Living, Loving and Laughing with

Savannah Cats

by

Linda M. Kemple

LIVING, LOVING and LAUGHING with

SAVANNAH CATS

By

Linda M. Kemple KEMPLES CATS

www.kemplescats.com Contact: (215 428-3583)

Email: valikee1@yahoo.com

Tepring F1 Savannah

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About the Author

Linda Kemple is a Hypnotherapist and Life Style Coach who lives in South East Pennsylvania with her Siberian Husky and Savannah Cats. Originally from New Jersey she has an extensive background in human and animal behavior. Linda has had a passion for animals all her life, raising Appaloosa horses, dogs and cats. Linda has owned and bred Savannahs for seven years, loving every minute. She enjoys educating people about the Savannah cat and hybrids in general.

All rights Reserved This book may not be copied, reproduced in any form without written permission of the Author. Valikee1@yahoo.com

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Hayajei F4 Chausie

I dedicate this book in Loving memory

to my Mom Marie R. Johnston

And Hayajei

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Table of Contents

Page 2: Contact Information

Page 3: About the Author Page 6: On Becoming a Savannah Cat Whisperer Page 9: The Savannah Cat Chronicles: From Serval to Savannah Page 9: * All About Servals Page 17: * All About Domestics Page 19: * All About Foundations/Generations Page 24: * All About Savannahs Page 29: * Selecting a Savannah Cat Cattery Page 32: * Baby comes Home Page 47 * The Things my Savannahs do Page 56: Gallery of Pictures Appendix * Suggested Reading * Links * Breeders websites

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This book is all about my Savannah cats . I will describe the Savannah Cat as a pet, including their history as one of the newest breeds in the world. You will learn more about our domestic cats and of course the fabulous Serval, foundation for the Savannah Cat. In the following chapters you will read stories, get tips and really get to know all about life with the Savannah Cat, as I see. So, let’s get started with my point of view. On Becoming a Savannah Cat Whisperer… When I first came upon this awesome new breed, the Savannah Cat, I felt like Will Smith in the movie Independence Day, when he said “I GOTTA GET ME ONE OF THESE”. So, after a lot of research, checking out catteries and really knowing I am competent, I finely adopted my first Savannah Cat, Valikee .

Valikee Caut (Registered Savannah) F2

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It wasn’t long before I decided to adopt playmates for Valikee. So began my love and devotion to the Savannah Cat.

Tepring F1 her name is from the Star Trek series

Dafiana F1 her name means “Special Gift or Treasure” in African, she truly is that! Introducing “Dafiana” and “Tepring” my F1 girls. We live in my home at Kemple’s Cats in South East, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Since Bengal cat breeder Judee Frank successfully crossed a Serval and a domestic cat, producing the first Savannah on April 7th, 1986; Savannah Cats have gained popularity at an unprecedented speed. Once you meet one, you will be seduced by their personality, performance and pulchritude. A Savannah Cat is always a pleasure to share your space, your time and your life. An entertaining, intelligent pet and a comforting companion, your Savannah Cat will bring to you years of mutual appreciation and pleasure. As a knowledgeable breeder of different species, including horses, dogs and cats; my mission in writing this e-book is to inform interested cat lovers and

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owners about my Savannah Cats; the care and feeding of them, the training of them, and the joy of ownership. A very special feline friend, Savannah Cats have all the advantages a hybrid can bring to those of us who love the grace and beauty of the wild cats and the companionship and arrogance of our domestic cats. With a short but colorful history, Savannah Cats live up to their reputation as smart, funny, complicated, complex and often challenging. My goal is to educate everyone interested, so the amazing Savannah cat will go to homes that the owners know what to expect and know how to raise a well adjusted pet. I’ve seen too many people purchase these cats because they are big, wild looking and a great attention getter. That’s fine as long as you know how to handle the personality inside the gorgeous exterior. The Savannah’s personality development is your first priority. You must be willing to spend quality time every day with your Savannah. Learn and implement training, socialization and provide fun safe toys to prevent boredom. I call this being the “Savannah Cat Whisperer”. I promise, if you do all of this you will have such great joy, laugh and have a feeling of pure love sharing life with your cat. Ok, my lecture is over, let’s continue with some history. Marvelous, magical and magnificent---“Meow!” Welcome to my life with Kemple’s Cats.

Najei-Kahn F5 Savannah, 9 months

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The Savannah Cat Chronicles

Chapter 1: A Cat with a History

Whether you are thinking about owning, adopting or simply loving a Savannah Cat, join me in the journey of tracing their ancestry. Judee Frank’s first Savannah attracted the attention of Patrick Kelley who purchased a Savannah kitten in 1989. After several dead ends with other Serval breeders, Patrick’s enthusiasm for this new breed convinced Joyce Sroufe to join him in establishing this new breed. In 1996, the same year TICA placed a moratorium on new breeds, Stroufe and Kelley wrote the standards for this new breed. It was not until 2000 that the standard, refined with input from other breeders, was passed by TICA (The International Cat Association) in a narrow 7-to-6 vote. SIMBA (Savannah International Member & Breeder Association) was formed immediately, and reported a little over 100 registered Savannahs. One year later, the registration had more than doubled. Officially, this cross between an African Serval and a Domestic cat is only 8 years old, but has already seduced thousands of cat lovers across the world. Let start by giving you a good description and explanation of the foundation of this breed. The fabulous African Serval.

Serval of the African Savannah

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Chapter 2: The African Serval Cat (Leptailurus Serval) Domesticated Serval: Pongo owned by Allison Navarro of

Jewels of the Nile Savannah Cats

I love this picture of Pongo. What at Magnificent Cat!!!!

