Panzer the Destroyer

Snowy beast

2010-12-18T15:41:00.001-08:00

Panzer seems to like the snow, but the cold he could do without. Since the last time I posted he tried to escape to get the squirrels in the back yard but he was caught before any damage was done. For the animals outside this might be kinda scary because during his last check up he was about 20-21 lbs. He hasn't grown all that much since the late summer so I think he's finally grown up. Chances are he may gain some pounds before his 3rd year but he won't get much taller. At the rate in which he eats he'll be a basketball unless we start to run him like a dog. He's a food stealer. We feed the other cats wet food, something I like to think of as Kitty McDonalds. It's fat in a can and not good for wild cats, maybe not even for regular cats. However our spoiled cats won't eat anything else so we're stuck feeding them Kitty Big Mac's for now.

Wow, this is a good one.

2010-09-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

Age: 1 year 3 months
Weight: 21 lbs
Shoulder Height: 15.5 inches
Neck -> Tail Length: 18.5 inches
Paw-> Tip of Ears: 22.5 inches
Paw Dimensions: ~2.5" x ~2.5"

It's been awhile since I posted any stats so I figured since he just went to the vet, this would be a good time to update everyone. After a year of being with Panzer he's still the same old silly cat, just up a notch or two on the energy level. My wife has to spend at least an hour with him daily playing and jumping around to keep him out of trouble. Trust me if you want to get into sharing your life with a Savannah or a Serval you should expect to spend as much time with them as you would a dog. If not, kiss your collectibles and favorite stuff goodbye. In the morning if we aren't wake on time (4:30am) Panzer will ransack the bedroom and knock all the collectibles down off the shelves. Not one or two things. like 25! Also if that doesn't work he will beat up the other cats then start punching my wife in the face with his paws. The alternative is scratching her feet and biting her toes. This is not once a week, its daily and unless we pull out the water bottle to squirt him (thanks for the tip Terri) there is no luck in getting him to stop. Now you might think that this annoys us, but it doesn't really. He's part wild animal so by nature he's going to act strange and have much more energy. Truthfully even though it's not fun at 5am, over all hes a very good animal. I'd say hes the smartest cat we have, but at the same time he does some silly stuff. It's like having a little kid with you all the time. Except this one can jump 8 feet high. Yes, be warned my cat can jump higher than I stand tall. It's amazing he can leap like a jungle cat on to door tops then fly off on to the bed or couches. Last week he was on a shelf that's about 7 ft high and when he saw me coming he flew off into the air on to my wife's back as she slept. That's 21 lbs of cat landing on you while you sleep so to say the least she wasn't happy.

Over all his health is great. He's very strong now and in good condition. My wife makes sure he's fed on time and we only feed him the best food we can afford. He's not into cat treats, but he loves chicken legs. Eats the bone and all sometimes. For some reason he likes young chickens more than regular ones. Might be better quality? Dunno. Also we got him a HUGE litter box online that is like 3 times the normal size for a large cat. Its like a damn sandbox, but its awesome. Since then we have very few incidents and he actually fits in the box. The other cats like it because it's like a empty cardboard box to them. We've been lucky that he's not decided to kill our furniture or other house hold items. However we make sure he has tons of toys and many scratching areas. Oh and about the raw chicken... tile flooring is the best area to feed with rubber mats and a plate. He drags it into the other rooms once in awhile but you get used to it once you step on a leg or two. :)

So yo might be wondering whats this title about? About five minutes before I wrote this Panzer was up on his cat tree, right about 7 ft high. From the top he decided to projectile vomit off the top onto the floor. It launched about 3 ft out and onto the carpet. I couldn't stop it but I have to admit, that was interesting. Of course he sat and watched me clean up the mess, then ran off squawking *Meh! Meh!*. Question to anyone out there who has a Savannah. Does your cat meow or does he chirp and make a short vocal sound? It's not a meow, rather its a loud and short burst that sounds like "MEH".

Tub Photos

2010-07-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Bath tub time!

2010-07-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

Bithday CAT!!!

2010-07-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

Panzer is one year old today!! I'll be posting pics of him in his b-day hat tomorrow. :)

Panting Panzer

2010-06-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Pics!

2010-06-06T10:12:00.001-07:00

Plastic Straws & Lamp Shades

2010-06-02T10:34:00.001-07:00

Recently Panzer has discovered plastic straws. He doesn't care where they are or what they look like he just has to steal them. Lets say you have a large drink with a lid and straw full of ice and tea. Panzer will either remove the straw and run away with it, OR dump the drink and rip the straw out. Most of the time its dumping the drink. He's obsessed with the straws. If he sees one and you try to hide it, he finds it and steals it. If you put it up really high on a book shelf he'll find a way to jump up and get it. No matter what I do, where I hide them this cat is like the Sherlock Holmes of drinking straws.

