Question on gender choice and intergration of new pet.

[Brigitte Cowell]

I agree with Trish, a neutered male will do best with your spayed female. Two females can be trickier and will depend a lot on their personalities...it can work but the safer bet is a male kitten. And DO quarantine, so many give in and let the kitten out and live to regret it as mentioned above. Add to that any health guarantee you have on a kitten is void if you don't... but as one of the directors of Savannah Rescue I can tell you that a lot of angst and difficulties can be avoided if you just do the quarantine and introduce slowly...better to have that minor inconvenience at first than a major hassle later on when they really don't get along and you have to backtrack and work harder and longer to make it work!

 

[melissam87]

Second- quarantine is all about you and your cats- both of them. The quarantine gives you time to get kitty to the vet, checked out, gives you the time to watch the poop and pee and make sure everything is looking good, and gives you the time to bond with that kitty before that kitty bonds with your other kitty. Now, I know- you want the two kitties to bond, BUT trust me- you want to be bonded to said new kitty before new kitty bonds with your other SV. Otherwise, you will be just the food provider and the other kitty will be your new kitty's best bud- center of its universe. Taking that time during quarantine to bond is just extra special and I think creates an extra special bond. (Now- this can happen without quarantine, but trust me- you want to do it).

Quarantine is such a very short time- you can use your master bedroom, your bathroom or another bedroom.

First off thank you all, thus far ,for your insight. I didn't expect this much response in such a short amount of time. I agree with the male suggestion. I thought that it may help cut down on the competition for attention factor. Having said that,I understand the health issue for the quarantine but outside of that isn't that what I want? To have my cats bond with each other? My main reason for doing this is because I get the sense that Nikita wants companionship from her own species.. Everytime I watch cats 101 she can't take her eyes off the screen. It's Hysterical..

Don't get me wrong, I love her to death and will love the new addition just as much, but I would like her to have something other than me to work out some of that energy. I don't have kids so I think two is better than one in this case.

As far as quarantine goes my second bedroom is the workout and music room plus Nikita's litter box is there. I don't want to stress her out by moving the box. Not to mention there too many things to kitten-proof. So the only other space for actual quarantine would be the bathroom or my bedroom. How do I explain to my current pet, that sleeps in my bed every evening, that she's being ousted for a week? I can tell you now Nikita will be relentless.. LOL

I realize it's only a week but How do you split the difference? Especially with a cat that demands so much my attention and a kitten that needs bonding time too? Are all Savannahs that needy and demanding BTW? My friends and family, many of which are pet owners, think Nikita is a riot but can't get over how demanding she is. Whether it's constant meowing, or pushing her way to the center of whatever is going on. To be honest I treat her like some of my friends treat their toddlers. I'm always doting on her, looking for the better food or better toys to entertain her with and etc so I'm sure I contributed to that spoiled behavior..

I have to tell you all how funny this is that I'm even here taking the time to get this advice. Had you told me last year when I was entertaining the thought of getting a pet, that I would put this much time, love and energy into a cat I would have laughed my butt off. I'm amazed how much I have changed my life for my baby girl. She has been a Godsend.

Thanks again everybody, this is fabulous.

Melissa

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Delaying introductions for two weeks (standard quarantine is two weeks not one) will NOT affect your cats bonding to each other, in fact it can help greatly. This gives your girl time to adjust to the presence of another kitty in the house, get over a little jealousy (kinda the toddler when the new baby comes home thing), and to smell the other kitty under the door and by exchanging pet beds between them etc. It won't prevent their becoming friends to give the new kitten time to bond to you first. It just means that the kitten won't forget you when he meets his new kitty friend who is going to be his bff in any case

 

[Per Lausund]

Delaying introductions for two weeks (standard quarantine is two weeks not one) will NOT affect your cats bonding to each other, in fact it can help greatly. This gives your girl time to adjust to the presence of another kitty in the house, get over a little jealousy (kinda the toddler when the new baby comes home thing), and to smell the other kitty under the door and by exchanging pet beds between them etc. It won't prevent their becoming friends to give the new kitten time to bond to you first. It just means that the kitten won't forget you when he meets his new kitty friend who is going to be his bff in any case

Hear, hear!

 

[Trish Allearz]

Plus- as much as I know you are going to want to be with your new kitty as much as possible- it's OKAY for the new kitty to spend time in quarantine simply adjusting to the new sounds/smells/sights of your new household. New kitty may be pretty clingy, but that's okay.

