Preparing for your Kitten:
1) When bringing a new Savannah kitten home, don't rush it out of the crate. Give the Savannah kitten time to venture out on its own. I suggest keeping the Savannah kitten in a room by itself for a period of time. This is the perfect time to sit in the room with your new baby… play, pet, talk to and bond with him/her.
2) Don't give the Savannah kitten full run of the house at first. They are young and don’t know your home and will get lost. This causes stress and can make the Savannah kitten sick.
3) Savannah kittens don't always remember to eat. Make sure you show them the food dish often.
4) Remember to show them the litter box, especially after waking up from a nap or overnight.
5) Savannah Kittens have sharp nails and can scratch you and your children. Keep the nails trimmed. Allow them a scratching post/cardboard scratchers at all times.
6) Keep the kitten on the same food it was on prior to coming to live with you. If you are going to change food, make the change very gradual. I will help walk you through this should you decide to change diet.
7) Have plenty of toys available. Keep the blanket I have sent home with you near the kittens play area as well as sleeping area. It has been imprinted on by its momma, litter-mates and me.
8) When playing with your new Savannah kitten don’t run it to the point of panting or exhaustion. Also…. Please don’t run them in circles to the point of dizziness.
ALSO...... PLEASE NOTE>>>> let me caution you on purchasing the biggest, tallest CAT TREE while your kitten is still a baby, along with making you kitten jump excessively. PLEASE allow them to fully mature and their bones to grow and get strong.... IT WILL HAPPEN. Unfortunately, (with NO harmful intentions) the owners of this kitten (from Snow Canyon) Jumped off a tall cat tree and landed horribly wrong. Causing a horrific break of his upper leg, costing his owners in excess of $4,000 for the surgery and the kitten confined to a crate for 2 months. His owners have been fantastic and taken amazing care of him... I know his owners would never want this to happen to any other Snow Canyon Savannah kitten... PLEASE take caution!!! See his x -Ray below~~
9) Savannah’s love toilet paper! Keep your toilet paper under a cupboard or drawer… Otherwise you might end up with a Winter Wonderland in your bathroom!
10) Joining a new family can be very stressful on a new baby. Watch closely for your kitten to show signs of stress. Not eating, drinking or being active. Many times the litter box will be the first sign of trouble. Watch the litter box closely. If they appear stressed, move them back into a small living area again and allow them a little more time.
11) Savannah kittens LOVE to jump up on things. Move breakables, picture frames, glass etc… As the kitten grows they become more agile and more likely not to bump things off shelves and/or countertops.
12) Never yell, scream or spank your kitten. They are so much smaller than you and have no way to defend themselves. Please do not make the kitten feel threatened in any way. They are there simply to love you and don't always understand our way of life. Savannah cats don't always back down if you become abusive with them. Re-directing their attention is the best form of disciplining your new kitten.
13) Savannah Kittens/Cats love to chew. Many normal cat toys can be chewed into pieces by your savannah cats. I particularly don’t like feather toys. I’ve had my F1 get a feather lodged in her trachea and had to have surgery to remove it.
14) Don’t allow aggressive “Hand Play” with your new kitten. Rather, if they start to bite and scratch your hands (eve in play) re-direct them to an appropriate toy. These guys are only going to get bigger, so teach them good manners now
Here is a list of things to watch out for: ((CAUTION))
Chocolate of any kind (can be fatal if enough is ingested)
Cigarettes (including butts, matches
Many house plants/FLOWERS (The way I see house plantss, MOST/ALL are poisonous/FATAL to kittens/cats)
Bread wire twists ties/plastic fasteners
Hair ties/ponytail holders (can cause intestinal blockage)
Rubber bands, Staples, paper clips, thumb tacks, Milk jug rings (choking hazard) and bottle caps
Thread, yarn, any string, dental floss (DO NOT attempt to pull if swallowed, contact your Vet ASAP!)