Pongo is the foundation Serval for two of my Savannahs

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A mid-size (20-45 pounds/ 9-20 kilos) African wild cat living on the plains of Africa, the Serval lives between 12 and 20 years. A slender animal, with long legs, a tail ¾s the length of the domestic cat and black ringed, resembling a raccoon. The Serval’s tall oval ears are set close together in order for them to hear small prey. From a distance, the back of their ears have been described as looking like a second set of eyes, white spots on a dark background color. The Serval’s coat is variable, with bold spots and stripes over light tan, tawny or golden fur. Occasionally, the Serval exhibits melanism (black), so they can closely resemble a small black panther. White Servals are white with silvery grey spots and as far as I’m aware, occur only in captivity. Servals have the longest legs of all the cat family, relative to its size. Combined with their long necks and large ears, they are uniquely suited to hunting on the savanna. Their long necks provide them excellent views over the tall grasses. Large ears also allow them to detect rodents, even when they are burrowed beneath the ground. During the hunt, the Serval will pause, eyes closed as he listens for as long as 15 minutes to locate his prey. A highly efficient hunter, the Serval catches his prey at least 50% of the time (compared to less than 10% success found in other breeds of cats). Unlike other breeds of cats, the Serval will dig into burrows to locate their hapless prey or flush birds from their nests. Quick as a second, the Serval excels at jumping and has a unique vertical hop enabling it to bring down birds as well as taller small animals. (Whenever one of my Savannah family is missing, my eyes automatically look up and find the missing member on top of the bookcase, curio, or teetering on top of a 1 1/2 inch thick door. My F1 girls jumping ability is truly amazing. Especially taking the long jump from the kitchen floor to the top of my kitchen cabinets, about ten feet. Without any exaggeration these girls have the grace of birds. As they go through the air you might imagine they have wings and fly up so effortlessly. Tepring and Dafiana land so very lightly as if there is an unseen air cushion on the cabinet tops. What a mesmerizing sight, but, now back to the mesmerizing Serval. The main habitat for the Serval is the African Savanna, although Servals have been found in mountainous areas. The Serval does not live in arid, dry climates (semi-deserts/steppes) because this species requires water in its territory. Climbing and swimming ability characterize this breed of cat. An opportunistic predator, the Serval catches rodents, hares, birds, reptiles, insects, fish and frogs. Servals have been observed taking down larger animals, such as small antelopes. Unlike your domestic cat, Servals eat very quickly, and if the food is large enough, they will choke and regurgitate it. So, if you plan to have a higher generation Savannah (F1 or F2) don’t be shocked if your baby gobbles food growling the whole time, you’ll do a lot of explaining to guests. Ha Ha Gestation period for a Serval is 66-77 days, almost three months until the birth of between one and three kittens and they require 2 to 3 years to mature to adulthood. Yes, that means if you plan to own a Serval (by permit only) you will

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have a really big kitten for a really long time! The young Serval will go through all the kitten stages; investigating, getting into things, disappearing into impossibly small spaces, and running (on the walls too) around leaving a path of destruction behind him. If raised properly, they make wonderful loving pets.

Look at these cuties they are sweet as they are beautiful. Owned by Allison Navarro of Jewels of the Nile Savannah Cats.

Young Servals raised by Allison Navarro

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Here I am talking to a young Serval owned by Allison Navarro of Jewels of the Nile Savannah Cats. He is very sweet and I enjoyed my time with him. Allison is a skilled professional with these cats. Allison has been breeding Savannahs since the beginning of this breed. She truly loves the cats and it shows in the quality kittens she produces. She breeds all generations of Savannahs. Allison maintains high standards in her cattery ensuring happy, healthy well bred Savannahs. I highly recommend her cats. Check out her cattery website and see for yourself. Her Ethics, Dedication and Expertise continues to bring this breed forward. Now you might see pictures of children with a Serval or a F1 draped over them. Please understand that this is the exception, not the rule. I guess the point is to show good temperaments coming out of the advertised Cattery. Any animal large or small can be full of surprises. I’m sure the adults, being qualified, totally knew the temperament and trained the cat and children. Let’s face it, most children aren’t trained like the late Steve Irwin’s daughter Bennie. In my opinion supervision is a must with children and pets. That being said, I don’t recommend a Serval or an F1, as pets for Children. Why? If they are so sweet. Well, not every animal is sweet all the time, people aren’t ! These are big cats with sharp claws and teeth. Even in play unintentional injury is possible. Besides, this size cat isn’t easily cared for in the home. As for the Serval, this cat needs a lot of

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space to exercise properly. But, If your convinced that it’s ok, proper training for the children and cat is a must. This handsome fellow is Dafiana’s Dad, Jeffree, lovingly raised at Belle Hollow Farms and Exotics.

WOW! Just look at his Face!

Compared to the Domestic, the Serval is a big cat to romp through your house. So you better really know what your doing. Jeffree, also has plenty of space in an outside compound at Belle Hollow Farms

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Toilet paper, paper towels and paper napkins are always of extreme interest to the Serval and Savannah cat. These clever clowns will shred, adorn themselves and decorate the house with every paper product they can find.

What? I didn’t do anything! Servals have been pets for thousands of years, so this isn’t just a passing fad. The ancient Egyptians used the Serval as a working pet. The Serval kept the rodents in check in the homes and in the granaries. The Royals of Ancient Egypt appreciated the Serval for their strength, skill and beauty. Servals also became part of the Temple décor, and are often represented in murals, and other artwork associating with royals and members of the household. The wealthy of Europe also kept Servals as pets. They adorned aristocratic homes from the British Isles across the continent. Now the Serval population in recent years has decreased in Africa, Why? Leopards and other large cats have been known to prey on the Servals, particularly the kittens as a food source. The real reason for the reduction of the number of Servals in Africa, of course, is human. Hunted for their fur, the Servals can no longer be found in South Africa, and are rarely seen north of the Sahara. In my opinion, if this fabulous cat is to survive, responsible breeders, pet owners and zoos are their best hope.

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Jeffree is a well socialized Serval raised by experts, Belle Hollow Farms and

Exotics, Franklin, NC

So, before we move on let me give you a little information on our domestic cats.

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Chapter 3: All about Domestic Cats:(Felis Silvestris Catus)

In 2004 on Cyprus, archeologists excavated a grave which held 2 skeletons; a cat skeleton nestled next to a human. The scientist’s estimate the age of the grave to be over 9,500 years old marking the earliest association we know of between cat and human. A skilled predator, the cat hunts over 1,000 species for food. Intelligent and trainable, cats communicate through body language and vocalizations, including meowing, purring, hissing, growling, squeaking, chirping, clicking and grunting. Cat’s ears are unique in so far as each ear can move independently of the other using thirty two individual muscles to provide them with directional hearing. The angle of a cat’s ears provide a clue as to their moods. When the cat’s ears are laid back or flat, usually accompanied by a growl or a hiss, the cat is angry or afraid. Cats also turn their ears backwards when playing in order for them to listen for sounds occurring behind them. Cats walk very precisely. Rather than alternate strides between front and back legs, right and left side, cats move both legs on the same side at the same time. In addition, their back paw lands in the same place as the front paw preceding it. This minimizes noise as well as visible tracks while providing surer footing over rough terrain. Their claws are retractable and when sheathed allow for silent stalking of prey. They may extend their claws for hunting, fighting, “kneading”, or extra traction on soft surfaces. The loose skin, the scruff, on the back of the neck remains throughout their life. Mother cats grip the scruff in order to carry their kittens from place to place. As a result of that conditioning, the cat will relax when grasped there. However, an