Also he found that our hanging paper lamp shade is a great noise maker. If he smacks it lots of noise and damage occurs. The first one he ripped in half. The second one he tried to jump into head first and got stuck. He also ripped it in half but was stuck in the smaller hole at the bottom. After freaking out and running around like he was on fire he escaped the evil grip of the lamp shade.

He's starting to grow again as well. His latest weight was about 19-20 lbs and he's right about 22" from tip of ear to paw. I can tell he's getting bigger because his body is proportion to his head, so that means he'll start to get taller and more bulky. Lately I've been looking at getting him another playmate. My wife and I have been considering either an F1 or a Serval. Most of this depends on where we live, as a Serval needs to live outdoors and requires a lot of space to run and play. Building the housing would be awesome, all I need is a large area of land and a few extra tools. I think all the cats would LOVE an indoor/outdoor area to play and enjoy the outdoors. My all time fantasy would be to have a huge plot of land to create a rescue for Servals and Savannah's that are in need. After raising Panzer I know why I love this breed of cat so much.

Panzer in the pool

2010-05-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

New pics

2010-05-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

More morning madness

2010-05-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Some cats like to meow and cry to get attention. Panzer likes to knock all the stuffed animals off the shelves in our bedroom and sit on the top shelf (~6ft high) staring at my wife. The other trick he has up his sleeve is the punch to the face as I stated in an earlier blog, and the affectionate clawing of the feet. There is also a series of pounces and door slamming that he has in his arsenal but those are somewhat less frequent.

What is his cryptonite? You may not guess this but its ballons! He hates ballons and if they are floating he won't come out of the bedroom. If they have a string he'll grab the string and chew on it until the ballon makes a noise then he runs off. However most of the time he forgets to let go of the string so it chases him. It's quite amusing.

Everyone says he's getting bigger but he's looks the same to me. His weight is about that same as it was last time I posted so we'll see in a month or two if he's grown.

Morning cat says wake up!

2010-04-21T10:56:00.001-07:00

Why oh why does Panzer have to make loud noises at 7am? When he wants to wake up my wife he licks her or lays with her until she wakes up. Granted at one time he would punch her in the face if she didn't stir but that was 4 weeks ago. Every morning for weeks now he has ran past me as I sleep, tearing around the carpet like its a race track. Then if I don't budge he opens a cabinet door and slams it. Not to get in, just to make the noise. He repeats this over and over until I get up OR squirt him with water. However I can't get him with the water now as he KNOWS that is my defense. So he watches me then tears ass out of the room and goes to sleep.

d00d, I never wake him up when he sleeps. My wife wakes him up all the time but I never do! Now I could take this as him wanting my attention (negative attention) but I think he does it for fun because he just goes to sleep after wards. Today when I get home... I'm gonna wake him up. :P

Ned Flanders

2010-04-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Age: ~9 months
Weight: 17.6 lbs
Shoulder Height: 15 inches
Neck -> Tail Length: 18.5 inches
Paw-> Tip of Ears: 22 inches
Paw Dimensions: ~2.2" x ~2.2"

The beast now dominates the household. If not by his silly antics then by size. Our other cats use to seem large but now that Panzer is starting to fill out that's not the case. He stands a few inches taller than our cat Lou and is twice the size of our smallest. Its almost as if he had a teenage growth spurt and gained two pounds and grew about one inch taller. The most noticeable change is in his width and muscle mass. This week alone he's rampaged through the house to destroy the window ledge we mounted and tore the curtains off the wall. Before that is was bending the metal on a lead and clawing huge holes in our metal screens. To be fair it's not all his fault. He's just VERY excited and playful now that spring is here. The other cats are older so he wants to play and no one is awake. The wife and I try our best but some days he's just more energy than we can muster up. My wife does a great job keeping him under control, but without the squirt bottle (just water) I doubt he would listen to us. When he wants to be bad... he's all out Ned Flanders. *reference to the Simpsons episode about little Ned Flanders being really bad*
Below you'll get an idea of the size difference between Panzer and our smallest cat Monkey. Monkey is 4 years old and 7 lbs. A normal sized house cat.

Panzer (left) & Monkey (right)

Panzer the Destroyer

2010-03-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Would you like to know how Panzer wakes us up? He's found that if he punches us in the mouth while we're asleep we'll wake right up. We're freaked out by all this but it seems to get the job done. I have no idea why he paws us in the face, or how he learned this but it makes it hard to sleep knowing if you don't get up to play and feed him he'll sock you in the mouth. It doesn't hurt when he does this however its stunning.

Since my last post about feeding habits he's still eating about 10 lbs of chicken a week. He also has dry food but he only eats that at night. We've tried a few different types of food but the raw chicken legs are the easiest to serve and he eats them right up. I don't know if he'll get much taller than I last recorded, his weight has tapered off and he seems to be getting stockier rather than tall. He stands right about 20-21" tall from ear to paw. His paws do seem to be a little bigger, but its so hard to measure that. Oh yeah we found a really nice cat hair comb at PetCo. It's a red glove with a rubber palm that has small spikes that comb the hair right off in clumps. This is seriously the best cat hair brush I've ever used. All the other cats love it as well.

