Cat lovers know that each cat breed has different specialties and characteristics. Learning about these characteristics and things is necessary before adopting any cat breed. When it comes to Savannah and Bengal breeds, these are favorites for those cat owners who need an athletic and active cat at their home.
This article enlightens all the similarities and differences between Savannah and Bengal breeds.
Savannah Cat Breed:
Savannah Breed is a hybrid breed introduced in the 20th century by crossing between Siamese cats with Wild feline. This cat displays wild characteristics and social characteristics at the same time. Its wild physical attributes are long ears, coat with spots, and friendly behavior like innocent Ragdolls.
They can grow up to 16 inches, and their weight can be more than 23 pounds. It’s like keeping a friendly wild animal with you because this breed is friendly with the owners and can be very unfriendly with strangers. This loyal and intelligent breed cannot be the best choice for cat owners who are not familiar with cats to adopt a cat for the first time. Savannahs is still a rare breed, even after years of its first introduction.
Bengal Cat Breed:
Bengal is also a hybrid breed resulting from Leopard cats of Asia and domestic cats. They display intelligence, affection, and bold behavior with 10-15 years of life span. Its appearance may make you think of a wild leopard because of its spotted coat.
In 1983, this cat got immense fame due to its rugged appearance.
The appearance of Savannah Cat Breed:
The Savannahs have a tall body with spots on its coat that resemble a cheetah. They can get taller than 15 inches. The average weight of female Savannahs is 12-15 pounds, and that of males is 25 pounds. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Savannahs are the tallest cats. Another distinct trait of the Savannahs is their almond-shaped, hooded eyes.
This cat breed is not right for those cat lovers who do not know about the generations of the Savannah Cat. So, it is essential to know about the generation of the cat before bringing it home.
The appearance of Bengal Cat Breed:
This agile cat breed has an average weight of 9-15 pounds. They have short coats with a bold pattern. Bengal cat breed has different silver, snow, and brown shades. Their eye color may be orange, yellow, or brown.
They are very easy to groom because they have short fur length and need to be brushed once a week. They have soft muscular bodies and long legs, making them good jumpers.
The temperament of Savannah Cats:
These are among active and athletic cats. It is not a perfect choice for those looking for a lap cat. This cat loves to live in higher places like your kitchen shelves. These cats can hop up to 8 feet tall places.
This is a very adventurous cat breed, always looking for new adventures. They are water lovers and love to spend quality time in water bodies like bathtubs or pools.
Savannahs are very talkative and express their feelings with different vocalizations. They can also be trained to go out because Savannahs are not very social animals. Their behavior can be very odd on seeing any stranger. Their characteristics and love for adventures make them more dog-like.
These are very friendly to familiar people and express their love by following their favorite person throughout the house. They want a lot of attention and care from their owners.
If you are going to adopt the Savannah breed for you, make sure that you know more about the generations of the Savannah rather than their physical attributes. Their generations are numbered as F1, F2, F3, F4, etc. The generations like F1 or F2 have more wild behavior and wild physical attributes like weight and height as compared to F3 and F4.
The temperament of Bengal Cat Breed:
The Bengal cat breed is family-friendly and loving. These loyal cats are very intelligent and are also friendly with the other pets and family members. Like Savannah, Bengal cats also express love for their most favorite personality at home by following them from room to room. They have similar behavior to Savannah, as they also like to spend time in the water.
They are very active and need many different activities to keep their brain engaged. They learn new tricks quickly and can also be trained to go out with you to explore new adventures.
Bengal cats will never let you sit quietly as they are always playful and active. They will be talkative at the time of playing or when they need food. These cats will also learn to greet you when you come home.
Living needs of Savannah Cat Breed:
Savannah needs a lot of interactive activities to keep themselves busy. You do not need a big house to Keep Savannah cats. All you need is to provide them with higher places and different corners to hide. You can also give them different simple toys to play with.
These cats become hyperactive when not provided with the required activities. They might start scratching your furniture or behave oddly to entertain themselves. It is better to give them different scratching posts to protect your furniture from getting scratched.
These are not like any other cat who will get happy with toys or scratching posts. They need a cinematic room where they would love to watch cat-based videos.
As mentioned earlier, these cats can jump up to 9 feet high, so nothing is safe at your home. Before bringing it home, you must keep all the plants and decoration pieces away from high places. You may need to remove all your plants from shelves if you do not want these all to be broken.
They can be trained to guard your pets if you do not have time to protect them when they are out. These cats can get bored easily and needs different kinds of entertaining activities. Moreover, these cats can never leave them alone at home and if you do so, get ready to see a messy house.
