New F2

[Dave]

Hi all thank you for accepting me on this great group.
I have taken a new F2 at 16 weeks amazing cat and from a fabulous breeder.
However i would like to ask your experience to enable me to get this beautiful cat settled. He is very scared of everything even though he was great with the breeder. We have 2 dogs and 2 bengals but we have placed him in our bedroom which is massive with everything he needs but he seems scared of everything which makes him hiss and growl. After 4 weeks he is starting to play with toys on sticks and will take food from a bowl if i present it to him but when these things are not around we cannot touch him. He is a beautiful cat and probably 30 to 50 percent genetics of wild genes but how can we change his scared attributes and introduce him to our house hold. Thank you

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Did you pick him up from the breeder to be able to see how his behavior was there? Or was he shipped to you?

When in your bedroom alone and you are not there sleeping, do you have some background noise for him? A radio or TV on low volume? It just seems that a too-quiet room can add to a cat's stress and anxiety, every noise is more significant to them... so sometimes you will find that they are calmer when there is a little noise to cover those small noises from outside the room.

 

[DumaLove]

I agree with Brigitte, but want to add that a massive room isn't always a great option for transitioning. A smaller room with nothing large to hide under (like a bed or large dresser) might be a better option. Having a small nook such as a carrier or box to feel secure in is good too.

 

[cbain]

When we got our F2 we put him in a average size room with wet and dry kitten food, a small cat tree, cat tepee, his carrier, water bowl ,litter box and toys and no furniture and spent time with him during the day, the first 3 nights I [tried] to sleep on a cot in his room, after 3 nights of him running all over me I moved out, we let him come to us and he never growled except in play, after a week in quarantine we let him out after our other 2 Savannah cats went outside and he got to know their smells and play with their toys and they got his smell when they came inside, after 12 days of quarantine [breeder oked this] we opened his door and he met our other 2 Savannahs, our 2 year old male sniffed a bit then they were playing ,our female hissed if the kitten got within a couple of feet, around noon our male wanted outside and the kitten followed , we knew the kitten was safe but we went out to be sure, our kitten settled in with no problems but the more attention and time you spend with them in quarantine the more secure the kitten will be IMO

 

[Patti]

I agree with DumaLov, a massive bedroom is likely part of what is overwhelming your kitten. You might consider moving him to a smaller bedroom or a bathroom if possible. Some kittens (of all breeds) take longer to adjust to their new home and just need lots of patience. Spend as much time as possible with him. Talk to him or read out load so that he grows accustomed to your voice. Continue to engage him with wand toys or other toys that he seems to enjoy. Be sure he has a 'safe place', his carrier or other place where he can retreat to and feel safe - higher is better (e.g., a cat tree with a cat condo near the top.

Remember with Savannahs hissing is not necessarily a bad thing, it is one of their forms of communication, so don't take it as a threat from him. Growling may be a warning that you are making him nervous, but pay attention to his body language as well - if his ears are flat back and his tail is twitching back away, but if not you can continue to talk to him and try to engage him. Just don't try to push anything, I suspect with time and patience you will eventually win him over.

 

[Dave]

Thats all great thank you. The room has everything inside a bed and furniture of course, a cat tree with a high domed bed, litter, food, toys and a window he like to lie on and look out. We spend as much time with him as we can and play with the ands sticks. The breeder brought the cat to us and when she arrived he had a harness on and she picked him up and took it off, no hissing or anything. I have videos and photos of him playing with the breeder and he was great. We have a radio playing al the time, sometimes i have it a little loud and other quiet so its a change. When i say massive room, it is 12 feet by 25 feet with a bathroom attached. He likes to sit in the sink in the bathroom but it has been hot so he's probably cooling down. He can hide in a few places but when he wants to retreat he gets pinto the cat bowl/house on top of the cat tree.

 

[Patti]

It sounds like he has a really nice set-up. I think you just need to give him time and lots of patience, and you will win him over