introductions...

[Evie]

I don't know how old your girl was when she was pulled from her mom but it is true that if kittens 'leave the nest' too early they may have missed out on some of the socialization and training that normally occurs as kittens grow up, including litterbox training. Cat Attract or Kitten Attract usually works exceptionally well in these situations. Also, make sure that the litterbox is never too far away, in other words when she is exploring the house she has easy access to a litterbox so that she doesn't decide to look for a more convenient place to go.

As for the differences energy levels between your older cats and your kitten, this is not uncommon. Try giving her some dedicated play time - pick two or three times during the day/evening when you can play with her and try to stick to the schedule. Cats actually like routine and do well with it. If she knows that a play time is coming up she may be more merciful on the other cats. In the meantime the older cats will let her know when they've had enough. Unfortunately, sometimes a Savannah can just be overwhelming for older, less active cats and they need to be separated but I would give them a chance to work things out on their own first.

 

[Darcy J]

I have a quick question. I just brought my 5 month old Savannah male Dakhari home Saturday. His safe room is my den with lots of toys,Windows to look out etc. my 9 yr old max a domestic took to him right away like I mean the next day he wouldn't stop until I let him in the room with us. Lol. I have done the switch room after 3 days and I also put the other 3 outside so he could roam a little. My 6 yr old kloey will look at him and sniff thru the door. But my 5 yr old Savannah girl Xayla doesn't want know part of it. Should I be worried. I know it's early but ..... I do put him in his safe room at night cuz the other three sleep with me in my room and I didn't think it was a good idea to disrupt that. My little guy seems to be right at home tho. He's super happy and affectionate. I just hope him and my Xayla will get along

 

[WitchyWoman]

The new kitten should have been kept in quarantine for 2 weeks before allowing contact with any of the other cats. That time allows the kitten to bond to you and to ensure that it is completely healthy. Even a kitten that looks and acts healthy can be carrying a parasite that can contaminate the other cats.

As far as Xayla is concerned, she probably just needs more time to acclimate to the new cat. I always recommend moving at the pace of the most resistant cat which in your case is Xayla. So if she needs weeks/months to get used to the new one, be sure that she has places to go where she can get away from him if she chooses.

 

[Darcy J]

thank you. I have had him at the vet already and had all the necessary tests done. He checked out all healthy. I really appreciate all the advice. He did meet max but only for a short bit. I am continuing the quarantine and I will be keeping their sniffing thru the door at a minimum. He has taken to me really well. Snuggles and all. They all have plenty of places to go So they can relax. Including a huge screened lanai.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

The "quarantine period" is not just for your kitten to get used to you and your household, it is for your existing pets to get used to the presence of a stranger in their home. So the two weeks of no contact is also for Kloey to come to terms with the sound and smell of the new kitten.

Witchy is correct though, there are diseases that can develop in those two weeks that may be missed at your vets. Did you do both the respiratory and gastrointestinal PCR panels, as the usual health check at the vet does not include those and many of those won't be seen just by looking at them and listening to the heart and even doing a fecal check there at the hospital. Hence the quarantine really should still be adhered to, if it was as easy as taking to the vet to get the all-clear that would be all that was suggested, but most breeders say that not only should you get your kitten to the vet within 72 hours but you should quarantine for two weeks. Doing the one does not negate the need for the other.

 

[Patti]

had all the necessary tests done

Did this include upper respiratory and diarrhea PCRs with results in hand? If not, then your vet cannot say for sure that our kitten is healthy. Hopefully everything checks out and he is fine, but without an appropriate quarantine period and/or negative testing then you just can't be certain.