Living Needs of Bengal Cat Breed:
Likewise, Savannah cat breed, Bengal cats feel happy when they see their owners around them. They will live happily in a big or small house when you are around them to take care of their requirements, and if you cannot give them a lot of time, you should keep another pet so that a Bengal cat can entertain itself during your absence. You can also provide them with toys and cat trees to keep them busy.
As we know, these cats love high places, so your refrigerators and shelves, even the top of your cupboards, are not safe from these cats. They can leap anywhere.
You can also provide them with window perches to keep themselves busy watching the birds and outdoor activities of other people. After a busy and tiresome routine of the day, these cats will love to spend some time in your lap.
Grooming of Savannah Cat Breed:
These are not heavy shedders, so their grooming does not require a lot of effort. Weekly brushing is necessary to keep their coats clean. Brushing will also help shed the hair and dead skin of the cat.
Eyes may have some fluid or substances accumulated in the corner that needs to be cleaned. Use different wipes for both eyes to clean them.
Nails should be trimmed weekly or when needed because grown nails will increase the scratching behavior of the Savannah cats.
Savannah cats have long ears and need to be cleaned with a damp, soft cloth to remove all the debris from the ears.
The mouth is more vulnerable to bacterial infections, so daily tooth brushing is necessary to avoid infections and swollen gums in cats. If you do not have time to brush their teeth daily, brushing your pet’s teeth once a week can be helpful.
Grooming of Bengal Cat Breed:
Taking care of the Bengal cat breed is easier as they do not have long fur and are not heavy shedders. They also need weekly brushing like Savannahs to remove hairs and dead skin from the body. They love water, so you can bathe them frequently to keep them neat and healthy.
Daily teeth brushing is necessary to keep your pet protected from dental diseases and infections that can lead to other health problems.
Their long ears need to be cleaned occasionally. Use a soft, damp cloth to clean the ears, and make sure that you do not use common cotton buds for this purpose.
The eyes are the sensitive part of the body and can have some fluids or substances on the corners. These fluids and substances can be cleaned using soft damp tissue. Gently rub the eyes to clean them, and please do not use the same tissue for both eyes.
Like other cats, Bengal cats need their nails to be trimmed when they grow.
Health Issues of Savannah Cat Breed:
Like any other pet, Savannahs are vulnerable to some diseases. The first 3 generations of the Savannah cat breed are sterile. But if you are bringing any of the generations of the Savannah breed, it is necessary to neuter them as soon as possible to avoid any unwanted behavior of the cat.
Savannahs are the hybrids of two different cats. They have a long life span. If you want your Savannah pet to live for a long time, you will need to take of their health.
Dental Infections:
Savannahs are susceptible to dental problems like all other cats. As mentioned above, these infections can be prevented by brushing your pet’s teeth regularly. Their swollen gums can create different problems.
Eye diseases:
Savannah cats can be vulnerable to common diseases. They can go through eye infections as follows:
Glaucoma: This is a disease that is caused due to an increase in the pressure on the eyeball.
Cataracts: It affects the opacity of the eye lens.
Conjunctivitis: Savannahs are more susceptible to this disorder. It is an inflammatory disease in which the inner side of the eyelids is infected.
Fortunately, all these diseases can be treated through eye drops.
Infections:
Many Savannahs can get infections due to weak immunity. These infections include;
Toxoplasmosis and Chlamydia: This infection affects the eyes and brain. However, these infections are very rare.
Cystitis: This disease affects the urethra and bladder of the Savannah cat breed. This disease is also known as FLUTD or feline lower urinary tract disease.
In Savannahs, the causes of this disease include stress and urination problems. Its symptoms include painful urination and blood in the urine. It can also be treated by pain relief medicines and using special diets. Steps should be taken as soon as the symptoms are seen in the cat.
Gastrointestinal tract disease: The Savannahs can also undergo Gastrointestinal tract disorders. This is common causes vomiting or diarrhea. Gastrointestinal tract disease is caused by poisoning or blockage in the gastrointestinal tube that starts from the mouth and ends in the anus.
Kidney Diseases:
Savannahs may also suffer from kidney diseases that can be due to tumors or toxic substances, or infections. It can also be caused due to the increasing age of Savannahs. The bad news is that kidney diseases cannot be treated, but the cat will enjoy a normal life like healthy cats if proper care is provided.
Health Issues of Bengal Cat Breed:
All cats are susceptible to health issues, so the Bengal cat breed is also susceptible to some diseases. There are three common diseases in Bengal cat breed. These are hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Peritoneal retinal atrophy, and Allergies.
