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How was your experience...

D

Dantes

Guest
I'm not there yet--obviously--but can I tell you that this is one of the hardest things! LOL

I'm finally at the stage where things are starting to get serious, there are kitties out there, and a few in my affordability zone. I'm finding that I'm having to sell myself (and Dante!) to every breeder that might potentially be *the one*! Not that I mind, it's just that it's a bit exhausting.
 

admin

Paige
Staff member
So how was your experience purchasing your first Savannah?

Did you find it difficult picking out the right kitten? Or was it easy? How about contacting breeders and talking to them? Was there certain things you liked (say weekly photos) or certain things that made you nervous (say the breeder goes out of contact for a week or two)?

My first experience was pretty awesome! The breeder lived about 30 min north of me and I went, picked out taj because he was a hellion and then watched him grow in person. Once I picked him out and put down a deposit, I went every week to see him...my breeder allowed this and one thing I have to say for this breeder...she was welcoming and warm and opened her home to me.

I did not have to jump through hoops, although I did send a lengthy email about losing Rocky and how devastated I was...that was it.
 

Charley

Savannah Super Cat
We made our decision very quickly. We had been talking about getting a beagle for sometime but I couldn't get my boyfriend to truly commit to any kind of pet. One day I was surfing Bengal pictures and he thought they were really cool looking and said he'd let me have something that was big and spotted. Then I told him Bengals don't really get super big he might like a Savannah - he fell in love with the idea and the look of a Savannah so I knew I had to act FAST before he changed his mind. I researched EVERYWHERE to find out about Savannah care (who care's how cool your cat is if you can't meet his needs?) Once I figured out some of the differences between early gen and later gens I started looking in my state for kittens.

I found a breeder on the other side of the state but they had a really nice updated website and I could just tell they were good breeders - I contacted them and that's the first time I realized what a Savannah cost - $2000 for an F3C - eek!!!!!! I was afraid to spend that much money on a breed I am unfamiliar with and a cat who may not like me. Then I found the cattery that Jengo came from - they didn't have any young kittens which was sad because we had wanted an young one. I talked to another breeder who bred Savannah's with Jungle bob's but without knowing anything about the bob's I was really hesitant to purchase one even though they probably would have been massive and my bf would have been happier...something kept taking me back to the breeder that had Jengo and something was gnawing at me to grab him up. I finally decided I wanted Jengo because I felt like at his age it might be harder to find him a good home, his coloring isn't as vibrant as some other Savannah's so he seemed a little like a misfit and I wanted to give him a good home.

It was super hard to make a decision in under a week and there were so many breeders to choose from and some didn't have kittens or wanted a deposit and I was unnerved about giving such a large amount of money to someone I didn't know, scared we might never get the kitten...who know's! I emailed every breeder who said they had kittens available and it was next to impossible to find one.

I'm super glad we picked Jengo because we got to have him right away (I'm so impatient!) The breeder was really knowledgeable and really sweet about answering all of my questions and she even delivered him to our door. Jengo was much more skittish that we had anticipated (and been told he was) but he has come around (in under a few hours he was being petted and was talking, so not bad.) He was also not up to date on his shots and I'm not sure if that is something that's important or not - I took care of it immediately. He was also eating Purina One when he came to us which I didn't like and he wasn't actually staying at the breeders house but a relative's house, the breeder flat out said he should be eating Royal Canin NOT purina one and said she was disappointed he had been fed PO.

What I think would be helpful as a buyer is an updated website, with updated pictures. I'd also like to see available references especially if I am buying a more expensive kitty (Jengo was cheap.) It would be good to be able to talk to people who have purchased from the breeder before. I was a little nervous that maybe we wouldn't get him but clearly we had an honest breeder :)

A second purchase would be much easier :)
 

WitchyWoman

Admin
Staff member
I researched SVs for 2 yrs. Talked first to a breeder in my town who refused to sell me a kitten because I fed raw:rolleyes:

Then I went to savannahcat.com and started clicking on breeder sites. When I opened one particular site, a feeling of "complete rightness" came over me. She has stunning queens and a fertile F4 and I liked the idea of a bit higher percentage F2. I have excellent instincts that have never let me down so I went for it. Emailed the breeder and we corresponded and talked on the phone for a few months getting to know one another while she was waiting for litters to be born. When I finally made it to the top of the waiting list, we knew each other quite well. I admire her as a person which is very important to me. She can be a bit scatter brained about keeping accurate records but I got the info I needed and she and my vet talked the first time Juba was due for vaccinations because my vet had different beliefs than me and I wanted her to be educated by the breeder about why different options were acceptable.

She kept me up to date on Juba's progress, sent pictures of him, his mom, and littermate; answered my zillion questions with patience. It was a smooth and magical process. When I picked Juba up it was love at first sight and was simply meant to be.
 

Brigitte Cowell

Moderator
Staff member
When I got my first Savannah (2001) there were a LOT less breeders out there and even less of them online enough to have good websites! LOL!

We sent emails to every breeder we could find, and called those without websites but had ads in Cat Fancy... very few replies or calls back. At that time it seems that breeders simply didn't respond if they didn't have kittens... no efforts at breed education or anything. Even those with kittens you'd get one fuzzy pic and do you want it or not.