2010-03-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

March Measurments

2010-03-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

Age: ~8 months
Weight: 15.8 lbs
Shoulder Height: 14.5 inches
Neck -> Tail Length: 18 inches
Paw-> Tip of Ears: 21 inches
Paw Dimensions: 2.16" x 2.16"

Panzer hasn't grown all that much this last month but he's getting more muscular. His paws seem to be getting bigger but he's not getting any taller. The kitten is slowly going away and he's becoming more like a grown up cat. Don't get me wrong he still loves to play all the time. If we don't give him the right amount of attention and play time he goes bonkers and stuff gets broken. Lately he's been fascinated by drinking straws. He steals them out of our drinks even if we are still using them. If I try to take it back he gets very angry and will not be nice to me for a couple days. Panzer can be quite moody. When he's not being a butt head Panzer is a really cute cat who loves to run around and explore. With spring on its way I hope he doesn't decide to fly out the door after a bird.

Measurements Feb 2010

2010-02-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

MMMNN... You look like FOOD! Nom Nom Nom...

Age: ~7 months
Weight: 15.4 lbs
Shoulder Height: 14.0 inches
Neck -> Tail Length: 17.5 inches
Paw-> Tip of Ears: 20 inches
Paw Dimensions: 2" x 2"

He's starting to gradually grow again. He's gotten a little taller and his paws are still over sized in comparison to his legs. I have no idea if that means he'll grow but either way they are very large. We found a new toy that he loves to play fetch with. They are foam rubber balls that bounce when you toss them. It makes it more challenging for him and less work for us ;) He's up to about 9 lbs of chicken legs a week on top of dry food and wet food. Lately he's been eating the bone and marrow even though we give him his calcium twice a week. Panzer needs a bigger place to run so I hope the wife and I can find a larger place by the middle of this year.

Interesting sounds

2010-02-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

Panzer makes some really interesting sounds when he's excited, hungry or bored. Most of the time he does this half meow that sounds like *Meh*, but with a cat tone. This is how he communicates with my wife and I when he needs attention or wants to play. Now when he's excited or we work him up too much with a toy he will make a really loud barking noise that is lower than the other sound and let's us know he's agitated. It's not often he makes that noise but it scared the hell outta me when I woke up to that one morning. Around that same time he started to snort like a pig... Maybe he was congested but if my wife teased him with a toy during play and he couldn't get it he'd start to snort and breath really hard. At first I didn't believe my wife when she told me, but he did it later that night and the next morning. I know that sounds weird, but seriously he snorts like a pig when he's pissed off.

I have no idea why he makes these sounds. I couldn't tell you if its a sounds Serval's or Savannah's make. But believe me... when your cat snorts at you it's really funny. On a side note he LOVES it when we sniff around him like a dog (loud sniffing). He gets all happy and rolls over. It's really funny that no matter what he's doing he runs up to us if we do this. However he will not come if you call his name :\

New Pics!

2010-01-30T14:12:00.001-08:00

RIP Mr. Giraffe
*he lasted 2 weeks.*

Paw at the camera sling

Cry/Snort because he wants to bite the camera sling

Score!

Dr. Appt

2010-01-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

Monday Panzer went to visit the Vet. He had to get fixed because over the weekend he sprayed one time. He's that age so I expected this to happen eventually. However he sprayed in my wife's purse so that didn't go over too well. Anyway the vet appointment went well minus the fact that the nurse didn't heed my warning. Panzer has never been (or needed to be) caged. well actually one time I put him in a cat carrier when we went to the vet. He really didn't like this so he cracked the plastic bottom and escaped by pushing the door off. This all happened on the way to the vet the last time we went. So... we got him a harness and he doesn't seem to mind it.

Anyhow they put him in a cage and well... he freaked out and swiped the nursing staff a few times. Thank God the doctor knew how to handle him. He seems to like her the best. When we came to pick him up we waited in the waiting room for about 20 mins after they said they were going to get him. I worried that he was being defensive since so much time had past. Finally the doctor appeared with a huge white box with holes in it. Panzer the Destroyer was in this box growling and making noises he never makes at home. The doctor was very sweet and made light of him being a menace. She is a true professional and even though I was worried I knew she had things under control. It's good to note that he was heavily sedated and just three hours out of surgery. Even in that state a 15 lb, 7 month old male Savannah can be lightning fast with amazing precision. He's my furry kid but don't get me wrong he is not a house cat to be taken for granted. The respect he deserves is given. It 's funny thinking back to that day because the first thing the doctor said was "Wow, he has huge paws!". And she's right he does. Twice as big as our largest domestic and he is so strong he RIPPED the head off a new dog toy when he got home. (Pics to come). He was super happy to be home and purred for at least an hour. I hope he never has to go through that again. For anyone taking your Savannah to a new vet; take care to pick a good vet that meets their needs and understands the breed. These animals are picky, smart and extremely sensitive to strangers if taken to new places. A harness and training is so much better than a cage.

