Confused about which cat breed to choose, Bengal vs Savannah Cat? You surely will because they both have almost the same appearance.
Both of them are a result of breeding a domestic cat with a wild feline.
A Bengal cat is a mixed breed between a domestic cat and an Asian leopard cat, while on the other hand, a Savannah cat is born a mix between a domestic cat and a Serval cat.
Now, let’s see the difference between Bengal cat and Savannah cat.
Bengal vs Savannah Cat – At a Glance
If you see the Bengal and Savannah cats together, it might get quite difficult to spot the difference, as both of them have very similar appearances. With that, they are not completely domestic cats, it’s clearly visible as they act and look very different from your average domestic cat.
Both of the cats, Bengal and Savannah, are a crossbreeding of a domestic cat with a wild cat. Let us help you to spot the difference between Savannah Cat and Bengal Cat so that you can choose the right cat breeds for your house.
Comparison of Savannah Cat vs Bengal Cat
| Attributes | Savannah cat | Bengal cat |
| Height | 14-17 inches | 8-10 inches |
| Weight | 12-25 pounds | 8-5 pounds |
| Lifespan | 12-20 years | 9-15 years |
| Colors | Ebony, Lavender, Black, Silver Chocolate, Sable | Silver, Brown, Lavender, Sable, |
| Intelligence level | High | High |
| Activity level | Active and Playful | Active and Very Playful |
| Trainable | Easy to train | Easy to train |
| Shedding amount | Normal | Normal |
| Patterns | Tabby and solid | Spotted and marble |
1. Physical Appearance
Bengal Cat
The Bengals are slim and move about in a very graceful manner. The weight of these cats lies in between, 8-15 pounds, a fur so soft, dense, and short that you would love to cuddle with them. You will find the fur of these cats in patterned and different shades of, brownish, silver, and snow.
Likewise, the eye color of the Bengals is brown, yellow, orange, and green.
Every person must have seen a cat who has a fur pattern that resembles with leopard, and that’s our Bengal cats! This is the most remarkable feature of the Bengal cat, which represents its wild Asian leopard ancestry.
Though they are lighter in pounds, they will tend to appear a bit longer due to their muscular bodies.
Savannah Cat
The Savannahs are tall and super graceful just by the merry appearance, you will feel like holding the cat in your arms! To give proper justice to the physical look, you can say that they are like a mini copy of leopards.
The International Cat Association (ICA) recognized them as a registered breed in the year 2001. The Savannah cats are awarded as the world’s tallest domestic cat by the Guinness book of world record.
The color of these cats are Black, brown, brown spotted tabby, silver spotted tabby and black smoke. You can easily maintain the coat of Savannah cats, as it’s short and dense. Almond-shaped eyes, slightly hooded with a dark tear Dutch line.
The male Savannah cat weighs up to 25pounds, while the female Savannah cats are as light as 15 pounds.
2. Health and Grooming Needs
Bengal Cat
The Bengal cats have fur which is very soft, dense, and short, so it won’t take a lot out of you during the grooming sessions, a weekly session of brushing will be enough. To remove the dead skin cells and distribute healthy skin oil, combing will do.
You don’t have to bathe the Bengals that frequently, because they are experts in keeping themselves clean.
Regular tooth, ears, and nail cleaning are very important for this breed.
About keeping them healthy: the Bengal cats are very friendly and affectionate, so as long as you are spending a good amount of time with them, they will stay happy and healthy. Also, they are very athletic, so you have to fulfill their daily quota of exercise!
Cat interactive toys or a cat tree is something which you need to have in your home for this breed.
Savannah Cat
One thing you need to keep in mind for the Savannah cats is that you are supposed to start grooming sessions and leash training from the very initial stage. Once it’s a grown-up, you have to battle your way to it. This can be very difficult.
You don’t have to invest much again in the grooming needs for its fur, weekly combing will be helpful in removing the debris and dead hair. Both the Savannah and Bengal cats are experts in keeping themselves clean. You need to invest quite more time in trimming their nails as they grow very fast.
Note: some Savannah cats also required a weekly timing of their nails, as they grow super fast, and it might hurt you or other members of your family.
About keeping them healthy: spayed or neutered these cats as soon as your vet asks because they are more likely to develop behavior issues if not done so! To stay healthy and happy, these cats need a lot of exercise and activities for mental stimulation.
Getting cat interactive cat toys and cat trees will help you a lot to keep them engaged.
3. Temperament and Behavior
Bengal Cat
Don’t be biased towards the Bengal cats, as they might look tough and wild from the outside, but they are sweet and soft from the inner side.
