Measurements

Happy Halloween!

Age: 15 weeks
Weight: 7.5 lbs
Shoulder Height: 10.5 inches
Neck -> Tail Length: 16-17 inches

Over the last week he's been sleeping more and more. During the day he's awake from about 10am-5pm with short naps, but then he mostly sleeps and gets bigger. His growth in height is noticeable to the naked eye. We've found out that ground meat is not what he enjoys eating. Last week we ground up chicken and marrow and such but he really didn't want to eat it. As an experiment we went to the store and bought high grade cat food in cans to see what he liked best. Why? Because he wasn't eating as much as he should be and stealing the other cats food which isn't good for him. We've decided to eventually move all the cats to a new diet that will be similar to his, but they don't eat raw chicken. Anyhow, back to the test.... We tried Spot's Stew, Wellness (in a packet), Blue Mountain Wild and Maxx Cat wet food. All of these are pricey and all natural cat foods with a high percentage of chicken (90+) and NO GRAINS. The only one he enjoyed was the packet of wellness. The only reason we could come up with was that it was chunky. So to prove our theory we got some chicken breasts and cut them into large chunks and served 'em up. Like a hungry dog he ran over and started to devour the pieces. Two more feeding times and he still enjoyed the large pieces so we decided that was the answer. He wanted a manly meal, not some whimpy patte.

Also it's good to note his change in behavior. He's not as rough as he was before, and even though he's bigger he's learned not to scratch us when playing. At the same time he sleeps with one of us every night and cuddles with the other cats. He used to head butt us and rub against us a lot, but that's not happening anymore. It could be a phase, but some of the traits that were common to his breed have started to fade out. Granted Panzer is very clumsy and knocks into almost everything while playing, but I miss the head butting and pouncing. Oh yeah, he isn't really doing the long high pounces like he was a week ago. The toe thing in the bed doesn't interest him much, so we need to come up with a better solution to get him back into doing this. To us it's important he keeps his the behavior patterns common to his heritage. We want him to keep that wild spirit he was given because it's a wonderful and amazing gift. Today I'll be getting him a harness and we'll start his training to walk outside with me and play in the grassy areas before it gets too cold.


Sam & Panzer

Video of the beast in action... sorta

2.5 weeks at home

Either we're getting smaller or he's getting larger. It seems his paws are the first part to have grown. I mean they were big, but now they are as large as our other cats and he's 14 weeks old. In the last couple weeks he's calmed down quite a bit and the other cats love him. They all play a lot more than before and hes happy with being out and about. Our biggest issue has been getting him to eat his food, and not the other cats food. He's sleeping more so it could be a growth spurt... Terri at Rivers Rain (our breeder) had lots of great tips and suggestions so we are really grateful for having her as a resource. Check out http://www.riversrainsavannahs.com/ if you want to see where our little man was born and raised. You'll really love the Serval pics, they are just amazing.

His new best friend is Sam. They play rough and tumble but seem to have the same personality. Sam is much more shy than Panzer, but he loves to chase and wrestle. Recently we've taught him to do computer programming and so we bought him some work cloths so I can stay home from work. He'll be replacing me as the guy slumped over my keyboard at work. To the right you'll see a good pic of what his new gear looks like. Blue points look great in orange...

This week the blue rat has returned to try to gain some old territory. Panzer took him down and we played fetch for about an hour one morning. The blue rat is getting kinda boring for him, we may need to get him a small farm animal to keep his interest :\ If you notice the paw sizes in the next couple pics... that toy is pretty big. Sam is 17 lbs and 5 years old. He's a very large and strong cat so most of the other cats don't mess with him.

Sam & Panzer

Morning time fun

6am my wife woke up to Panzer pawing at her legs, face and anything else that seemed like a toy. Then he started in on me running past me and diving in on my hand. Nibbling on us both my wife thought he was hungry. Nope, just wanted to harass us a bit. Then he started in on the other cats tails. Just about everyone was meowing, hissing and running around. Sam and Panzer started to play wrestle and chase each other around. We thought Sam was fast, but this little terror is fast but still clumbsy. When he gets bigger and used to his noodley legs that cat will run the show here.

