In a prior "What the F" article, we discussed the Filial system, which you can read here. This article takes it a step further. If the Filial system isn't confusing enough, there are even more letters to learn! You can have an SBT-BST cat as well. Wait, what...isn't that a Palindrome? No, it’s just a mouthful.

What does SBT Mean? Once a cat's parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are ALL Savannahs, the result of those kittens is what's called "Stud Book Traditional" or SBT. This is the first generation considered a purebred Savannah and is the only classification for the Championship Competition with TICA. The earliest generation SBT's are achieved is F4 (but of course, that doesn't mean ALL F4's are SBT).

So what does BST stand for? That's a “Brown (Black) Spotted Tabby.” This basically means any brown-colored Savannah with a black (or dark brown) spotted pattern and a black tail tip is a BST. BST is the most common color for Savannahs, and a BST can range anywhere from a very warm-toned golden brown to a darker cool-toned brown that almost looks gray.

Fun Fact: The Savannah Breed Standard permissible colors also include SST - Silver (Black), Spotted Tabby, Black (aka Melanistic), and Black Smoke. Examples of warm BST versus Cool BST are shown below.