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adult cat should not be carried by the scruff, because it is too heavy not to have its weight supported beneath the chest and hind quarters. Cats have extraordinary senses attuned to hunt. Hearing, night vision, taste and touch receptors are more sensitive in cats than in dogs or humans. In addition, cats have dozens of moveable whiskers over their body, but particularly and most obviously on their face. The width of the whiskers from tip to tip indicate to the cat the width of the openings the cat may pass through. Please note, the fatter the cat, the wider the whiskers. Unlike the Serval, Feral cats may cohabitate in colonies, but cats can take care of all of their needs alone. Known for their hygiene, cats groom themselves often in order to utilize the natural deodorant in their saliva to remove any scent, so that their prey will not be aware of their presence. Cat fighting for self-defense, territory, reproduction or dominance is a noisy and violent affair. “Apparently”, because rarely is any real damage done. When challenged, the cat will raise their fur and arch their backs in a display of power to win the fight without having to strike a blow. When that doesn’t work, they will go at it, until one of them yields. Play among cats looks very much like aggression, with powerful slaps to the face as well as bites. Sometimes the cat will throw himself onto his back in order to free his powerful hind legs to rake the opponent. Although the claws on the front paws are sharper, the serious damage is done with the back legs. However, that’s not true in all situations. Dafiana throws herself on her back as an act of submission and has never aggressively fought. The presentation of killed prey to humans honors them from the feline’s point of view, or if you choose to believe a more biological explanation: perhaps it’s a relic from the cat’s youth, when he would present his mother with vestiges of the hunt in order to assure her that he was capable of living independently of her. Many years ago, I had a friend that had a very large orange tom cat. The cat roamed her farm freely everyday returning in the evening. Quite often Mr. Tom cat would leave my friend a prize of a mouse, bird or rabbit at her side door. The cat would move it to every door until my friend picked it up in an act of acceptance. Interesting, yes! Finally, in breeding the domestic, female cats are far from monogamous, as one litter can have as many different fathers as there are kittens. Gestation period is usually 60 to 65 days, and the kittens remain with their mother for at least 6 weeks until they are weaned and demonstrate the ability to live on their own. So, if you look at the gestation of the Serval vs. the Domestic, there can be as much as a 10 day difference. That difference can be the reason live kittens are so difficult to get in the first and second Savannah generations. For those of us who love the Savannah, and that includes all of us who love cats, the more we know about this attractive, intelligent, charming crossbreed, the

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more we love them. So, next, I’ll discuss the Generations or Foundations of the Savannah Cat. Chapter 4: All about the Generations of the Savannah Cat You’ve probably heard the the terms F1, F2, F3 and so on down to F8 from breeders or see them presented on their web pages. This term is used to describe the generation away from the Serval by out crossing to a domestic cat. Below is a basic explanation: Checkout my website: www.Kemplescats.com F1 has a Serval as a parent (50% Serval) F2 has a Serval as a Grandparent (25% Serval) F3 has a Serval as a Great Grandparent (12.5% Serval) Tepring and Dafiana are both F1. They have a Serval parent. Valikee is a F2 He has a Serval Grandfather (Pongo of Jewels of the Nile). Nissa is a F3. She has a Serval Great Grandparent. The closer the Savannah is to the Serval the more Serval traits are apparent. For instance, regarding Size, Tepring and Dafiana are much larger than Nissa. Why? Because Tepring and Dafiana are half Serval and get great size from dad. Valikee is one more generation removed (F2). His Mom is half Serval like Tepring and Dafiana. Valikee’s dad is a domestic.

Now, I’m not trying to confuse you but Valikee is as big as Tepring and Dafiana. Why? Because he is a male, which typically are larger than females of the same generation. In Other words F1, F2 and F3 males typically are larger than females. Now this isn’t cast in concrete a lot depends on the genetics of the domestic used in the breeding program. I have seen high generations that don’t have size. My F1’s, F2, F3, F5 and the kittens carry for size. So, you don’t have to sacrifice a lot of the size (if it’s important to you) if you decide on a lower generation kitten.

Another fact you need to know is that all generations of female Savannahs are fertile. Males are sterile up to the fifth generation (F5). That doesn’t mean the male won’t go through all the motions of the fertile male. It just means no reproduction possible. Neuter that boy at the age your vet and/or breeder contract requires. Lately I’ve seen advertisements for fertile F4 boys for sale. Unless the breeder guarantees fertility in writing, don’t buy that kitten if you plan to breed. Recently Savannah females are being bred to F5 and later, Savannah males. The term is called Savannah to Savannah breeding. That’s Great!, because this is the best way to maintain the look of the Serval. The International Cat Association (T.I.C.A) recognizes permissible non Savannah out crosses. Some examples are Oriental Shorthairs, Egyptian Mau, and Domestic Shorthair. Other breeds used are the Serengeti and Ocicat. The Bengal was used extensively in

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the past as an out cross. Personally and at the risk of upsetting Bengal breeders that might read this book, the Bengal is all wrong as an out cross for the Savannah cat. Why? The Bengal foundation is the Asian Leopard Cat. This cat is built differently than the Serval. If your interested, research this for yourself and decide for yourself. The Asian Leopard cat has small round ears and a wider face, than the Serval. Even out crossed to a domestic to produce the Bengal, I feel, the genes of the wrong type are still in there and mess up that tall sleek look of the Serval. The only two compliments to the Savannah, in my opinion, are the spotted coat and size. Certainly the temperament of any out cross should be a strong consideration for any breeding with a Savannah cat. So, why are they so expensive you might ask? The Serval and the domestic cat don’t breed readily. Often the Serval will not recognize the domestic female as a mate. Why? Because they are two different species. Most of the time the male Serval and Domestic females all need to be raised together from kittens. Even than they may never mate. That’s the first reason why Savannahs are so rare and expensive. A great deal of caution needs to be applied ever putting an adult Serval with a domestic . Lack of knowledge, Inexperienced would be breeders have done this very thing with disastrous results. Even when they do breed, the gestation is longer in the Serval (75 days) than in the domestic cat (60-65 days). Litter size from this crossing is usually 1-3 kittens. Miscarriage and often kittens born prematurely result in a high mortality rate. Even breeding F1’s is very challenging. The lower in generations you go the easier to breed. That’s why they are so expensive. That being said, the goal of the Savannah breeding program was met and continues, with patience, dedication, heartache, money and lots of love, the SAVANNAH CAT is an established breed. The Savannah is everything a cat lover could possibly want. In short, a big domestic cat with the looks of an African Serval and the personality of our best domestics. WHAT-A-CAT On one more note, Please know that ANY domestic cat with Serval genes IS a Savannah, registered, not registered or even marketed as another breed of cat. Don’t be fooled!

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Tepring ( Registered Savannah ) is a F1 ( Her name comes from the 1960’s original Star Trek series). Dad is a Serval. Tepring’s Mother is a Maine Coon. Tepring is a very large girl with strong Serval traits, look at the big ears and striking coat pattern. Tepring is a wonderful representative for the Savannah breed. She is friendly, talkative and will lick your hands like a puppy. When I take her out on her harness, a crowd gathers taking turns to pet her. She is always well behaved and social. My beautiful Tepring presents herself as dignified or regal. Her sweet loving temperament, also contributed by the Maine Coon, is ever present.

Dafiana F1 (Registered Savannah) enjoys playing on my bed and a fun game of fetch.

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Valikee is a F2, as his Mother is an F1 Savannah. His Dad is Magic a Chocolate Oriental Shorthair. His Grandfather is Pongo, owned by Allison Navarro, a Serval. Just look at his handsome innocent looking face. Valikee is my first Savannah and now the oldest. Valikee Caut, means “Big Cat” in Russian, he is a tall muscular boy. He charms guests with personality, enthusiastic head-butts and responds to voice commands better than many dogs.

