Owning Savannahs and Ages

[Stormi]

I fully understand wanting to make sure that their families are on board with it as well- if you share a house with someone, they have the right to have say in what's happening.

A 12 year old? Wow. I have respect for a kid that young saving enough for a cat this expensive! It's sad that they had to surrender it though.. I am glad they honored their contracts though ^^

I'm really happy that both of my parents do fully support the purchase and my goal of saving it all up myself.

 

[Becki]

If you end up a navy wife, please be cautious as to generation. I am an Army wife, well, I was. My husband retired 18 months ago. We moved as most military families do, and we always took our pets. This isn't always the case, sadly. An assignment to Hawaii means a very long quarantine. An assignment to Europe is also a lengthy quarantine. Many states won't allow early generation cats, and living on post means you are subject to additional restriction. We have discussed potential moves based on my career and because I have 2 F2s, I will not even look at relo to a state that I am not allowed to have them. I will get a new job, first. I am lucky that I could get another role if it came to it, but you can't just quit the Navy.

If your parents are willing to help financially, I would indicate this to the breeder. Vet bills can be high and unexpected. Even expected, routine vet visits aren't cheap. My husband remarked just the other day that we spend more on the cats' food than we did for our family the first few years of our marriage. Granted, I feed prepared raw which isn't cheap, but I also have a kitten that seems to be a bottomless pit. He is hyper, so expends a lot of calories, but also is growing before my eyes, even at 8 months. You need to be prepared for this potential.

P.S. As a mom to 3 girls, it is killing me not to say "go get an education or trade! Do not, at 18, hitch your star to any boy, uniform or not, plus raising babies while your husband is deployed/at sea is really, really hard!" But I guess that is another forum.

 

[Stormi]

Oh, I know not to get married to just anyone at anytime.. We have known eachother for years. x3

And I do know about having to move a lot, but thanks to his rate, he pretty much chooses where he'll be going- and he is unsure still if he wants to retire Navy or switch out when his contract is up~

My parents are willing to help, but it wouldn't come to that unless I had to pay a few grand on a bill. The only thing I would have to pay for is the care of the cat- I have no living bills.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I can understand feeling frustrated and defensive about the age thing, but for most breeders that might ask that question, it may not be as much the number you reply with but the WAY you address the issue. I would want to know that an 18 year old had thought seriously about the commitment to a pet, and thought of all the life changes ahead...like the college/no college, change in homes, marital status, jobs... although all those happen at other ages too, for most 18 year olds there is a lot of change in their next few years. I don't think it a bad thing that a breeder might want to discuss that.

And yes, the military wife situation could mean a move to an illegal location. Hawaii for example is illegal to all generations of Savannahs, not just a long quarantine!

I am glad you are asking questions...and it does seem that you have thought about things. Just know that things happen for a reason, and if a breeder dismissed your application over age, then that was not the right breeder for you. The right kitten appears at the right time...

 

[KMcgown]

I agree with Patti. If the person is young and living at home, I ask to speak to the parents. I have only had this happen once and they did not get a kitten. I have also had other young people purchase that had their own place and that worked just fine.

 

[Jacq]

I got all three of my savannahs between ages 49 and 51, and I was a working in a fairly lucrative profession, and lived with a boyfriend, and a teenage son. I maxed out some of my credit cards buying them, and spent most of my income on their care and food. Thank goodness I am in a better financial situation right now, because man, are they expensive with food and toys etc.