Kirembo Savannahs

Nina, our newest Savannah resident

2010-11-10T19:55:00.001-08:00

Meet AmazingGrace Tathinina of Kirembo, aka Nina, she's a 62.5% F1. She's simply amazing all-round... fabulous Servally looks with a great personality. She's that perfect mix of affectionate and crazy that we love in Savannahs. Busy busy busy, but then will curl up on the couch for petting and purrs.
We're excited to have her here, it doesn't "replace" Aziza in our hearts but does fill that hole in our program. She's also helping Baz as he had not found another friend quite like Z but he's been well-amused running about with Nina since she arrived so I am hopeful he'll have a new best friend very soon.

RIP Aziza 6/24/09 - 7/25/10

2010-08-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

Recently I had one of the worst days of my life, I had to make a painfully hard decision to euthanize my gorgeous F1, Aziza.

Aziza had been "off" for some time, but I'd put it down to growing pains as she was growing fast (she was close to Baz's height) but excessively thin. She was a fussy eater, but I adapted and warmed her rabbit (a specific brand was required) and offered it multiple times a day. I just felt if I could get her eating all would be well. She seemed okay still, although not high in energy she was still playing and cuddling.

She had a vet appointment for the Monday, I wanted to do bloodwork and talk about stimulating her appetite, still not suspecting anything really wrong as she WAS eating a little, and drinking and no fever, puking or diarrhea to concern me. But on Saturday she really crashed, she wobbled when she tried to headbutt me. I ran her to the emergency vet and spent a few thousand on testing. Fluids did not cure the head bobbing, which I had assumed was dehydration. Her bloodwork was grim, the vet started saying dry FIP. Normally when a vet says FIP I am cynical, it's a standard response of many vets to a purebred cat looking ill. But this vet was well-informed, once she knew that I understanded the testing etc we had a good discussion on why it might be that and what other things it could be. She lost her kitten to dry FIP last year, she was very sensitive and caring.

The initial inhouse lab work came back that night, all blood testing indicated dry FIP as the most likely cause. Ultrasound showed that her kidneys and spleen were packing it in, they took biopies to look for lymphoma but it wasn't that. The internal medicine specialist was consulted (he was one of the specialists that saved my Millie Mousie some years back) and he sadly couldn't find an alternate diagnosis that fit the clinical picture. As the tests came back, the evidence just pointed only to dry FIP.

We discussed treatments, I read scientific articles about the promising treatment PI (polyphrenyl immunostimulant), use of steroids and antibiotics and homeopathic treatments. The one thing I noticed in all this was that the cats did not seem to have great quality of life throughout these treatments and "cures" were rare. There would be stabilization of condition but then "bad" episodes the cat would then be rescued from again. I started wondering if I would be putting Z through a lot of suffering simply because I couldn't accept the inevitable.

I went back in to visit Z and her condition broke my heart. She purred at me and we gazed in each other's eyes and I knew. She wanted to end this... she was ready to leave. Years before I had been in that back room of the emergency vet hospital with Millie Mousie but in that case Millie was not ready to go, so we did everything we could to help her survive (and she did), this was different. I realized that Z had been suffering long enough, she had just hidden it from me...and she had had enough.

I spent some time with her on my lap in a quiet room, and then the vet kindly and sympathetically came in and helped her slip away from us.

I've been a mess since and I am not over the grief yet, I've ceased my regular internet participation on the various Savannah email lists and I've holed up at home with the rest of the kitties. I still expect to see my Z around the house, and things keep reminding me of her. Missy has been disconsolate, she's been crying and searching the house for her sister. Baz has been needy of everyone, they all of course know how heartbroken I am. My poor husband, JN, was overseas on business so had to deal from a distance and I know it was hard on him. Z was one of those extra-special ones. I love all my pets dearly, but some worm their way deeper into your heart. Z and Missy are MY cats, they chose me. Z was special from the start, so sweet and maybe that was a sign that she was simply an angel.

Then the vet called to let me know that the tissue samples were PCR positive for FIP. It was a small relief to have it confirmed that way because I had been playing that "what if" game of guilt. FIP is a cruel disease, it affects cats of all breeds including those of mixed heritage. I'd always hated the disease, and known that one day it would affect me, it seems to hit every breeder at some stage in some way whether one of their kittens or a kitten they bring into their cattery. Please check out www.sockfip.org if you want to learn more and possibly donate to ongoing research projects.

Z with her beloved Baz, they loved each other so much!

Baths and Savannahs

2010-07-21T01:17:00.001-07:00

Baz is the third generation of Savannahs in this house that love our bathtub... not all Savannahs want to wade in water but some do and when they do they are very very keen on it! Baz is a solid black Savannah, he is Katie's grandson.
This is Khandi, Katie's daughter and also one that enjoys the bath...you can actually see a little movie on our website where the water is deep enough she can almost swim in the tub and she thought that fun also. We'd always wondered about that but had been limited by the height of the tub and so it had to be a kitten rather than adult to get the water deep enough.
And the original bath monster here is Katie, she who could even turn those taps on for herself and lead to us having to keep that bathroom's door closed.

The variety within Brown Spotted Tabbies

2010-06-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

All three kittens are classified as Brown (black) Spotted Tabbies, yet as you can see there is quite some difference in coloring. On the very left there is Nadiya, she is a very cool-toned BST out of Kiki. On the very right there is Coco, a very warm-toned BST out of Katie. In the center is Kody, who is somewhere in the middle of that range!

I find it really interesting to see, the very warm Savannahs are so pretty but I also like the dramatic look of a cool-toned Savannah, especially when they get that black nose like Nadiya has!

