Saving For Your Savannah

[Stormi]

So I am having to save up for my own Savannah and it seems that each time I have a good amount of money saved up a car will break down or some family member has to borrow money. .-. I'm really starting to feel defeated and that only people with lots of money can have and enjoy these cats- especially F2/3's.

How long did you save before your first? And.. Do you think that if I'm struggling this badly to simply save up for a Savannah that I wouldn't be able to take care of it? I know there are some breeders that do let you make payments and you'd get the cat once it's fully paid but.. That option scares me since the saving money is so hard to do that something could go bad with the deal and all the money was wasted.

And did you have a different savings for your cat fund itself?

 

[WitchyWoman]

There seems to be a universal law that forbids us from enjoying a bit of savings. I had some money tucked away to buy some fun things and last week the cats veterinary needs took it all and then some. Maliik had a scratch on his eye and had to go to the emergency vet ($271) and then for a recheck to our regular vet ($250) and Juba and Taji needed their teeth cleaned ($600) so in 3 days last week, their care cost $1121. I could have waited to get the dentals done but since I was already eating through the savings, decided to go for broke (literally, ha!)

I'm sorry that I have no words of wisdom. Generally, caring for a SV is not costly. It's those unexpected emergencies that take a financial toll. In the first year of a SVs life when they need their vaccinations and spay/neuter, they'll cost a bit more. A healthy cat just needs routine checkups and dental care after that.

Saving up to purchase a SV can be tough. Hang in there. Look at monthly expenses and set aside as much as you can into a cat fund. Don't lend money to anyone; cut back on any luxuries you enjoy (eating out for example).

If you want to get an idea how much it costs to maintain a cat, decide what you want to feed it, the brand of litter you want to use and figure out how much that will cost you monthly. Then contact a vet that you want to care for your cat and ask for pricing on vaccinations, annual exams, teeth cleaning.

 

[Mischief]

Don't be discouraged at all. I got an F5 adult and it took me about 2 years before I even decided the breed was right for me because of all the misinformation I'd been given. Then came tax and bonus time and that's how I got her. I'm not rich at all and I held fast to the theory that when the right one would come along it would be at the right time and right price. But during those years, I did a ton of research and I asked a ton of questions. Suggestion to you about a family member borrowing money...learn to say no if at all possible or when they do repay you put it towards your cat fund. Save change, maybe figure out roughly how much your cat will cost and put so much away each week if possible. The other option too would be consider an F4 or an F5 that costs a little less. But I am proof that the breed is not for rich people only.

 

[Patti]

Hi Stormi,

I saved up for a couple of years for my first Savannah. I also waited almost a year to get a kitten from the specific pairing that I wanted. It is true that F2s-F3s are expensive, and if your heart is set on those generations then you will need to pay the price. However, I think you will find that later generations are priced equivalent to any other purebred breed, e.g., $900-$1500 so may be a more reasonable option for you.

I agree that it's a bad idea to go on a payment plan with a breeder - no one is going to want to hold onto a kitten for a year or maybe even longer waiting for you to pay it off. You would be better off taking out a loan and get the kitten if you feel you want to pursue some sort of payment plan.

As for caring for the kitten, most breeders do want to know that you are able to adequately care for your new kitten, but as Deborah said most times it is not terribly expensive, and there is always CareCredit you can apply for if you have an expensive emergency you need to deal with. You can also get pet insurance for your kitten which will help pay for any unexpected expenses.

 

[Kristin]

For me, I worked full time and live with my parents so it wasn't so much having the money as how much I was willing to put into a cat as opposed to travelling or other things. Once I fell in love with Zeddie though there was absolutely nothing getting in the way of getting her. I think I did 3 payments with the breeder....a deposit on a kitten from that litter, then another deposit on her specifically, and then I paid the rest at pick up. She is worth every dime. I also was pretty set on getting an F3, but Zeddie is an F4. Just keep your eyes open, I'm sure everything will fall into place

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I agree with Patti, maybe you just need to consider an F4-F5 and know that your search might have to be more careful to get the look you want...but the benefit is a more reasonable price.

Payment plans are dangerous, I am a breeder and a buyer insisted on this once...she said she'd never save the money otherwise. So she sent me chunks of money towards the kitten...and the kitten was never born! I felt terrible... she wanted a male kitten from a specific queen, and that queen kept having females. It was spooky, and made me superstitious enough to never accept money for an unborn kitten again! Even with a kitten already born, all sorts of bad things could happen as you say and the money is tied up there.

Maybe a separate savings account is the way to go...but likely still if you have a family member in need and you know that money is there, it is hard to leave it there I am sure :-(

 

[SlugMaster]

My Savannah story is similar to several of the answers above. I used a tax refund for my first cat, a nine month old F5 and then started saving for the next one. I also have a car maintenance fund, house maintenance fund etc. After too much experience, I don't "loan" to family members, period. That was a hard thing to learn, but I do have three wonderful cats.


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[NikkiA]

SVs are no more expensive to care for than any other cat in my opinion. But there are outliers and I own one. His name is Mickey (the little guy in my avatar).

Our first SV was an F5 SBT mel boy for $950. Diablo, our F5 boy, is not expensive to take care of. His annual vet bill is about $500, which would be a lot less if I didn't do a full panel of optional blood work every year (that costs me about $300).

Our second SV, an F3 boy, Jarvis, was about $5300. He is like D, he is not expensive to care for. He turned 2 in February. I've spent less than $1000 on his care so far, including neuter.

My F4 boy, Mickey, is expensive to care for. He was $1250, but he is unable to distinguish between "food" and "not food". I took a screw out of his mouth today. He has had three xrays and 2 CT scans, among other things. He thinks dimes are tasty. Dimes, plural. We've had 2 xrays where coins were visible. And buttons. He will snap them off of clothes and swallow them. He will be 2 in July. So far, I'm in about $6k in vet bills for Mickey. In my breeder's defense, I was warned he was "very sweet, but not bright." Next time I buy a SV, I will inquire further into a disclaimer like that. He is a total love bug, but he is an expensive love bug.

All of our boys eat blue buffalo food, and I spend about $150 per month on cat food, and probably another $50 on human quality meat that I feed them. I spend money on toys as well, but that is pure indulgence on my part.

Our boys are a priority in my life. I'd much rather have them than a new pair of shoes or a fancy car. So long as this is your attitude, and you bring home a healthy SV, you should be fine. Just don't bring home the "not bright" kitten unless you buy pet insurance first

I will make a suggestion- create two savings funds. One for emergencies, and one for the kitty. Also, consider looking at F3, F4, F5, or SBT SVs. They are pretty wonderful too

 

[Patti]

Nikki, I completely agree with your first statement. Savannah breeders are not expecting anything more than any other purebred cat breeder would. It is simply the nature of owning a pet - it costs money and any prospective owner needs to take that into consideration when purchasing one.

 

[Eddies]

Eddie & Mojo & Tigger like Nikki!! They each have their own savings account; started with $50.00 & put x amount in every payday. I'm down to $5.00 a payday.Like my trucks $1000.00 "allowance" & its full coverage insurance; kitties are insured by Trupanion with a small deductible. Eddie was insured a day before he got on the plane to come home & Mojo was insured halfway home! Tigger is a rescued Bengal & insured before he was 4 months old. How to keep your $$$ there? Just don't consider it an option...if the cat was right there looking at you would you loan it out? Now the broke car I do understand if you need it for work. Good luck, from all of us to you & that 1 special SV!