Last night we tried to put cloths on him. We managed to get a tie on, but it didn't stay on long. We figured that while he is little we can get these on, but later there will be no chance. So here you go.... a wild cat with a tie!

Panzer likes what?

The bamboo plant has again been violated by our furry friend. Even with the hot sauce he still decided to chomp on some leaves. It's not all that bad but I do wonder how he ignored the hot flavor?? That stuff is spicy! The other cats avoided the plants after a nibble of the Crystals Hot Sauce but our little one just doesn't seem to mind that much.

Anyhow he loves to chew on stuff. Here is a quick list of things he likes:

• Shoes
• Slippers
• Laces
• Belts
• Fuzzy stuffed animals
• Headphone wires
• Plants
• Ninja's tail
• My toes!

Last night my wife found a great way to get him to leap like his wild relatives. Lay in bed and wiggle your toes under the blanket until he pounces. Normal cats will jump with little arc. Panzer leaps really high into the air, then lands on the target. I need to get a video of this to show what I mean. It's quite impressive. If each of us lay on one side of the bed he'll jump back and fourth. lol

Lazy day

Today he's being such a good boy. In comparison to last night when he decided sleep was for wimps and stayed up till 4am playing. He looooooves to roam at night. Mr. Bamboo plant suffered a major injury, but some hot sauce on the leaves should detour our feline friend from further destruction. Now, I can't guarantee the safety of the plant, but I'm guessing he'll avoid the pepper sauce. If I'm wrong, then you are witness to the first ever cat who likes Crystals Hot Sauce. Yum, lord knows I love it!

To the left you'll see our other cats Ninja, Sam and Lou. These are his bothers all laying on the red chair in out living room. This is an old pic, but they still look the same :P Yesterday we went to Target and found two new neck ties for them! Now Panzer has his very own work tie. Soon he will be trained to replace me at work.

3 days off with the beast

It's Friday and I get to spend the weekend with Panzer :) After this last week I'm sure this weekend will be much more fun and less stressful for everyone. The other cats are finally being nice. He's kinda different though... and they just don't know how to react. Panzer is fearless. They swat at him, he dodges it and just walks by. One thing I noticed right away is how he greets us and the cats. It's not like the other cats at all. The gang usually approaches all soft and nice, most of the time slow and easy. Don't get me wrong they tumble and play but it's at a slower pace. Now it could be their age, but they look at him like he's from outer space. To me the Savannah is much more fun and playful. Yes, they play hard and fast but once you learn the pace it's all good. Our kitten is loyal, loving and one of the best baby animals I've ever raised. He's smarter than average. Well, I'm getting older so to me a cat who can learn to open the doors, cabinets and mimics behavior so quickly just amazes me.

Panzer knows when it's nap time just by watching us. When I lay down and shut the curtains he curls up and falls asleep in the chair. At night around 11pm he'll signal me to go to bed with him in the room by running in the office and calling me (chirps). Last night he nibbled on my socks to get my attention, but I got the point. He learns at a pace that is scary. Show him one time, he will not forget. If I tap the food dish he's there so fast he's crashing head first into me purring! He nailed me in the shin bone with his head and I about fell over. It kinda hurt! I should mention that it's a good idea to have a feeding *plan* so everyone is happy and safe. Yes, I lectured about the germs earlier in this blog, but seriously it's important to keep in mind. Just now he snuk up on my wife eating a Totino's pizza and tried to grab it with his mouth. You don't think he'll eat pizza? Ha! This guy will steal anything that resembles food. He grabbed a chip out of a bowl my friend was eating from. It was in his lap, and Panzer didn't care if his hand was in the bowl or not he wanted a chip. The only thing he doesn't like is Lemonade from what I can tell.

