Savannah Cat (Serval x House cat) anyone w/experience?

[FrenchFrytheEqHorse]

@Effie1221;6101748

Moonriver, thanks for posting. I think you are the only one that has actual experience with a Savannah Cat.

No, it seems like you’re choosing to read the ONLY positive review of this type of cat. You don’t even know whether this is an F1/F2/etc cat. RED FLAG. There are tons of people on this thread (2 different vet-professionals included) speaking about their experience with hybrid cats. And you choose to listen to the person “whose friend has a Savannah cat” whose breeding she’s also completely unsure about? This is a wild animal that you’re totally excited for your inexperienced brother to bring around your family’s children/other small pets?

And he doesn’t think he’s got the “right set up” for dog because his yard is small??? My eyes are bugging out of my head…

I think you’re in for a rude awakening…

[Alagirl]

I don’t think your assessment is completely fair.
Yes, there are a lot of red flags, but really no more than if the OP had asked about her brother getting a high drive dog breed, like a BC.

Your point about hybrids is spot on. And I hope the cat is not close to the wild ancestor. But according to you, my own Bengal, by all definition not much different than a Savannah, ought to be a holy terror. She’s a bit quirky, but no more than my regular cats.

And by all means, the brother is an adult and probably making his own decisions.

[Effie1221]

Alagirl, thanks for posting about your Bengal too. I looked up Bengals and they are beautiful! Like a little Bengal tiger and the information you gave was valuable.

And I’m reading all of the comments but just like there are all different breeds, tempraments, health issues, energy levels, and sizes of horses, it’s the same with cats and dogs.

This isn’t a leopard or cougar cross we are talking about, it’s a small hybrid. It seems to be legal in my brother’s neighborhood, county, and state. Not only that, he is building it a play/ jumping room for during the day, and plans on taking it for walks.

The Savannah cat will be well taken care of by a very responsible, mature, and caring person. It sounds like they make successful pets in the right environment.

Did I miss something besides a few negative but well meaning opinions? It’s obviously not a cat for everyone. But not all dogs or horses are for everyone either.

[Nootka]

[QUOTE=Alagirl;6102796]
I don’t think your assessment is completely fair.
Yes, there are a lot of red flags, but really no more than if the OP had asked about her brother getting a high drive dog breed, like a BC.

Your point about hybrids is spot on. And I hope the cat is not close to the wild ancestor. But according to you, my own Bengal, by all definition not much different than a Savannah, ought to be a holy terror. She’s a bit quirky, but no more than my regular cats.

And by all means, the brother is an adult and probably making his own decisions.[/QUOTE]

I am going to agree with this.

My sister had a Bengal and she was freaking great. A bit doggish and very quirky. Oh and vocal:yes: I lived with them for 6 months and LOVED the cat. She was an F1

[Alagirl]

@Effie1221;6102941

Alagirl, thanks for posting about your Bengal too. I looked up Bengals and they are beautiful! Like a little Bengal tiger and the information you gave was valuable.

And I’m reading all of the comments but just like there are all different breeds, tempraments, health issues, energy levels, and sizes of horses, it’s the same with cats and dogs.

This isn’t a leopard or cougar cross we are talking about, it’s a small hybrid. It seems to be legal in my brother’s neighborhood, county, and state. Not only that, he is building it a play/ jumping room for during the day, and plans on taking it for walks.

The Savannah cat will be well taken care of by a very responsible, mature, and caring person. It sounds like they make successful pets in the right environment.

Did I miss something besides a few negative but well meaning opinions? It’s obviously not a cat for everyone. But not all dogs or horses are for everyone either.

I just hope that the breeder will be there should things go sour. If not, I hope you got that link bookmarked!

I would not actively g and seek out a cat like that. Mine just fell in my lap so to speak (where she spend all of yesterday morning, sleeping…)

[FrenchFrytheEqHorse]

I did consider pointing out that Alagirl’s experience with a bengal is completely different from someone considering taking on an f1/f2 (hopefully this isn’t what we’re talking about, but it doesn’t sound like anyone really knows) Savannah cat (it’s also worth noting the glaring differences between bengal cats and Savannah cats- bengal breeding has been going on for quite a bit longer than SC breeding… SCs seem to have come about in the mid 1980s vs. the bengal’s inception in the late 1800s). Having seen pics/stories about your bengal, Alagirl, it’s probably safe to assume that she’s not an f1/f2, and is a lovely cat that fits well into your household.

What struck me as odd is that the OP responded that only one person on this thread seemed to have actual experience with Savannah cats. That isn’t the case. It sounds like her brother is excited to get this cat, and I hope that turns into excitement about all the possibilities regarding how this cat could actually turn out in reality.

[wireweiners]

[QUOTE=Guin;6100303]
I confess I don’t understand people who are enamored of purebred or exotic cats. There are SO many cats and kittens and they are all basically the same. The purebred ones have different looks, but personality? A cat is a cat. They all hearken back to Rudyard Kipling: “The Cat Who Walks By Himself.”

