Savannah Cats in Australia: Are They Legal?

What is a Savannah cat?

A cross between a domestic cat and a serval. The International Cat Association (TICA) describes the Savannah as “a domestic breed which closely resembles its ancestral source the African Serval, but is smaller in stature”, with a tall, lean build, long neck and legs, tall ears and bold dark spots. TICA says the first known Savannah was born on 7 April 1986 to a domestic cat and an African serval, that it accepted the Savannah for registration in 2001 and for championship status in 2012. TICA also notes that the Savannah is still illegal in some states and countries because of its serval ancestry.

Australian law does not follow the registries. The federal environment department's household pets page lists “savannah cats (serval x domestic cat)” as a hybrid and says: “We do not use lists of registered breeds as a basis for import.”

What do F1, F2 and SBT mean?

They describe distance from the serval. TICA's Savannah breed section defines the filial (F) number as how many generations a cat is removed from its serval ancestry: an F1 has a serval parent, an F2 a serval grandparent, an F3 a serval great-grandparent, and so on. SBT (stud book tradition) means the kitten has had Savannah parents for at least three generations.

Percentages are the theoretical figures in the 2008 final assessment report, which notes that if an F1 Savannah or a serval is used as a parent in an F2 cross, “the percentage of Serval blood can jump to 75 percent”, and that claims of parentage are difficult to substantiate. The import column is from the Live Import List and the department's hybrid guidance.

Size follows generation. The same report gives early generation Savannah cats at 4.5 to 11 kg and later generations usually 3.5 to 7.7 kg, “similar in size to many breeds of Domestic Cat”, against 8.7 to 18 kg for the serval itself.

What does the federal law say?

Only animals on the Live Import List can be imported, and the list's entry for the domestic cat leaves the Savannah out by name. The List of Specimens taken to be Suitable for Live Import (compilation 104, in force from 28 January 2026) lists, in Part 1:

“Felis catus, excluding any specimen of Felis catus derived from cross breeding with: (a) a Leptailurus serval or (b) a Savannah Cat (Felis catus x Leptailurus serval). Note: To avoid doubt, (a) and (b) exclude from the definition of Felis catus any specimen with any genetic material derived from Leptailurus serval.”

The government pages repeat it in plain terms, each read on 11 November 2026:

Quoted from the pages as read on 11 November 2026. The Live Import List page notes that the National Environmental Protection Agency was established on 1 July 2026 and now handles the list. This is a summary of what the government says, not legal advice.

Why did Australia ban Savannah cats in 2008?

Because the government judged the risk to wildlife too high. In 2008 the then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, proposed amending the Live Import List in relation to Savannah cats. The department put a draft assessment out for public comment from 19 June to 17 July 2008, and its final environmental assessment, dated 24 July 2008, concluded:

“Savannah Cats are rated as an extreme risk of establishing and also an extreme risk of becoming a pest should they establish.”

The report explained why, in its own words: “If Savannah Cats were to become established in the wild, the possibility for the increase in size and hunting prowess due to inheritance of Serval genes would mean they are likely to cause at least the same amount or more damage as that of the established feral Domestic Cat.” It also found it “unlikely that any of the potential conditions or restrictions that could be attached to the importation of Savannah Cats to reduce environmental risk is likely to be effective or enforceable.” The department's later hybrid guidance sums it up: “In the case of the Savannah cat the risk was deemed to be extreme.”

A peer-reviewed review by Dickman, Legge and Woinarski (2019) in the journal Animals records that the Minister proceeded with the amendment on 3 August 2008 and that the Federal Court upheld the ban on 29 June 2012. Assuming Savannah cats would hunt prey similar to both parent species, the authors estimated that 91 percent of Australia's surviving land mammal fauna would likely face some risk of predation from them, including 93 percent of non-flying mammal species with threatened conservation status, and concluded that their results strongly validate the decision.

Can you keep a Savannah cat in your state?

Import is a federal matter; keeping one is also covered by state law. Where we found an official page or the legislation naming the serval or the Savannah, it is quoted below. Where we did not, we say so: check with your state biosecurity agency rather than assuming.

Read on 11 November 2026. The NSW wording is from the current version of the Act on the NSW legislation site (in force from 10 July 2026). Laws change; this is not legal advice.

Is someone selling Savannah kittens in Australia a scam?

Treat any offer as one or the other. Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites and profiles and post fake ads, and warns against paying in unusual ways or paying before you have seen what you are buying. A rare, banned cat is exactly the kind of listing that tempts people to skip those checks.

If the cat is real, the law is not on the buyer's side. The federal environment department says possessing illegally imported animals, or their offspring, is an offence under national environment law, and the Live Import List page says how long a species has been in Australia does not by itself establish lawful origin.

• “F5, so it is legal.” It is not. The list excludes any cat with any serval genetic material, whatever the generation.
• “Registered with TICA.” The department says registry recognition is not accepted as evidence an animal is not a hybrid.
• “Born in Australia.” In Queensland and South Australia it still cannot be kept or sold, and possession of illegally imported animals or their offspring is a federal offence.
• A “Bengal” with very tall ears and long legs. If a seller hints a cat has Savannah or serval in it, walk away and report it.

To report a suspected Savannah cat: Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23, the South Australian Pest Alert Hotline on 1800 084 881, or the National EPA at exotic.species@nationalepa.gov.au, the contact given on the Live Import List page.

What about Bengal cats?

The Bengal is a hybrid too, but its position is different. Bengals are bred in Australia by cat-council member breeders, and the state rules we checked treat them like domestic cats: Victoria's prohibited pest animal schedule excepts “Cat-Leopard Cat hybrids (Bengal Cat)” from the cat family listing, and Queensland's Biosecurity Regulation 2016 names “domestic cat (Felis catus and Prionailurus bengalensis x Felis catus)” among the non-native animals excepted from its prohibited list.

Bengals can no longer be imported. The federal environment department announced on 10 December 2024 that from 1 March 2025 Bengal cats would no longer be permitted to enter Australia, ending an exemption since 2013 for cats five generations from the Asian leopard cat. A Department of Agriculture import guide, read on 11 November 2026, gives the date as “As of 1 March 2026”; both dates have passed. The Live Import List page (updated 4 November 2026) confirms that “the 5th generation exemption for Bengal cats no longer applies”, and says an application to add the Bengal to the list has been received, with the final decision to be made by the Minister for the Environment and Water. Our Bengal price guide covers what member breeders publish, the health tests to ask about, state rules and scam red flags.

What lawful cats give you the Savannah look?

Think about what drew you to the Savannah, then match it.

Whatever you choose, an indoor setup or a secure catio protects wildlife and your cat, which is the same concern behind the Savannah ban. Our cat enclosures and catios guide covers the state and council rules, and adopting a cat in Australia walks through the rescue process.

Find a cat near you

Cats and kittens listed by rescues, shelters and council pounds, by city:

• Cats for adoption in Sydney
• Cats for adoption in Melbourne
• Cats for adoption in Brisbane
• Cats for adoption in Perth
• Cats for adoption in Adelaide

Looking for a kitten? See the kittens in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The same import law applies to dogs: our wolf dogs guide explains it.