Research - Disapointment - Hope

[DreamKitty]

The only negative interactions I've had with a vet in regards to my Melanistic girl Nyx is that the first vet who saw her started demonizing the breed as soon as I told her Nyx is a Savannah. She said they're prone to aggression despite everything I've read and seen saying otherwise. I don't like her because ALL cat's can be prone to aggression regardless of breed. I could see that being a possibility in regards to an F1 maybe but not an F7. I take both my SVs to the same clinic, I just now request a specific vet that Nyx took to right away. If a vet takes issue to your SV you need a new vet and I wouldn't trust that buyer. Don't trust buyers who want you to meet them in parking lots too. The breeder I bought from allowed me to meet her at her cattery to puck up Nyx. But when I picked up Cheshire I met her in a parking lot because it was more convenient since she was picking up a meat delivery and I trusted her after seeing her cattery so it was no big deal. Not all breeders will be willing to let you meet at their cattery though, usually to keep their kittens healthy I think.

 

[DreamKitty]

Thank you. I will be selective with who cares for our SV. Thanks for sharing many good things to keep in mind.

 

[DreamKitty]

Did the breeder explain at all WHY you wouldn't tell a vet what breed your new kitten was? Was it because Savannahs are not legal there or because they felt that vets unfairly treated the breed? I have never had to hide my cats' breed nor would I feel comfortable with that. If a vet treated my cat differently for that, they are not the vet I want.

That is a definite red flag so I don't blame you for putting on the brakes to research more before proceeding!

No. We have no laws against SV's. I was also concerned about the explanations about vaccines. I asked and the breeders only do liquids???? Indicating the Ones I could buy on my own. This is true but I would never never do without a vets support. As I was concerned about checking for kitty leukemia and other general problems. They don't check for that and said and don't believe many of the vaccines they believe they don't work.

 

[SV Dad]

My wife and I have run across veterinarians who were not fond of the wild cross breed cats (bengals, savannahs). This included the vet office she worked at part time during her short retirement ( she consults now full time!). But each time a veterinarian took the patience to examine any of the three savannahs in this house, each and every one of them altered their opinion. The off ice she worked at, is our current vet, and they are always excited when these SVs come in. They whole office wants to visit as our cats are well behaved and they don't get to see many of these spotted kitties.
Others have pointed out problem cats come in all sizes shapes and breeds. I really think some people think "active" cats equates to "problem" cats. Not so.
As you read these forum threads, bear in mind, should a person have a challenge with a cat, this is where they would come and ask for advice and knowledge from the servants and breeders. So I can assure you, the rate of challenges appears far, far higher than the true rate for this reason. The overwhelming majority of servants never have found this forum. The members of this online community represent a very small percentage of savannah households. That said, there is an amazing amount of experience and knowledge to tap with our active members.
My cats all came from a breeder who welcomed us to visit the cattery, before the purchase. And I was fortunate to live near enough to pick them up in person.

 

[admin]

No. We have no laws against SV's. I was also concerned about the explanations about vaccines. I asked and the breeders only do liquids???? Indicating the Ones I could buy on my own. This is true but I would never never do without a vets support. As I was concerned about checking for kitty leukemia and other general problems. They don't check for that and said and don't believe many of the vaccines they believe they don't work.

I would be very cautious about buying from this breeder. This does not sound like any breeder that is truly legit. I never heard of liquid vaccines and no breeder should ever ask you to give a vaccine on your own.

If you are in Ohio and the breeder is in Ohio, I can only guess at who it is. If you truly want to know whether this is a breeder to buy from, please let us know who it is.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

No. We have no laws against SV's. I was also concerned about the explanations about vaccines. I asked and the breeders only do liquids???? Indicating the Ones I could buy on my own. This is true but I would never never do without a vets support. As I was concerned about checking for kitty leukemia and other general problems. They don't check for that and said and don't believe many of the vaccines they believe they don't work.

You can give vaccines either as an injection or intranasal, depending on the formulation of the vaccine. Both would be in liquid form when reconstituted (they come lyophilized and have to have sterile water added). It is concerning that they would suggest a pet owner buy them and give themselves. It seems a dangerous practice to me, I've been breeding years and still prefer my vet do vaccinations so that my kittens get a thorough health check beforehand.

I FIV/FeLV check every incoming cat, and I also test kittens before they leave. Although these are rare diseases in indoor only cats, over the years I have seen cases when it has entered a cattery population because they haven't tested incoming cats.

The belief that vaccines don't work is a skewing of the reality that vaccines are not 100%. The standard FVRCP vaccine is very effective protecting agains Panleukopenia (distemper) but for the other two viruses (Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus) it doesn't absolutely prevent the disease but reduce the severity of the symptoms. So it seems they interpreted that as to mean because they didn't completely prevent the disease that it wasn't worth giving, which is NOT correct.

 

[DreamKitty]

Hello Paige, thank you for your insight. I don't want to overstep my bounds. I am in Oh but I am not sure if it is my place to call out the breeder. These were just comments made to me and I just know I needed more answers before proceeding. After seeing the kitten and its parents I believe we may need to adopt an earlier generation to get the size we desire. I will not be adopting from that breeder. To me the suggestions seemed out of place (wrong) but I wanted to solicit from members here for their thoughts. From what information I received, in this shot time, has confirmed my suspicion that this breeder is not the right fit for me. Is the practices of this breeder wrong I can't say I am still learning.

 

[Rafiki]

Trusting your breeder is vital.....a bad breeder can often result in kittens that develop health or behavioral issues. Also, a breeder should be the first person you go to with questions and I am not sure that this person would be helpful in what you have described.

I have ran into quite a few vets in the Los Angeles area that have a negative opinion of savannahs. Much of this can be attributed to 2 breeders out here that do not socialize their cats well. My savannah is always welcome at both vets that I use - the techs all gather when we are there. I tried one home vet that claimed to have experience with SVs who treated her and my pixie bob like wild animals. Using a home vet is supposed to be less stressful than a clinic but this was not the case. My new primary vet had never simply petted a SV before she met mine. Her exposure to SVs was restricted to doing the minimum required as the other SVs were nasty. Again, this points to the need for a good breeder!

 

[tdbradin]

I too had issues with a local vet once I got Venus I called to schedule an appointment with my vet for her, once I told them she was a savannah I was informed they would see her because they considered her an "exotic".
Needless to say we found another vet. The vet we go to now has Bengals of his own, and has treated one other Savannah. While not extremely familiar with the breed, he was not put off by taking her on. He is more than willing to research when needed. Not being upfront with your vet could be detrimental to the care or your precious feline family member.
I myself passed on a breeder due to not being comfortable with the manner in which the kittens were being raised. While the urge was still there to "save" the kitten from it's conditions, I know supporting such an operation would only help them stay in the business of breeding these kittens.
Good luck in your continued search of a good, responsible breeder.
Oh, and in case no one has mentioned it yet, there is a breeder section on this forum as well that contains just such breeders! And if they do not have what you are looking for, can point you in the right direction.

 

[DumaLove]

I agree with what everyone here has said. I do not vaccinate my own kittens, I would rather have my vet do it just in case something happens. I have also heard of vets re-vaccinating kittens because they did not "accept" the vaccines given by a breeder. I believe in only giving the minimal core vaccines so that does not sit well with me at all. Do more research on different breeders and what generation might fit best for your family. There is a list of breeders on this forum, as well as www.SavannahCat.com. And there's always someone here on the forum to give advice and run ideas by. Best of luck in your search!!