Difference between Savannah and Bengal cats?

There is one major difference between Savannah and Bengal cats which dictates all the other differences: the wild cat genes of the Savannah cat are those of a serval while the wild genes of the Bengal are those of an Asiatic leopard cat.

 Difference between Savannah and Bengal cats? Photos
(left: Jim Child - right: Kathryn Stucki)

They are both wild cat hybrids. Therefore they both have some wildcat in them. The amount depends on whether the cat concerned is a kitten from a mating between a serval and a domestic cat (first filial or first generation) or if the cat concerned is several generations from that offspring (fifth filial for instance). But they all have some serval in them.

The same basic rule applies to the Bengal cat only the wild cat element is a much smaller wild cat: the Asiatic leopard cat aka leopard cat. The serval is quite a large wild cat and much larger than the leopard cat.

And the serval has a different character to the leopard cat. So taking the first filial (F1) Savannah and Bengal cats the former is larger than the latter and the legs are longer. The character of the former may be a little more amenable to human company than the latter because the leopard cat is vehemently independent while the serval is more pliable I'd say. But that is a fine point.

DIFFERENCE IN SAVANNAH CAT AND BENGAL CAT BEHAVIOR

The big difference is the appearance. Also the coat of the Savannah cat reflects that of the serval: plain dark spots on a yellowish background. The Bengal has rosettes and a more intricate pattern usually. Some of the differences are due to years of selective breeding which has separated their respective appearances more such as spotted Bengals and blotched tabby Bengals. There are arrowhead spots and donuts and so on.

IF YOU WANT AN F1 BENGAL READ THIS

The F1 Savannah cat is better known than the F1 Bengal. Quite a lot of people live with the exotic F1 Savannah because they are so glamorous and large. Also some say that they are slightly hypoallergenic (unproven). Very few people live with F1 Bengals. They are rarer. They are hard to live with. So are F1 Savannahs but probably a bit easier than living with an F1 Bengal.

The most common version of each breed is the fifth filial. These behave like classic domestic cats but they may be a bit more challenging on occasions.

Asian Leopard Cat

The Asian leopard cat is the wildcat "parent" of the Bengal cat. It is only the actual parent when the Bengal cat is a first generation cat - an F1. Nearly all Bengal cats are F4 and over or Stud Book Tradition (SBT) cats.

Asian Leopard Cat - Photo by Drew Avery

The Asian leopard cat is sometimes called the leopard cat. One person at least calls it the Asian Bengal cat!

Some people domesticate the Asian leopard cat. It is a small wildcat and of course looks like the Bengal cat. It is not predisposed to be being domesticated. It is a very independent and single minded wildcat.

If you would like to read and see more on the Asian leopard cat here are some articles:

• Asian Leopard Cat
• Asian Leopard Cat Range (distribution)
• Iriomote Cat

Bengal Cat F1

I have a nice page on an F1 Bengal cat. The F1 Bengal is quite rare compared to the F1 Savannah in my opinion but I might be wrong.

Striker F1 Bengal Cat

"F1" stands for first filial or first generation from the wild. So the mother of an F1 Bengal cat will be a domestic cat (a Bengal cat, in fact) and the father will be an Asian leopard cat.

They are quite wild looking. But if well socialized by the breeder they will be as domesticate as any other domestic cat only their character will be a bit different.