Something else I found really interesting is his infatuation with his own self image. He looks at himself in the mirror a lot. He might think its another cat, but he knows or thinks something is there. However he looks at me in the mirror so it's confusing to tell what he's doing. Sometimes when we play he'll use the mirror to pounce on stuff or get a better line of attack. Anyhow I find it interesting to say the least.

K-Day +4

Earlier I mentioned his feeding requirements. Today I think we'll again touch on this topic since it's a bit different than having a domestic cat. Feeding him raw chicken is quite a task. It's not really that expensive if you buy dark meat, but the prep time and sanitary requirements can be time consuming. At first we had no idea what to do with this. We knew he needed Royal Canin 36 Kitten dry food... that was an easy find at PetCo. However we didn't know what *kind* of chicken to get him or how to serve it! Savannah's need calcium for their bones as they grow so you need to either get special supplements from a provider and mix this into their food, OR grind up the bones so the marrow is mixed in to the meat. If you're thinking "wow that sounds gross", well good thinking because it is. My wife and I don't really have a grinder that can grind bones up, so we had to improvise. We removed the marrow and cartilage from the bones and mixed that into what was ground up. I think the best idea would be to make friends with a butcher, have them grind it all up for you once a week and just go pick it up in a bag. From there all you need to do is serve it. We happen to have a butcher at our local grocery store so we'll be trying this as an option and see if it saves us time and money.

The next thing to think about is sanitation. When our cat eats raw meat he gets it all over his face and paws. Even when he cleans himself the opportunity to pass on germs is pretty good. Though we provide a bowl, he just yanks it out and gnaws on the meat. So a place mat is a really good idea. Make sure its rubber, durable and washable. The bowl should be metal or something that can not be chipped or retain germs when washed. Any new owner will need to be diligent about cleaning both litter and feeding areas daily if needed. No one wants sick peoples and kittens. We store the chicken in a glad container, and we use measuring cups and forks to serve. They eat a lot of food, so buy lots of chicken in bulk. My little guy went through 6-8 big chicken legs in 3 days! If you're rich I'm sure they would enjoy breast meat as well. :) Washing forms, bowls, and the storage containers is important so no one (including kitty) gets sick. It's good to note that they may not eat the entire portion at one sitting, or wait a few for the meat to get closer to room temperature before finishing. Most domestic cats like room temperature food, if not warmed food. I'm assuming they don't have cold storage in the wild, so most meals are quite warm. :P Finally as every cat owner knows... don't bug them when they are eating. Raw chicken and your finger all feel the same when the little bugger is chowing down. I suggest serving fast, and leaving them be until they finish eating and clean up.

Tomorrow I think we'll chat about his interesting behaviour patterns. He's a pretty smart cat that's for sure.

K-Day +3

The adjustment is going very well. Panzer is crying less, and playing more. He seems to be really interested in the other cats and their cat tree. So much that he mimics their actions and constantly looks to get their attention and approval. They however are not as amused and keep their distance. Ninja, the youngest cat seems to like him the most. I think he connects with him because they are similar in behaviour and interests. Lunch meat is one of the interests.


Over the last 4 days my wife and I have noticed that he needs more nap time and it's best to initiate that by laying down with him. He doesn't like to be alone so its best to just close the blinds and lay on the couch until he lays down and sleeps. This helps with his temperment, and his energy levels. The only comparison I have is to a toddler that is over tired. They are not fun to be around, and a nap will make all the difference.

When he's out with us in the main part of the house he is very interested in getting to know his new home. Inspecting all areas in detail and revisiting these places to play, hang out or just review. Already I can tell that he's comfortable because he naps on the couch in the living room when he has free time from his quarantine. He requires 14 days quarantine from the day he got home, but with other cats and his curious nature he needed some time to explore with supervision. This seems to stop the tantrums from happening and allows us to get some work done around the house. However at night he sleeps with me in the room alone without other cats. Feeding times are also seperated from the other cats so he focuses on eating and gets personal time with my wife and I. Eventually he will be out with the rest of the gang but he's too little and it's not time for that just yet.

