href="/all-things-pet/bad-fur-day-read-our-cat-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's cat grooming guide">brush once or twice a week</a> to keep it looking its best.

Unless your cat has been running through the mud or jumping through the trees, they should only need a bath a handful of times a year. But it&rsquo;s rarely a battle to get them in the tub &ndash; Savannahs are one of the few <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Breed Guides">cat breeds</a> that love water.

Savannahs are naturally inquisitive and need <a href="/all-things-pet/cat-games-for-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide on games to play with your cat">plenty of activities and toys</a> to keep them amused. As they can have a lot of pent-up energy, make sure they <a href="/all-things-pet/your-guide-to-cat-exercise" title="Link to Everypaw's cat exercise guide">get lots of exercise</a> &ndash; indoors and out (if safe to do so).

Savannahs are always on the prowl, whether it&rsquo;s hunting for their latest toy or climbing to the highest point of the house. This is where a cat tree could be a good investment. These keen explorers will happily be taken out for walks on a leash if it gives them the opportunity to explore new surroundings.

Savannahs&rsquo; high intelligence makes them easy to train.

Link to get an Everypaw Cat Insurance quote

A Savannah cat&rsquo;s wild lineage gives it a sense of adventure. Before you bring your Savannah home and let them climb to the highest shelf they can find, make sure you have the right Savannah Cat pet insurance in place. At Everypaw, we have a range of <a href="/Home/cat-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Lifetime Cat Insurance</a> cover levels to choose from, and all come with a host of additional benefits as standard.

A Savannah cat&rsquo;s wild lineage gives it a sense of adventure. Before you bring your Savannah home and let them climb to the highest shelf they can find, make sure you have the right Savannah Cat pet insurance in place.

At Everypaw, we have a range of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">Lifetime Cat Insurance</a>&nbsp;cover levels to choose from, and all come with a host of additional benefits as standard.

The Savannah cat breed has exotic roots. A cross between a domesticated cat and a species of wild African Serval Cat, the breed has only existed since 1986. Savannah cats draw attention with their lively temperament and striking looks.

Those wild cat traits are evident in Savannah&#39;s personalty. They&#39;re active, curious cats, and love to climb. This isn&rsquo;t a feline you&rsquo;ll ever find snoozing the day away. Instead, while you&rsquo;re gone, they&rsquo;ll likely be organising their next grand prank.

Yes, you read that right, pranks, so watch out for incoming objects raining down from their high throne. It&rsquo;s not uncommon for them to play their own version of hide and seek &ndash; the likelihood is you&rsquo;ll find them in high, hard-to-reach places.

You&#39;ll find that Savannahs are described with a filial (or F) number &ndash; this identifies how close they are to the first cross with their wildcat ancestor and how much wild DNA the cat has. It takes at least three generations for Savannahs to no longer be considered wildcat hybrids and be purebred Savannahs, i.e. F4. It is illegal in some countries to own a Savannah cat from the early generations as a pet.

Savannahs are active, curious cats, and love to climb. This isn&rsquo;t a feline you&rsquo;ll ever find snoozing the day away. Instead, while you&rsquo;re gone, they&rsquo;ll likely be organising their next grand prank.

Yes, you read that right, pranks, so watch out for incoming objects raining down from their high throne. It&rsquo;s not uncommon for them to play their own version of hide and seek &ndash; the likelihood is you&rsquo;ll find them in high, hard-to-reach places.

You&#39;ll find that Savannahs are described with a filial (or F) number &ndash; this identifies how close they are to the first cross with their wildcat ancestor and how much wild DNA the cat has. It takes at least three generations for Savannahs to no longer be considered wildcat hybrids and be purebred Savannahs, i.e. F4. It is illegal in some countries to own a Savannah cat from the early generations as a pet.

<a href="/all-things-pet/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-hcm-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's article about HCM in cats">Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats</a> is the most common heart condition. In HCM, the heart muscle becomes thick, preventing the heart from working properly. This can lead to heart failure but if diagnosed at an early stage, long-term medication and other measures can slow the disease down. Savannahs can be prone to this condition and breeders should make sure that their cats have been tested and are clear of the condition.&nbsp;

Hybrid Male Sterility (HMS) can impact the early generations of Savannah cats where male cats are born with improperly developed testes. It isn&#39;t until the fourth generation (F4) that reliably fertile male cats are produced. This condition does not affect the health of the cat, but sterile cats may have a lower price due to their inability to reproduce.

Pyruvate Kinase (PK) deficiency in Savannahs is where the Pyruvate Kinase (PK) enzyme found in red blood cells is lacking. As a result, the lifespan of the red blood cells is reduced and leads to anaemia.

There is no cure as it is an inherited condition, but it can be successfully managed.

While Savannahs are naturally very active, they can become overweight if their exercise needs aren&rsquo;t met. <a href="/all-things-pet/obesity-in-dogs-cats-rabbits" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to obesity in pets">Obesity in cats</a> can have various associated health issues &ndash; <a href="/all-things-pet/arthritis-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to arthritis in cats">arthritis</a>, <a href="/all-things-pet/diabetes-in-cats" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to diabetes in cats">diabetes</a>, liver and kidney problems. To maintain a healthy weight, only feed them the recommended amount of food, and don&rsquo;t give in to giving them too many treats.

