Lazy Savannah Kitten

[willowcrickett]

Hi there, I'm new to the board, and a brand new Savannah owner. We've had our little F5 SBT girl for about a month and a half. She is 17 weeks old, and sleeps A LOT. Maybe it's because she's young and still growing, but I am very new to having a Savannah. All I've ever heard about them is their high energy levels, how they get into everything when they're bored and need constant play and attention. All I've seen so far is an adorable little kitten who sleeps so much that she makes our fat, lazy rescue cat look active by comparison. She does play, some, but nor for very long. The longest I've seen her up was about half an hour. She doesn't seem to like going outside very much. I suspect that's because we live near a major highway and the noise disturbs her. Perhaps she just needs to get used to it.

Is it normal for a Savannah kitten to sleep so much and play so little?

 

[WitchyWoman]

Welcome to the board. Cats are most active in the morning and the evening with periodic bouts of activity throughout the day. If you think she's sleeping too much, and it sounds as though she might be, then a trip to the vet for a complete exam and blood panel would uncover any physical issues that may be going on. If she is healthy, growing at an appropriate rate, and has a lot of toys and interaction with family members, then boredom can be ruled out and all that sleeping is likely due to the incredible amount of growing she is doing.

I'm assuming that you let her outside in an enclosure and she is not allowed to roam free. If you live in an area where the weather is starting to get cool and the days are getting shorter, she may not be too interested in outdoors. She may gain more confidence going out as she matures. She hasn't been with you very long and is still adjusting to her new environment.

 

[willowcrickett]

Well, other than the 10 foot solid stone wall between the housing community and the highway, I always keep her on a leash outside. Besides my own paranoia about losing a $1500 kitten, the neighbors wouldn't like it very much if I let her roam free.

ETA - what you said re: general energy patterns jives with what I've been seeing with her, and I feel much less worried about the amount of sleeping she does. She's doubled in size since we brought her home... That is a LOT of growth in a small amount of time.

 

[Tort518]

Welcome aboard!

Is that her in your avatar pic? Tell us more and more pics please?

 

[willowcrickett]

Yep, that's her. The husband and I spent three days trying to name her (the breeder was calling her "Callie Girl" because she was the female kitten from a queen called Callie) and finally agreed on Freya. Definitely posting a picspam to the photos thread. While she sleeps most of the day, if I disappear into a different room for longer than a minute or two, she'll chase me down, and if I'm heavily occupied with something, she yells at me until I pet her. She has the most unusual meow I've ever heard... Sounds less like a cat meowing, and more like a person saying "Meow."

 

[Patti]

It sounds like you've gotten one of those rare mellow Savannahs who would rather be lap cats then holy terrors. If she has been seen by a vet and gotten a clean bill of health I would not worry too much about her sleeping habits. I've heard that cats sleep up to 23 hours a day...

 

[willowcrickett]

haha, I make a post about how lazy she is, and then last night it took three hours before she finally stopped running around like a caffeinated toddler chasing her feather toy and let the husband and I get some sleep.

 

[Tort518]

I've heard that cats sleep up to 23 hours a day...

And the other 24 hours they're destroying your house.