Different breeds of dogs I understand because they are for different things (retrievers, herders, etc), but I really don’t get fancy cats.[/QUOTE]

I have to admit that if I had the space and the money, I’d get a British Shorthair and an apple headed Siamese just because I like the way they look. Right now I have 4 plain ol’ domestic shorthairs, all from either the local pound or a rescue group. Again, if I had the money and space, I’d probably become the crazy cat lady, because I’d also like to have an orange tabby and a dark calico and a solid gray kitty.

ETA. BTW, I love that Kipling story. I think he nailed cat personality.

[Alagirl]

@wireweiners;6103264

I have to admit that if I had the space and the money, I’d get a British Shorthair and an apple headed Siamese just because I like the way they look. Right now I have 4 plain ol’ domestic shorthairs, all from either the local pound or a rescue group. Again, if I had the money and space, I’d probably become the crazy cat lady, because I’d also like to have an orange tabby and a dark calico and a solid gray kitty.

LOL yeah, I can always find a cute kitty at the pet store adoption center I would not mind bringing home.

But in general, I think even if I had the money, I don’t think I would go purebred, certainly not exotic.

[Effie1221]

FrenchFry, I’m sorry to dismiss your comment that you ‘once met a Savannah and it was on edge the entire time…didn’t bond with the owners’, I’m really looking for people who have experience with them. Not just ‘I met one once’. There are lots of reasons animals don’t bond with their owners - I know lots of dogs and horses that never bonded with their owners either.

I met a Great Dane once and it was overly protective of it’s owner and in a very small house for it’s large size. It too was male and it was not neutered. The dog wouldn’t let anyone near it’s owner, and the owner seemed to think it was cute that he was so protective. That one meeting of a great dane with an owner that seemed not to have taken the time to train the dog to accept other people around doesn’t make me think differently of great danes.

It was one event and one meeting that you said you had with a Savannah. I’m really looking for people with a little more experience. You might want to clarify your one meeting, maybe it had more to it than the cat was edgy and never bonded with the owners. Most cats to me are edgy when there are new people in the house, and lots of cats are stand-offish, even to their owners.

Now if you had more experience than that please clarify. Or if the house was torn up or the people said they had regreted the purchase (and why), that would be valuable.

[spurgirl]

My college age daughter rented a basement apt. from a woman who had a Savannah Cat, 2 Siamese, and an Abyssian (sp?) cat. The kitty “toilet” (3 litter boxes) was in the furnace basement room, so the inside downstairs door was always open, and all the cats were cared for by my daughter for about 8 months.

The other cats HATED the big guy. Now, that was one beautiful LARGE cat (20+ lbs.), but he ate as much as 5 or 6 regular cats (and was totally FIT, not fat), and had stinky sh*t like you would not believe…and yes, the closer to wild they are, the more scent they seem to have. You could smell him when he rubbed his face on you.

He MUST get fixed, or he will spray everywhere!! He MUST have lots of attention-and we are talking 24/7 attention, not shutting the cat in his own room… This boy had the run of the house, and would easily leap from the top of the fridge, over your head about 10 feet, to the opposite counter…He would jump you for the h*ll of it, and was extremely vocal. My daughter is an art student, and he would think nothing of grabbing a paintbrush or pencil right out of her hand and running off with it, if she was not attentive to him enough. He was pretty good about NOT destroying things, but I’m sure a cat that size, when bored, could do some serious furniture damage.

The cat was like a Boxer dog in a cat suit-bouncy, dominant, smart, look-at-me NOW, every day, every hour, every minute!! He would sleep with her, but was also quite active at night, he would often wake her with his prowling and screeching-and chirping-very weird sound!

I spent two weekends with her that semester…Totally “cool” cat, but VERY VERY high maintenance. He really liked both my daughter and myself, but it WAS a bit unnerving to wake up that first night with 20+ lbs. of “purring” kitty on your chest.

Would I own one? NOPE…And I’ve always had cats. Be careful what you wish for!!

[Always_Tardy]

I currently have two Bengals. Not that much different from my other two DSH. More vocal, and energetic, yes, but not crazy wild. They have required more child proofing than any other animal I’ve owned. Smart and determined are my most used descriptions. To be honest, one of my DSH is more likely to go psycho than one of my Bengals. He has always been unstable.

I was at my Vet’s yesterday and she was all excited because they had their first Savannah at the practice(I think my Bengals were the first or second exotics she had dealt with). She commented on the size and that this one was a total sweetheart. Very friendly with everyone. She agreed that F1/F2 cats can be difficult but beyond that, it just depends on the cat, just like most other animals.

Hope your brother enjoys his new guy! My husband was not really a cat person until I got the Bengals and now is total smitten with the Marble Bengal we have. They are such a riot and entertaining to no end. 3 A.M. Zoomies can be a trial but that is what a bedroom door is for;)
Helen
Kylar and Delilah

[Effie1221]

Wow! I can totally imagine a Savannah cat demanding attention and jumping over you just for the heck of it.