The breeder we purchased from is one of the few that had a decent website, kittens available, and decent pictures. She also was one of the few that actually answered my hundred or so questions. I was a complete pain as I wanted more information and there just wasn't much out there on the breed. She was patient and nice so we bought Bobo. The first Savannah we ever saw was him, when he arrived at the airport!

When we started our program two years later I based a lot of my practices on what I didn't like about my experience. I try to answer all emails... I try to have lots of pics available and lots of information about the breed...
 

admin

Paige
Staff member
When we started our program two years later I based a lot of my practices on what I didn't like about my experience. I try to answer all emails... I try to have lots of pics available and lots of information about the breed...

That is exactly how I intend to interact with buyers, Brigitte...pictures, videos and lots of info.
 

Julie

Savannah Super Cat
I spent a few months obsessing over the breed. We had a set price range and I would email about the cats and trying to find a good fit for our busy life and a very social cat.

(Whip been to 4 states, over 15 car meets, 2 beach trips, and amost weekly trips out. We used to have bi monthly large parties, and people over almost daily)

I got great information from Chris at cutting edge cats here in pa but in the end he had non avalible in our price range.

A few weeks later we found a picture of whip on a website and from there sent to email the breder and I called her the next day. Her site had pictures, prices, basic information on her and the cats.

Buying whip was easy, great and no complats, that is till we got there.

I paid via paypal and cash for him. She did not have his registration papers, and told us she had mailed them in. Weeks later, oh I forgot to register the so and so, I need more time. Over 90 days later I could no longer disput my paypal deposit and we had no papers and she had vanished 15 days after we had picked up Whip.

3 months later, 1 email. A sob story of loss of her job, no money for bills or to register the litter. (Huge red flag)

By this point we were looking for a 2nd cat. She still had our boys full brother. Miracle. 4 months of comunication later, her husband, well ex, I don't know, now lived in the house and was selling the cats so he replied. We set up a date with him to get the cat. He wanted all the cats gone, she had up and flaked to canada leaving the cats to fend for themselves.

Day before we plan to leave she magically pops up and starts splouting demands. We got Miracle but in the end as per the contract she wrote, but "is invallid because she didn't sign it" she owes us almost $1500 for never getting us papers for both cats. She then got mad at my posting of full emails and details on another forum and threatened me.

She then told us if we filed against her for not following her own written contracts that shed file bancrupsy, she also called a friend as I had a new number who also bought from her crying how mean I was, how her husband beat her, how she had a mental break down... Psyco!

So if you made it through the short form, breeders don't do this.

I love my boys, best things ever but even after almost a year our second, miracle who was abandoned and left still isn't the same. He's jumpy, took months to not be agressive towards food. Defently acts like my prior stray, abused, and starved cats did.
 

admin

Paige
Staff member
I spent a few months obsessing over the breed. We had a set price range and I would email about the cats and trying to find a good fit for our busy life and a very social cat.

(Whip been to 4 states, over 15 car meets, 2 beach trips, and amost weekly trips out. We used to have bi monthly large parties, and people over almost daily)

I got great information from Chris at cutting edge cats here in pa but in the end he had non avalible in our price range.

A few weeks later we found a picture of whip on a website and from there sent to email the breder and I called her the next day. Her site had pictures, prices, basic information on her and the cats.

Buying whip was easy, great and no complats, that is till we got there.

I paid via paypal and cash for him. She did not have his registration papers, and told us she had mailed them in. Weeks later, oh I forgot to register the so and so, I need more time. Over 90 days later I could no longer disput my paypal deposit and we had no papers and she had vanished 15 days after we had picked up Whip.

3 months later, 1 email. A sob story of loss of her job, no money for bills or to register the litter. (Huge red flag)

By this point we were looking for a 2nd cat. She still had our boys full brother. Miracle. 4 months of comunication later, her husband, well ex, I don't know, now lived in the house and was selling the cats so he replied. We set up a date with him to get the cat. He wanted all the cats gone, she had up and flaked to canada leaving the cats to fend for themselves.

Day before we plan to leave she magically pops up and starts splouting demands. We got Miracle but in the end as per the contract she wrote, but "is invallid because she didn't sign it" she owes us almost $1500 for never getting us papers for both cats. She then got mad at my posting of full emails and details on another forum and threatened me.

She then told us if we filed against her for not following her own written contracts that shed file bancrupsy, she also called a friend as I had a new number who also bought from her crying how mean I was, how her husband beat her, how she had a mental break down... Psyco!

So if you made it through the short form, breeders don't do this.

I love my boys, best things ever but even after almost a year our second, miracle who was abandoned and left still isn't the same. He's jumpy, took months to not be agressive towards food. Defently acts like my prior stray, abused, and starved cats did.

Julie, I'm really sorry!!! This is not the way any of the breeders I know or am acquainted with behave...you may be able to get the papers anyway...I'm not sure. maybe some of the other breeders will chime in here.
 

Julie

Savannah Super Cat
Julie, I'm really sorry!!! This is not the way any of the breeders I know or am acquainted with behave...you may be able to get the papers anyway...I'm not sure. maybe some of the other breeders will chime in here.

I've talked to my boys maternal grandmothers breeder, she found me via my complants on another forum. So at least I know they are actually f3s. Lol I also know that sides family history. From what I was told I can't get papers since shenever registerd the father or his parents or I honestly she made no sense at the end. Lol
 
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