From the Ivano-Frankivsk region to the Lviv region—a Savannah cat that went missing in June has been found
In the village of Chyshky near Lviv, a Savannah cat named Savage was found and captured. He had run away from his owner on June 6 in the village of Yamnytsia in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and had been on the loose for nearly five months. During that time, the cat was spotted in various towns and villages across the two regions, but no one was able to get close enough to catch him.
The cat’s owner announced on Tuesday, November 3, on her Facebook page that Savage had finally been found. According to her, local residents of the village of Chyshky—Oleksandr and his mother Iryna—helped. They joined the search and ultimately helped bring the cat home.
Savage is a Savannah F1. This is a first-generation hybrid resulting from the crossbreeding of a wild African serval and a domestic cat. Because of this background, the animal may behave cautiously or even aggressively toward strangers.
How the cat made its way from the Ivano-Frankivsk region to the Lviv region
Savage went missing on June 6 in the village of Yamnytsia near Ivano-Frankivsk. That morning, he broke free from his leash, after which his owner immediately began searching for him. She also offered a $100 reward to anyone who could help find the animal. The owner warned that Savazh is no ordinary house cat. Due to his hybrid background, he may hiss, bare his teeth, and keep people at a distance. Therefore, anyone who spots the animal was asked not to try to catch it on their own, but to call the owner immediately and keep track of where it was going.
The story quickly spread on social media. People reported possible sightings of Savage in various towns. On August 10, the cat was reportedly seen in Halych in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, but they were unable to catch him at that time.
In September, new reports began coming in from Lviv Oblast. The animal was spotted near the villages of Zvenyhorod, Sholomiya, and Vidnyky. Eyewitnesses also wrote that they had seen it in Berezhany, Hai, and Vynnyky. The owner, along with her assistants, traveled to each new location, but each time the cat avoided people and disappeared. This went on for nearly five months. During that time, Savazh had managed to travel a considerable distance from where he had disappeared. The search expanded to cover areas in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv regions.
Who Helped Catch Savage
Eventually, the cat was spotted near the village of Chyshky. A local resident named Oleksandr was one of the first to see the animal in the Lviv region and had been helping the owner search for it ever since.
The woman thanked him personally for not standing idly by and for supporting the search for such a long time. “A special, huge thank you goes to Oleksandr from the village of Chyshky. Sasha, I’ll never forget everything you’ve done for us. He was the first to spot Savazh in the Lviv region. And ever since then, he’s been helping us all this time: responding to our requests, driving around, searching, setting up traps, laying out food, and taking us to wherever the latest leads came from. Time and again, he found the time and energy for us. And in the end, it was he who caught Savazhik,” the owner said.
She also thanked Oleksandr’s mother, Iryna, who had also joined the search. The woman expressed special gratitude to the State Emergency Service rescuers in the Lviv region. According to her, they also helped bring the cat back.
What Is Known About the F1 Savannah Breed
The Savannah is a cat breed that resulted from crossing an African serval with a domestic cat. The designation “F1” refers to the first generation of such a hybrid. In other words, one of the animal’s parents is a wild serval, and the other is a domestic cat. Savannahs have a distinctive appearance: long legs, large ears, and short fur with dark spots. They resemble small wild cats in appearance. These animals are typically large, active, and very agile. They can jump high and cover significant distances.
In terms of temperament, savannahs may differ from ordinary domestic cats. Their behavior depends on the generation and the individual characteristics of the animal. At the same time, they can become attached to their owners and interact with people. Savazh’s story came to an end after nearly five months of searching. The cat was found near Lviv thanks to the help of local residents and rescue workers. The cat’s owner, who goes by the username Stefa Kosmetyka, shared this news on her Facebook page on Tuesday, November 3.
