Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cat-proof my home?

Baby locks on your cupboards are great for preventing savannahs from nosing around where they shouldn’t be. If you have breakables, you may want to either tape them down with 2 sided tape to ensure they do not get broken. Alternatively, choose picture frames, statues and ornaments that are a heavy weight, that are not easily knocked over. When hanging shelves in your living room or any room your savannah may be in, you may want to hang them higher than your normal shelf to deter your new furry friend from easily jumping and knocking pictures etc. over.

What should I have ready at home for my kitten when I bring my kitten home? 

• A bed with tall cozy sides helps your kitten feels like he is snuggling with his family, and not all alone.
• Cat toys: 
• Plastic balls with a bell inside are great toys for a kitten, and can be left alone in the room with him. 
• Feather teasers are a great to have around and only use this toy when you are in the room with him as unsupervised, he may eat the feathers and get sick. This toy will help you to bond with you new furry family member. 
• A litter pan without a hood covering is what your kitten has been using for the first 3 months of his life, using this during his transition into your home will help with his bathroom habits. We use clumping cat litter – unscented with baking soda. 
• Your kitten will love a cat condo or cat tree to play with and this will train him that he should scratch the cat tree, it is for him, and to stay away from your furniture. You can choose to spray catnip on the cat tree if your kitten looks afraid of it at first. Get a new water dish and food dish. 
• Royal Canin kitten 36 dry kibble, and Taste of the wild dry kibble mixed 50/50. A high quality wet canned kitten food found only in specialty pet stores like Petland, Petcetera, Petsmart, Global Pets, etc.

What do I bring when I pick-up my savannah kitten?

Bring a cat carrier, kennel or crate. Bring a cozy blanket for your kitten inside the kennel. Bring a cat toy with a bell on it, this may calm him down if he does not like car rides. It would give him a distraction. We do not accept personal cheques for the final payment. You can choose to bring a money order, bank draft, cash, or send an email money transfer for final payment.

How can I tell what my savannah kitten will look like when he is full grown?

At 2 - 3 weeks old, the kitten will have very clear black or dark brown spots on a silver or gold background. When the kitten is full grown at 2 - 3 years of age his spots will look like his 2 - 3 week old pictures. Kittens get "fuzzies" at about 5 weeks old which are long hairs. These hairs are longer than their spots and cover their spots slightly. A kittens fuzzies drop off at 6 - 8 months old, and they are left with short sleek silky fur and great contrast between the black spots and light gold or silver background.

How big will my kittens ears be when he is full grown?

The length of time it takes for your kittens ears to lift up to the top of his head is a good gauge of how large his ears will be when he is full grown. The longer it takes for your kittens ears to lift up to the top of his head, the larger his ears will be. 

How big do our savannahs grow to be?

Our males generally grow to be between 15-19 lbs of lean muscle, long legs back and neck. Our savannahs have huge ears, making them look very different from a regular domestic house cat. Females grow to be slightly smaller than males, ranging between 12-15 lbs of lean muscle. Savannahs continue to grow until they reach 2 - 3 years of age. Both males and females will appear much larger than a regular domestic house cat because of their long lean legs body and neck.The huge ears and body type of our savannahs along with their triangular shaped face make them look very exotic and wild. If a savannah was compared to a dog, you could use a greyhound as a comparison. Long legs, and lean body built for speed and grace.  The only savannahs that exceed 20 lbs are F1 and sometimes F2 savannahs. This is because one of their parents is a serval - the wild african cat. The savannah breed is a hybrid breed between a 30lb wild cat and a 9 lb domestic cat. The size of the hybrid savannah cat does get slightly smaller until about the 4th generation. Breeding purebred savannah to savannah with good genetics ensures the size and features stay the same for many generations after the 4th.

Why is my cat peeing everywhere?

This could be because of being in new surroundings. You may choose to keep him in a room for several days with all his things: water and food dish, cat tree, litter box, and cat bed. This will help him to get used to his new home with you, and keep up his good habits of peeing in the litter box.

The other option may be that he has a bladder infection. When your cat has a bladder infection, he will associate the litter box with pain, since that is where he is used to peeing, and with his infection, it is very painful to pee.  You may notice your cat holding his pee for very long periods of time and then just peeing on random things in your home. He may pee a small amount, or he may be a build up a large amount of pee from holding it for so long. If you think your cat has a bladder infection, take him to the vet to ensure that he gets the proper medical care and medication.

Why does my kitten not have an appetite?

It is normal for your kitten to not have much of an appetite the first day he is with you in his new surroundings. Everything is new to him, the only thing the same is his food. He has to get used to his new surroundings, his new bed, new litter box, new family. It is allot of new things for a tiny cat. It is ok for him to not eat for a day.

If your kitten is abnormally sleepy and not acting his energetic self for longer than a day or 2 you may want to consult your veterinarian to make sure your kitten is okay. Cats drink an abnormal amount, and laze around when they are sick. Make sure you get the best care for your kitten if you suspect he is not well.

My cat has diarrhea - what should I do?

If your cat has mild diarrhea, take away all food for 24 hours to reset his digestive system. Make sure he has access to as much water as he will drink. A good probiotic will help your cat to rebuild the good bacteria in his digestive tract. This can be administered in a honey suspension. If extreme diarrhea persists for more than a day, take him to the vet to ensure that he gets the proper medical care and medication.

What does the cost of my kitten include?

Does not include a cat carrier/kennel, please bring a cat carrier when picking up your kitten. Your kitten comes with: vaccination records, 2x deworming, official registration certificate from TICA (the international cat association) certifying that your kitten is a purebred savannah and a health guarantee. A routine health checkup which is not included in the price of your kitten, is done at our registered veterinarian here in Olds, AB prior to the kittens departure from Simply Spots.

What food should I be feeding my savannah?

After you have taken the time to let your new kitten adjust to your home in his quarantine room, and his quarantine period is over, you may choose to gradually change the dry food he is eating. A high protein, quality dry cat food such as Taste of the Wild, Innova, Blue Buffalo, Orijen or Acana  are good choices for your savannah cat. Innova also sells good quality wet canned food for kittens and cats. It is very important to have wet canned food as a daily part of your cats eating schedule. When they are kittens, 1 tablespoon full in the morning and at night is good. Do not overfeed, diarrhea usually results from overfeeding wet canned food. Raw chicken is great as a daily part of their diet. Do not feed 100% raw diet, feed small amounts of raw chicken 1 or 2x's per day. We keep ours frozen in the freezer.

What is a good bed for a kitten?

A bed with tall cozy sides helps your kitten feels like he is snuggling with his family, and not all alone.

What toys do savannahs like?

Cat toys: plastic balls with a bell inside are great toys for a kitten, and can be left alone in the room with him. Feather teasers are a great to have around and only use this toy to play when you are in the room with him as unsupervised, he may eat the feathers and get sick. This toy will help you to bond with you new furry family member. How do I prevent my cat from scratching furniture?

Many large cat trees or condos give the cats a place to sharpen their claws. You can choose to spray with catnip for the more problematic cat. Regular nail clipping is a must when it comes to cat training. Without the long sharp claws, it is not fun to scratch furniture. 

At what age does a savannah decide he or she no longer wants to play?

A savannah will have the desire to play for most of his or her life. They are a very high energy cat with a kitten like playful personality. This is a very high energy breed

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