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This is Nissa a F3 Savannah at 4 months old. She has large Serval ears and the much desired black nose with dark tears on either side of her nose. Even at this young age she is a graceful beauty.

Najei-Kahn and Nissa (Registered Savannahs 4 and 5 months) romping on the living room couch

Hope these examples help. Anyway, the closer the Savannah is to the Serval the more Serval traits are apparent.

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Chapter 5: All About Savannahs Ok, you are probably thinking about owning a Savannah Cat, have a new kitten or just plain curious. Yea! and good for you. As you’ve already read, the Savannah Cat is a new breed. Some people say the Serval can be equated to a miniature Cheetah with big ears. As I stated previously, the Serval is very powerful, quick and is well known for its jumping ability. Again, the Serval matures much later than the domestic cat. Usually full adulthood is reached between 2 and 3 years of age. The Savannah matures later as well. The closer the savannah is to the Serval genetically the later the maturity. Yes, that means if you plan to own the early Savannah generations First, Second and Third, you will have a big kitten for a long time. WHAT-A-CAT, magnificent, loyal, gorgeous, regal, elegant, oh so smart and many more adjectives apply to the Savannah. If your interested in adopting a Savannah, it’s important to do your homework on this very special breed. Because my intention is to address the Savannah as a pet, I won’t get into the requirements for showing your Savannah. If you’re interested in the standards, you will find that information contacting The International Cat Association (TICA). However, everyone interested in adopting a Savannah cat must know their state laws on owning a hybrid animal. It’s your responsibility because these laws are very different state to state and even internationally. In my opinion, Savannahs should be legal to own everywhere, being no threat to anyone. I hope that responsible ownership, education, organizations and legislators continue to work toward Savannah legalization. Ok, enough said about that subject. Savannahs are one of the largest breeds of domesticated cats. On average, early generations can weigh 25 pounds. The ideal appearance of the Savannah is a tall, long legged, long neck and a sleek looking cat. Because of the Serval influence, the hind quarters can be higher than the shoulder of the individual cat. The head is always taller than wide (triangular face) and is perched on a long, slender, elegant neck. Now, remember earlier in the book, I mentioned the light spots on the back of the Servals ears. The backs of the Savannah cat’s ears should have that light band or “ocelli”. This central light band should be surrounded by black, dark grey or brown fur. This configuration gives them an “eyes in the back of their head” appearance. Short of tail, like the Serval, with black rings and a solid black tip, the Savannahs can be born with blue eyes. The eyes can remain blue, or mature into green, brown, gold or a blend of shades. Tepring has golden brown eyes. Dafiana’s eyes are chocolate brown, Najei’s are light green and Nissa’s are the most beautiful shade of Teal. Depending on the domestic used as an out cross, the coat may or may not resemble the Serval ancestor’s. Early generations have fairly large black spots and stripes resembling the Serval. In addition the early generations eye shape resembles a “boomerang” with slightly hooded brow to protect them from harsh

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sunlight on the African plains. “Cheetah tears” black or dark brown lines from the corners of the eyes down the whiskers, also provide relief from the bright sun. Pretty cool information don’t you think?

Now, the ideal Savannah may give the appearance of weighing much more than the scale will show. Why? The bone structure is long and light even though the cat is large. Long firm muscling built for speed and agility, just like the foundation Serval. Remember earlier in the book I talked about Tepring and Dafiana’s jumping 10 feet to the top of the kitchen cabinets. A light bone structure and powerful hind quarters is what it takes with so little effort. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what generation your Savannah Cat is, a well bred Savannah will reflect the Serval heritage in his or her appearance. The Savannah cat will come in a variety of colors, but the pattern should be spots and stripes. Some colors are permissible and some are not permissible by TICA standards. The Same goes for patterns, you can refer to the TICA website if your interested in acceptable/unacceptable patterns. Now if you’re just looking for a pet and you found that sweet special kitten that isn’t quite the perfect standard, if you’re in love with that kitten, my advice, BUY THAT BABY. That’s a match made in heaven. Just make sure the kitten is healthy, socialized and represented honestly. As for temperament, the ideal Savannah should be friendly, curious, smart and vocal. I’ll talk more about this in the temperament section. But ultimately much of your Savannahs disposition will depend on you and the environment of your home.

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There you go! Tepring is oozing with the Serval looks

Here is Najei-Kahn (Registered Savannah) at 5 months. He is a F5, He is a well bred Savannah. Thank you Allison Navarro of Jewels of the Nile Savannah Cats

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Ok! What about the temperament of the Savannah cat? You might ask. The Savannah cats temperament should be assertive and active, friendly and playful, interested in other pets and people. Compared to dogs in terms of loyalty, they will often follow their person/s around the house like any good canine companion. All my cats are just like this, loyal and follow me around the house. They want to be in the same room but don’t necessarily have to sit on me. They might sit along side me for a little while just to see what I’m doing. The Savannah can be trained to walk on a leash and taught to fetch. However, like any good feline, they will pounce unexpectedly. The familiar greeting is a head-butt. As in every species there are differences in personalities per kitty. Some are outgoing and personable, others run for cover and growl and hiss when a new person arrives. Some love dogs, some love children, some only love their owner. My handsome young Najei-Kahn (F5) loves everything and everybody. Now 1 year old, he has the perfect temperament, truly. My neighbor will sit at my table visiting while Najei-Kahn is wrapped around her neck like a fur collar. The best chance of having a social Savannah is to first build a strong trusting bond. Your Savannah should look to you for reassurance when uncertainty prevails. Early praise for good behavior and a firm No is essential. Soon after leash training in the house, expose kitty to different places (on a leash of course), people, and other pets in a safe, secure environment. Don’t expect your cat to be an extrovert, if you’re an introvert---and vice versa. All my cats have very different personalities. They were all selected very carefully for type, temperament, pedigree, health, size and brains. None of my cats are inbred, line bred or poorly bred. I am very proud of the way I’ve raised them. One concern I have is that some people expect animals to ALWAYS be unconditionally sweet, no matter what. Think about it, is that a realistic expectation? That being said, the reality is, there are no guarantees that other traits less desirable won’t surface ( that’s if the trait is there at all). The same applies in all animals including humans. But, If the breeder is dedicated to only breeding the best and starts socialization immediately (particularly in the F1 and F2) and you continue the process, you will most likely have a wonderful pet. Let’s take my two F1 girls, even though Tepring and Dafiana are both F1s their temperaments are individually unique. They were both well socialized at the breeding catteries from birth and I continued the process diligently. They both have many Serval traits and some domestic. Dafiana is the most challenging of all the cats here at Kemple’s Cats. Dafiana is sweet and loving but can be very independent minded. That’s just who she is! For example, Dafiana enjoys a game of hide and jump out as I walk around the house. She only jumps out, not grabbing me. If I play back with her, I tickle her when she jumps out of her hiding place. On several occasions I was in the middle of another activity when she decided it was playtime. I told her no, not now. Well, that’s not what she wanted so she went on to scream a longgggggggggggg temperful yowl. I will try to

