For Those With Early Generation SVs

[Kronos]

My F1s don't run around crazy as much as my lower ges, BUT they have broken the most stuff.

Interesting, I would have thought that the earlier gens would be a little more hyper? So overall are the earlier gens calmer, just pickier as far as their love/hate for things?

 

[Trish Allearz]

I think that the smaller the cat, the crazier they tend to be. For example- Saber (neutered F7) and Petunia (6 month old F6) are always running around crazy... Simon- neutered F1- tends to lurk and see what trouble he can seriously get into. Now- I think B hit it on the head though.. If an F6 wants something, you can distract them and they may forget about it. NOT AN F1! They wait and plot and plan...

 

[Kiangagirl]

I think that the smaller the cat, the crazier they tend to be. For example- Saber (neutered F7) and Petunia (6 month old F6) are always running around crazy... Simon- neutered F1- tends to lurk and see what trouble he can seriously get into. Now- I think B hit it on the head though.. If an F6 wants something, you can distract them and they may forget about it. NOT AN F1! They wait and plot and plan...

Oh, Amen to that! LOL

 

[tkymasters]

Kronos, F1, is really laid back and mellow.. The only time he gets froggy is when my 6 yrs old son will start running up and down the hallway.. Then Kronos chases him.. He jumps on everything but has never broken my lamp or knocked over our big screen tv... When he was younger was a nightmare.. The first year, I thought about returning him, but got tough on training. Secong year, I thought about taking him into the woods with a shotgun, but stayed on training.. At 2 1/2 yrs old is when the light bulb turned on in his head and started to be part of the family.. Yes an F1 is intense and difficult for the average Joe, but training and consistency pulled off a perfect kitty. Now that darn F3!!!!

 

[Kiangagirl]

I am sure I am not the only one that is just taken away by the beauty of F1, F2, and even F3 SVs. They are STUNNING. For those of you who live with them, what is it like having one of these cats on a day to day basis? Do you have to give up on keeping your house orderly and just allow your cat on any surface he pleases? Or are you a strict pet parent (like me haha) and train your cats and make sure it is clear you are in charge? Is it even possible to get an early generation SV to be as tame as an F4 or F5?

I would love to hear your stories and descriptions of your cats

My F1 girl Kenya is a terror. She will be two years old in March. I got her when she was four months old. She has never been really friendly with me but is slowly getting better.
She sometimes runs so fast she will leap clear over my loveseat and whoever happens to be occupying it at the moment. It's like sitting in the middle of a freeway.

Kenya is very stubborn and she carries a grudge--gets really angry when she doesn't get her way and is absolutely nuts when she has babies. I have to take them away from her when they're about four weeks or I would never be able to get near them.

Most of the time, she barely tolerates being petted but once in awhile gets really friendly and actually stands still for a moment while I pet her. I am working on clicker training her---hopefully with time and persistence she will be less suspicious. She is so determined to have her own way, she ripped up the carpet outside every bedroom door in my house to get in, then learned to open them (they have the lever handles). Sometimes I wish she was declawed but I will simply replace the carpets with hard--surface flooring so that will help.

In spite of all the problems I will never give up on her. My Burmese was just as unfriendly when I got him and he has turned into a really nice boy so I believe that with time Kenya will too. I imagine it will make a big difference when I retire her and get her spayed.

 

[tkymasters]

My F1 girl Kenya is a terror. She will be two years old in March. I got her when she was four months old. She has never been really friendly with me but is slowly getting better.
She sometimes runs so fast she will leap clear over my loveseat and whoever happens to be occupying it at the moment. It's like sitting in the middle of a freeway.
Kenya is very stubborn and she carries a grudge--gets really angry when she doesn't get her way and is absolutely nuts when she has babies. I have to take them away from her when they're about four weeks or I would never be able to get near them.
Most of the time, she barely tolerates being petted but once in awhile gets really friendly and actually stands still for a moment while I pet her. I am working on clicker training her---hopefully with time and persistence she will be less suspicious. She is so determined to have her own way, she ripped up the carpet outside every bedroom door in my house to get in, then learned to open them (they have the lever handles). Sometimes I wish she was declawed but I will simply replace the carpets with hard--surface flooring so that will help.
In spite of all the problems I will never give up on her. My Burmese was just as unfriendly when I got him and he has turned into a really nice boy so I believe that with time Kenya will too. I imagine it will make a big difference when I retire her and get her spayed.

