Someone get me a Savannah Cat.

The last time I was out somewhere and I mentioned a cat that’s the size of a small dog and is playful and junk like other dogs, people were like “ewww that’s creepy.” How is that creepy? That’s fucking awesome! Take all the good stuff about cats (independent, poops in a box, cleans itself, generally quiet), cancel all the bad stuff (shitty personality like “fuck you, I don’t wanna play”), and substitute with awesome dog stuff (leash-training, playful, fetch!) and that sounds perfect. What is creepy about that?

I want one.

Video and info under the cut.

In 2001, the International Cat Association accepted the Savannah cat as a new registered breed.

Also: Let’s all pause to imagine an association of crazy cat ladies arguing over what’s valid and what isn’t.

Anyhow, a Savannah cat is any offspring resulting from the cross-breeding of a domestic cat and a serval, which is an African wildcat. The first pairing was with a Siamese in 1986, but other variations have been produced as well. The appearance is largely determined by what kind of domestic cat was used to breed, while the size gets closer to domestic size with each successive generation. The largest Savannah cats, the direct offspring of a serval and a domestic, can weigh up to 20 lbs.

If you want one, be prepared to spend anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand dollars. Because servals are wild and larger than domestic cats, breeding is costly and time-consuming. Also, many jurisdictions don’t allow for Savannah cat ownership and some have restrictions. Here in New York state, you can own a Savannah that is five generations removed from a serval, but you still can’t bring it into the five burroughs.

So. There goes my happy Saturday.

Watching it play does alleviate my mood slightly though.