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distract her with toys to play with on her own until I am ready to play with her. Sometimes distraction doesn’t work. If she gets too insistent upping the yowl volume with my repeated no’s, she gets a time out. Yes folks, a time out, until she stops fussing, that works. Dafiana and Tepring play fetch the toy. If I tell Tepring “No, not now”, she will move the toy closer to me in an effort to entice me into throwing the toy for her to go fetch. If that doesn’t work, Tepring will find another activity. Tepring is more laid back about that kind of thing. Dafiana is more intent on having her own way. That’s fine for me, I want my cats to have their own minds. The Savannah is extremely smart, so you won’t be getting a “dumb designer kitty”. It’s very important that unwanted behaviors are dealt with in a manner the cat will understand. Even more important, all good behaviors and new positive learning are rewarded with praise, stroking, and treats. I’ll give you more information on raising your Savannah later. So now, let’s talk about the process of finding the right Savannah cat for you. All my Savannahs are the right ones for me. The picture below is Dafiana before I adopted her.

I fell in love with her instantly

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Selecting Your Savannah Once you’ve decided to make the investment, not only financial, but time and commitment, into raising a Savannah from a kitten, it’s time to investigate breeders. Again, I’m assuming for the purpose of this book, you are looking for a pet rather than showing or breeding. In that case there are many breeders listed on www.savannahcats.com. By this time you should have a good idea of what you want. Write out your list of questions for the breeder. Also, describe in writing your ideal savannah, it really helps. What coat pattern, color, gender, generation, and even personality preference (please think about personality preference based on your competency level). List questions about the health of the kitten and parentage. How does the breeder socialize kittens? Make sure the kitten is litter trained before leaving the cattery. If size is important to you, get the breeders opinion on any kitten of interest. Please know, just like personality, size is very difficult to guarantee. Ask yourself , do I want the kitten Micro chipped and/or DNA tested?

Pearl, Dafiana’s full sister, bred and own by Belle Hollow farms and Exotics, Franklin,NC

Dafiana It’s always preferable to visit the cattery to select your kitten or pick it up. I enjoy meeting owners of our babies and look forward to receiving grow updates once the kitten is living in their new home. Where possible, ask for a tour of the cattery. However, here at Kemples Cats, my cats live in my private home with me. They share my living space every square inch. I don’t give tours for that reason. But a visit to select your kitten is most welcome and if any of my cats choose, they will appear to say hello. Of course I have tons of great pictures of the entire family. If you can’t visit the cattery, talk on the phone and email. It’s very important to connect as personally as possible. When I get an email inquiry regarding kittens, I always ask to speak with the person by phone at least once. No telephone contact, I won’t sell to the person. Ask for clear, up close pictures of your baby and the parents.

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Any reputable breeder will have a list of questions, references and criteria. Be prepared to answer as many questions as you have to ask…..the Savannahs are not just any cat. If you don’t meet the criteria you will be turned down. Equally if the breeder doesn’t meet your criteria, don’t buy the Savannah. That’s why it’s very important that you learn and do your homework before selecting a breeder and cat. Also, reputable breeders will have you sign a contract similar to the one available on my website, www.kemplescat.com/contract. The contract is necessary to protect both the breeder and the new owners, and most of all, your new baby. In order to maintain the standards of this unique breed, and the safety of your cat, most breeders have specific requirements of the future owners regarding breeding, altering, medical care, and safety for your Savannah Cat. For sure you will be required to keep your Savannah in the house or a specific enclosure. They are all considered indoor cats, regardless of the reason you have for adopting one. Please take this very seriously, because of their Serval gene, they will disappear if allowed outside off leash or out of an enclosure. It’s their nature to explore the neighborhood, if allowed, regardless of all the love, food, care and affection. It bears repeating that in my opinion F1 generation is not for first time cat owners or pets for children. I had a woman call me looking for an F2 kitten. She never had a cat and thought it would be nice to have a Savannah. She wanted a big wild looking cat. As I questioned her knowledge about the Savannah I ascertained that she hadn’t researched the breed. The woman had no clue, she just saw beauty. I heard a baby crying in the background and asked about children. One 15 month old child she said proudly. I gave her my opinion on the generations and advised her to do some more research on the breed and consider a lower generation. I told her about this Savannah cat book and others, advised she read it as part of her education about the Savannah Cat. Finally I recommended when the time is right, seek breeders who are selling F3s and later generations.

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Dafiana

Here is a F5 boy born in my bedroom

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Chapter 6: Baby comes Home

Dafiana 9 weeks

Bringing home your new baby means you need to continue the loving handling, socializing and care the kitten had in my home. The higher the generations F1, F2 and F3, typically are not keen about being held. Do it anyway, but in a soft loving, gentle manner. Soon your baby will snuggle with you and there is nothing better then holding that little furry miracle. Bonding with your kitten is the first step on your journey of living with and loving your happy Savannah. Do not give your kitten the run of the house immediately. Initially, keep your kitten restricted to a small room or even a playpen with food, water, soft bedding and litter. If you do give the kitten too much space before the bonding is complete, your baby might hide being fearful of strange surroundings. Start with one room at a time, taking care to hold and play with your baby. Feed, water, bedding and litter should be in the same place so your kitten will return after exploring. If you chose to change location do it after your kitten is comfortable with you and your home. My advice on food is that you choose a premium high protein kitten food with a little higher taurine, made in the USA. Some studies indicate that low taurine might contribute to heart disease and miscarriage in cats. I feel the highest quality food is essential for all cats. But, the F1, F2 and F3 generations need

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more protein (not fillers) to grow and thrive. Introduce the new food very slowly over two weeks. Mix a few pellets at a time with the previous food. The same goes for wet food. An abrupt change can cause severe diarrhea and bowel inflammation. I do not recommend a raw diet. Why? I know of many animals that have gotten parasites, illness and not enough proper nutrition from a raw diet to grow and thrive. As for popular commercial “raw” diet for pets available in the pet stores, if the label says it’s not for human consumption, why would you feed it to your pet? So, If you’re still set on a raw diet, please become an expert on the preparation.

