Input on waiting or not

[Patti]

I personally think that cats really like companion cats, even though they come across as independent souls. With proper introductions, as long as the cats are both altered I don't think you will run into issues with them acclimating to each other. As for the size of your home - I have four cats in a 10' x 12' room because they are in lifelong quarantine (long story) who all get along just fine. The key with cats is that they are much more vertically oriented, so they really don't care how many square feet there is to your floor as long as they have cat trees, book shelves, cabinets, or other variations of vertical space for them to retreat to.

 

[Starbuk]

Did you all find your kitties being less affectionate or acting like they were always "on alert" after adding one to your family? Were there behaviours that started or ended that you didn't like?

Thanks for all the input.

 

[WitchyWoman]

You can expect a range of behaviors when you bring home a new cat -- caution, resentment, anger, fear. Your current cat may be mad at you for awhile. However, usually it passes and the cats become friends. It would be exceedingly rare for your cat to stop being affectionate toward you because of the new cat. That said, the existing cat may be a bit aloof with you for awhile but, it usually passes.

I have 4 SVs. Each time I introduced a new cat into the house, the hierarchy shifted while the newcomer worked out its place in the pride. As cats mature, their relationship to each other may change, but again, their relationship with their human usually does not.

The quarantine period will establish a good bond between you and the new kitten and help the new kitten build the confidence it'll need when it comes time to meet the existing cat. Just be sure to give your current cat lots of love and attention too and all will be well.

 

[Rafiki]

Jammu could not wait to play with Rafiki. They were rolling around on the floor within a minute of introduction. It was so cute. We were a bit afraid of the size difference but found out quickly that Rafiki was much faster and could hold her own.

I think that one thing that helped a lot was that we took turns sleeping in the spare room with Jammu during Rafiki's quarantine time. He did not react jealously at all.

The only negative behavior was that Jammu became very possessive of his toys and he still is to this day. They love playing with each other but toys bring out Jammu's dominance traits and he sometimes acts like a jerk.

 

[Starbuk]

So Rafiki you quarantine despite them getting along well? Kitties are able to relax even though there's another one running about in the home?

 

[Carykd7kau]

The quarantine period is to protect the kitten from any possible disease the other cats may have and vice versa. Also it is to build the bond between you and kitten.

 

[Patti]

There are several reasons to quarantine a kitten when you first bring it home. Here is an article I wrote for Savannahs Illustrated a few years back about introducing a new kitten to your home, which talks about all the reasons why quarantine is so important:

 

[Rafiki]

we quarantined each cat for 2 weeks. With Rafiki, the last 5 days were tough because I had her trying to escape and Jammu trying to get in. Jammu did manage to evade us a few times so they definitely got a good look at each other although we were able to catch him before they actually made contact.

 

[Eddies]

If you like where you are & the only reason you are considering moving is for the cat(s)....consider the vertical possibility, kitty shelves can look pretty awesome, serve to increase kitty entertainment, & if you are "handi" you can create some of your own tunnels, landing spots, caves, sunning areas, etc... there are multiple posts in here on this & some are very unique.
Again there are multiple posts as to why quarantine is best, please don't assume if the kitten is healthy he doesn't need the quarantine period, he needs to learn to come to you & bond to you just like you need to learn if your kitten likes to be touched on the head or on the back, or like Eddie EVERYWHERE.... trust is developed here. Eddies quarantine was LONG...due to Mojo skipping his; so whereas Eddie is very secure with us, Mojo is only truly happy with my husbands attention...merely tolerating the rest of us.
If it doesn't work then I'd look to give him back to breeder and lose $2k.
This I get stuck on... you have alot of decisions to make, maybe a few changes coming up that will affect your present kitten before you get a new one. I can see your devotion to the first cat...but is the second kitten optional to you? Don't answer that until you go read about Bucky... & of course there are others....but this is every breeds tough nuts. To some breeders your answer wouldn't matter, to others it definitely will.
Getting a Savannah of any generation is going to raise the energy level in your house. Putting an SV with a "very laid back" baby is going to change her outlook, she will have to decide to dominate or not, but the SV is HIGH energy coming into your LOW energy atmosphere. Are you prepared for a cat that will knock down your pictures, rip up your favorite speakers, eat your mail, & snuggle in your pillows? He will at least try to take the food off your plate...maybe even open the fridge for that left over chicken, the bathroom door for the toilet paper rolls, locked cupboard doors where you thought the paper towels were safe...Eddie has just learned "Off" means to hit the light switch...we are onto our 4th set of "kiddie" locks...and he is an "angel" that keeps our tables spotless by sliding in @ moc 10 & sliding across them.... finish your changes before adding an SV...making all transitions easierred heart.

 

[Kristin]

I would agree that cats enjoy company, although it depends on the individual cat, of course.

We had DSH for 8 years without another cat before I got Zeddie (F4 SV). When she came home I felt terrible because he really enjoyed her company and it was the first time he had a feline companion. In November Jimmy came into my home (F4 SV) as a foster. He is still here and Zeddie adores everything about him. They had a lengthy intro process because Jim was limited to a dog crate for 2 months due to a broken leg. Quarantine is definitely very important.