These cats are more tamable, they won’t ghost you for hours and then come back only when hungry! Instead, they will follow you everywhere in the house, and you will know how much they love you! Due to this kind of nature, the Bengal cats are said to be dog-like.
It’s safe to leave them with kids and other pets in the house. They are very intelligent, you can easily make them learn any trick or even talk out for a walk on a leash, so you can have an adventure buddy.
Savannah Cat
These cats are very active in nature, so if you want a cat who will let you make her sit in the lap like a lazy baby, the Savannah cats might not be a perfect choice. Most of the time you will find them on the higher shelves in your home.
One more surprising nature, we know how much a cat hates water, the Savannah cats love to be in the water.
You can easily train these felines, just make sure that if you are bringing any new member in your home, you got to introduce them in a friendly way with these big house cats. They can get suspicious of strangers. Talkative with a variety of distinctive vocalizations, another description of them.
These cats won’t like to be a part of such a house where the cat parents are hardly home, as they love human interaction and are very affectionate.
4. Activity Level and Cost
| Breeds | Activity level | Cost |
| Bengal cat | High | $1,500 – $3,000 (USD) |
| Savannah cat | High | $1,000 and $20,000 (USD) |
5. Diet and Lifespan
Bengal Cat
The life span of a Bengal cat is 9-15 years.
The Bengal kittens: to support the growth of the Bengal kittens, you need to make sure that they are getting enough nutrients. A dry or wet food, both will be the best suitable for them.
Full-grown Bengal cats: as the Bengal cats are very energetic and always engaged in some or other physical activities, they do need a pack of balanced cat food rich in protein. So both dry and wet cat food would be suitable for them.
A fresh meat diet and white fish once a week would be helpful in keeping them healthy.
Ingredients to avoid: grain-rich food, avocado, chocolates, raw potatoes, sweet potatoes, yeast dough, and raw eggs.
Savannah Cat
The life span of the Savannah cat is 12-20 years.
Savannah kittens: for 0-8 weeks of a Savannah kitten, a diet of raw, ground chicken. Once your kitten starts consuming it comfortably, you can switch to wet cat food, usually a chicken-based formula. Mix in the wet cat food with the chicken until the adjustment period is over.
After a period of 9-12 weeks, you can ween off from the diet of raw chicken and onto wet cat food.
Full-grown Savannah cat: A high-quality dry cat food is an ideal source of nutrition, just make sure that it should be meat-based. Chicken and duck-based recipes are incredibly helpful for your cats.
Ingredients to avoid: Dry cat food that offers low-quality carbs, as it can cause dehydration issues and other health problems. With that, avoid feeding her, rice, wheat, and corn in excessive quantities.
Which Is the Best Breed?
It’s quite difficult to select the best breed from, Savannah vs Bengal cat.
If you are looking for a cat that acts quite like a regular cat, that Bengal cat would be the best choice and if you are looking for a cat with an exotic personality then go for a Savannah cat.
Conclusion
Bengal vs Savannah cat, whatever you choose, make sure that your home and family members are well-prepared for that. If you want to go for the Bengal cat, they are athletic, more curious, and closer to a regular house cat.
Whereas the Savannah cats are a large and active breed that won’t behave like your regular cat, however, they are as friendly as dogs. Now you decide Bengal or Savannah cat!
References
- Bengal cat — Wikipedia
- Savannah cat — Wikipedia
- Differences between Bengal cats and Savannah cats — Hospital Veterinari Glòries
I purchased what I was told was a Bengal cat about 5 years ago. He has lived with me and his chum, a tabby and white rescue cat and I have been very impressed with his intelligence. He is very affectionate but very determined to get his own way. Previously I have always had Siamese cats who are also intelligent and loving but the Bengal learned how to open cupboards and drawers when he was just a small kitten, but only bothered with the ones that held cat food or his biscuits. Interestingly the ordinary cat has followed his example and has also learned some “bad” habits. Both are house cats but have a large cage which is built on the back of the house to they can get some fresh air and sunshine. Recently a friend told me she thought my Bengal was a Savannah. It was while I was looking on line that I find your details. I don’t care what he is ‘cos I love him anyway! Not sure if you are aware but a UK vet has recently come up with a “secret superfood” which is designed to improve the health and longevity of all cats called “Feline 40” It contains Reishi mushrooms, green lipped mussels, Kelp, Offal, Fish oil and Spirulina (which is known as “Miracle of the Sea”).It’s in powder form (chicken flavoured) to sprinkle a small amount over food at meal times to replace the vitamins etc that have ben lost in the high heat cooking process used by petfood makers. I have just purchased a pot to try. I tell you this sout of interest only as I have nothing to do with the maker/promoter.