I did find out that the tom cat will be neutered (I think tomorrow) before it is delivered so the delivery date won’t be till the first or second weekend in February. This also gives my brother more time to finish the play room.

The breeders have kept the Tom intact thinking he was a beautiful enough cat to be sold to a breeder but since my brother just wants a beautiful cat, they said they’d get him neutered. It sounds like they were holding out for a collector or breeder but now the Tom is 6 months old, they just want it to go to a good home.

I also found out that my folks said the cat is not welcome home at Christmas…but my dad is thinking about making an outdoor cathouse between a shed and fence just in case my brother can’t get a cat sitter.

[BLBGP]

Just curious…you refer to him as the Tom or the cat. Did the breeders not give him a name?

[RedMare01]

IMO, I don’t really see an outdoor cat house working that well for the time at the parents? If the cat is used to living indoors, spending a week outdoors in a cage doesn’t seem fair to the kitty or like it would go over well at all.

At least with mine, all I can see the reaction being when stuck into the outdoor house is…“OMG, WTF is THIS!!! We are going to DIE!!!” But maybe that is the wimpy indoor-only-purebred-spoiled-kitty-reaction? :lol:

Plus they don’t have the coats for it, especially in the winter. If no pet sitter can be found, board him.

[Alagirl]

@BLBGP;6106606

Just curious…you refer to him as the Tom or the cat. Did the breeders not give him a name?

Considering that the transaction is between her brother and the breeder…seems ok not to know the name.

[Effie1221]

I don’t know the cat’s current name but my brother has several names picked out. I’m just calling it the Tom or the Tom cat for now. If you have any ideas, let me know and I’ll pass it along. Right now the name ideas are George, Bond, Charlie, Stan, Ringo, Mick…not to fancy. My brother wanted to see if it responds to any combination of consonants or vowels.

My dad thinks the cat can crawl out from under the shed so he is reconsidering the idea to make a vacation cat-house. The only other place is under the landing for the slide on the swing-set, where the sand box is located, but then the kids playing on the swing-set & would probably drive the cat nuts. The garage is out, unless the cat can stay in a kennel and take walks throughout the day.

They will be 4 states away so I’m really hoping that my brother doesn’t try to travel with the cat.

We think the delivery date will be next weekend. I’m kind of excited to find out if it is everything he was looking for.

[KateKat]

Good luck to your brother. He really is leaping in feet first with the whole cat ownership thing!

I personally wouldn’t own a savannah. In fact, I have two bengals now and I’m not sure I would buy that breed again either and they are more “domesticated”! I remember going to one of the Bengal breeders and they had a savannah they were breeding. Cat was beautiful, but standoff-ish. They also old me it was not really considered “domestic” yet since at the time, Savannah’s were pretty new (this was about five years ago) and this particular cat was only two generations away from its wild half.

But even my domestic bengals still have a lot of weird quirks I can only attribute to their wild side since I’ve owned many rescue cats over the years and none are quiet like them! They definitely have purr-sonality up the wazoo but they are high maintenance and high strung, and very sensitive souls. I wouldn’t trade them for anything but when they die, I’m going back to my little rescue kitties!

[moonriverfarm]

Good gracious, people! this is turning into an “every pit bull is a killer! don’t trust them with your kids or grandmother!” thread. No, i don’t know which generation my friend’s Savannah is. I’ve spent a lot of time around this cat though so I do speak from experience. I know the cat has Bengal in her lines. And just as a side note, I have raised orphaned racoons, squirrels and a baby gray fox, and I am familiar with how wild animals act in domestic situations. This cat shows no “wild” traits and as I stated, acts just like a very exotic looking supermodel of the feline variety, not like Scar from The Lion King.

[spurgirl]

Moonriver, where do you get that notion that any of us thinks these cats are “killers” or evil like Scar from The Lion King? The OP asked about people who have had experience with these animals, and has gotten some really good responses…Mine was the cat I encountered, while really cool, IN MY OPINION, could really be quite a handful, and was extremely athletic and high maintenance. Perhaps the cat I knew has typical Savannah behaviors, then again, maybe not. I can only relate what I experienced.

We are telling the OP about our experiences, so perhaps in 6 or 7 months we WON’T see a post headed “OMG, My brothers Savannah Cat is a living menace HELP”, because the cat ended up being stuck in it’s own room, spraying everywhere*, being overly aggressive/destructive from boredom, etc., etc.

Glad to hear he IS going to be neutered before delivery

[danceronice]

Can they KILL you? No. (Well, almost certainly not.) Can small exotics and hybids (this is not a Bengal, which as pointed out has been domestic-bred for much, much longer) be highly destructive and stink to high heaven? Yes. I like margays and ocelots, I wouldn’t cross one on a tabby and bring the result home.