Dafiana at 3 months.( African name means: Special Gift or Treasure) Look at those ears! She looks 100% Serval in this picture. She has the Serval build too. She is my lean cuisine. I knew what I wanted and looked for a long time (My “Special Gift or Treasure” found). When I saw her picture I knew she was for me. Dafiana is perfect! Thank you Belle Hollow Farms, Franklin, NC. Belle Hollow Farms and Exotics is exceptional. They are truly animal lovers and their farm and methods show it. Even though I am a Breeder, In order to buy Dafiana I was interviewed in depth. I provided references including my veterinarian. Dafiana is chipped, her parents are DNA registered. All my questions were welcomed and answered directly. I felt great about buying from this cattery. Instead of flying her home to me, I drove 13 hours each way, a week before Christmas to pick her up. I’m so

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glad I did. Visiting the cattery and meeting the breeder is always the best route to go, if possible. I have maintained a great relationship with Betsy owner of Belle Hollow Farms and Exotics. I have kept them up to date about Dafiana through pictures and emails, they love it. Now that’s another breeder you want to buy from. Now if your kitten has an accident outside the litter box in the first few days, that’s not unusual. The stress of travel and a new environment is most likely the problem. Never yell, hit or punish your kitten. Just calmly clean it up and put a little of that elimination in the littler box. Than put the kitten in the litter box to re-enforce proper elimination. This can also occur If you’ve given the kitten too much space to fast or moved the litter location. Back it up, make sure you are slowly giving the kitten more space and keep the litter in the same location until the kitten is comfortable with your home. If you are a multi-pet household, introduce the newcomer to the other pet under a very watchful eye. Cats do not necessarily accept each other without some friction, acting out, and even aggression. When introducing any animal to another, it’s important to provide security and safety for both. I accomplish this in a carrier, thereby allowing the current resident to sniff, smell, and posture in the safety of separation. Eventually, they will establish a pecking order, a ranking, or a friendship. The process can’t be rushed, rather allow it to unfold naturally and your pets will reach their own social relationship. Now, introducing your new baby to a dog can be fearful to your kitty. Make sure your dog is very gentle and never allow your dog to show aggression. Supervise all interaction until both animals are comfortable with each other. Do not leave the kitten alone with any other pets until it’s totally safe and preferably the kitten is a little older.

Najei-Kahn 3 months

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Here is a picture of my Siberian Husky “Kaytab” . All my cats were introduced to him slowly and very gently. He is extremely good with all cats, dogs and people. Ok, now I’ll tell you what I did when I brought home Tepring.

Tepring 10 weeks

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Tepring F1 10 weeks old. Isn’t she precious?

Tepring arrived at Philadelphia International Airport on a hot day in August. She came from the State of Washington via Delta Airlines. I was beside myself with excitement finally to have her in my arms. Well! She was quite the celebrity with the cargo staff. Finally I said, “Oh boys it’s time for me to take my baby home and give her some loving”. They’re a great group to trust with animals. As I drove home from the airport I gently talked to her, as she remained in her carrier. Early that morning, I had set up a ferret cage in my bedroom. When I arrived home with her, I put her toys, blanket and litter from the travel carrier in the ferret cage. I refreshed her water and added just a few pellets of my brand of kitten food to the food that she ate at the cattery in Washington. I gently held, stroked and talked to her. She slept in the cage for a couple of nights in my room. I was able to spend a lot of time with her so the initial bonding went well. The next step was no cage, sleeping with me and running my bedroom. She was able to smell the other cats through and under my bedroom door.

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Tepring 3 months. Notice her toys are pretty large. For safety sake, make sure there are no small parts, look for only the large cat toys. Most of the toys I buy are small dog and human baby toys. Now, I also had another kitten bred here at Kemples Cats that was 2 weeks older than Tepring. He was introduced to her while still in my room. They became great playmates. They both slept with me and ran my room.

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This pictures show them wrestling and playing

This may look like a cat fight but it’s just two kittens in wrestle mania. Neither

kitten ever was injured.

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In this picture I was showing them one of their many new toys. They were so cute sitting side by side for the lesson. After they were secure in my room, I let them both explore room by room in the house at their own pace. I then introduced them to the other cats under a very watchful eye. Finally they met Kaytab my Siberian Husky and all went very well. They met all human company in a calm relaxed manner. I asked friends to play with both kittens for a few minutes when they visited. Always with toys, never use your hands as a toy. Next I introduced Tepring to a walking harness. The boy has gone on to a loving new home. Tepring initially wore the walking harness around the house. I gave her plenty of praise for accepting anything new. When I attached the leash we trained in the house until she was totally comfortable walking on the leash. The big day came for her first outing. We went to a large Pet Supply company first. Eventually she was a regular at most stores (except human food stores) and the bank. The problem I ran into was that she was such an attraction I didn’t get out of stores for hours. We continued our excursions into adulthood making Tepring a very socialized kitty. I followed the same training with Dafiana. Below is a picture of Dafiana at 4 months during one of our fun outings.

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What a gorgeous little girl in her purple walking harness. There are a variety of harnesses and walking jackets suitable for your Savannah. Just make sure it fits properly. Now, getting back to the purpose of this chapter, there are some other things I want to talk about. But first, briefly, lets re-visit the litter box. Again, your kitten should be litter trained before leaving the breeder. The early generations typically don’t cover their poop. If that is a problem for any human in the house, there’s nothing you’re going to do about it. Just so you’re aware, I have also heard of other litter problems with early generations. Maybe the litter used was the problem. Use unscented litter and keep it clean. I haven’t had litter issues with any of my cats. However, Tepring, Dafiana and Valikee don’t cover their poop. It no big deal to me. Ok, enough on the litter box. Next, let’s talk about intelligence. On my website under facts I mention how very smart the savannah is. You will see that your kitten watches everything you do around the house. The Savannah will also follow you like a shadow. Now your kitten might not insist on being in your lap but they will hangout in the same room occasionally giving head butts, kisses or just watching what you’re doing. If I move to another room here comes my shadow in the shape of a Savannah Cat. Sometimes it’s so hard to keep a straight face and work.

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If I’m working on the computer I will have company the entire time. Sometimes just sitting beside me patiently for hours. Dafiana, in order to get my attention will sit on the computer keyboard blinking her eyes and giving me head butts in my face. Note: My cats never lick or put their mouth near my face. At 4 months old Dafiana knew that I turned the door knob to leave a room. She couldn’t quite reach the knob at four months but she eventually opened the door. Often Tepring (she’s an escape artist) opened and closed bedroom doors. So, finally I put latches on the bedroom doors and door stoppers and that solved the problem. As you observe your kitten during playtime, you’ll see what I call “spring loaded bouncing”. Yes, often while playing they bounce straight up and down like springs are on their legs turning every witch way or like bouncing on a trampoline (Serval trait). I laugh so hard seeing this behavior. Even racing through the house, if they are surprised by something unexpected the reaction will be going straight up in the air. The ceilings in my house are 10 feet, thank God! My F1’s and F2 have leaped that high. Dafiana raced down the stairs into the living room. She was headed for the couch. She didn’t see Valikee sleeping amongst the pillows until she landed next to him. Startled she went straight up just short of slamming into the ceiling. Upon landing she darted behind the vacuum