January 2010 Measurments

2010-01-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

Age: 25 weeks
Weight: 13.2 lbs
Shoulder Height: 13.5 inches
Neck -> Tail Length: 17 inches
Paw-> Tip of Ears: 19 inches

Some notes for all of you that are wondering about his growth. He's gaining about 2-3 lbs a month, but that has tapered off. His growth spurts are off and on, but he eats like a horse. His legs are very long,his mid section very slim and his head and tail are smaller in proportion to the rest of him. If he starts to look like a normal cat we know he's about to grow again. His balance is better than before, but he is really really hyper now. We are making sure he getting his calcium and other vitamins. Whether than means treats or special food additives he's very healthy and happy with his diet. I've never known an animal to eat as much meat as he does but if he cries for food we serve it up. I figure it will be like this for a year or so until he's grown and his kitten needs are less. For any of you out there that are wondering how much is costs to feed him a week... 7lbs of raw chick legs, calcium supplements, dry high grade cat food (Mazuri) and a host of other treats like chicken jerky and anything else he steals from us. (BEEF THIEF!!!) We get our chicken from a butcher and its about $0.99/lbs. Mazuri is about $60 for 40 lbs of dry food and the treats range from $2-20/ bag. He literally eats more meat than I do in a weeks time. Oh any if you intend on skimping and getting the leg quarters... don't. He carried it into bed with us at least once and just gets pissed at the thighs because they are too hard to gnaw on. Break the bones so they get some marrow from the leg and you should be all good. Besides all that he's awesome and my best buddy. Well, when he's not trying to steal my sandwiches, pork loin, steak, potato chips, dunking his paw in my iced tea, biting my toes, jumping on my head, knocking over our glasses, jumping in the freezer, jumping in the washer, jumping in the dryer and reaching into the refrigerator to grab the bacon wrapped up on the bottom shelf. If I was a cat I'd be just like him. lol I love food too!

BEEF THIEF!!!

2010-01-11T10:51:00.001-08:00

It seems our furry little friend likes roast beef. Why? Well because I walked into the kitchen last night to get some dinner and Panzer was sitting on the counter with his paws in the middle of our freshly cut beef chowing down his fill before I could get to him. He didn't fight me whenI tried to get him off the counter. I just picked him up as he held on to the largest piece of meat that he could, chewing the entire time. Now, I was quite hungry so this was not what I was expecting. I mean it took my wife 7 hours to cook it, so the entire time I was preparing for the meal in my head. I might have been mad if he were a normal cat but I think he just doesn't know the difference between his food and our food. Actually, he thinks the fridge is a buffet so it's not unusual for him to climb in the fridge or freezer to sniff around. Combine smart, fast, determined , hungry and stubborn and you'll get a fur ball named Panzer the Destroyer.

What did I learn from all this? Don't leave a meal out in the open if you don't intend to share. I do feel it's fair game to the quickest and the smartest. Obviously that cat is much smarter than we give him credit for.

Humans = 0 , Panzer = 1.

** Oh and he pawed my leg and bit my toes all night because he was hungry! I had to sleep on the couch because he wouldn't leave me alone. THEN he took my spot in bed. If he wasn't a cat I'd say he planned that.

Pictures!

2010-01-03T10:24:00.001-08:00

Look at my white tummy

Nice spots on my back

The dark black color of my paws are perfect

Some tiger striped legs for ya

and arms....

and finally my huge paws.

Happy New Year!!

2010-01-01T09:25:00.001-08:00

CLOSE UP OF PANZER

WHERE'S PANZER?

WIFE AND I (NYE 2009)

It's already 2010. Wow, how time flies when your having fun. All the cats were up until 3am with my wife and I playing and running around. Panzer was being the trouble maker as usual and thought that swinging from out coats while on the wall rack would be awesome fun. His daily routine is to knock over the candle holder, pull down the blanket on the back of my wooden chair, slide into the kitchen rug at full speed, knock over glasses with liquid in them, pull the star off the xmas tree, pull off bulbs from the xmas tree, curl up and sleep where ever I was just sitting/resting, bite the other cats butts, look out the back window, make weird noises to try and con us into taking him out into the snow, chew on paper bags, try to get into the cupboards and play, speed through the house making wild sounds just to find another cat and tackle him. The morning routine jump on our legs, bite our toes, and do anything possible to wake us up. Whom ever moves first (wife and I) he will keep bugging. This is not for food, it's for attention. Now I'I m not saying he doesn't like food, that's just a bonus. We bought 5+ lbs of chicken legs on Sunday and today we have one left. Now I'm not sure how many legs are in that bag, but he is either going to get really chubby soon or get much bigger. At this time it's so hard to tell what his final size will be. His skills and physical abilities are on point, but he still seems a bit clumsy when he's running. One of his paws is about the size of my three fingers put together. Let's measure that at 2.5 inches give or take a 0.5 inch. He stands very tall now, with huge ears and his black markings are perfect in color. The sides of his chest and stomach area are getting very light while his back is much darker with stripes running all the way back.

