Savannah Cat Chat - THE Place for Savannah Cat Talk

Welcome to the Savannah Cat Chat Forum! Our forum has been in existence since 2012 and is the only one of its kind. We were here, serving the savannah cat community before Facebook and Instagram! Register for a free account today to become a member! Please use an email program other than Hotmail, since Hotmail accounts are blacklisted by many servers and ISP's. Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site in some of the forums by adding your own topics and posts. But in order to take advantage of the full features, such as a private inbox as well as connect with other members ad access some of the larger topics, a donation of $2.99/mo or $25/yr is requested. This will allow us to continue running this forum!

Afternoon!

Hello everyone!

My name is Kira and I'm a twenty-three year old Maine Coon collector. The only cat I've ever had my whole life is a fat, orange Maine Coon. He's going to be passing soon and I have been researching Savannahs intently for the past six months. I am looking into getting one of these amazing cats!

My current cat is a 13 year old going on 2. He's active, playful, and can probably jump about six feet up. I understand Savannah cats are even more active and need attention. I'm looking forward to adding an active baby to the house~

I haven't decided yet where to get my new baby, or what generation, but I do know when I get him/her it will be great. Any advice for a soon to be mom?
 

WitchyWoman

Admin
Staff member
Welcome Kira. You should browse through the discussions in the many sections of this site to get a feel for what living with an SV is like. If you are used to a moderately active cat, a SV may be vastly different. The most important decision you'll make is choosing a breeder. We have a list here of carefully vetted breeders who are ethical and won't disappear as soon as they have your money. If you have questions about breeders you are considering, just ask and we'll try to help as much as we can. But even before you choose a breeder, you should determine that SVs are legal where you live. Not all generations are legal in all areas and some states/cities/counties ban them altogether. If you haven't already checked, you can find info here http://www.hybridlaw.com/

A major consideration is the age of our younger cat. It's possible, even if the cat is still healthy and active, that a SV may be too energetic. In that case, you'd have to be able to separate the cats and give the older one space away from the kitten when needed.

The other major consideration is which generation of SV to choose. They are all essentially the same with 6 degrees of separation in the intensity of their personalities. Higher gens F1, 2, 3 are generally just more of everything -- more stubborn, more curious, more energetic, more intelligent -- but the lower generations still have more than enough personality for most people. And I'm speaking in generalizations, each cat is different. I have 2 F2s and F6 and an F1. My F6 is the biggest troublemaker. My F2s were a challenge as kittens as far their energy level but settled down quite a bit when they reached their 3rd year. But my F1 has changed the way we live. He is like having a pit bull/velociraptor/perpetual 3 yr old human child around the house 24/7. If you want to get the flavor of life with an F1, you can read about my boy here http://www.savannahcatchat.com/threads/the-atticus-diaries.4428/page-70#post-77247 and keep in mind that any generation SV is capable of showing the same traits and behaviors.
 
Oh thank you! I'll be sure to look out for sure. I am very active myself so I believe I can keep up with a SV. My baby now tries to keep up and can't. I've been watching videos, reading all I can, oh my gosh and I just read the first few pages about Atticus. What a doll! He turned into a handsome young cat.

When I start looking more into my breeding options I will reach out in here for sure. For now I think I'm going to browse as suggested. I am so excited to bring a baby home! And yes I have two extra rooms. One for baby and one for my boy. I know he probably won't tolerate a kitten 24/7 so I'm taking his well being into consideration.

Thank you so much! I'm going to keep reading about Atticus and learn all I can!
 

admin

Paige
Staff member
Hi Kira - welcome!

I would advise you NOT to get a savannah kitten at this point. Your older boy would not appreciate it and it is not fair to him.
 
No? Even if he's been raised with other animals? He's only recently been made a solo kitty in our home. We used to have an older Maine Coon and Cinnamon Tabby, but they passed about a year ago. I just thought it would be fun for both of us to have another litter mate, but if it'll bother him I don't want to put any unnecessary stress on him right now. I can wait if it makes for a better environment for my baby now.
 

Patti

Admin
Staff member
Welcome Kira! It sounds like your Maine Coon is quite the character, and so good to hear that an older cat is still quite active and playful (I suspect you have a lot to do with keeping him fit and feeling young)! However, it is true that a kitten might be a bit overwhelming for him - this is something that you would need to discuss with the breeder so that you can match personalities as best as possible. Also, you can often find an older kitten or a retired adult for a reasonable price. There is a sub-forum for listing kittens/cats available here: http://www.savannahcatchat.com/forums/savannah-kittens-for-sale-usa-and-canada.13/ and a Facebook group for older and/or retired hybrids: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RetiredHybridCats/
 
Oh, well I didn't even think twice about it. I believe I will continue following the chats here. My boy is old and I don't want to stress him. I'll just keep doing my research, watch breeders, and go from there! Thank you for the heads up!
 

Renee

Savannah Super Cat
Hi Kira! Welcome to the forum!

I'd be worried about your Maine Coone to be honest with you. I have a five year old ragdoll and recently brought Loki into the household. He plays like no other cat I've seen. He constantly needs attention or he is bullying Dante (ragdoll kitty). Sometimes Dante really enjoys playing with him, but Loki always takes it too far and I put an end to it. Loki plays too hard and too long.

I'm lucky enough to be at home with them and can somewhat wear Loki out with fetch and such, but really he is never really worn out. Any chance he gets to pounce on something and he is there. Even if he has been sleeping...

It's a constant battle to make sure Dante is not pushed around and I am lucky enough to be home with them.

I'm not trying to be a downer, just trying to tell you my experience so far. Loki is only 5 months old. Maybe he will grow out of the terrible twos, but I'm guessing not

Anyways, I love you have your eyes on a Savannah! You have good taste
 
Top