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positioned in the middle of the living room floor. If you can get a mental picture of this you’ll see how funny it looks. One of my concerns arose when they noticed the ceiling fan going around and around. Najei-Kahn had a burning yearning urge to get up there. Not possible, luckily none of the furniture is that high near a ceiling fan. Another thing, Talk to your kitten, The Savannah learns words. Along with their name, one of the first words I teach is “NO”. Your voice tone is also very important in training and developing good behavior. You’ll find that your kitten talks back, they are very vocal with a myriad of sounds. Soon you’ll be able to discern their sounds into a kind of conversation. I always know who is talking in my house. All my Savannahs have distinct voices. The early generations might make chirping sounds. Others sound like a starling bird. Often when I’m on the phone people ask me if a baby is crying in my house. I laugh and say no that’s Dafiana my cat. The response is always the same “A Cat!! What kind of a Cat? On one occasion having visitors in my home, I called Tepring to come expecting her to give a friendly head butt. To their amazement and mine, Tepring responded with a sound that sounded just like “NO”. We had a good laugh about her honesty. Mirimone is extremely vocal. She makes sounds very different from the other cats. The tones are low and lengthy almost like chattering. When Mirimone had kittens she seemed to constantly talk to them. On two different occasions Mirimone took her kitten out of a visitors hands, talking the whole time, placed the kitten back in the bed and came back to visit. One visitor amazed exclaimed “I guess mommy said visitation is over”. This also happened during a vet visit. My vet laughed as she patted Mirimone on the head. Mirimone also took care of the litter box training. Starting at three weeks old, Mirimone placed the kittens next to the litter box for several hours daily. The kittens learned to use the litter box quickly, I had nothing to do with the training, pretty cool! Finally, don’t ever yell or hit. If your kitten gets to rough with you during play, stop and firmly say “No”, “Get down”, OFF and “No Bite. Many of the basic commands that puppy training employs will work well for the Savannah Cat, if you’re consistent. I don’t agree with gagging or grabbing the bottom jaw to stop biting. Why, If other experts recommend it? If you’re not skilled in how to do this, serious injury to the kitten is possible. I have never used this method and my cats don’t bit. Remember they are not like a dog but they are very smart and remember every experience good and bad. Continued consistency is a must in training your kitten and through their life. Ok, moving on to the next subject. I suppose you’ve heard that Servals love to play in water. Well, that gene was passed to all my Savannahs. Your kitten will probably first start to play in his/her drinking water. Next, your kitten will dunk toys in the drinking water. This will go on throughout their life. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stepped in my bare feet on a soggy toy.

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Valikee is a toy thief. He will steal the other cat’s toys, dunk them in water and leave the toy either in my bed or in a spot that I manage to step (mostly on the stairs). If your kitten demonstrates a love of water (never force this activity) you might want to provide a shallow small pool. The bathtub will due as well (3-4 inches deep only) with floating toys. Please supervise all water activities! Make sure to dry your kitten after playtime. One of my cats learned to turn on the bathtub water when he decided it was playtime. My house sitter forgot to close the bathroom door when she left the house. When she returned, the bathtub water was on full blast and the cats had sprayed water everywhere. Luckily no one got hurt with this unsupervised water mania.

Here is Tepring playing in Kaytab’s water bowl. If there is water available they will play in it. Finally, your baby might go through teething. Yes folks just like a puppy. Here at Kemples Cats, Tepring, Dafiana and Valikee did the real hard Teething. I think Valikee was the worst for chewing. For the first year of his life Valikee chewed wood like a beaver. He didn’t eat the wood, just gnawed it with his back teeth. Wood knobs were his favorite, leaving lots of tooth marks. The main concern was toxins from the paint or varnish. I sprayed bitter Apple on all wooden knobs in the house. That worked only because he found other wooden objects to add to his teething delights. Tepring would seek out hard rubbery plastics. Dafiana chewed her stuffed toys. My advice is just be aware of teething

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especially in the F1 and F2’s. If you see gnawing take steps to protect the cat and save furniture. You can offer many different harder toys that will sooth the gums, don’t rub their gums with your finger! Now to finish this chapter, just remember that time, patience, consistency, love and a sense of humor is the only way to raise a Savannah Cat. Your kitten will grow into a happy, healthy, socialized and very loyal part of your life. To me there is nothing better than holding and cuddling with my Savannahs.

Dafiana and I have a good cuddle session everyday. She has been a real snuggle bug since I brought her home. She particularly likes to snuggle when I wear a sweat shirt or soft knit. She loves to bury her face and take a nap. Dafiana will also hold onto me with her paws until she has cuddled enough. Now Dafiana is a big girl. Snuggling on a hot summer day can make me sweat. But, just to have her in my arms is well worth a little moisture.

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Tepring F1 Savannah Cat is a very big girl. She has power, agility, smarts and a regal presence.

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My very handsome Valikee F2 Savannah Cat, a very big boy. Bred by Allison Navarro of “Jewels of the Nile Savannah Cats”. Valikee is the official meeter, greeter and head butter of the house. He is Nissa’s (F3) uncle.

Valikee has a striking coat pattern. He is the perfect standard for a F2 Savannah.

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My Savannah Cats and the things they do

The adult Savannah is always full of unexpected antics, so you must have a sense of humor. There is absolutely never a dull moment. They love to climb to the highest place and look over the terrain. Sometimes I think they go high just to figure out where to go next. Jumping and climbing to high places does start from kitten age. By the time the Savannah is grown they will know your ceiling well. Tepring likes to take her toys with her even to the highest places. Her favorite game is fetch the ball. She likes me to bounce the ball hard, sometimes leaping to catch it in mid air. I’ve even saw her do a flip landing securely on her feet. Another game is find the toy. I say “Where’s the toy, where could it be” She always finds the toy and drops it in my lap. Actually I didn’t have to train Tepring, Dafiana or Nissa to play fetch. They started the game on their own. But, I do give lots of praise upon bringing the toy to me and finding the toy.

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After all this time I still get nervous when my cats jump down from their high perches. I always worry about them hurting their legs. But, that’s me, a protective Mommy. They don’t see it as a problem at all.

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They even like a hammock high. This over size hammock is over six feet high

I love this picture of Nissa (F3) at three months, hanging out in Tepring’s hammock. She has such a Black Serval nose. Look at those beautiful Teal eyes. Her temperament is sooooo sweet. She’s going to make gorgeous kittens!

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Dafiana loves to lie on her back making cute sounds. She is a real Mommy’s girl.

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Tepring and Dafiana love to jump to the top of my curio and just hangout.

Najei-Kahn climbed my storm door on my back porch and tried to sit on the narrow door frame. Savannahs being extremely curious, enjoy looking out the window watching traffic. If the window is open, please make sure there is a good sturdy screen in place. On one summer day, I decided to pull the shades down because the sun coming in the window was very hot. Tepring was watching the goings on outside at the time. Boy! She screeched at me and pull the shade away from the window. I pulled the shade up and she returned to her happy calm self. One of the cutest things I ever saw was early one summer morning. Upon waking up, my foot was out of the covers and one of my boys had his front paws wrapped around my foot. His face was pressed into the bottom of my foot, he was sound asleep. It was so precious that I didn’t move for fifteen minutes. Finally I slid my foot out from his face and paws and eased out of the bed. He continued to peacefully sleep for another few minutes. One evening shortly after moving into my house I put all the cats to bed and went to bed myself. Around midnight I woke to what sounded like noise in the attic. I listen for a few minutes and the noise sounded like squirrels or raccoons running

