As I have continued to participate here, and someone asked if HB and WC were short for something, I suppose I should do a better introduction and a brief explanation. Much as I appreciate social media and being able to share common interests with people, I have also gotten increasingly uncomfortable with some aspects of this. Anyways...thinking it through, my SVs don’t really need screen names for privacy reasons. And at this point I can’t really think of any good reason for this, except HB and WC are easy to type....
So... I now I live with 2 TICA registered Savannahs... and I have mentioned both WC and HB’s personalities and puzzling interpersonal relationship, at length (like really long at length) in another thread.
https://www.savannahcatchat.com/thr...nance-submissiveness-and-what-is-normal.7253/
HB is short for Honey Bug, one of the many things I call him. He came to me named Hank, not something I would name a cat, but I figured if he was used to this, it would do. And he knows his name. But I call him a lot of nicknames, and his delicate graceful build would fit better with a more elegant name. Sweety seems to be his most well used nickname these days. He is now almost 3 years old, an F7 SBT who seems to have picked up enough Serval genes to have some quirks. He is really beautiful, long, tall, slim, and graceful. He managed to inherit some substantial Serval looks, though he is small, only 11.5 lbs. He is extremely intelligent, considerate, well behaved, restless, seems to easily feel claustrophobic, and is totally paranoid, but in his own way he is also affectionate, let’s me know he trusts me, and loves hanging out with me, as long as he doesn’t feel constrained. He is also great on a leash, but I can’t figure out how to take him for walks anymore and leave WC behind, as I feel awful if either when one of them is left out.
WC is short for Willie Coyote. Because it totally suits him and he howls like he is dying of a broken heart if he feels left out. He is an F6 with some outcrossing, and he is almost 2 years old. WC is more like a regular domestic cat, he is also small, 11.5 lbs, with a chunky body, short legs, a weirdly out of proportion small head, short tail and lots of smaller spots, but what he lacks in grace he makes up for in personality. He is very sweet, super cuddly, goofy with an obvious sense of humour and mischief and is happy wherever, as long as he isn’t being left out. He can get lost on the back porch, and doesn’t seem to know his name or come when called. Though he is friendly enough I can always lure him in. However, he loves clicker training and learned tricks just as fast as HB. He is kind of off in his own world and a law unto himself. Sometimes when I look in his eyes I see an alien from another planet looking back at me.
Falling in love with Moggie, and now these two has kind of upended my life. Getting Savannah cats from breeders, I knew I would be expected to keep them contained, but I did not anticipate how difficult this would be living a rural lifestyle. A lot of my life is outside and HB wanted to be with me. The first year I spent a lot of time with HB out in the yard on a leash, and taking him for walks everyday on the mountain behind my house. By the time he was 8 months old he was completely obsessed with wanting out, and even though he had enclosed porches on 3 sides of the house, and at least a couple hours a day out on a leash with me, an hour after he came back in, he was desperate to go out again. So I spent a year gradually adding some covered walkways that linked a couple free standing enclosures, so he could walk in circles around the perimeter of our house, and have choices which route he takes.
And he still wanted out.... so then we got WC, and I think HB enjoys the feline company, when he isn’t feeling pushed aside (something WC does a lot) ... but once the weather warmed, he still wanted out. And then there was a problem because I couldn’t safely manage 2 cats on leashes and get anything done. I have a lot of outdoor chores to do, am in and out of the house 50 times a day, and HB cries if he is left behind. And WC who was usually happy, would howl if he saw me out with HB and he is left behind. It was really really distressing and impractical. So in desperation I decided to put a cat proof fence around my main yard, where HB wanted to be, which is about 1/3 of an acre with an orchard and pond and some wild areas. Which was a lot of work.... but the fence seems to be working, no escapes or even attempts, as it is such a large area, and I now have 2 very happy cats.
My neighbours cat that is territorial can’t get in to cause trouble. So that is a bonus.
And HB can’t chase the deer. ( video in link below was taken when HB was about a year old. I was expecting a sweet gentle Moggie style relationship... nope... )
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QVmBM8Yx9o6fZdMcG0vxlGQ-upgO0RuU/view?usp=sharing
The raccoons can’t get in to steal my nuts and fruit. So that is another bonus.
And all my hair has gone grey.
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Love my kitties!