Savannah Cats are available in many different colors and patterns. These varieties come from the Serval, as well as the domestic cats that are bred with the Serval. The most common and widely coveted Savannah color and pattern is the traditional gold coat with the brown spots as it looks the most “wild.” That being said, there are several other TICA approved colors such as the silver, smoke and black varieties. There are other colors available, as well, but they are not able to be shown in competitions. As with any rare variety of any kind, there is always someone who wants it — this is even true with the rare colored Savannahs.
In this article, we will go through the 4 main colors and then provide a brief overview of the different patterns that you may see. The 4 main colors of Savannah, as mentioned above, are the Brown Spotted Tabby, the Black Savannah, the Silver Savannah, and the Smoke Savannah. Please keep in mind that they are all the same breed, these are just different color variations that can be produced through the breeding process. The color of these cats is not always something that can be controlled, no matter how knowledgeable and talented the breeder is — there is always a bit of randomness when talking about the genetic makeup of these cats! Another perk of the different colors is that in some cases, the pricing will be lower because the cat doesn’t look like the “prototypical Savannah.” To learn about the different generations of Savannahs, check out our Which Savannah is Right for You page.
Brown Spotted Tabby – Savannah
This is certainly the most popular of all the colors available, which is not surprising given their very “wild” appearance that is as close to the look of a Serval as possible. These Savannahs range in coat color from a cooler beige color all the way to a bright gold with an orange tint. Typically, the brighter the basecoat is, the more variation you will see in the color of the spots. Whereas if the basecoat is the cool beige color, the spots are usually a very dark brown or black. It is widely believed that as these Brown Spotted Tabby Savannahs get older, they all trend towards the more subtle beige-brown color and move away from the ultra vibrant orange-gold color.
Photo courtesy of Lequoia Savannahs
Silver Spotted Tabby – Savannah Color
The silver variation of Savannah Cats seem to be the next most common color. On the Silver Savannahs, as you would expect, they have a silver coat with dark grey or black spots. These cats are very majestic and exotic looking, but look less like the standard African Serval (there are Servals in this color, but it is not the color people associate with them in general).
Black and Smoke Colored Savannahs
The final 2 variations of Savannah Cats are black and smoke. Both are very dark in color, but the smoke Savannahs show their spots a bit more than the black Savannahs. Both are acceptable colors according to The International Cat Association, even though there are no smoke colored Servals (we do see black Servals).
Pattern Overview
Spotted
A large majority of all Savannahs are spotted, just like their wild ancestor. The spots will vary quite a bit from cat to cat, but most people do not even notice the differences in the spots. This also happens to be the only pattern that is acceptable when it comes to showing Savannah Cats at competitions.
Marbled
Instead of spots, marbled Savannahs have what look more like random striping. These stripes often take a circular pattern, but can vary greatly. This pattern is not shown in competition, but look more exotic than the spotted cats according to many.