Ok I have to go now. He's started a war with a roll of wrapping paper and he's pissed off at it. I have no idea why he despises this roll of paper but they are not cool with one another. Maybe he thinks its a snake??? The other cats use it as a way to detour the never ending attacks... they run up to it and stand behind it :) Smart cats. Like Superman he seems to lose all his powers and retreats to my wife and I.... to bite our slippers.

What should your New Year's resolution be? Well that's simple.
BEFRIEND A SAVANNAH CAT!! Give one a good home.

They are and will always be your best friend! I've adopted and fostered cats for years and either I'm the luckiest guy in the world or these Savannah cats are just the most creative, energetic, silliest breed out there. It's the closest you can get to learning about/living with a wild cat without moving to Montana or working at a zoo. It's so interesting that in the back of my mind I keep thinking someday I'll move to the country and start my own wild cat sanctuary. It'd be so nice to rescue Savannah's, Servals and other wild animals that need help and find them home's in zoo's or other places they can live out their lives given the gifts nature gave them.

**Just remember to buy lots of neosporin, rubbing alcohol, band-aids, cat toys and chicken. Lot's of chicken. Oh and a harness that fits with a long leash. Oh hell, just read the blog posts you'll see what I mean :)

6 months old!

2009-12-30T16:34:00.000-08:00

On Jan 4, 2010 Panzer will be six months old. He will also be visiting the vet to get fixed. This is an important surgery to get done at six month or males will start to spray. Once that starts your house will smell like cat pee forever. *ATTENTION* If you opt to get this procedure for your cat, remember Savannah's should only be anesthetized with Isoflurane Gas. This is very very very important and our breeder at Rivers Rain confirmed this in an email to me earlier.

Lately he's been eating like a beast and he loves the snow. He eats an entire chicken leg in about 15 minutes, sometimes he even gnaws on the bone to get the marrow. These are raw so it's kinda messy if he drags it around. Anyhow he usually eats about 7 legs a day give or take a couple. The people at the butcher must think we really like chicken legs. Anyhow if he continues to eat more than I do we'll need to buy in bulk and freeze some. The other option is to raise large birds and let them duke it out in a battle royal in the back yard. :\ Ok so I could never do that because I like birds but it has crossed my mind.

You may be thinking that's a lot of chicken. Yes, it is. It's like feeding a hungry teenager with a never ending need for food. He's grown a little in the last week, but not a lot. He's about 18" from ear to foot when he sits down, and his paws are twice the size of our domestic breeds. For some reason he walks with his fingers open so his paws look huge. Not like the other cats, their pads are closer together and not quite as defined. He has big fingers.

So if you want to create a cheap toy for your Savannah using house hold items I have discovered a great new toy. Find a round laundry basket and a ball (or wrapped up paper) and put it upside down with the ball inside. Panzer spends about an hour trying to figure this one out daily, its a great way to focus attention while you do house work.

Soon we will have some new pics for everyone. I'm lazy and tomorrow is NYE so I don't feel like loading them yet. However there are some good ones from the holiday so I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T11:10:00.000-08:00

Panzer and all the kitties wish you all a merry christmas! Even though he decided to open the gifts early, hide his stocking and tear apart all the toys within an hour, I'm guessing he's enjoying himself. :)

In case anyone was wondering... He's now about 12 lbs, 13.5" at the shoulder and roughly 18.5" long. The 6 month mark will be here in a week so I'm happy to say he's doing well and getting big. He eats 7 chicken legs a day, most of the time he eats the marrow and soft bone because it's raw. It's good to note that you should never feed an animal cook bones... Always buy extra toys, the first round will be killed by the end of the day.

Panzer & Mom

2009-12-16T06:45:00.001-08:00

Toes!

Panzer & Lou

2009-12-16T06:40:00.000-08:00

X-Mas Thief

2009-12-15T20:31:00.001-08:00

It seems that our furry little friend has become a kleptomaniac. So far he's stolen his own stocking, three of the toys we bought him for xmas, my furry polar bear stuffed animal, and many bulbs from the tree. This morning I woke up to him sitting on top of my bedroom door staring down at me. How does he balance on the edge of the door without falling off? No idea. It was quite freaky.