Like most baby mammals they require lots of attention. We can't really leave him alone for long without him freaking out and crying for us. It's good to keep in mind when looking into this breed, versus a domestic kitten. Panzer really responds well when he feels safe, and that means being home with him and within site. Sometimes he gets lost in a room and we have to save him because he gets scared. The other cats could gang up on him if left alone so unless he's in a room protected there is no leaving for the store. However unless he's sleeping locking up the beast is not a good idea. Lucky the wife is home to care for him when I work. If your wondering what might happen *if* he's bored, read my previous posts. Mr. Furry Pants has very sharp claws and can create trouble in ways you would never imagine.

At play...

K-Day +2

Panzer slept well last night. Again claiming my computer chair as his bed. He's figured out how to get me out of it so he can steal my place. Last night he had a couple short 5 min time outs for being bad, but he calmed down about 11pm and we fell asleep at 12am. He slept most of the night, with a couple events where he woke up, jumped on me and then fell back to sleep.


He likes his first meal at 8am, or just about that time. Today he came to lay with me for a minute, head butt me and purr. Breakfast was a refill of dry food and his favorite... chicken meat. The wet food goes first and I mean quick. Then after wards he cleans himself and gets some water. Eventually after some play time he grabs a nibble of dry food. That stuff must be good, he really digs into it. I'm amazed that his habits are natural.

The raccoon tail teaser toy seems to be the replacement for the blue rat. He's been attacking this thing non-stop for hours on end. The non-stop energy has found its match!! muhahaha. One hours of this and he's panting like a dog. Two hours of this and he sleeps for 3-4 hours without any fits or crying. Thanks to my wife and her idea to introduce the old raccoon toy (that non of the other cats really liked besides Ninja), we've found some time to clean the house... and eat.

So while I'm on the topic of toys we should talk about what is good and what is boring to this breed.

• Foam Rubber balls = good for fetching and pouncing games. He went through one in 1.5 days so get a few and take the ones that are damaged throw away.
  
• Laser pointer = decent short time play
• Automatic Laser pointer = bad idea. Its too slow and he just knocks the thing over.
  
• Long pieces of rope/cloth = decent for chase and pounce games but watch your hands.
• Raccoon Tail w/ Bell on Stick = best toy yet
• Da Bird feather spinner = destroyed in minutes if left alone.
• Blue Rat dog Toy = works ok, but he just wants to kill it. Once it's dead, he's off to something else. He likes it in the mornings more than at night.
  

To our surprise he really doesn't mind being picked up and loved. It's all of about 10 seconds, but still he seems to enjoy it. When he gets bigger this will not be an option, but for now its cute. He's already learned what the door handle is used for and tried to open it a couple times to escape. Lucky we have round handles or he'd run this place by weeks end.

K-Day +1

6am Panzer attack. Hunger seems to be the motivation. He eats a lot for a little guy. He's pretty much destroyed any cat toy that wasn't sturdy. Over the course of the evening he's learned to type. Also he has a knack for slamming into anything of value in the room. Picture in your head a puppy playing with a ball, or a chew toy chasing it and bashing into the walls, tossing it in the air and grabbing at it. Now add claws, the speed of a full grown cat and the ability to jump 2-3 feet and latch on to anything in mid air. That's a Savannah.


All of this may sound scary but it's not. It's very tiring and lots of work, but he loves us already so it's worth every minute. For a hybrid he is so affectionate and loving. Yes, I have 20 scratches from his razors but he's still learning to use those things. He's the cutest kitty in the world and he loves people. He really wants to meet the other cats but they are kinda scared of him. He escaped a couple times in effort to meet te crew and they just stood there looking at him like "WTF?". He is just soooooo fast he's close to impossible to catch. When he is 6 months old, he will be running around me like I'm a oaf.