And look at it this way- say something relatively simple slips in with your new kitty- if you don't quarantine to ensure your new kitty is completely healthy- you will end up treating BOTH kitties for whatever condition might have snuck in. Giardia, coccidia, toxo (which has been discussed a lot on this forum recently). You REALLY want that time to check over your new kitty's health for your older kitty's sake. I KNOW it sounds like simple paranoia- but trust me, as a breeder, we want you to enjoy your new cat just as much as you do! And we KNOW the best way to do it is to quarantine, introduce gradually, and then you will live happily ever after. What's two weeks in the long run when it comes to a hopefully 20 year relationship?

 

[Trish Allearz]

I also wanted to add- I bet anything your kitty will calm down a lot with a companion. I had a kitten I placed with a wonderful home here locally and she was very very demanding. The home contacted me about adding another companion- I recommended either another SV, high energy breed or a good rescue kitty- and he decided to bring another SV from me home. He said it is literally night and day. While the original kitty is still demanding- it's not 24-7 and he can actually get work done

 

[Pam Flachs]

Welcome, Melissa! Good to see you on here with Nikita

I'm in total agreement with all the great advice you are getting!

 

[WitchyWoman]

Here's how I'd do it. A few weeks before you get the new cat, get Nikita used to sleeping closed in the spare bedroom at night. Play with her a lot in that room and put lots of things in there she loves so she associates it with pleasant experiences. Buy two cozy cat beds. You may lose a few nights' sleep as she protests the new situation but I found earplugs work well.

Quarantine the new cat in your bedroom. Two weeks goes by quickly when you're tending to the needs of 2 cats. If Nikita adjusts to sleeping in the room by the time the new cat comes home, give her the run of the house at night while you're shut in the bedroom with the new cat. If she doesn't adjust, you can keep her closed in the spare bedroom. Keep switching the cat beds between the two so they get used to the others' smell.

I'd keep this routine going after the 2 week quarantine for a few days, alternating each cat being closed away at night and during the day while the other gets free roam of the apt. Then introduce them in person.

Even savannahs sleep between playtime so you can divide play time pretty easily, especially if you get a kitten. Nikita will likely be very curious about the new cat and may not need as much attention as usual....or she may need more. Either way, there's no way to safely shortcut the process of introducing a new cat without jeopardizing both.

 

[melissam87]

And look at it this way- say something relatively simple slips in with your new kitty- if you don't quarantine to ensure your new kitty is completely healthy- you will end up treating BOTH kitties for whatever condition might have snuck in. Giardia, coccidia, toxo (which has been discussed a lot on this forum recently). You REALLY want that time to check over your new kitty's health for your older kitty's sake. I KNOW it sounds like simple paranoia- but trust me, as a breeder, we want you to enjoy your new cat just as much as you do! And we KNOW the best way to do it is to quarantine, introduce gradually, and then you will live happily ever after. What's two weeks in the long run when it comes to a hopefully 20 year relationship?

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

 

[melissam87]

Here's how I'd do it. A few weeks before you get the new cat, get Nikita used to sleeping closed in the spare bedroom at night. Play with her a lot in that room and put lots of things in there she loves so she associates it with pleasant experiences. Buy two cozy cat beds. You may lose a few nights' sleep as she protests the new situation but I found earplugs work well.

Quarantine the new cat in your bedroom. Two weeks goes by quickly when you're tending to the needs of 2 cats. If Nikita adjusts to sleeping in the room by the time the new cat comes home, give her the run of the house at night while you're shut in the bedroom with the new cat. If she doesn't adjust, you can keep her closed in the spare bedroom. Keep switching the cat beds between the two so they get used to the others' smell.

I'd keep this routine going after the 2 week quarantine for a few days, alternating each cat being closed away at night and during the day while the other gets free roam of the apt. Then introduce them in person.

Even savannahs sleep between playtime so you can divide play time pretty easily, especially if you get a kitten. Nikita will likely be very curious about the new cat and may not need as much attention as usual....or she may need more. Either way, there's no way to safely shortcut the process of introducing a new cat without jeopardizing both.

This is what I need...A blow by blow of what to do. I have become such a pushover. I 'm reading your play book up above and I'm thinking to myself "make her sleep in the spare bedroom? How harsh?" "She's going to think she did something wrong." LOL I will definitely try it though. Now I just need to find a kitten.