Today he seemed a little bigger so I decided to weigh him and he's gained about 0.6 lbs. He's taller than all the cats now, and his head is getting bigger. We've noticed that he has really big kitty toes in comparison to the other cats, but he has big paws in general. Being the worry wart we went out to get some calcium powder as a suppliment for crushing bone. He seems to like it with his meat and the effects have been positive so far. This week it's veal and chicken gizzards with a mixture of the Mazuri dry food and some raw chicken legs. Now all of the sudden he eats like a champ gobbling down almost 4 meals a day. He actually eats more than I do! So if any of you reading this post are wondering how we got him to eat again... we didn't he just decided to eat. Granted we have the means to buy him lots of food options and nutrients what ever it is that made him start eating again was based on his own will.

Jumping

2009-12-12T06:37:00.001-08:00

Panzer can now officially jump about 5+ feet from a sitting position. On the run he can leap right about 6 foot, but it's hard to measure. This becomes an issue because all your special items you stored up high so they were safe from the kitten two months back are now fair game. He's also becoming more curious and less afraid of new things in the house. He's still about ~11 lbs but it looks like he may have grown a little in the paws and from legs. Recently he kinda looked like a drag racing car because his back legs are so big and his front smaller.

Another interesting note to make is that he's become much more intelligent. He brings the toys to us when he wants to play. He's learned how to get our attention when he wants it and I've seen him try to open the screen door. Last week he hopped in the washer just for fun. As anticipated the xmas tree has been a source of entertainment. To new Savannah owners I would suggest getting a fake tree and plastic bulbs. Forget the tree topper (star, angel, etc)... that's nothing more than a target. Oh and he likes the bath tub, water and bubbles. He just about jumped in the shower with me a couple days back.

Picky eater...

2009-12-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

Well once again the Panzer machine has decided that eating is not important. For a while he liked the chicken, then turkey, then cooked turkey, then back to dark meat chicken... I think we've tried so many combination's that the next idea is to just give him a live chicken and wait. Seriously, it changes daily so yo have no idea if he wants raw or cooked meat. Dry food or wet food, when he doesn't want to eat he will ignore anything we put out. You could put all the gravy you want on it and he still ignores his plate. Personally I think it's to do with growth. I've noticed a pattern in his eating habits and growth rate. He'll eat a lot for a few days, sleep a bunch and then grow a lot. When that's not happening he'll be up all the time playing and running around but won't eat at all. Being the 1st of our Savannah's we are doing our best to get him all the nutrients he needs while maintaining his exercise. Just this weekend we decided to change over to a new dry food Mazuri, and a special home blend of wet food so all the cats eat the same. Anyhow here are some fun facts about food...

What we've tried so far:
Raw chicken breast (chunks)
Raw thigh (chunks)
Raw breast & leg meat w/ marrow (ground & chunks)
Entire Thigh and leg
Turkey breast cooked (chunks)
Turkey dark meat (chunks)
Turkey livers (raw and cooked, chopped and whole)
Home made cat food (Turkey breast, turkey livers, chicken thighs, some juice from the boiling)
Royal Canin (Dry)
Bananna - we read they like fruit
Blue Mountain Wild Cat blend (canned patte)
Max Cat (canned patte)
Wellness (canned patte)
Wellness Packets (chunks)
Wysong (dry/wet all natural)
Special gravy with vitamins (Vita-Gravy)

What he likes:
Patte Food - no
Chunked Food - yes
Cooked Poultry - sometimes
Raw Chicken - yes
Fruit - no yet
Our food - yes
The other cats food which is bad for him - yes
Cardboard - yes
Ice Tea - dunks paws in it then licks off tea
Bone marrow w/ meat chunks - yes
Bone meal fresh from butcher - no
Live animals - haven't tried yet
Fish - haven't tried yet

Seriously that is all I can remember but there was more combos. It doesn't matter what we make he just eats what ever, when ever and you can't tell when or what he wants. Man, and I thought deciding what I wanted to eat was tough. It's very scary to think that he needs to eat to grow up strong and healthy so when he's not eating you have to wonder what the issue is. I'm told there isn't any but I still worry he might have ate something bad and his stomach is upset.

The choice here is the Wysong dry/wet food since it's all natural and has no fillers. You just add water and its all set. That with a mix of the raw chicken and I think we'd be in business again. However this week he will only eat the cooked meat so who knows. He attacks and tries to steal ham sandwiches, an entire 3 lb pork loin from the fridge, pizza, ice tea, burgers and anything except CAT FOOD!! He's like a little kid who only wants McDonalds and pizza and that's it. My wife and I enjoy sharing our life with Panzer. Like all good animal care givers we want him to grow up to be the proud grandson of one of the most amazing animal species in the world... the large felines. You can see his Serval roots the older he gets. Like with most cats the older they get the less they act like kittens and the more they act like cats. The Serval, being solitary for the most part will eventually start to come out more and more as he matures. Just today he ran out the back door when I was going out side and he took off after a squirrel. He stopped and let me pick him up, but he had no harness and for a moment I didn't think he was coming back. He still doesn't know his name so you can't call him back. When he's bigger at least he'll be easier to block when trying to slip out of the door.

