New owner and new cat...need advice, please.

[Heidi Nelson]

I just got my first Savannah cat 3 weeks ago. He is a 7 month old F2. He had never been away from his Mom cat until we picked him up. We have followed the breeders advice and kept him in a room by himself with toys, litter box, food/water, and we go in many times and sit with him to get him use to our voices and smell. He eats like a horse and plays wildly with his toys WHEN WE ARE NOT IN THE ROOM. He will not approach us, and if we approach him, he tenses up and hisses. We have just opened the door and installed a gate with a cat door in the bottom of it. The other cats go in and out freely and he has no issues at all with them. No growling or hissing. One even stepped on him to get at something, and no reaction. We also have Felaway plugged in. What else can we do to make him more comfortable with us, or is it just going to take time? He spent his first 7 months with cats and German Shepherds, which we also have, and he has no reaction to any of the other animals. He just doesn't like us humans. He hasn't been aggressive, just hisses and growls and tenses up is we come near or try to pet him. would love some advice. Thanks.

 

[DumaLove]

That is s very long time to be with mom, especially for an early gen cat. Hopefully the breeder made you aware that it could take a long time for him to come around. I think you need to not have him around the other cats for a lot longer. If he is more comfortable with them then chances are he will never bond with you. You need to limit his exposure to just one or two people. It would be good to sleep in the with him, or at least spend as much time in there as you possibly can. Don't try to interact with him, let him come to you. Just sit in there and read or play on the computer or whatever you like to do to pass the time. Talking out loud will get him used to your voice, even if you're just in there talking on the phone. Find toys that he likes that makes him interact with you like a feather you on a wand. And treats that he likes so you can be the provider of something special. Just try to be a part of his life without forcing it, it has to be on his terms since he is almost an adult and is just getting rehomed from the only world he's ever known. It could take a long time. Good luck!! And you've come to the best place for advice!!

 

[WitchyWoman]

It seems he was socialized to animals more than to humans. I agree with Duma's advice. Extending the quarantine awhile longer is a good idea. You should also try hand feeding him. If he won't come near you to eat, then try putting the food incrementally closer to you over a period of time. Eventually, you want to get to the point where he will eat the food off of your hand or leg. You can try this with treats if there is one he likes. Freeze dried chicken and freeze dried chicken/duck hearts are a hit with many SVs on the forum.

See the attachment to the first post here http://www.savannahcatchat.com/thre...ed-acclimating-your-new-sv-to-your-home.1959/ for more suggestions.

 

[dice]

Spend as much time as possible with your kitten. Would even suggest having a bed in the room, so you can take naps with him, then he can check you out while human is asleep. Find with my F2's, while they can be lovie dovie, it has to be their idea.

 

[Patti]

I agree with what everyone else has said - time is your best therapy. Spend as much time as possible with him, and limit his exposure to humans only. You will never be able to win him over if he is allowed to bond with the other animals. A few additional suggestions:

Do not leave food in his room. Bring him his meal(s) and given him a certain amount of time (e.g., an hour) then take the food away again. He needs to see you as his sole provider.

Don't look directly into his eyes. I know this can be tough because you want so much to make that connection, but it can be perceived as a threat or challenge. If you do inadvertently catch his eye, blink slowly and look away as this is a sign of acceptance.

Try engaging him with a long wand toy while sitting on the floor - this will give him distance and distract him from worrying about you. As he gets more intent on play you can run it across your outstretched legs so that he has occasional incidental physical contact with you. At some point you may be able to touch him or run your hand lightly along his back as he runs by chasing the wand, but this is something you will have to play by ear. The key is to gradually get him used to, and accepting of your presence.

Most cats love treats. I find ones made of real proteins, e.g., freeze dried chicken, freeze dried duck hearts, Papa Psuka treats, etc. are some of the most popular with cats. Try to offer him a treat every time you go into the room. He may not take it at first, but I think eventually he will.

