I've been under the impression that the F2s grow out of their destructiveness (for the most part). Is this true? Any advice?[/quote]
I was without a pet for over a year, having lost my sweet 16 year old cat, and my 22 & 24 year old cats not long before that. I thought about getting a dog, especially a Border Collie, since I've always loved them. But I also knew how much work it would be, because they a such a highly intelligent and energetic breed.
Long story short, I ended up with an 11 week old F2 Savannah kitten this January. Now I wonder if a Border Collie would have been less demanding
Xumi is quite a handful - her middle name is Tsunami if that helps with an accurate visualization of her nature.
I find that once you replace all your possessions with non-breakable substitutes, and remove anything in the house that isn't nailed down, life with an F2 is much easier. To date, the list of casualties includes:
Her original carrier, my favorite pair of pajamas, 1 shower curtain, 2 throw rugs, 2 stained glass lamps, 3 alarm clocks (never found one of them, I think she ate it), 2 sets of blinds, 2 pairs of curtains, 4 window screens, 1 hairbrush, 1 CD player, 2 cat beds, 1 foam mattress topper, several bottles of beer, 1 battery operated fan, ten dollars in cash I mistakenly left on the dresser, and countless pieces of paperwork and other soft goods like socks, washcloths, bubblewrap, paper towels, TP, tissues, newspaper and cat toys.
I've had to reinforce all the window and door screens with 1/2" galvanized wire mesh, add childproof locks to all the interior doors and cabinets, pack away all my breakables, cover every exposed electrical cord with 1/4" wire conduit, store tissues, paper towels and TP in cabinets, remove all garbage cans and replace with metal step-on models with locking lids, secure the living room lamps with custom made brackets bolted to the TV stand, keep the doors to the bathroom, laundry room and spare room shut, replace the curtains and blinds, purchase 6 cans of compressed air with battery operated motion detectors to discourage her from getting into certain areas like on top of the stove, rearrange the furniture, and install a custom barrier to block off access to the fireplace.
She is not allowed free run of the house unless supervised. She's up at sunrise (and so are we, now), and goes to bed only when we do. But she sleeps with us on the bed, loves to snuggle with me, half on my neck and half on the pillow. She sleeps all night.
It feels like a year already, but she's only 6 months old.
I'm not trying to alarm you - I think it really depends on the individual cat. I've heard stories of very mellow high generation Savannahs. I just wanted to illustrate life with a hyper one. Even with everything I've gone through, I don't consider her destructive. She's just doing her job as a curious kitten - everything is a toy.
Right now I can hear her trying to pull the kitchen sink strainer out - I'd better go. Congrats on your new kitty!