Turkey day pics :)

2009-12-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

Turkey Cat!

2009-11-29T19:45:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't have thought Panzer would like turkey but he did. He was really curious about the smells and the food items, but he really wanted the bird. So for being such a good kitty I gave him some turkey. Although it was cooked he still seemed to really enjoy it warm. Even more so with the gravy stuff on it. Not human gravy, but a special vita-gravy for cats that help get him his nutrients.
Nothing else has really changed except for a few social experiences he needs to adjust too at home. This last week he got his final shot for this year and until next year he's all set. The vet bill for all the special shots run between $30-60 a pop so that wasn't really a surprise to me. One thing to keep in mind when taking your Savannah cat to the vet is to ask them for killed virus shots. You're breeder will instruct you on what is best for your cat but we chose the vaccines from Fort Dodge. I'm not if this is the only company that makes the killed virus types, but they worked out and he is A OK. :) Also it's good to note that a cat carrier is a great idea for a domestic cat... but not so much for a Savannah at the f2 level. He basically busted out in a few minutes and would rather have been walked in on a harness so he felt more freedom. The next time he goes it will be on a harness for sure. As for the training involved in getting a cat to walk on a harness that's a different blog.

2009-11-23T05:53:00.000-08:00

Panzer up close...

Panzer and Monkey. Monkey is a 3 year old marbled tabby.

Fetch

2009-11-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

Every morning Panzer likes to get up and play with both my wife and I separately. He wakes up early to play with me before I go off to work and then when she wakes up they do their thing. With me he likes to play fetch with the blue rat toy. It's really odd to play fetch with a cat in the first place. But, when the toy is a 8" knotted, squeaky dog toy its even more hilarious. He's growing bigger and stronger by the day. Just yesterday he jumped about 4 ft high from a gallop to grab at a toy my wife had in her hand. The other cats aren't being as prissy as they have been over the last month and that's been a nice change. Monkey is still jealous of Panzer, but that will fade with time. They argue and scrap but Panzer is not effected at all by this. He thinks its playful and loves it. Sometimes he gets his butt kicked but he learns fast. Now he can own Lou just by jumping on his back and riding him like a horse. Lou is kinda chubby so he found his weakness and uses it to show his dominance. With Monkey Panzer is more playful, but he still has to prove his status in the gang. Right now Panzer wants to move up the chain of command so his mini battles with Monkey are short but often. Sam is much bigger and faster than Panzer right now so those two don't really battle. They wrestle and play but Sam is still top cat. Until he gets bigger Panzer won't be able to take on Sam's position so I figure he's just waiting until that day comes. At his current rate of growth that will be within a few months. I'd guess he's about 10 lbs now, 12" from foot to shoulder and 17" from neck to rear. He head is smaller in proportion to his body so I expect another growth spurt by months end. By years end I'd say he will be 12 lbs, 13" tall at the shoulder and maybe 18 inches or longer. As he gains muscle playing with us soon he will easily tackle the 4' jumping and be moving on to 5+. As the days roll by his wild instincts are coming out and the kitten that is so cute and lovable is slowly becoming a cat. Someday I will miss all this wonderful play time we have and his innocent curiosity, but by then I'm sure he'll have us finding interest in some of his other exciting characteristics. I hope when he's grown up he's a benevolent ruler and keeps the crew together as our family grows. Thank the heavens for this experience... I should have been went to school to work with animals :)

2009-11-18T19:42:00.000-08:00

Breakfast cat??

2009-11-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

I'm the manager at Mr. Clucks! I love chicken!

So normally you'd think that a cat wouldn't be too interested in human breakfast food. Bacon, eggs, english muffin... etc. Well Panzer decided today that he likes all of that stuff and dove into my wife's breakfast. Yes, he had his own food which he ate, but the temptation was obviously too much for him to control his urge. Now it's not really all his fault since she hasn't set any rules for sharing food with him. Like a dog if he thinks its OK to beg or share human food he'll just walk up and take what he pleases. Patiently I'm waiting for the day she leaves out her meal and he's 25+ lbs of grown kitty cat who wants a bite of her sandwich so he just takes the entire thing. He doesn't do that with me because I've raised big dogs most of my life and losing a meal via sneak attack really sucks.

Anyway I guess since he likes chicken meat his desire for eggs isn't too weird. I'm starting to think that he has moods and his day is completely dependent on what kind of mood he wakes up in. Today for instance he wanted to run and play, jumping like his grandparent Serval cat into my bedding. The running off back to a spot he could pounce. I really need to get a video of this up here but it's hard to both be the prey and take video. I'll figure it out eventually.