BTW, is he neutered? If not, that needs to be done asap. Poor timing while trying to acclimate him to his new home but definitely something that needs to be penciled in on the calendar...

 

[Heidi Nelson]

UPDATE: It has now been 4 weeks. He will come out to eat with us in the room. We have been doing the food withholding and bringing it to him. He will occasionally play with a wand toy or toys on a string, but we can't get near him without him shrinking and hissing/growling. Within a few minutes of us leaving the room and closing the door, he is at the door "talking" up a storm. He has managed to sniff my slipper as I have been moving the food dish closer and closer, but if I move even a finger or toe, he panics and goes back to his bed. I have bought the freeze dried chicken and duck hearts. He is a "foodie" but no where near eating out of my hand. This is going to be a long process. I had hoped that after a month, we could at least touch him, but we are no closer than we were 4 weeks ago. We have a neuter appointment in 2 weeks. Not sure how we will get him in a carrier to transport him?? I don't want to push him too fast and cause more trauma, but it almost seems as if we are slipping backwards (as far as getting physically close to him/touching him) the longer the isolation period goes on. Is he squawking at the door because he wants to come out??

 

[dice]

Just keep an open carrier in his room. Occasionally throw some treats in or toys. Day of surgery, toss in toy, lock door, & it's off to the vet we go!!!

 

[Kristin]

I think patience is going to be the big key here. There have been a number of people on this forum that have had to go extremely slow to gain the trust of their kitty, but it has been completely worth it in the end.

Have you tried just sitting in the room with him? Or reading a book out loud in his room?

 

[WitchyWoman]

Within a few minutes of us leaving the room and closing the door, he is at the door "talking" up a storm. He has managed to sniff my slipper as I have been moving the food dish closer and closer, but if I move even a finger or toe, he panics and goes back to his bed. I have bought the freeze dried chicken and duck hearts. He is a "foodie" but no where near eating out of my hand. This is going to be a long process. I had hoped that after a month, we could at least touch him,

He's an older F2 who appears not have been socialized by the breeder. What you are describing sounds like progress to me although I understand your frustration. There's also the possibility that your boy's hormones have started kicking in so neutering is a good idea. If his hormones have started to engage, it might be a month or so after surgery before you notice a difference but the hormones are only part of the challenge.

FWIW, my 2nd F2 was a challenge. The master bathroom was his quarantine room. I slept in the tub for 3 wks to get him used to me. Tried all the stuff mentioned in the attachment in the first post here http://www.savannahcatchat.com/thre...ed-acclimating-your-new-sv-to-your-home.1959/ and it still took 3 yrs before he was slightly comfortable with me. He's 6 now and I have never picked him up and he's sat on my lap once. He is still making progress. I can touch him when he's laying still but every day we start anew and I have to show him that he can trust me. He's bonded to the other cats. The biggest thing that made a difference with my cat is when I moved him into the office which has glass doors and he saw the other cats interacting with me. He was in quarantine for 3 months and I finally gave up and let him interact with the other SVs. From that point on, he very slowly learned from them that I wasn't a total monster. He will never be a snuggler but each day that I'm able to give him a few pets and engage him in play feels like a victory because there were times when I was convinced we wouldn't get as far as we have.

Don't lose hope. He is a frightened boy with little confidence and no previous experience being a human's cat. He's been a cat's cat.

 

[Heidi Nelson]

I think patience is going to be the big key here. There have been a number of people on this forum that have had to go extremely slow to gain the trust of their kitty, but it has been completely worth it in the end.

Have you tried just sitting in the room with him? Or reading a book out loud in his room?

Yes, we have been doing that for the entire 4 weeks. We sit with him, read to him. We avoid eye contact so as to not challenge him. He knows his name, and when we say it he slow blinks and closes his eyes. We did put the carrier in his room over a week ago to get him used to it. He has gone in 1 or 2 times (that we are aware of).