Savannah F5 Kitten Questions

[nickandkristi]

We've had our precious F5 for about 10 days now. I read a lot of forum posts about Savannah suggestions, meals and ideas though I'm not sure if different generations of Savannahs require different care / diets. Below are a few questions I have and any advice would be much appreciated!

1) My kitten flew into Albany, NY from Los Angelas and had 3 hour drive in the car afterwards so she's petrified of the cat carrier and I have to take her to the vet in a couple of weeks, any suggestions on how to put less anxiety on her and me for this trip?

2) She's still alternating from playful to scared of us which I believe is normal, Is there anything that worked for anyone better to be able to have the kitten less stressed or is it just a matter of time and patience?

3) Would a playmate (another Savannah) benefit the developement and be a positive factor?

4) I'm feeding the kitten a can of wet kitten food with vitamins in the morning, a third of a dish of shredded cooked chicken with water mixed in at lunch, a half a can of wet food at dinner and another third of shredded cooked chicken at midnight. I also leave the IAM's kitten dry food out with fresh water and feed her the occasional 'temptation kitten' treats. Is that too much or adequate?

5) We attempted clipping her nails we have 3 nails on 1 paw done and about 2 on 2 others. Is it too soon to clip her nails if she's only been with us 10 days? the breeder said she clips her nails cats bi weekly. Any tips to have her remain calm in one place long enough? we pet her and her paws and gradually worked our way to clipping one though after about 2 she didn't want any more of it and would bolt away.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

No, I do not believe there is a different care regime or diet for each generation of Savannah, but then I don't personally believe there is a difference between Savannahs and any other cat breed. They all deserve a good quality diet

My advice is not to worry so much over your kitten, when you stress over the details that stress transmits to the kitten...the calmer and more assured you are with your kitten the less your kitten is going to be nervous. You don't mention how old your kitten is, and that may give clues on behavior too. I find that an older kitten tends to be more self-assured...but when a kitten is sent out too early (say 7-8 weeks old) then they will be more traumatized by the huge change in their life.

As to amounts of food, unless your kitten (or cat even) is too chubby then let her eat as much as she wants. She's a growing baby and needs energy too... so if she eats it, give it to her.

It is hard to expect a kitten to stay still for anything, clipping nails is no exception. As there are two of you, then make it a group effort...one holds her and the other clips. If she squiggles too much, try scruffing the back of her neck like her mama would have done. For most kittens that will make them limp and calm. Doing it regularly will mean it is less and less difficult with time. At least with most kittens, there are some that always hate it (I have one of those and she was born here, had her nails trimmed weekly and still as an adult acts like we are trying to murder her if we attempt to clip one claw).

 

[Patti]

1) Keep the carrier in the room with her (I assume she's quarantined in a room?) and put familiar bedding in it that she'd been sleeping. Put a favorite treat in the carrier so that she only gets it when she is in the carrier.

2) Alternating from playful to scared is a good sign, she is willing to suspend her fear for the sake of play. Try playing with her several times a day. Along with that spend time just sitting on the floor with her to let her get used to your presence. I have no doubt she will come around.

3) A playmate - Savannah or otherwise - may be beneficial to your kitten, but now is not the time to consider this. Wait until she gains trust in the humans in the home and bonds with you. If you introduce another kitten now she will bond with it instead of you.

4) I don't think you can really overfeed a kitten, but you should be feeding her the same thing the breeder was. Changing diets suddenly can upset the tummy and lead to diarrhea, vomiting, or other issues. Any dietary changes should be made gradually over a period of a couple of weeks.

5) I would wait until she is comfortable with you before attempting to trim her nails. Trying this now will only reinforce her fear of you and will prolong the bonding process.

 

[nickandkristi]

Thanks for the valuable feedback!

 

[Per Lausund]

You always need an extra Savannah!

 

[Brooke]

If she is still frightened of the carrier when it comes time to go to the vet, why not take her on a harness and leash? That's how our Kovu always visits the vet. Oh, and I always clip my Kitty's nails while he is sleeping, he just is too rambunctious to do it any other time. You could also try just gently messing with her feet occasionally to get her used to the idea of having them handled.

 

[Ashley]

If she is still frightened of the carrier when it comes time to go to the vet, why not take her on a harness and leash? That's how our Kovu always visits the vet. Oh, and I always clip my Kitty's nails while he is sleeping, he just is too rambunctious to do it any other time. You could also try just gently messing with her feet occasionally to get her used to the idea of having them handled.

This is what I was going to suggest too, about the harness. My Kovu flew from North Carolina to Washington state & HATED his carrier for a good month after he got here. We just kept the towel that he came in (he didn't pee or poop on it on the ride) with inside it, kept the door propped open, and would put a treat in there occasionally. Now sometimes at night he'll go lay down in it & sleep in there! lol He still prefers to go to the vet on a harness & leash over the carrier tho.

 

[Samber]

Give positive reinforcement after clipping nails. i do it with treats. with my Bengals i can stop mid play and do it without issue. They see the bag of treats and they see the clipper and they know the drill.

My f3 kitten Nyah i can do easily. if shes semi tired or not in her crazy mode i can just pick her up and do it. but with any cat its always easiest when there sleeping. just dont cut too close and hurt them and they wont be scared of it. also dont try to move the paw too much try to leave it where it is and do it cause if you are pulling on their arm they also do not like that.

 

[Katniss]

This is what I was going to suggest too, about the harness. My Kovu flew from North Carolina to Washington state & HATED his carrier for a good month after he got here. We just kept the towel that he came in (he didn't pee or poop on it on the ride) with inside it, kept the door propped open, and would put a treat in there occasionally. Now sometimes at night he'll go lay down in it & sleep in there! lol He still prefers to go to the vet on a harness & leash over the carrier tho.

Ha.. our kitties love the carrier.. we cover it with a blanket in their room and it is fun and games.. when we come home from the vet, we open the door and they sometimes just stay in and relax for a while!! too funny.. ( we go once a month for nails due to the fact the first time we tried to do as the vet showed us, Katniss ended up hanging from her daddy's cheek with her claws.. I was traumatized!! so now when I get my nails done, so do they!!)

 

[Trish Allearz]

And I'm going to say- be careful of the leash and harness routine. Unless you KNOW a nasty dog isn't going to come into the lobby with a dingdong owner (who happens to let said dog off the leash)- for example, you'd be okay in a vet that has two waiting rooms (one for dogs/one for cats)...

Anyways, everyone has given you great answers and I agree with Per- who doesn't need another Savannah? Hehehe. But yes, settle in with this baby first- enjoy and then look into bringing home another trouble maker