If your Savannah gets out and lost, what do you do?

[Brigitte Cowell]

As to GPS collars, I have tried the TAGG collar when it came out...it's way too bulky for the average cat, even the average SV. Nina is a large F1, but she kept removing it going through the pet door to our enclosure.

One point to remember is that unlike dogs, cats NEED to have a breakaway collar to prevent them hanging themselves from a branch or something they are jumping or climbing over. Thus, the potential is for a cat to lose that tracking device fast once outside.

I used to have collars and tags on my cats (before they decided removing them from each other was a great game) but the couple i had that went AWOL came back without their collars. They'd lost them somewhere along the adventure..

 

[admin]

There is a new collar out that some folks in Canada are using for servals, so let me take a look and see if I can find the link.

 

[admin]

OK...I found this great article form 2014, comparing radio and gps collars: http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/lost-pet-tech-comparing-cat-and-dog-tracking-collars

And the following links:
https://www.weenect.com/en/gps-phone-collar-for-cats-weenect-cats
http://www.wareable.com/internet-of...ables-trackers-and-gps-for-dogs-cats-and-more
https://tractive.com/en/gps
http://www.whistle.com
https://www.podtrackers.com
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pettracer-the-world-s-first-gps-cat-collar#/

This should be a good start for you!

 

[GlennG]

My f5 boy Diablo likes to bolt. He can jump over my head (I'm only 5'2) and has done so in pursuit of outdoor time more than once.

I call him. We have a specific phrase, "Diablo-kitty come. Where's my boy?" That is always (and I do mean always) followed up with treats and snuggles. No punishment. Only reward.

He knows it. That has been how I've gotten him to stop running (most recently 3 blocks from the house. I'm sure I was a sight, running down the street in 4" heels and a suit) and either (1) turn around and trot back to me, or (2) flop for belly rubs.

We average a breakout every other to every third week. To date, our longest chase has been about 20 minutes. He likes to go for walks on his leash and harness and he knows the neighborhood. I can't decide if that is a plus or a minus when he bolts.

Awesome!
That sounds like a good Plan "A"!

 

[GlennG]

OK...I found this great article form 2014, comparing radio and gps collars: http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/lost-pet-tech-comparing-cat-and-dog-tracking-collars

And the following links:
https://www.weenect.com/en/gps-phone-collar-for-cats-weenect-cats
http://www.wareable.com/internet-of...ables-trackers-and-gps-for-dogs-cats-and-more
https://tractive.com/en/gps
http://www.whistle.com
https://www.podtrackers.com
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/pettracer-the-world-s-first-gps-cat-collar#/

This should be a good start for you!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

 

[GlennG]

I think the best approach IS the keep them in thing... as suggested, look to making every entry/exit to your home via a double door. Our front door has a catch space before the exterior iron grille door. Our back door leads into their enclosure and then there is the door to the garage. You could just aim to enter and leave home via the garage to help with that.

Never ever let your cat walk through the entry/exit doors, best approach is to always put them (with walking jacket already on) into a crate and carry through the door. Then you get the bonus of them loving the crate as it is associated with a good thing.

But yes, accidents happen. Your location seems different by being more secluded so the usual flyers and checking with neighbors may not be enough. I'd probably get a couple of larger humane traps to keep in storage in case you need them, but maybe also look into tracking dogs. They will just need an item with scent like a cat bed or something...

My stories probably aren't so relevant to you, as I live in a large city. Loads of flyers everywhere and using findtoto.com helped me in those cases.

I have 2 large traps already!

 

[admin]

Also...I checked with some serval owners and they use this one: http://www.com-spec.com/thecatlocator/

 

[GlennG]

Also...I checked with some serval owners and they use this one: http://www.com-spec.com/thecatlocator/

That seems like a kool idea too!

 

[williamd]

not sure how the dynamics of a savannah cat would play in to this but I grew up with many many barn cats. I would tame a kitten or two and let them in through my window at nights when I was home. the barn cats remained in vicinity of the barn and I've never seen them in the woods that was about half a mile from the barn so they didn't really go far...farthest was a treed area about 150 yards away. the barn provided them food and shelter and mice and the surrounding field had critters. for the kittens that I tamed they always stayed close to the house waiting for me...they would explore but always return for affection....or maybe just warm shelter and better snacks. guessing, I think a more wild animal would just have a larger operating range but still return. I would guess that the cats that get loose in urban areas are more likely to not return because of cars, people and dogs scare them until they're far far away and too disorientated to return. Likely it would follow the other cats outside and have a similar pattern.

all of this is assumption from the behavior of barn cats that were not tame.

....thing is, once a cooped up animal has a taste of positive freedom you're gonna have a hard time fighting it to not be an escape artist. for my cat the good old hose spray outside the door maintains the cats fear of the great outdoors.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

When you have a number of barn cats sometimes the ones that didn't stick around are forgotten in time...what you remember are the ones that bonded to you and stuck around. In that way, barn cat populations probably do select for ones that stick close to the barn to stay safe. So if you take kittens from a barn situation and transfer to your barn, they probably have their parents' personality which is not to be brave enough or curious enough to want to wander. A Savannah is a high energy and very very curious cat... it's not that they don't value their human or the home they are offered, they just love to seek out new entertainments hence would be more likely to wander far and encounter more dangers.