Spaying helps big time... Kirby F3 would bite and scratch everytime I got close to her. After she got fixed, I can pick her up and wrap her around my neck. Of course an F1 is a whole lot of monster.. My F1 didn't respond to clicker training, but prefer the hot dog treats like a dog. So I started to train him like a dog owner would train. It became alot easier.. I've notice with alot of the F1 owners, they allow the F1 to be the alpha in the house.. big mistake.. even if you say you are the alpha, the F1 will laugh at you.. I've been bitten and scratched by my F1 through the years, but I never gave up on trying to be on top.. Here's a true test of who is alpha... Chicken wing.. Hand it to Kenya, if she pulls first, she is alpha... My F1 will not pull or growl with a chicken wing.. He won't lick it, but will stare.. until I set it on the floor, and take a step back.. Then he will eat it. I can come up to him and take it away without a growl... I'm the aplha male according to to my SV.. my wife is the alpha in the family.

It took a lot of training, but we all managed to get along.. that includes the way she trained me..jk

 

[Kronos]

Here's a true test of who is alpha... Chicken wing.. Hand it to Kenya, if she pulls first, she is alpha... My F1 will not pull or growl with a chicken wing.. He won't lick it, but will stare.. until I set it on the floor, and take a step back.. Then he will eat it. I can come up to him and take it away without a growl... I'm the aplha male according to to my SV.. my wife is the alpha in the family.

It took a lot of training, but we all managed to get along.. that includes the way she trained me..jk

Even my F5 will growl when he has a prized possession. What methods did you use to get your F1 to stop growling?

 

[tkymasters]

You Growl back.. look them in the eyes, get close and growl, hiss.. just watch out for the right hook.

 

[Kiangagirl]

Spaying helps big time... Kirby F3 would bite and scratch everytime I got close to her. After she got fixed, I can pick her up and wrap her around my neck. Of course an F1 is a whole lot of monster.. My F1 didn't respond to clicker training, but prefer the hot dog treats like a dog. So I started to train him like a dog owner would train. It became alot easier.. I've notice with alot of the F1 owners, they allow the F1 to be the alpha in the house.. big mistake.. even if you say you are the alpha, the F1 will laugh at you.. I've been bitten and scratched by my F1 through the years, but I never gave up on trying to be on top.. Here's a true test of who is alpha... Chicken wing.. Hand it to Kenya, if she pulls first, she is alpha... My F1 will not pull or growl with a chicken wing.. He won't lick it, but will stare.. until I set it on the floor, and take a step back.. Then he will eat it. I can come up to him and take it away without a growl... I'm the aplha male according to to my SV.. my wife is the alpha in the family.

It took a lot of training, but we all managed to get along.. that includes the way she trained me..jk

Thank you for the input. I once had a Quarterhorse mare who was determined to be the alpha mare. I never let her get away with anything, and she knew I wasn't afraid of her but she was always plotting new tricks to replace the ones she got corrected for. Kenya reminds me of her, only it's actually harder to make a cat understand the alpha concept because they aren't herd animals. They are opportunists and not really interested in obeying rules. I have considered wrapping her in a towel and holding her, but it would probably just make her more angry--I don't think she would ever submit.

She had made a lot of progress before this last litter of kittens came along and then she went nuts again. She is so over-protective, not just with me but with anyone who gets near them. Hopefully after they are gone we can pick up where we left off when they were born.

Anyway, thank you for the help and support. At least her kittens are nice--very sweet and loving. That kind of makes up for Kenya's behavior.

 

[admin]

I have heard many F1's behave the way kenya does when they have kittens...I have been attacked by an F1 when she had kittens for standing too closely to the door of the room the kittens were in...