Allergies: Bengal cats are very sensitive to anesthesia. Any anesthetic allergy can lead to cardiac diseases. So, spaying and neutering surgeries should be done very carefully to avoid anesthetic problems.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: It is related to the heart. The heart muscles get thick in this disease, especially in older cats. It can also lead to the formation of blood clots that will shorten the life span of the Bengal cats.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy: This eye infection is common among Bengal cats. This disease should be cured initially, but if it gets severe, the result will be a blindness in your pet.
Chronic Renal Failure: This disease is not common, but it can affect the normal functioning of the kidneys. So proper diet and care are necessary to avoid all kinds of diseases.
Lymphosarcoma: It is a cancerous disease in which cancerous tumors are formed in the lymphatic tissues of the body.
Training of Savannah and Bengal Cat Breeds:
These are very curious and intelligent creatures. They can learn tricks very quickly. You can also teach them to sing with you with their amazing vocals. They will happily play any kind of game that you will teach them during their training. These are super smart and will play fetch or retrieval games happily.
Exercise for Savannah and Bengal Cat Breeds:
If the energy of Savannah and Bengal cats is not released in a positive way, they will become hyperactive and will show undesired behavior. So, it is important to release energy positively through exercises and games. Exercise will prevent both the cat breeds from obesity, and hence, it will increase the healthy life span.
Savannah and Bengal cats love going outside and hunting for the squirrels in the park. You can train them to walk with you and can also take them to a kids pool where they will play and will take their exercise. They are always active and will never refuse to play fetching games with you. Playing with your cats is very important as it is a way of exercise. It should be an important part of your routine because it will positively use your pet’s energy and protect your cat from boredom and psychological issues.
Outdoor or Indoor Cats:
Savannah and Bengal cat breeds are wild from the outside but soft and affectionate from the inside. They will be happy wherever they live; they need different toys and cat trees to keep themselves engaged. They will love going outside with you and will enjoy spending quality time in the park or walking on the roads, but they will stay with you whether you are in the house or outside.
These cats are smart enough that they will not get caught by any stranger or any other animal. They can also be a strong and powerful guard for your pets or chickens due to their jumping abilities.
If you do not want your Savannahs or Bengal cats to go out, you can train them to do so. Their tricky mind will pick it very quickly.
Diet and Nutrition of Savannah and Bengal Cat Breeds:
Savannahs and Bengal cats are very energetic and require a nutritional and proteinaceous diet. There are different diet requirements of cat breeds to complete the nutritional values. The amount and type of the foods vary depending on diets and cat breeds.
For Savannahs and Bengal cats, the food should be based on meat mainly. Chicken-based dry food is perfect for fulfilling nutritional values. Dry food has a low level of carbohydrates that can cause dehydration and different health issues. So, you should avoid any food that contains corn and rice.
Different cat foods are contain incorporated sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes because these foods provide fibers to your little companion.
It is a must to provide your cat with a better diet because giving them an improper diet may cost you the life of your companion.
History of Savannah Cat Breed:
The first Savannah Cat was introduced in 1986 for the first time. This cat breed is achieved by crossing a masculine wild African cat with a Siamese cat.
The resultant breed possesses the characters of both parents. Wild characteristics outside and Soft nature inside. The early generations can be more African cat-like than the Siamese cat. In 2001, The International Cat Association recognized Savannah as an official breed.
History of Bengal Cat Breed:
In the 1900s, the breeders reproduced domestic cats with the Asian Leopard cats, also called Felis Bengalnesis that are located in the Southeast of Asia. The Bengal world is because of their slender and wild appearance.
Now a days, the cats that are bred now are exact copies of Asian leopard cats with the friendly behavior of domestic cats. These are among the most costly cat breeds.
Summary:
Savannah cats are wilder than Bengals because they have more wild genes. Some cat owners like this quality of the Savannah cats, and some of them may not like it. Savannah is not a creature to cuddle up, but they show their affection in a different way. Bengals are preferred by most cat owners because they are more friendly than the Savannahs.
In short, the Bengal cat breed is best for those people who need an energetic and active cat at their home which do not behave wildly. These cats want a lot of attention, so if you cannot provide them with a lot of care and attention, then Bengal is not a perfect option for you. You cannot leave it at home for a long time.
Both cats possess wild physical attributes and innocent, friendly nature. It depends on the owner’s choice of which one is suitable for them or the characteristics they want to see in their companion. If you are looking for a friendly and innocent cat that will sit in your lap for a long time, then both breeds are not suitable for you. It would be best to look for other friendly and quiet cats like Ragdolls or Abyssinians because, unlike these cats, Ragdolls and Abyssinians are innocent and docile.
Having Savannah and Bengal cat breeds at your home may cost more as these cats require more toys and different adventures to keep themselves engaged. Moreover, their diet is more costly than other cats.