Savannahs as pets

My name is URL

Does anyone know what the legal status of keeping these hybrids as pets is in Ireland?

I'm not planning on looking for one atm, but am interested whether or not it would be feasible in the future.

They're supposed to have temperaments similar to dogs

I know people will say that keeping wild animals is wrong etc.. but the Savannah is bred for the purpose of being a companion animal.

Check out some YouTube vids if you want to see them

sorella

Much of the temperament description would fit a Siamese and probably other Orientals. Especially the leaping and opening fridge doors etc, and the intelligence and companionship aspects.

My name is URL

Yeah the temperament is pretty straight forward I'd imagine.

But would the fact that it's a large cat have any bearing on what restrictions there are in place for owning one? I think they're classed as semi-domestecated so I wonder if you'd need a exotic pets licence to have one

peasant

Is this the feline version of the fashionable wolf hybrid now?

My name is URL

peasant wrote: »

Is this the feline version of the fashionable wolf hybrid now?

Probably, though it's a distinct species that's becoming more popular all the time.

Wolf Hybrid is a blanket term for various mixes of breeds, that's where problems start imo

sorella

Yep.

Novelty angle?

But they are beautiful animals all the same.

We decided when we stopped breeding Siamese that our cats in future would be rescues.

It was time to put something back.

And they cost too much.

No regrets at all, but some of the larger breeds have me yearning. So beautiful.

Ocicats.... and Bengals - another hybrid. Big, and like Siamese in character.


uote=peasant;60461158]Is this the feline version of the fashionable wolf hybrid now?[/quote]

cloudy day

I did write a reply but I seem to of lost it.

The Sweeper

Savannahs and Bengals, by the time they get to the open market, are generations away from the original hybrid cat. Savannahs have a higher percentage of 'wild' blood in them, but generally the longer the breed are around and the more widespread they become, they'll move even further from their hybrid ancestry.

Do a *LOT* of reading into these animals before you take one on. They can be a bad pet if they're poorly socialised or not well trained and controlled from the outset. They grow large compared to some of the larger domestic breeds, but not always - I have a silver spotted domestic tabby who's over 6kgs and he'd be larger than some of the bengal boys I've seen, and the same as some of the smaller savannah boys.

I have two rescue bengal crosses, one male, one female.

Something to consider when owning one of these animals is vetinary costs. They're listed as 'exotics' and can cost more to insure and treat. They can also be highly allergic to routine vaccinations (mine take a dramatic reaction at both the F4 vaccine that includes chlamydia and the F3 that doesn't) - because their hybrid ancestry gives them genetic resistance to some of the things that we routinely vaccinate domestic cats against.

Feeding is also another cost - bengals and savannahs are even worse than domestic cats at synthesising nutrients from plant protein and can be intolerant to corn. Corn is one of the biggest protein fillers in commerically produced cat kibble. A raw diet is best for a bengal or savannah, but you need to do a lot of research into how to feed raw.

Then there's activity. Bengals and savannahs are like most domestic cats, except on speed. They have similar temperaments to the oriental breeds but can be extremely destructive if not entertained (and even if they are entertained, destruction can be seen as a valid part of that entertainment.)

I have one entire room in my house dedicated to my cats. They have their own couch (it's an ugly red felt thing I got for free) and they can shred and rag that to their heart's content. Their litter trays are all in that room, as are their beds and their water. They have pretty much the run of the house, but are restricted to that one room at night.

The room looks like a bomb hit it every day, because I give them cardboard boxes to play in. The difference with my cats - because two are bengal X and one is an oriental X - is that they decided the cardboard box wasn't enough fun, and chewed four holes in it to play in and out of. Most evenings they make those bigger, so there's cardboard confetti everywhere in the mornings. The good thing about that space is that because they're allowed be wanton in there, they don't wreck or rag anything in the entire rest of my house.

Physically they can run faster, jump higher, climb like monkeys, somersault in mid-air and are absolutely, totally and utterly detrimental to wildlife.

If you buy one, you have GOT to keep it inside or in a restricted outside cat enclosure - you'll even find breeders won't sell to you unless you intend to keep the cat inside or restricted only.

Bengal rescue is a big problem in Australia, where they're more prevalent than Savannahs. People buy them and can't cope with them. Then they give them up, but standard shelters won't take them because if they haven't been socialised you can't put them in a general enclosure with other domestic cats.

There is one, obvious, major problem with breeding domesticated hybrid cats that fall into the 20lb + bracket. One new breed is the Habari, whose origins are a secret, but it appears that breeders are experimenting with various other hybrids to breed a specifically domestic, but large, cat. The males are coming out at 25lbs and over. At the moment, the Habari is being bred specifically because of its friendliness and sweet nature, but...

But. That's the problem with experimental breeds. They're expensive. Which makes them a popular target for unscrupulous breeders looking to make a quick buck.

25lbs. That's an 11kg cat. Now, what do you think could do more damage if it were badly socialised and poorly treated, an 11kg domestic dog, or an 11kg animal that has teeth and four sets of razor blades on its feet, that can scale a 2 metre fence in seconds and can jump 5ft or more into the air from a standing start?

My name is URL

Thanks MAJD

I do intend to do alot of research before deciding.

Cost is the main concern I'd imagine. Anything from 1000 - 7000 depending on generation, that's alot to pay for an animal that I have no experience of.

I've heard about some rescue animals that are resold at a lower cost but then you can't be sure about it's socialisation history etc

Thanks for your advice again

The Sweeper

Yeah, the kitten purchase price is crazy. I wouldn't be buying an F1 or F2 cat if you have no experience of the breed though, so stick to an F3 or F4 - saying that you need to be certain it's from a scrupulous breeder. If you decide on a bengal instead, you'll get a cheaper kitten that has about 4-6% wild heritage (the rest from breeding within breed and interbreeding with well-marked tabbies for instance). You'll still get the personality though.

A rescue is an option - but as with rescue dogs, it depends on why the cat's been put up for adoption. 'Excessive shedding of hair' or 'excessive vocalisation' are two issues you might be able to deal with better than the previous owner, but 'inappropriate elimination' (crapping or peeing outside the litter tray) or 'unpredictable aggression' are going to be as big a problem for you as they would be for anyone else.

What you might be able to do is adopt an older cat, no longer used for breeding, from a reputable breeder. People who make breeding their livelihood will usually rehome their breeding queens once the cat has had a few litters. They won't breed her for the first few years, then will breed her maybe five times in four years (that's a totally representative figure, not a suggested amount!). Then they'll retire her - but because they need to get another breeding queen, who may compete with the former queen, they'll usually rehome the retiring cat.

Six years of age isn't old for a cat - they can live up to 18 years or more, so a six year old ex-breeding queen from a reputable breeder could be an ideal cat for you as an introduction to the breed.