Common Savannah Cat Health Problems by Vetstream

Still fairly new to the domestic scene, Savannahs have few recognised health problems and are one of the healthiest cat breeds. However, if anything is amiss with your Savannah, seek advice from your vet. Here&rsquo;s some <a href="/all-things-pet/10-common-cat-illnesses-and-symptoms" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to the most common cat health issues">common health issues</a> your Savannah cat might suffer from.

Savannah Cat Insurance and Health Advice | Everypaw

Get a quote for your Savannah cat's insurance

Savannah

Link to How to Our Guide to Keeping Your Pets Safe at Halloween

Link to log in to the Everypaw Pet Portal

A dog and a cat compare Everypaw's Insurance for Pets

Link to get a quote for Everypaw Pet Insurance 

Link to retrieve a previous Everypaw Pet Insurance quote

Zoomies to Senior Snoozes, We've Got Them Covered

The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
All policies and features are subject to special conditions and exclusions of the insurers, please click the link to read about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance Exclusions page">our policy exclusions.</a> 
 
Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

An older dog for pet insurance for older pets

As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-for-older-pets.html">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

What about younger pets? We also offer <a href="/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> and <a href="/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppy insurance</a>, covered by our cat and dog insurance. No matter how old or young your purr-fect pet is, our pet insurance can give you all-important peace of mind.&nbsp;

Four animals for Everypaw's Multi-pet Insurance

Whether you are looking for a playmate for your pet or if your house is more like a <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dog</a>, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cat</a> and <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a> smallholding, you need multi-pet insurance that works for you. Everypaw&#39;s policies are just that and give you a discount on every pet too. No matter how many pets you have, from glorious <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/golden-retriever-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Golden Retriever Dog Breed Guide page">Golden Retrievers</a> and majestic <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/maine-coon-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Maine Coon Cat Breed Guide page">Maine Coons</a> to lovely <a href="/rabbit-insurance/rabbit-breed-guides/lionhead-rabbit-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Lionhead Rabbit Breed Guide page">Lionheads</a>, it&#39;s there for every single paw.

Link to the Everypaw Multi-pet Insurance page

How Does Pet Insurance Work: Getting a Quote

Our pet insurance quote form takes just 3 minutes to fill out. Here&#39;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Select which type of pet you&#39;re looking to insure and enter their age, breed and sex</li>
	<li>Enter basic personal details about yourself including your email and home addresses</li>
	<li>Select your vet fees limit</li>
	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
</ul>

Will my pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Ever found the urge to discover what the best dog breeds to train are or maybe you want to get to the bottom of your pet&#39;s worm problem.&nbsp;<a href="/Home/all-things-pet.html" title="Link to Everypaw's All Things Pet blog">Everypaw&#39;s All Things Pet blog</a>&nbsp;has the content to keep you informed.

Most Popular Celebrity and Royal Pet Names 2025

Link to the UK's Most Popular Celebrity and Royal Pet Names 2025

Link to Our Guide to the 2025 Everypaw Awards

The 2025 Everypaw Awards

Link to The UK's Top 15 Strangest Pet Names 2025 blog article

The UK's Top 15 Strangest Pet Names 2025

A phone screen image of Everypaw's Pet Portal

Link to Everypaw Pet Portal information page

Everypaw Pet Portal policy management icon

For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

Why Choose Everypaw for Pet Insurance in the UK?

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/multi-pet-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Multi-pet Insurance page">Insure multiple pets</a>&nbsp;for a multi-pet discount

99% of claims paid in 5 working days*

Unlimited 24/7 access to UK vet nurses and vets with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall vet page">Petcall</a>

Manage your UK pet insurance policy online in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/pet-portal-info" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Portal Information page">Pet Portal</a>

Three animals for Everypaw's Multi-pet Insurance

Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

<ul>
	<li>Treatment for any pre-existing conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment for poisoning or any accidental injury that occurs in the first 3 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment for any illness that occurs in the first 14 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment related to vaccine-preventable conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment related to breeding, pregnancy or birthing</li>
	<li>Treatment on baby teeth if your pet is over 16 weeks when your policy starts</li>
</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

We know pets are just as much a part of your family as any human. So, we know how important it is to you that they&#39;re protected. Choose Everypaw for pet insurance in the UK and give yourself that priceless peace of mind.

We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

If you wish to find out more and your eligibility for any options, please call <a href="tel:03445431009" title="Call Everypaw Customer Services and Claims">0344 543 1009</a>.

Two levels of our Lifetime Pet Insurance cover have been rated 5 Stars by independent financial business, Defaqto, for 8 years in a row.

Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

A phone image of an Everypaw Petcall vet nurse

Link to the Everypaw Petcall information page

Dog Insurance

Cat Insurance

An image link for Everypaw Rabbit Insurance

Link to the Everypaw Rabbit Insurance page

Rabbit Insurance

Pet Insurance | UK Pet Insurance Quotes | Everypaw

Link to get an Everypaw Pet Insurance quote

Savannah Cat Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Savannah Cat Facts

Is a Savannah Cat Right for Me?

What Are Savannah Kittens Like?

Life with a Savannah

Caring for Your Savannah

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise