And you are quite sure he is well, no disease, nothing thats making him feel off?
Savannah Cat Chat - THE Place for Savannah Cat Talk
Welcome to the Savannah Cat Chat Forum! Our forum has been in existence since 2012 and is the only one of its kind. We were here, serving the savannah cat community before Facebook and Instagram! Register for a free account today to become a member! Please use an email program other than Hotmail, since Hotmail accounts are blacklisted by many servers and ISP's. Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site in some of the forums by adding your own topics and posts. But in order to take advantage of the full features, such as a private inbox as well as connect with other members ad access some of the larger topics, a donation of $2.99/mo or $25/yr is requested. This will allow us to continue running this forum!
Tempered Savannah Cat
- Thread starter GSGunde10
- Start date
Isn't the show My Cat From Hell, the guy has some sort of fanciful name...can't recall it right now...
Laura W
Savannah Super Cat
Yes, Jackson Galaxy. The Show is on Animal Planet.
Watching this thread also. Echo still hasn't made any improvements in coming around either.
A
AmyAndSimba
Guest
I'm going to go off of a bit of a tangent... This would be a question mainly for breeders. I am going to pick up my kitten in a couple of weeks, I am wondering if he exhibits aggressive behavior like hissing and growling, would he potentially be a no-go, or is it common for some kittens to act this way when meeting someone new?
I'll be honest, I love cats, but if I had to deal with an aggressive and unaffectionate cat for the rest of its life I know I will lose my patience very, very easily...
I'll be honest, I love cats, but if I had to deal with an aggressive and unaffectionate cat for the rest of its life I know I will lose my patience very, very easily...
Oh gosh, here I go with my story again. For those of you who've heard it before, look away lest you be bored to pieces.
Stacie, my 2nd F2 was the same way. He is very cat oriented but not very people oriented. I had to work very very hard to get him to accept me. I first had him quarantined in our master bathroom and I slept in the bath tub for a few weeks. Then I moved him into the office and slept on the floor for another few weeks. I was treating him for giardia and coccidia and he hated being given the meds. Our first 6 months together were very rocky and I was covered in spit from all the hissing. If looks could kill I'd be long dead because he was (and still is) the master of giving me the stink eye.
To get him used to being touched, I would play with him with a feather wand which he loves and I'd run the wand over his back and sides and from time to time I'd sneak in a pet or two. He started associating me with fun and things gradually got easier.
Also, I hand fed him a lot when he was a kitten as another bonding trick. I'd sit quietly on the floor with the food in my hand. After a week of this, I started gently petting him while he was eating. Another association with something positive.
One thing that I'm sure hampered our progress was my attitude. I was afraid of him because he bit and scratched me pretty badly the first night he was here. I know he felt my nervousness and fear and that put us both into a bad cycle. Then after a while I got mad because it seemed he hated me so much and I was trying so hard to at the very least put us on a level of mutual respect. Well, he picked up on the anger and away we went into another frustrating cycle.
So I had a long talk with myself, calmed down, and basically accepted that he would never be as big a part of the human family as our other savannahs. And that's when he decided that maybe I was ok after all. As long as I respect his boundaries and pet him when he's in an accepting state all is well. He has started giving me love eyes which surprised me so much I cried. He will follow me around the house and supervise everything I do and I had to learn that this was one of his ways of showing me that he thinks I'm ok.
One other thing, from your avatar I'd guess that he gets along with your other cat. But, there may be subtle territory issues going on there that could be a factor in his behavior. If your vet has given him a clean bill of health, perhaps he just isn't feeling secure in his environment and the challenge will be to identify what is making him feel that way.
Don't give up. If your guy turns out to be the independent sort, it doesn't mean he hates you, it just means he's independent. My guy is 2 yrs old and he is still making progress so I have high hopes that our relationship will continue to improve.
Stacie, my 2nd F2 was the same way. He is very cat oriented but not very people oriented. I had to work very very hard to get him to accept me. I first had him quarantined in our master bathroom and I slept in the bath tub for a few weeks. Then I moved him into the office and slept on the floor for another few weeks. I was treating him for giardia and coccidia and he hated being given the meds. Our first 6 months together were very rocky and I was covered in spit from all the hissing. If looks could kill I'd be long dead because he was (and still is) the master of giving me the stink eye.
To get him used to being touched, I would play with him with a feather wand which he loves and I'd run the wand over his back and sides and from time to time I'd sneak in a pet or two. He started associating me with fun and things gradually got easier.
Also, I hand fed him a lot when he was a kitten as another bonding trick. I'd sit quietly on the floor with the food in my hand. After a week of this, I started gently petting him while he was eating. Another association with something positive.
One thing that I'm sure hampered our progress was my attitude. I was afraid of him because he bit and scratched me pretty badly the first night he was here. I know he felt my nervousness and fear and that put us both into a bad cycle. Then after a while I got mad because it seemed he hated me so much and I was trying so hard to at the very least put us on a level of mutual respect. Well, he picked up on the anger and away we went into another frustrating cycle.
So I had a long talk with myself, calmed down, and basically accepted that he would never be as big a part of the human family as our other savannahs. And that's when he decided that maybe I was ok after all. As long as I respect his boundaries and pet him when he's in an accepting state all is well. He has started giving me love eyes which surprised me so much I cried. He will follow me around the house and supervise everything I do and I had to learn that this was one of his ways of showing me that he thinks I'm ok.
One other thing, from your avatar I'd guess that he gets along with your other cat. But, there may be subtle territory issues going on there that could be a factor in his behavior. If your vet has given him a clean bill of health, perhaps he just isn't feeling secure in his environment and the challenge will be to identify what is making him feel that way.
Don't give up. If your guy turns out to be the independent sort, it doesn't mean he hates you, it just means he's independent. My guy is 2 yrs old and he is still making progress so I have high hopes that our relationship will continue to improve.
Usually the breeder will be able to tell you about the kitten's personality. Savannah kittens hiss or growl as a form of communication at times or when they are afraid but not in an aggressive manner.
We have many, many threads on how to socialize kittens, how to introduce them into your home, so you can always do a search for whatever topic you are looking for.
Savannahs do require patience as they are a high energy, fun-loving cat..they need to be nurtured and played with like any other cat...however, they may require a bit more attention...and remember, many savannahs are not lap cats, although head butts are a common form of affection. Mine sleep with me and follow me and want to be near me, but they do not like to be held. They will also crawl on me at certain times and sleep in my arms, but that is not an every day occurence.
So you really need to evaluate what type of cat you really want - if you are looking for a lap cat and /or a cat you can hold, the savannah may not be the right cat for you. But if you want a highly intelligent, fun-loving, loyal, intense at times, domestic cat, then the savannah cat is right for you.
We have many, many threads on how to socialize kittens, how to introduce them into your home, so you can always do a search for whatever topic you are looking for.
Savannahs do require patience as they are a high energy, fun-loving cat..they need to be nurtured and played with like any other cat...however, they may require a bit more attention...and remember, many savannahs are not lap cats, although head butts are a common form of affection. Mine sleep with me and follow me and want to be near me, but they do not like to be held. They will also crawl on me at certain times and sleep in my arms, but that is not an every day occurence.
So you really need to evaluate what type of cat you really want - if you are looking for a lap cat and /or a cat you can hold, the savannah may not be the right cat for you. But if you want a highly intelligent, fun-loving, loyal, intense at times, domestic cat, then the savannah cat is right for you.
Wyldthingz
Savannah Super Cat
Aren't you the one getting a kitten at a really young age? Wasn't it 6 weeks or something?
Some kits are shy with strangers but it is a bad thing if they run an hide. You have to spend a bit of time with them and use your good judgement.
Some kits are shy with strangers but it is a bad thing if they run an hide. You have to spend a bit of time with them and use your good judgement.
K
Kronos
Guest
Both my cats were love bugs from the get go, no hissing or growling at me even right after coming home. They sought humans out for comfort. It has so much to do with how they are socialized at the breeders I believe.
Ooops, forgot to mention that my cat's mom is a hisser. It's her primary mode of communication and Maliik inherited that trait. Maliik has a repertoire of hisses instead of meows. He has a soft hiss for "oohh, that feels good, scratch more behind my ears" a whiney hiss for "damn it woman, where's the feather wand", you name it, he has a hiss for it.