Garlic, onion, salt, grapes, raisins, alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, potato, tomato, macadamia nuts, avocado
Essential oils used as fragrance or air fresheners (can cause liver damage)
Antifreeze (Call Vet ASA)
Cooked bones (can splinter easily and be swallowed)
Recliners (check to make sure kitty is not under chair or inside of it)
Plastic bags and paper bags with handles
Cleaning products and room fresheners, medications including vitamins (human and pet meds)
Saran wrap and aluminum foil (choking hazard)
Electrical cords, Mini blind cords (strangling hazard)
Toilets (drowning danger)
Washers and dryers (check before each use)
Sewing needles and pins, buttons, Toothpicks
Hot stoves and burners, wood stoves, refrigerators (check before closing door)
Candles left burning unattended
Very tall cat trees (attach firmly to wall or ceiling and use padding and/or carpet underneath)
Children’s small toys, Balloons
PLEASE so not hesitate to phone me if you have any questions. Even if you may think they are silly, the only silly question, is the one not asked.
With nearly all my litters, I am right there at momma’s side when she is giving birth. I assist her any way I can. I help most of these precious little one’s take their first breath and sometimes sadly, there when they take their last. I cry when they are born and I cry when I lose a little soul. I trust that you will continue that love and passion that was breathed into them the seconded they entered our world.
My kittens are the pride and joy of my life. They breathe, have a heartbeat and feel just as you and I feel, please remember that. They hurt and they get sad….. If at any time you are unable to keep or care for this kitten. Please contact me and I will help make arrangements to re-home the baby.
Be Prepared..... to be...... SAVANNDALIZED!!!!
OK... SO HERE ARE THE SIMPLE FACTS.... (some of this is duplicated)
There is a lot to think about when it come to protecting your new addition to the family. Just like with new babies you take all kinds of precautions especially when the start to crawl.... The best analogy I have found for the Savannah is....
It's like having a TWO YEAR OLD!
First and foremost Savannahs should ALWAYS be kept inside!
Savannahs are a lot like dogs in that they will chew or try to eat just about anything. Be sure that you keep all small objects put away. Putting things on the counter IS NOT a deterrent.... If they want something bad enough, these cats are intelligent and curious enough to figure out a way to get what they want! For instance pay particular attention to Strings, coins, paper clips, earrings (I've lost a few), rubber bands and as far as electric cords go I would wrap them with twist ties or tape them together.
Savannahs also love to eat plants. Be sure that your home has pet friendly plants. Many plants are poisonous!
Be mindful of your window treatments ie; blinds - they can be deadly.
Screen Doors......
replace TREES!
They will try to climb them...
ALWAYS be cautious when cooking. Again Savannahs are very curious and because they love you so much they want to be apart of everything you do. Hot stoves with pans of boiling water or hot grease should NEVER be left alone when your Savannah is in the kitchen.
Other things to pay attention to are:
Toilets.... keep the lids down.
Toilet Paper .... put it on upside down.... it will save you money on TP!
This WAS an entire package of TP, Zahri opened the cupboard and...... well,
they had a blast! LOL
Keep doors closed to places you don't want your savannah.....
Bath Tubs left full..... are swimming holes for adults and GRAVES for kittens.
Loaves of Bread..... will be destroyed in minutes as well as packages of TP.
Gifts in Bags.... are just fun things for them to jump in! (keep them in a closet until you are ready to leave for your party or take them right to your car.... for safe keeping.
I can't leave a glass on my kitchen counters... They LOVE to push them off with their nose! It took a few glasses before I got it through my head! I would suggest plastic glasses/cups if you have small children that will set them up on the counter.
Keep doors closed..... My Savannahs will jump on top of the door and straddle it..... if you're not paying attention you will slam them in the door catch a paw or tail.
BINDI... my "Door Stop"
With "all" that said...... These amazing creatures are so much fun to add to your family. As much as they can get in to things, they also show loads of love and affection! Becoming your shadow, foot warmer, bed buddy, couch potato, watching movies and sharing popcorn with you. I don't know what life would be with out my Savannah family!
Treat them like your children and ya'll will be just fine....
ENJOY the ADVENTURE and LOVE of the SAVANNAH !