Savannah — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiencycan shorten life or cause chronic pain
This is an inherited anaemia: affected red blood cells break down faster than normal, causing intermittent bouts of lethargy, weakness, weight loss and jaundice whose timing and severity vary between cats. UC Davis's genetics laboratory names Savannah as one of the breeds found to carry this mutation at meaningful frequency, tracing back through its Bengal and domestic shorthair ancestry.
Ask to see: Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency DNA test result for both parents (UC Davis VGL or an equivalent laboratory)
UC Davis VGL — Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK Deficiency) (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/pk-deficiency-cat) · Grahn et al. 2012, "Erythrocyte pyruvate kinase deficiency mutation identified in multiple breeds of domestic cats", BMC Veterinary Research (https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-8-207)
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-b)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
This progressive retinal atrophy destroys the retina's light-sensing cells from around seven weeks old, leading to significantly compromised vision by about two years old. It originated in the Bengal breed, and UC Davis's genetics laboratory explicitly lists Savannah among the breeds it recommends testing, reflecting Savannah's part-Bengal ancestry.
Ask to see: PRA-b DNA test result for both parents (UC Davis VGL or an equivalent laboratory)
UC Davis VGL — Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA-b) (Bengal) (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/pra-bengal) · Ofri et al. 2015, "Characterization of an early-onset, autosomal recessive, progressive retinal degeneration in Bengal cats", Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.15-16585)