What have we learned so far?
1) Male savannah kittens are very active. That translates to longer than average energy bursts and the constant need for attention from humans.
2) If Panzer wants to do something, and you don't approve of climbing the $2000 flat screen LCD try to divert his attention with toys. Or you might try to change his POV so he forgets what he was doing.
3) Temper tantrums are common at this age. At least with Panzer. They will start to circle the room, barking and chirping until you give them what they want. Most of the time its attention and play. If you have trouble stopping the rampage, put the cat in a time out. They will freak out and get even more mad, but it will calm them down. They learn fast whats not allowed.
4) Saying *No* is a waste of time. I for one don't like verbal commands unless its needed. There are better ways to gain the trust and respect of your Savannah or any cat for that matter.
5) Panzer learns by example. If you mock play, where to scratch, how to play with a toy or even when its time to sleep he will follow you and mimic behavior.
6) If you bend over to pick up a toy they like to jump on your back. Be aware. It hurts like hell and they think its funny.
7) Hide your wires!! Wear pants and shirts and socks until you learn to play with them.
8) Lazer toys are good for wearing them down. However if you stop be prepared to have him climb the chair, jump on your head and land on the keyboard. All is less than 1 second. It's their way of saying "WE WERE PLAYING, YES?"
9) They don't mind water, so introduce them slowly. If you have a bath tub just put a little water in the bottom for them to splash around. Toys help, or a gold fish if your really into sport.
10) Get a chew toy or prepare to lose your chewable stuff. I picked up a dog toy that fits he size.
11) If you enjoy sleeping the first few nights, get a automated laser toy so he's occupied long enough to tire himself out.
12) Pine box litter is the best, hands down.
13) Crushing up bones and chicken meat is not as easy as you think. I suggest a meat hammer, a grinder, glad storage containers and some measuring spoons for feeding raw meat.
14) Never leave them alone without lots of toys and something to entertain themselves. What you think may not be interesting to a cat will be destroyed.
15) They will take over your computer chair if you get up. There is no possible way to kkkkkkjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjiiiiiiiiijk <- His two cents.

Well that about says it all. PIcs will be loaded tonight. When he's sleeping!

K-Day

The Panzer has arrived! At 10:30am my wife and I drove over an hour to pick up our new friend Panzer. He's a Savannah cat which is a hybrid between an African Serval and a domestic hybrid (brown spotted tabby & Serval). After a visit to the vet he weighed in at 6oz and was found to be in great health. No mites, no bugs and in good spirits. He stands about 6-7 inches from shoulder to foot and weights a whopping 6 lbs, but he is only 12 weeks old. To give you and idea of how big that is my Ninja cat is 8 lbs at three years. Panzer is a bit clumsy for a cat, but his legs are very long and his paws are huge in comparison to his little body. It's also good to note that he is strong for his size and age. He can jump at least 2.5 feet high with little effort. Compared to a normal cat he is much faster when playing with teaser toys and such. Most of the time he catches the toy and then carries it off to his hiding spot. If you don't let go he will start a tug-o-war contest that he intends to win. Even at 12 week old this little guy has claws that bite if your not quick to move out of the way.

His diet today consists of Royal Canin 36 kitten dry food in a bowl for grazing, and high protein wet food that is 95% turkey with no wheat or corn filler twice a day. It's something we found that was for wild breeds, and will be replaced by raw chicken as soon as we get some ground. For those of you that are wondering about the chicken thing... you have to grind up the bones with the meat for calcium. They have a different diet than a normal cat, but similar tastes.

For a hybrid he's very affectionate and vocal. When he talks it's not really a cat's meow, rather it reminds me of a squeak mixed in with some cat like growl. He barked like a dog twice which was odd, but I think that was just a really loud squeak gone wrong.

Within a few hours of being home he's eaten a meal, napped 3 times, played chase the string and made friends with my wife and I. His nemesis *The Blue Rat* has followed him here from up north. They are at constant war, battling for the cat tree. It's good to note that the rat toy is really a squeaky dog toy. It's actually larger and heavier than he is because it has a huge rope and knot on its butt. That doesn't seem to stop him from tossing it around like a rag doll, showing him who's the boss.

He's just full of energy and I can't imagine what kind of trouble he'll get into when he's 20+ lbs. I hope he spares my TV's and gaming systems from his wrath of head butting and jumping around.