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Trust

L

LDrake

Guest
I recently adopted a severely abused Savannah, his front teeth are missing and he has been declawed. When I attempt to approach him he hisses , bats my hand away, runs and hides. How can I get him to trust me? I've had him for approximately 4 weeks.
 

admin

Paige
Staff member
Hi Lynda, a couple of questions...

How old is he? What generation is he? he is probably very, very scared and mistrusting and it may take quite a while for him to come around...

Is he in a room by himself with his litterbox, food and water? How have you handled him thus far?

We have many, many threads on this topic, so I will post them as well...
 

WitchyWoman

Admin
Staff member
Have you read this? It provides suggestions for first steps when dealing with your situation. http://www.savannahcatchat.com/thre...ed-acclimating-your-new-sv-to-your-home.1959/

Also, Marilyn Krieger who is known as the cat coach, may be able to provide you with additional guidance http://thecatcoach.com/

Can you tell us what you've done to gain trust so far? What is the set up at home like -- does the cat have his own room and a safe place within it where he can retreat? What did you do to introduce him to the home and to you?
 

Mrs.CC

Savannah Super Cat
That is so sad! My heart goes out to the kitty, and I'm sending healing thoughts your way. I just don't understand what possesses people to be so abusive. Thank God, he found a loving home with you!
 
L

LDrake

Guest
I'm not sure how old he is, the vet thought he might be around 4yrs old. The cat has a room of his own to hang out in, with a 6" cat tower I bought him, along with one of his litter boxes. He pooped a couple of times behind the couch in the living room downstairs, so I placed a second litter box in that general area. (In the past we had a couple of older Persian cats that had accidents in that area, and perhaps he thought it was ok to eliminate as well). I have several toys I play with him......when he appears to be in the mood. I moved his feeding dishes in the kitchen in an attempt to socialize him more. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....thank you all!
 

WitchyWoman

Admin
Staff member
I'm still unclear what you initially did when you brought him home so I'd suggest you start by trying a reintroduction to the house and a rebonding experience with you. Put him back in his room for at least 2 wks and follow the instructions in the "acclimating your new savannah" attachment in my previous post. The handfeeding is key, I think, to establishing trust. In his room he should have a crate or a large box that he can go into when he doesn't want to interact with you.

Patience on your part is key. Very slow baby steps starting at the beginning again is, I think, key to your success. He's only been with you for 4 weeks which isn't a lot of time, particularly for an abused cat. He has lost his natural defense mechanisms (teeth/claws) and it sounds to me as though he has very good reason not to trust people. If he is a higher generation savannah, it contributes to the time it takes to establish trust since they are known for liking change, even if it's good change.

We have a member here who worked with her cat an entire year before she had a big breakthrough. I have an F2 who wasn't well socialized when I got him and it took me 2 yrs to fully gain his trust. Patience, patience, patience.

You are doing a wonderful thing by giving this cat a chance at a normal life. It's easy to get discouraged but we are here to help you, hold your virtual hand, talk you through the challenges. This place is full of wonderful people who have been there and done what you are attempting so keep posting and benefit from their knowledge and experience.
 

jungle boy

Savannah Super Cat
May god bless you for what you are doing for this poor kitty! I KNOW that you will be rewarded more than you can ever imagine! Savannahs are AMAZING! :)
 
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