My "Mean" Kitty

[Kristin]

I don't know how you breeders handle people who don't know Savannahs on a regular basis.
I try to socialize Zeddie as much as possible, but I am getting pretty tired of explaining to people that no, she isn't aggressive, she is just VERY vocal.
Zeddie complains...a lot. If I pick her up and she doesn't want to be picked up, she makes sure I know it. But she has NEVER bitten, and any scratches I have gotten have been accidental. I brought her into a local pet store and got tons of weird looks (which is fine...I mean it is pretty different having a cat on a leash) but as soon as people heard her voice, people wished me luck (in owning her?) and we got a lot of wide berths.
I took her into a clothing store (we were at another pet store and the clothing store was right beside it...I probably should have just left it for another day but I was too lazy to make an extra trip) and carried her around. The employees gave me permission to have her in the store, but kept asking why she was so mean, and again more looks and good luck wishes (what is with people wishing me luck with her?)
Even my cousins that come over on a regular basis are terrified of her! They coddle all the dogs that come over, but when it comes to Zeddie they won't even touch her. She is pretty dominant with the dogs, but I don't interfere too much because she is significantly smaller than them, and needs to feel a sense of authority in her own home (I don't have any dogs, they are all dog sitting dogs, or my sister's). She gave one of my (loud) dogsitting dogs a smack in the bum, and the dog screamed for her life. Of course my cousins start freaking out, more "your cat is mean" and "poor dog" and coddle the dog. After them bugging me multiple times about it I told them that I trusted her more than any dog I have ever met. Just two weeks ago I was bit in the face by a dog with no warning and needed stitches! I have seen a lot of interactions between Zeddie and this dog. She is a Westie, so has on occasion, gotten the "prey" look when looking at Zeddie...which is when Zeddie smacks her. Zeddie merely looked at her yesterday and the dog screamed and ran away.
Does anyone else have problems with people thinking/assuming their savannah is agressive?
Sorry about the really long post

 

[Trish Allearz]

Um, I had some ninny comment on my F6 baby (like 8 months old) being aggressive because he was being very vocal in the show hall.

I turned around and asked him how he could assume ASSUME Bug was being aggressive when in fact, he was being carried around the show hall by my then-4 year old son who was also JE'ing him. I pointed out that kittens do get uncomfortable in new settings and vocalization isn't aggression. But this wasn't a SV thing- it was just a ninny who wasn't thinking.

 

[Kristin]

People always recognize her as a "different" breed, and when they find out she is Savannah that is when I get more questions, and the good lucks lol.
My sister even told me that I "need to train my cat better" because she was trying to play with my lazy old DSH who doesn't like to play -_-

 

[Niels]

I wish you good luck with all the ignorant people.

 

[Kristin]

Hahah thanks! I just want a well socialized kitty! Oh well...she is vacationing in Ottawa with me in a few weeks...maybe the people there will be different

 

[NikkiA]

The only kitty we routinely take out of the house is D. D is melanistic. Most people don't realize he is a Savannah, I frequently get asked if he came from the shelter.
D is very vocal. Even when he is happy, rubbing his face into my hands, and purring up a storm, he will vocalize. He is just a talker. I find that until a stranger touches him, they go "Oh that poor cat", but once they realize he was just trying to get their attention by yowling, they start interacting with him and realize that he is just a talker.
D has not had much opportunity to smack dogs, he has only come into contact with two of them (my brother's pit bull rescue, Sadie, and a good friend's frenchie) and when he sees them both, he is initially cautious, then playful. D does dominate our other two boys, and he can be aggressive to them, but that is mostly jockeying for position in the pecking order - he is the sweetest boy, just a loud one. My 2 1/2 year old niece drags him around by the neck, and woe is you who tries to take him away from her- he loves her to death.

 

[Kristin]

[quote="D does dominate our other two boys, and he can be aggressive to them, but that is mostly jockeying for position in the pecking order - he is the sweetest boy, just a loud one. My 2 1/2 year old niece drags him around by the neck, and woe is you who tries to take him away from her- he loves her to death.[/quote]

That is mostly what Zeddie is like with the dogs. She only smacks them when she feels she has been wronged (they give her a "prey" look, or step on her) and she never ever hurts them.
She loves to hear her voice, and make sure everyone knows what she is thinking! hahaha

 

[Patti]

I have an f2 that behaves very similarly. It is very difficult to explain why she always sounds like she is complaining when she is really just seeking attention. She will nip if she is stressed, but never hard. I would love to find a forever home for her where there are no other cats because that is what stresses her out the most (everyone is alpha to her) but because of her odd behavior it has been very difficult to find the perfect place for her

 

[Cathouse1]

We had Loki neutered Thursday. We really like our vet, and our breeder takes their cats there, too. I discussed SV breed with them before we got Loki, and they assured me no issues treating SV there. When I picked Loki up yesterday the vet owner said, "y'all are really going to have to watch him. They can get REAL nasty". I said what do you mean, and he said, "Savannah's. They can be real nasty, usually are". I was shocked. We usually have the other vet see out cats. When I got Loki out of the carrier he said, "Cooool, he's awesome". Such a difference in perspective between the two vets here.
The vet tech girls all loved him, they posed with him for pictures.

 

[John Popp]

I guess we're lucky as Chongo doesn't make much noise unless you count things crashing off the counter or mantle. He's pretty confident, and always interested in strangers when he is out. I still get the same thing people clearing the isles at the pet store, coworkers telling me that one day he'll eat me and my personal favorite was a neighbor who said we shouldn't have him outside (always leashed) because he might hurt their 80lb lab.

I guess it's just an education process that we all just have to keep hammering away on, and again we are pretty lucky as we don't get anything other than curiosity chirps when Chongo is out and about.