Question on gender choice and intergration of new pet.

[Patti]

True. I don't know about 20 yrs but I understand your point. But, I can see worrying about the cat you get from the shelter when it comes to being completely healthy. But finding a Savannah in a shelter is like looking for the proverbial needle. I look but never see them. I assumed when buying from a reputable breeder (if I can afford that route) that I wouldn't have to worry about ailments? Am I mistaken?

May I ask why one cat can have 2 prices? The "just a pet" price and "breeder"? Is it simply because the potential buyer could make money on the kitten's litter or is it bigger than that? After I got Nikita I realized how lucky I was to find what I was looking for and for only 250.00. lol I didn't know how expensive they were. I live in Massachusetts so only F4 and greater are legal in this state. Even F4 and on, the price tag is a bit steep. I'm trying to find a middle ground.

Thanks,

Melissa

To your first question, kittens/cats are very susceptible to disease, and stress (such as moving to a new home full of strangers) can be a very stressful event, so no matter how healthy the kitten has been all of its life at the breeder's, it can still potentially 'come down with something' simply from the stress of rehoming. Quarantine is ALWAYS recommended, for all of the reasons given so far.

As for the breeder-pet price differences, yes a breeder has a higher value and is expected to contribute to a person's breeding program as well as the Savannah breed in general. If a cat is breeder quality then the price will be higher, however most breeders are willing to sell breeder quality cats as pets too, so will give pet owners a 'discounted' price for the trade off of knowing the cat will be loved and spoiled for the rest of its life

 

[Patti]

I know there are other breess that are costly but I actually read somewhere that the Savannah was ranked as either the most or damn close to the most expensive breed to purchase. But in any event I like the kitten/young cat or retired idea. That is definitely more in my price range. Especially if I have to pay shipping costs and etc. Thanks for that idea. Got anybody in mind?

It's true that the early generation Savannahs can be quite expensive, but I think the later generations are for the most part priced competitively when compared to other purebred cats. There are many breeders who offer retired cats, myself included. You can subscribe to the Yahoo groups Hybrid Retired Adult Cats: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HybridRetiredAdultCats/ or Savannah Cats Available: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/savannahcatsavailable/

 

[melissam87]

I do think the general rule of thumb is that opposite sexes do get along better, but there are cases all over the place proving that same sex relationships in animals can do well... just as how there are also cases of opposite sex relationships not working out so well.

Primarily I think it has the most to do with personality. I think males tend to be more submissive to the females, so then your girl could be queen of the house... It really depends!

I agree with the opposites may have a better chance of getting along and am currently looking primarily at male kittens. As far as Nikita being Queen, she is already there. LOL That was one of my concerns when deciding which gender to choose. I didn't want a war of the alpha females in my small home.

 

[Breheart]

Yes definitely agree with everyone so far, a Male will be your best bet. The quarantine is super important as well, I did 2 weeks also. Even though I felt so sad leaving the little baby crying in my bathroom, he was EVER so loving every time I came in to play and cuddle, he was very affectionate and attached to me. As soon as he got to meet other pets though, it was play play play. I think the interaction with your other cat will be easy, but having a bond with you should always be the first step, or else they will be best friends and ignore you or not care or need you other than food!

So its more than just health reasons. You wanna make sure that your new addition sees you as "momma" in his eyes, and sees Nikita as a sister Then everything should be perfect from there. Good luck in your search, keep us posted!

 

[melissam87]

It's true that the early generation Savannahs can be quite expensive, but I think the later generations are for the most part priced competitively when compared to other purebred cats. There are many breeders who offer retired cats, myself included. You can subscribe to the Yahoo groups Hybrid Retired Adult Cats: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HybridRetiredAdultCats/ or Savannah Cats Available: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/savannahcatsavailable/

Great to know. Thanks for the information!

 

[melissam87]

Yes definitely agree with everyone so far, a Male will be your best bet. The quarantine is super important as well, I did 2 weeks also. Even though I felt so sad leaving the little baby crying in my bathroom, he was EVER so loving every time I came in to play and cuddle, he was very affectionate and attached to me. As soon as he got to meet other pets though, it was play play play. I think the interaction with your other cat will be easy, but having a bond with you should always be the first step, or else they will be best friends and ignore you or not care or need you other than food!

So its more than just health reasons. You wanna make sure that your new addition sees you as "momma" in his eyes, and sees Nikita as a sister Then everything should be perfect from there. Good luck in your search, keep us posted!

I will!! Thank you very much.

 

[Lesley]

Honestly, the quarantine (from my dog) will be REALLY hard for me I know. I totally get the whole idea behind it, for health and bonding reasons, but we've waited so long for him already and one of the reasons we decided on a SV was for companionship to our sweet Allie. Our DSH of 18yrs passed about 9 months ago and we all miss her so much. We are getting a neutered male and have never had a male pet before so that will be diff too.

I understand this completely. Our 20 yr old DSH passed away in May. We got a Savannah whom we adore, Spartacus. Tomorrow we are going to get his sister. They have only been separated for 3 weeks. Spar has definitely bonded with us, but I can't imagine how we will keep him from his sister in quarantine for very much time.

 

[Lesley]

Just how I was going to respond Brigitte. If you forego the quarantine period you may very well end up finding Nikita beating the furballs out of the new little kitten and that will be the beginning of a very long and negative relationship.

We are bringing Spar's sister home tomorrow. They have only been apart fro 3 weeks. The breeder has a very small in home cattery and I have visited on several occasions. Her cats are in good health and very well cared for. I am not concerned about contagion, and Spar came back from our vet with a clean bill of health after we got him home. Sooo, I know the new kitten needs to get to know us, and I will quarantine for a period for that purpose. I don't see us making it two weeks with Spar's sibling. The breeder even said she would ask her vet (who was the Serval handler at the Columbus Zoo) if we could cut down the quarantine period. Thoughts?

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

My thoughts is that the "quarantine period" is not just about contagion, it's about time for the new kitten to fully bond with you before being distracted by the other pets. Definitely Spar and sister are likely to get on great, but if you want a bond between you and the girl kitten, having the kitten be in isolation will make that more likely to happen. It really is a decision for the individual situation... but if you do not quarantine because there are no other pets to consider than the two kittens from the same breeder, then the risk you run is a lack of the same bond with the second kitten that you have with the first.

 

[Lesley]

I agree with you, Brigitte. We will quarantine Spar's sis, just wondering if I could get away with 7 days if she seems bonded to us during that timeframe. It took Spar about 4 days to bond with us. Thanks for your input.