I Don't Want To Have To Give My Savannah Kitten Away!! Please Help Us!!!

[Elara]

these are things i like to hear, thanks to everybody here! trust me its not like we got her, decided we didn;t like her and are just gonna give her away. its not even like that for any breeders who are getting upset over our situation, Like i said i researched over a year about her, not to mention saved hard for 6 months straight to afford her, and want her so much, look at her lol we love her. We have just been feeling like she's not anything like we read about, It would be hypothetically like this, ( so you can understand how im feeling) If you wanted a certain car, and you researched it .. and everything said Handles like a dream! Comes with amazing CD player and sound system, good on gas! etc etc etc , and then you finally got it, and it doesn;t handle like a dream, and has no cd player, and no sound system, and cost 200$ to fill and last a week lol. Thats the problem here sorry for the wierd example, I just find that she doesn;t do all the things these cats are famous for, and are supposed to be doing, but i guess thats on me to work harder with her to get the results im looking for. PLease don't take me the wrong way and think i'm just throwing my cat away! Im glad I reached out here for help, and will be trying eveything you guys have said!

 

[NikkiA]

Each cat is different.
They are individuals, just like people are. Some are more independent, some are more clingy. Some love to snuggle, some want to lay next to you, with their paws on your lap, and have you not touch them.
Try the second QT. Give her time. She is still a baby, and she needs you to be patient with her.
She may never enjoy being picked up (only one of my 3 LIKES to be picked up), and she may never head butt (two of my three boys do this), and she may never play fetch, but she already gets into bed with you, which means she is trusting you, so don't blow it. Give her a chance to show you how awesome she can be, and remember that just like you deserve for her to love you, she also deserves for you to love her back.
Spoken from the mom of a SV who took time to warm up.

 

[Elara]

o

Each cat is different.
They are individuals, just like people are. Some are more independent, some are more clingy. Some love to snuggle, some want to lay next to you, with their paws on your lap, and have you not touch them.
Try the second QT. Give her time. She is still a baby, and she needs you to be patient with her.
She may never enjoy being picked up (only one of my 3 LIKES to be picked up), and she may never head butt (two of my three boys do this), and she may never play fetch, but she already gets into bed with you, which means she is trusting you, so don't blow it. Give her a chance to show you how awesome she can be, and remember that just like you deserve for her to love you, she also deserves for you to love her back.
Spoken from the mom of a SV who took time to warm up.

oh i do love her don't get me wrong! And i also don't need her to be a super cat who does everything and everything i want, as fas as the bed she does sleep there but im 100% its because the dog sleeps there with us lol, she LOVES the dog, lol, We are gonna try everything we want her to love us too not just the other pets in the house, Im not giving up on her !

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I think the problem with your example is...she's a living individual not an inanimate object that can be programmed and hence guaranteed to be a certain way.

It is true that we choose a breed for certain characteristics...and I am sure in your research you spent much time with the breeder explaining that the interactive social personality was the priority for you and a dealbreaker. How has the breeder been with helping you?

I agree with NikkiA that part of the issue may simply be individual personality. Not all children in a family are extroverts even if generally that family tends to be loud and rambunctious. But something I've seen over and over in kittens born here, how you treat them can really affect how they develop. Occasionally in a litter of kittens just one will be shyer than the others. If left alone, I think would be quite the loner kitty...but if given extra attention and persistence, they always turn around and decide humans are great fun. So imho it is as much up to us as it is them....

 

[Patti]

As the others have said, I agree that you need to start from scratch and put Elara into strict quarantine, away from those she has already bonded with. Don't expect this to be an easy or swift process - she has had three months to bond with the other furs, it may take at least another three months to undo this so that she can start to bond with you.

You haven't mentioned diet, but don't leave food out for her, bring her food to her when you go to visit, and remove it when you leave. Try to find a snack that she loves (e.g., freeze dried chicken is usually a hit) and use this to reward her when she comes to you or allows you to touch her.

Cats do well with structure so try to feed her at the same time(s) each day, also try to establish play times as well, e.g., 20 minutes 2-3 times a day at the same times. You also haven't mentioned toys with her but find a wand toy that she can't resist chasing to play with her. Once she is engaged with the toy you can drag it across your legs, slide it under your legs, run it around your body, etc. as you are sitting on the floor so that she can get used to being in physical contact with you.

