Conflicting info regarding vaccines and anesthesia....help

[JaniceNatalie]

The person from whom I am getting the Melanistic girl is pregnant and wants the kitten gone by delivery. I've actually asked them to keep her as long as possible and that I would drive at the last minute the six hours to pick her up when she went into labour. So don't begin to judge me without all the facts. FYI if I purchase cats and allow them to have kittens, what business is it for you to judge me? I came here for a friendly sharing and informative experience. If that's not what I can expect, then I can leave. And I can tell the difference just fine between a tabby and 'breed standard'. But a lot of the lower filial generation adult cats look too tabby for my liking. That's my personal preference. I can like what I want to like. I happen to think the marbles are beautiful too. So what?
Perhaps you should consider asking questions for clarification before posting judgemental statements.
I have not received my F5's papers yet, but I do have copies of his parents' papers (TICA registration certificates). My F4 that will be joining our family is the Melanistic one. I have no contract for her. I will have her mother's TICA registration and the father's info I'm not too sure about. I guess I will just have to wait and see what I get.
This kitten is with her mother still because I specifically requested so. She has weened herself at five weeks and has been eating cat food since. Her litter,ages from what I understand are already re-homed. 8 weeks, while early, is still in the acceptable range. 8-12 with 12 weeks being the ideal. I know that. If your child was premature would you refuse it's? It's early to me, or early to someone else. I'm not choosing 8 weeks, life is.

 

[Pam Flachs]

If you came here for friendly and informative conversations about Savannahs, you have come to the right place. If you came here to expect support in an endeavor to breed without knowing if you will be receiving any registration papers for either of your cats, then you would be wrong in expecting friendly and informative discussion. Copies of three of the parents' registrations mean nothing if your own cats are not registered. You could be purchasing mixed breed cats for all you know, or you can "wait and see what you get" concerning their registrations....

The breeders on this forum have worked long and hard to help make the Savannah cat what it is today, and for any of us to suggest or support otherwise goes contrary to what we believe and strive for. As to stating that you see many lower generation Savannahs looking indistinguishable from common tabby cats, then you must be seeing cats that are not of good quality or may not even be Savannahs.

Have you visited other breeders besides the two you are dealing with, or attended a cat show to see other Savannahs in person? Pictures online do not always give a good representation of specific cats and can be dependent on the quality of the photograph and the photographer's skill. Today's well-bred F5, F6, and lower generations often look typier than many F3 and F4 Savannahs.

Selling a kitten at age 8 weeks is not an ethical practice, nor is selling without a contract. TICA's own stance is that ethical breeders keep kittens for at least 12 weeks before leaving for new homes. Kittens learn and develop so much in the month between 8 weeks and 12 weeks. I have had kittens who were not mature enough to leave until 16 weeks. Eating solid foods at 5 weeks is not a sign of maturity, but is typical of kittens at that age. I don't know of any cat association or shelter that recommends kittens leaving at 8 weeks as being acceptable.

We are not here to scare away new breeders who go into breeding with knowledge, research and the right cats to start a breeding program. We welcome and support those who do the research and make informed choices and accept advice from those who have been breeding for some time. When those factors are missing, then we offer our advice and cautions so one who is asking questions can make the right choice (or not). Yes, it is not our business if you decide to breed two unregistered cats from questionable "breeders", but you won't get the friendly support you are seeking...

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Janice, I have to agree wholeheartedly with Pam here.

I cannot think that being pregnant is a good excuse for pushing kittens out the door too early. When I was pregnant (this past year) I didn't MATE my cats to make sure that I was not over-extended, I feel a responsibility to my kittens and would not be wanting to have kittens born if I was not able to properly raise them. This is a judgment on the breeder, not you. The only criticism of you would be that you think this okay, and not the worrying sign of a bad breeder. Same with the lack of papers on the nonstandard kitten... who was sold apparently as a breeder without any mentoring or education on what the genetics were of the coloring that is not desirable in the Savannah Breed Standard.

I am curious though, having seen the picture of the snow Savannah male you purchased, what makes you think he is a good Savannah in physical type compared to the more "tabby" ones you saw online? I'm assuming you are meaning "domestic shorthair" when saying "tabby" as that is a pattern and most Savannahs ARE tabbies, "brown spotted tabbies" to be specific. Or silver spotted tabbies. I agree that some of the ones you may see online don't look any different from a spotted domestic shorthair, there are breeders that are not focusing hard enough on our breed standard, and then on forums like Craigslist or Hoobly there are a lot of cats labeled Savannah that come without papers for a reason, they aren't actually Savannahs.

That question isn't meant to be anything other than constructive. As a new breeder, I think it very educational to put into words what you are seeing in your cats. It makes for better breeding decisions, imho.