SV Dad
Savannah Super Cat
I find it frustrating that there are Veterinary clinics that presume Savannahs as troublesome. My wife after retirement worked at a veterinary clinic for the sheer joy of it. That office had had a couple of challenging situations and was somewhat uneasy about treating them. One of the vets would flat out refuse to engage at treatment. One was open minded (the owner), and the other was very cautious at attempting.
One Sunday afternoon when the office is normally closed they had an open house for girl scouts and had staff and some patients bring in normal and unusual pets. My wife brought Mayhem, a F3 Savannah.
This is when he was younger, inquisitive, playful, very sociable, and healthy. He impressed everybody. Veterinarians included. The question arose as to why he was named Mayhem. Many thought it was because he was troublesome. As it was explained, it was because of his playful antics with the other Savannahs in the house, The vet who flat out refused, no longer had an issue with the breed. The cautious vet saw them as normal cats. The owner, to this day, enjoys to see Mayhem, and is actually following up with the continuing care for his lymphoma with consultations from the internal specialist.
In fairness, my son had a F3 who was terrified of vets, and could be a challenge. That office would treat his cat and would premedicate if the cat needed a visit. And like one of Witchy's, needed to be sedated for examination. But the office persevered and treated the cat the rest of his life.
The point I am trying to make, is that all cats, regardless of their breed, should be evaluated individually. All cat breeds, shelter cats, run of the mill cats, and rescues, have the potential for having challenging behavior problems. I have been involved with 8 savannahs between myself and family members. Only one was a challenge. Yet that challenge was workable. And considering the rest of my assorted cats over my life, that 1 in 8 ratio pretty much holds.
Abby, your cat is coming from a breeder known to socialize the kittens very well. Odds are quite high you won't have a problem. As you have had cats before, you will know their personality traits in short order. It is a standard around here to take your new kitten for their first visit within a week of them arriving. That is the opportunity for the veterinarian practice to establish a healthy relationship with the cat for future visits. The kittens are at an impressionable age and a minimally stressful visit will set the foundation for future visits. Our vet last year went to great lengths to ensure a good visit. R2 and Arya behave well when we now go for exams. The office staff is always excited to see these spotted wonders, as our cats interact so well during the visit. R2 likes to climb all over the exam room to everyone's amusement.
Savannah cats are normal cats. The breed is more energetic, active, and intelligent than average, but they are still cats. All of us, have to be ambassadors for the breed when we visit veterinarians in order to quash the unfair stigma that these are problem cats.
One Sunday afternoon when the office is normally closed they had an open house for girl scouts and had staff and some patients bring in normal and unusual pets. My wife brought Mayhem, a F3 Savannah.
This is when he was younger, inquisitive, playful, very sociable, and healthy. He impressed everybody. Veterinarians included. The question arose as to why he was named Mayhem. Many thought it was because he was troublesome. As it was explained, it was because of his playful antics with the other Savannahs in the house, The vet who flat out refused, no longer had an issue with the breed. The cautious vet saw them as normal cats. The owner, to this day, enjoys to see Mayhem, and is actually following up with the continuing care for his lymphoma with consultations from the internal specialist.
In fairness, my son had a F3 who was terrified of vets, and could be a challenge. That office would treat his cat and would premedicate if the cat needed a visit. And like one of Witchy's, needed to be sedated for examination. But the office persevered and treated the cat the rest of his life.
The point I am trying to make, is that all cats, regardless of their breed, should be evaluated individually. All cat breeds, shelter cats, run of the mill cats, and rescues, have the potential for having challenging behavior problems. I have been involved with 8 savannahs between myself and family members. Only one was a challenge. Yet that challenge was workable. And considering the rest of my assorted cats over my life, that 1 in 8 ratio pretty much holds.
Abby, your cat is coming from a breeder known to socialize the kittens very well. Odds are quite high you won't have a problem. As you have had cats before, you will know their personality traits in short order. It is a standard around here to take your new kitten for their first visit within a week of them arriving. That is the opportunity for the veterinarian practice to establish a healthy relationship with the cat for future visits. The kittens are at an impressionable age and a minimally stressful visit will set the foundation for future visits. Our vet last year went to great lengths to ensure a good visit. R2 and Arya behave well when we now go for exams. The office staff is always excited to see these spotted wonders, as our cats interact so well during the visit. R2 likes to climb all over the exam room to everyone's amusement.
Savannah cats are normal cats. The breed is more energetic, active, and intelligent than average, but they are still cats. All of us, have to be ambassadors for the breed when we visit veterinarians in order to quash the unfair stigma that these are problem cats.
. That's why I really like my vet. He likes cats so much, that's all he practices on! But I'm actually excited about trying out this holistic vet. I know Odge will be pretty easy to handle this first year (1st checkup the week I get him, 2nd & 3rd round of vaccinations & neuter). The real test will be next year when we'll want to do the annual bloodwork with urinalysis. And another big test will be if he ever actually gets sick and is not feeling well when I have to bring him for a visit. 
(I just googled the definition of a "worrywart" and it describes me completely perfectly: a person who tends to dwell unduly on difficulty or troubles.) Soooo I am going to veer from these thoughts & just continue to be super excited that my kitten is coming home in just about 2 weeks! I'm hoping that I have a true delivery date within the next couple of days so I can count down!
