F3 Female Kitten...Extra Energy

[Tort518]

Lesley, whatever decision you make please know that we welcome you and hope you remain a part of this community. Try your best to do what is right for both you and the kitten.

If you do rehome the kitten, stick with us and maybe down the road you will be in a situation where welcoming a Savannah into your will workout much easier.

 

[Lesley]

Not me Tort! I just responded to thread. Its Butterflies that has the kitty

 

[Tort518]

Not me Tort! I just responded to thread. Its Butterflies that has the kitty

Doh! Reading comprehension, not mine today!

 

[Lesley]

LOL

 

[Lesley]

Our boy Chongo was certainly out of control when we first got him. So much in fact that my heart fell to my stomach when he was more than I bargained for. Lots of effort went into how play with his furless parents was different than playing with his litter mates. Lots of time outs, lots of distraction techniques and plenty of play time. In fact I never even saw him sleep the first two weeks we had him.

At a year old I wouldn't say he is more reserved, but he does know the rules. No biting, no face pouncing and not allowed on the counters. Certainly there are some transgressions but very minor. On the other hand there are his set of rules as well, as we are not his masters, but his roommates. Closing cabinets more securely, processing the mail faster and generally being more mindful of what a creative mind can turn into a toy.

While I wouldn't think for a second of talking you out of your decision, establishing rules and guidelines are toughest those first few weeks.

Hi John,

We get our F5 SV Fri the 12th. He is currently living in a small in home cattery. He is out and about with his siblings, parents, and a couple of other adult SVs. He seemed very well behaved ( though full of energy) when we visited. I could be wrong but I don't THINK he will be too out of control. I'll let you know, believe me.

 

[John Popp]

Direction and hard boundaries will win the day. It's effort and humility at the same time but I wouldn't give him up for anything. Our boy is still filled with energy, needing it scraped every day. He wears out our other cats but after a year he is totally manageable.

Everything We have been through pales in comparison to our dsh jester who destroyed things to watch them break. He was by a long shot the best cat we ever had and I miss him dearly. He taught me that he was more important than my possessions and likewise to put away things I really cherished.

That line is certainly different for people, and all that Chongo is I just get out the broom or vacuum and move on. He makes me laugh so much that I just step back and look at my part of his transgressions.

 

[Lesley]

That is the way I and my husband are looking at things as well. Will keep you posted!

 

[Butterflies879]

All,

We still have the kitten. The breeder did not respond to us. We are adjusting to her, getting past that initial shock of how these cats are compared to other breeds. We just weren't sure that we could train her or give her enough time and attention once we got her and experienced a savannah 24/7....but we are starting to develop a routine. She is an only cat so she is ready for attention when we get home from work. She has about 2 outbursts of high energy playing a day, in the morning when we get up and at night right before we go to bed. She knows the word "no" now but doesn't really seem to care most of the time when she hears it Anyways, it was the face scratching and the face pouncing and other aggressive behavior that had us worried that we might not be able to handle her. We are slowly slowly slowy establishing boundaries but we hope it will work out. She is very lovable when she is not in an aggressive playing mood and that's when she really just melts your heart. She loves to be held and snuggle when she is ready to rest. I have high hopes that we can train her not to play rough with us but she does have aggressive tendencies...sleeping in the same room all night with her is not an option if you want to wake up without face scratches and possibly missing an eyeball...

I think its going to work out and we are trying our best to make it work. As a pet lover, I want the best for her.

 

[SV Dad]

That's the spirit! Sounds like the kitten is adjusting, somewhat.. From my experience, kitten behavior does improve over time.

 

[WitchyWoman]

I think its going to work out and we are trying our best to make it work. As a pet lover, I want the best for her.

I am so relieved to read this! Living with a SV is similar to living with a 2 yr old child. You need to be consistent with discipline, give her timeouts when she misbehaves, redirect her energy onto toys when she gets rowdy and give her tons of attention in the a.m. and p.m. She will learn the rules for being a member of the family just like a 2 yr old human and she will continue to adapt as she matures. It's easy for us to forget that the kitten has been removed from everything it knows and is now in a foreign environment with strangers. It takes a while for a baby to understand the changes. Post some pictures, please, when you have the chance.