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across the attic floor. I thought, Oh no! just what I don’t need. I got up grabbed a flashlight and headed for the attic. As I shined the light around the huge attic, I saw eyes looking back. The eyes belonged to my own Savannahs. One of my little darlings opened the door and let everybody go up for a midnight romp. After spending some time coaxing them to leave the attic, I realized they were having to much fun in their new found playroom to listen to me. Ok, I had to lure them with a sure thing. I went down stairs and yelled “CHICKEN” WHO WANTS CHICKEN?. That did it, they all raced out of the attic, down the stairs and straight into the kitchen. I appeased them with just a few morsels, and raced back up the stairs to close the attic door. The next morning latches were put on all doors. Latches on doors yes, but not on cabinets and drawers. This next story I’ll refer to as “the jewelry caper”. As I mentioned earlier Savannahs are very curious and intelligent. Certainly Tepring is in the advanced class in these two areas. I have a tall jewelry chest with drawers and a small cabinet. When I bought it I methodically filled it with jewelry. Now Tepring loved to use my jewelry chest as her own private thrown ( she is quite the princess). She would sleep, groom herself and just hangout on it for hours. She would jump lightly on it so I didn’t see any harm in letting her use the chest. It was a Saturday morning and Tepring was playing in my room with her toys. I was going shopping for a couple of hours. She was having a fun time in my room so I decided to let her continue to play when I left the house. I came back hours later to find every drawer in the bedroom including the jewelry chest open. I saw that not one piece of jewelry was in the chest. Tepring must have had a blast struing jewelry across the entire bedroom. All the cloths in my dresser were draped all over the room. She had made a fluffy bed out of a couple sweaters and was fast asleep on my bed. I stood in the room stunned. It must have taken me 2 hours to collect everything and put it away. To this day, I still have quite a few one earrings. Anyway, Tepring never did anything like that before or since. However, if I’m looking in a cabinet or drawer for something she will want to look to, they all do. So the moral of the story is baby proof your home if you want to raise a Savannah cat. They are perpetually in the terrible two’s. Don’t forget to keep all wires safely tucked away.

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This is the perfect place to wash up.

What do you mean “Get Down” Mommy, I though you bought this for me?

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Now my boy Valikee is very curious about everything. He had been eyeballing a round glass ball on the bottom of my large crystal chandelier in the dining room for sometime. Certainly I told him several times to leave it and get off the dining room table. He would do as I asked and play with other things. Several days later I was in the kitchen talking on the phone with a client. I could see him on the dining room table but chose not to interrupt the conversation thinking I’ll take care of this after I hang up. Suddenly I heard the loud clinking of glass. I looked into the dining room, to my horror there was Valikee hanging onto the bottom of the chandelier swinging back and forth. As professionally as possible in my panicked state of mind, I ended the phone call and rushed into the dining room with a firm “NO, GET DOWN”. Valikee dropped to the dining room table with his prize (the glass ball). I confiscated the glass ball and began fixing the other crystals that he managed to rearrange by swinging on the light. Below is a picture of Valikee still trying to get a hold of the crystals on the table, he is very persistent.

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Earlier in this book I mentioned that Tepring is an escape artist. I found that out the hard way. I bought a 6 ft high, 5 ft by 7 ft cage for my back porch. It was quite expensive but it seemed to be very sturdy clipping together with bolts. I thought Tepring would enjoy a view to my back yard for the summer. There are lots of squirrels and birds to watch. All went well the first day. The next morning I open the door to the porch and there was Tepring sitting so pretty patiently waiting at the door. She meowed and strolled into the kitchen. I was shocked at her casual attitude. I checked the cage and found that she had jarred the clips and bolts loose to push the entire front away from the frame. I have no clue how she did it. Well I thought maybe I didn’t clip things tight. So, I went over the cage to secure all clips and bolts. The next morning it was an instant repeat. There was my pretty Tepring patiently waiting at the kitchen door. I couldn’t believe it! Laughing out of shear amazement, I thought, how is she doing this? Don’t you like the porch? questioning Tepring. I guess not! I answered. It’s a good thing my back porch in enclosed with windows and a security door. I ended up strapping the frame together, that did the trick, and vowed never to buy this type of cage again. My point is please oh please don’t under estimate the Savannah cat. It brings me to tears when I think, If the cage was outside my beautiful girl would be gone or even stolen. Make sure any enclosure is positively escape proof. The cages I have now are even primate escape proof. I have many more funny stories to tell, but I’ll save them for another time. In closing, living with Savannahs is truly a dream come true for me. Everyday is a joy and packed full of Love. My original intention was to have a Savannah as a pet. The more I became involved with the breed, they touched my soul. I knew that I would breed Savannahs for qualified pet homes. This breed is truly unique and special. I have years of experience breeding and raising cats, I did my homework and learned a lot before I bought my first Savannah. I highly recommend the two Savannah books listed under suggested reading. I made sure this breed was right for me, my home, and my time. I made a commitment, prepared for the responsibility, any challenges and learn more everyday. Please do the same. I am available for consultation for a small fee. I always offer support and free consultation when you adopt a kitten from Kemples Cats.

For Your Viewing Pleasure, the following pages are a gallery of my pictures.

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I love to have my picture taken 50 times

Oh! Just one more?

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Tepring (kitten)

Najei-Kahn F5; 3 months

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Tepring F1; rollie pollie kitten

Kitten from Kemples Cats

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F5 Savannah kitten born at Kemples Cats

Dafiana F1 kitten

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Savannahs, like the Serval should have a long slim neck, all generations. Wow! now they both have a great neck.

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Dafiana F1 She’s really wild looking

Dafiana F1 loves to relax in the living room with at least one toy

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Enough pictures for today!

Nap time

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Well bred Savannah kittens

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Dafiana F1 Enjoys smelling flowers even if they’re fake

Hayajei F4 Chausie loved to lay on the back of my leather recliner.

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Tepring F1 is a big girl sitting so pretty on my Bakers Hoosier

Tepring F1 has large black spots. Look a her long neck.

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Look at this gorgeous beauty. Pearl is Dafiana’s sister, bred and owned by Belle Hollow Farms

Dafiana

Dafiana and Pearl look very much alike. Don’t you think?

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My handsome Hayajei; Chausie ( Jungle cat & Serengeti)

Thanks for reading our Book

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Appendix

Books and Magazines; suggested reading

zine ok; by Lorre Smith

y Arden P. Morley

inks: The International Cat Association (T.I.C.A.)

Cats USA Cat Fancy Maga The Savannah Cat Bo The Grow Your Own Savannah Manual; b Wild Cats of the World; by Mel & Fiona Sunquist L www.ticaeo.com Savannah International Member & Breeder Association (SIMBA) www.s-i-m-b-a.org Savannah Cat Club www.savannahcatclub.com Savannah Cat www.savannahcat.com www.en.wikipedia.org www.animal-world.com www.serval-cats.com Breeders:

emples Cats www.kemplescats.com K

ewels of the Nile Savannah Cats www.junglecats.com J

elle Hollow Farms and Exotics www.bellehollow.net B