If it's possible, continue to allow her to sleep with you while keeping the other pets out. If she has been sleeping on your bed up to now she may start coming closer as the bond starts to develop. If the other pets normally sleep with you and would become upset by being kept out you will need to keep Elara somewhere else. If this is the case you might consider taking turns sleeping with her in her quarantine area - it might not be so comfortable, but would likely help in the bonding process.

The most important thing to remember is to not assume success too soon into the quarantine period. If she begins to warm up to you, that's great but don't forget she's still bonded to the other animals. If she is released from quarantine too early she could very possibly revert right back into her old habits. As I mentioned at the beginning, it may take a good three months or longer to build a strong enough bond with her so that it will remain once she is reintroduced to the other pets. Good luck!!

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

That's a good point, Patti, about not assuming success too soon...make sure this time that she is well-bonded before releasing into general population again.

It sounds like a lot of work, but given that your priority is having a bonded cat...it ought to be worth that effort

 

[Rafiki]

I agree with all the advice you have received so far. I think that toys will become very important during the quarantine period. I definitely have found that cats bond thru play (as opposed to dogs that bond fastest with food treats). And without her fur-buddies to play with, she will only have you guys to turn to for fun and exercise. Interactive toys such as Da Bird or the Hyendry fur toys work great. Since she is motivated thru food, try playing fetch with her and reward her with freeze-dried chicken whenever she brings it to you.

 

[John Popp]

My thought is the situation you find yourself in is likely to double the quarantine time to right things. You've got lots of things going for you, she likes your other pets, she is food motivated and doesn't have any real behavioral issues. You have your work cut out for you, but staying true to a 30 day quarantine will see an amazing cat come out the other end equal to the amount of effort you put in.

With our first SV and before they met the other cats we definitely knew we had to be steadfast in the quarantine and lockdown. No issues with our boy getting along with the other pets, just came to a quick realization that none of the humans were going to be able to keep up with his want of constant entertainment (I think it was 2 weeks before I ever saw him with his eyes closed). He needed 6-8 hours a day interaction that my wife or I could only provide on a weekend.

When we got our second SV, we knew out of the gate that at some point they were going to be more bonded to our first than us. As we have to work, shop to provide them groceries, toys and replace our possessions that spontaneously exploded in their presence, it was pretty obvious that Monte was going to be spending more time with Chongo than we ever could. So again, very important that we had formed a strong bond first.

Anyway, best of luck getting things resolved and I'm sure you'll be greatly rewarded for your efforts.

 

[frances]

You need to give her lots of your time playing with her, blinking your eyes at her, taking her for a walk on a leash, food treats but not to excess.
Maybe take her on holidays and leave the others behind for a week if you can.
But this is going to take time...
As long as she bares or like the cat and cuddles with the dog , she is happy! Is she not?

 

[SV Dad]

Savannahs seem to have their own take on being a cat. From what I read and experience with my own three SV's, my opinion is each cat will make their own path in life. And they frequently change that path spontaneously. I have a F3 male 4.5 years old, who to this day has not sat on a lap. He will sit next to you, he will lay down next to your, he will walk all over you and give head butts, but not sit on your lap. He is affectionate in his own way. And yet he is an awesome cat.
His full brother, will only sit on my lap if I am watching a movie or football game. He will not sit on my wife's lap. Yet he is very affectionate with side swipes and greetings.
My F5 female will sit on anybody's lap, as long as they look comfortable and not likely to move in the next 10 minutes.
My point, they are all over the spectrum with the way they show their affection.
If that cat is sleeping at the end of the bed at night, that cat is bonded to you. Only one of my cats tends to be in the bed at night, with occasional attendance by the other two. I'm thinking you have a good chance of improving even more as the cat matures. Of the entire home, that cat chooses to be near you. It may take some years. There are plenty of stories on the forums about how the cats come around in time.
Patience.

{edit} Experience has also shown me to not judge a cat by it's first few weeks at home. These SV's mature like a fine wine.