Meet the Jambi Cat!  ~ Kittens Currently Available     Select Exotics is a progressively innovative, TICA registered cattery that has continually been striving to produce the highest quality domesticated companions. Dale Hummel, professor of Animal Science, started raising Bengals with his family in 1988. Now, along with his wife Holly, Select Exotics has grown to be the longest standing, one owner/breeder of the ever-popular Savannah cat.     We began with Bengals when the breed was still in it’s infancy. At this point we are only producing a couple Bengal litters each year. The quality within those few litters is powerful. Although they are not a big cat, their coats can be quite amazing with big, open rosettes and clear, striking contrast.     In 1994 we began the process of trying to create the Savannah breed. It was due to the encouragement received from Dr. Favero, a fellow graduate student of Dale’s who was pursuing his PhD in reproductive physiology. After visiting with leading geneticists at universities such as UC Davis and Cornell we decided to put the plan into practice and see if it truly was possible.    It took a couple of years and a lot of disappointments. By the time we had successfully produced our first Savannah we had learned that Joyce Scrouf was also working on creating the Serval/domestic hybrid and had succeeded as well. It was encouraging to hear of Joyce’s success. What we had accomplished wasn’t a once in a lifetime fluke, but something that was feasible and re-creatable. Over the years we have heard of a couple other people that had also produced a Serval/domestic cross, but were not able to or chose not to replicate the breeding. One was in California and the other in Arizona.

O'Ryan - F2 Savannah male, 13 1/2 pounds at six months of age Thanks to the Hommel's for sharing such a great picture!

Titan - Habari male at 16 months and 27 pounds. Call or Email to enquire about the availability of Habari kittens. Click here to see more.	We are the longest standing, one owner cattery/breeders of Savannahs. We feel that the quality of our cats is what it is due to our years of experience and Dale’s education in genetics and animal nutrition. Careful thought is put into each mating that is made.     In 2002 we delved into breeding the once forgotten Safari cat. Although the breeding process is easier because there isn’t the great size difference between the Geoffroy and the domestic like there is the Serval and the domestic, producing the Safaris has proven to be even more difficult than the Savannahs. Due to the chromosomal difference between the two it is rare to have a female that will recognize the pregnancy as self and carry to term. There also appears to be a sex-linked lethal gene affecting the male kittens. The males are extremely rare. Over the past couple of years more and more breeders have been trying to produce the Safaris. At this point we feel fortunate to say that we have had the most success in doing so.
Shortly after starting our Safari program we also began creating a new breed, the Habari. Our goal with the Habari cat is to produce a BIG cat with a striking rosetted coat that is extremely social and interactive. After years of working with hybrid breeds we found a reoccurring request for this type of cat. We have pulled upon our diverse genetic base to select for the three traits that were stated above – temperament, size and a wild coat. Selection of the three traits, versus a multitude of traits when conforming to a breed standard, has allowed us to advance at an accelerated pace. We are extremely pleased with the progress of the breed and those owned by a Habari cat are equally as satisfied.
We are constantly striving to produce the best that we possibly can – in terms of the wild look, as well as the personality and health of our kittens. As our program evolves we will continue to consult with leading geneticists and veterinarians to ensure that we are doing everything we possibly can to produce the quality that our kitten’s owners have come to know and expect. Wyatt, F1 Savannah Bhodie, 25 pound Safari male F2 male, 29 pounds Select Exotics Holly Hummel 3980 N 1500 E Rd Cabery, IL 60919 E-mail: holly@savannahcatbreed.com Phone: 815-949-1730 Cell: 815-405-4111 Holly's Cell: 815-405-4116 ©1997-2008 Select Exotics All content and photos on this site are the property of Select Exotics and may not be used without the written permission of Select Exotics. Site Designed By: Designed to a T