Snoozin'

2009-11-12T04:17:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a cat sleeping. He's really tired because some how he managed to break the arm off a solid oak chair in my living room. Let me tell you that is not a simple task to undertake. The chair has wooden arms that are about 2x2 thick and this thing has lasted years. I'm guessing that he head butted it, flew into it chasing another cat or just flat out ran into it sprinting. I would have taken a picture of it and posted that up here but I thought this was more interesting than a broken chair.

At 9 lbs he's quite the little devil at times. Imagine a 25+ lb version of this running around the house *playing*. I'll have to get him a buffalo or a moose to play with at this rate. Either way he sure is fun to hang out with so it's no big deal to me. Panzer 1, Chair 0.

V-day

2009-11-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

Panzer had to go to the vet again today to get some more shots. It's good to know that the shots he needs are not like a regular cat, they need to be killed virus. Why? Well the normal ones may kill him. I'm no veterinarian, but I trust my breeder and she said not to give him these type of shots because he may get very ill and even die from it. Needless to say I was so scared they were gonna mess it up I asked like four times if they knew he needed the killed virus shot.

As for Panzer he liked the trip. He loves people and going new places. This cats like curious George or something. He just walks around and checks it all out with very little fear. It's what I admire about him... the fearless nature he's been given. He's free of all the worries and just enjoys playing and investigating the world we all take for granted. With a flood of compliments from the vet staff he didn't even cry when we left and drove home. We may have found some really good treats that give him all the vitamins he needs. They are called Nu-Cat. So for now we're gonna see if we can get him his supplements using treats and that gravy I mentioned earlier.

Spunky little feline

2009-11-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

Undisturbed sleep? No, just a 5 minute crash next to dad.

So for the last few days Panzer has been all into sheets and blankets. Hiding in them, jumping on the bed when we are trying to make it, flying out of nowhere to grab or feet, running past me while I sleep at full pace bouncing off my a$$ like a jumping board. It's hilarious because he's not rough, just 8 lbs of clumsy kitten. Hes grown now to be taller in the shoulders than Ninja, and it as tall as our oldest cat Lou. He's gained about half a p0und in a week or two, maybe closer to 1 lb now. He stands right around 12 inches from foot to shoulder, and he's gotten about 2 inches longer from neck to tail. Also his tail is getting very think near the butt. The vitamins are working great for him, and I would recommend that any one try this gravy we found at PetCo. It has tons of vitamins, and he LOVES it enough to not eat the other cats wet food.

One thing that is very surprising to me is that he is so loving. He never scratches us anymore when we play, and he lets us dress him up and hold him as long as we're moving around. He likes to ride our shoulders and be held like a baby. In the morning and at night he has a cry for this that is specific to his need. When I do it he purrs and cuddles like no other cat I've owned. Granted he then gets bored and flies out of my arms, but it's cute to say the least. He doesn't like to be help on our laps though. He'll sleep next to you, let you lay with him as he naps but don't bather trying to keep him still. Just work on his schedule and its all good. Speaking of that I read a good article on kittens that said you should not wake them when they sleep/nap. This is when they grow so just in case you were wondering it's best to have places out of the way that he or she can sleep undisturbed for as long as they need.

This last week marked the start of the harness training. He really doesn't mind it too much, but being outside is really not his thing yet. I'm guessing he's still too young to really want to get out and roam around with confidence and I don't want to scare him. I do harness him and hold him so he can meet the neighbor, he dog Ian and the cat Boots. His name is really Dart but I like to call him Boots :) Or Captain Whiskers.

Goof ball

2009-11-06T03:56:00.000-08:00

Stock up on the toys

2009-11-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

Our Savannah loves his toys. He really plays with all of them throughout the day. His favorite toy is a raccoon tail teaser toy with a small bell on it. Getting his prey drive working is always fun, but the older he gets the higher he jumps and faster he reacts. So that means you really have to work hard to get the toy away from him long enough to actually play with him. Day to day he changes moods and so his routines may vary. One day he's all playful and running around playing with the other cats. The next he sleeps all day and wants to be held. Out of all the cats he is the most affectionate. When I get home from work Panzer is there to greet me. If I don't pick him up and give him some hugs and such he cries until I do. At first I thought it was food he wanted, but he has a different sound for that. After he gets some attention then he'll go and munch on some chicken. My wife and I found some really cool cat gravy at PetCo that's full of vitamins. We we're looking for food and we just happened to find it and he really likes over his chicken. The other cats like it as well, but they get their gravy in the canned food they eat. Panzer is NOT a fan of canned food. The only stuff he likes is the stuff he isn't allowed to have because it isn't good for him. The other cats love it too, but for whatever reason its like kitty crack to him.

Measurements

2009-10-31T04:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

2.5 weeks at home

2009-10-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-10-19T08:48:00.001-07:00

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

2009-10-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-14T10:56:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-10-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

K-Day +2

2009-10-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-10-11T12:43:00.001-07:00

K-Day +1

2009-10-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

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.