Kiki's girls

2010-05-19T17:58:00.001-07:00

Kiki had two girls for us this time, they are both super-sweet and fond of my lap.

Don't let the "sad" eyes of the girl on the right fool you, she's full of mischief and confidence. In addition to great eyes she has wonderful earset and growing up very pretty. We love the dark dramatic looks of her sister too, it's still difficult to know which we shall keep, but I know I need to decide soon!

Introducing Katie's new babies

2010-05-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss in updating the blog, there just never seems to be enough time in the day!

Both Katie and Kiki had babies recently and we're having such fun with the babies...so thought I'd post a couple of pictures of them.

Katie had a boy and girl this time, the first time she's had both sexes in a litter for us! The boy is on the left, his name is Kayode (meaning "he brings joy") and will be going down to LA to live. The girl is on the right, as yet unnamed but staying right here! They're very sociable kittens, they run to anyone that comes through the door wanting cuddles and play. Mama Katie is most proud of them, she's a fabulous mother.

Christmas Trees in our house

2009-12-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

I get asked regularly how I can have a Christmas tree in the house with all these very active felines... and there is a process that works well for us, so thought I'd put in on my blog to refer people to....

First I have selected a corner of our front living room that is a little like an alcove, we live in a Victorian house and it is beside the fireplace where it is set in a little and then there is a corner, this allows me to clear a corner of the room and then use Ssscat motion detectors to deter the kitties from going near.

I get my Ssscat motion detectors at Pet Club but I know most people haven't access to this great chain of pet stores, Petsmart keeps them though... http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751025 . Basically they are a can of compressed air with a little motion detector fastened on top, it detects any motion within a yard of the can and then spurts out a little spray of air suddenly. Cats hate the sound but of course it is not harmful.

I put these out on both sides of my little alcove so that it basically protects that corner of the room, I put them out for a few days with just an empty corner of room so that the kitties start to learn to avoid that part of the room. Then I bring out the tree, I only have an artificial tree as I've always thought that a REAL tree would be way too tempting. It's a nice one and looks pretty realistic though and tricks most folk that come to visit us. I put that up and leave that for a few days before I think put the ornaments on...so a gradual process rather than all at once.

It is important to have the motion detector things with their rear side against a wall, so that the cats cannot creep up on them and slap them over, they'd like to do that. If they can't do that, then they never seem to get close enough from the front to do that before it squirts air and them and they run away.

This is my experience to date, of course this year we have a new batch of kittens that have not seen the tree before and they just might be the ones to break the system! It's safer to say "yet" than "never" when it comes to these clever troublemakers, LOL!

Dukie checking out the tree carefully...

Trying to creep up on the the detectors...

BUSTED!!!!!

Candy and Lalara in their Christmas dresses

2009-11-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

We just had too much fun with the kittens, dressing them in pretty Christmas costumes and snapping away. Candy is on the left, and Lara on the right... both Katie's daughters and about 4 and a half months old.

Baz does Santa...

2009-11-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

It's a medium sized dog costume from Petsmart... perfect for our Baz.

Pretty little Ginger

2009-11-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

Ginger is the sole remaining kitten from Kiki's litter as yet unplaced. Of course we don't mind as she is the sweetest thing and one of my favorite lap warmers!
Ginger got her mama Kiki's huge upright ears and long legs, she really is developing into a very pretty girl. So if she stays, she'll likely go to shows with her sister Thandi for a bit...

Katie's girls again

2009-10-27T00:32:00.000-07:00

Candy and Lalara looking so cute, I couldn't resist and had to get a pic of them. They're growing up into such lovely girls. Candy is still the sweetest kitten in the world and Lara is a complete pistol of a kitten. Nothing she won't try at least once.

DreamSavannahs Aziza comes home!

2009-10-27T00:26:00.001-07:00

JN and I travelled to New Orleans, had a couple very nice days there and then hopped in a car and drove to Tina and Julian's home in Mississippi. We were so excited, we got to meet our Missy's Serval daddy and lovely Savannah mommy, and of course visit with Tina and her great kids. And then we got to take home the coolest "souvenir" ever from a trip, an F1 kitten!

Aziza is amazing, she's perfect of course! Her looks are wonderful but her personality is better. She's exuberant and fun-loving and affectionate. She has the same voice as Missy and a lot of the same mannerisms. It's going to be so much fun having those two in the same house!

Katie's girls are such princesses!

2009-09-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Look at them sitting up there. Girl on the left is Lalara, who will be staying on here, the cutie on the right is Candy who is going to live up in Canada. Candy is her mother all over, so similar in looks and personality. Very human-oriented and of course both have spots down to their toes!

2009-09-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

Pic of Kiki and her two cool-toned babies... The boy is draped over her. He loves to snuggle with kitties and people alike. His personality reminds us a lot of his maternal grandfather Kashka, so sweet! All are growing lovely long legs and big ole ears, very pleasing. They're pretty crazy nowadays, finally learning to jump onto my lap and not climb up my legs (ouch!). If I don't tidy up, I come into my office where they are living to chewed up papers... definitely "my kittens ate my homework" kinda stuff :-)

2009-08-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

Here's three of Kiki's babies. At the back is the girl we are keeping, she needs a name soon! then there's the dark boy whom is just my little love right now. And in the front is the complete charmer, he's going to live in San Diego and already has stolen his new mommy's heart. A wonderful litter of kittens, they are just joys to be raising!

2009-08-30T23:17:00.000-07:00

This little boy of Kiki's is completely ridiculous...so very confident of his appeal! He and his brother are immediately asking for my lap the moment I am in the room, their sisters always follow but the boys are complete lovers. I don't mind ;-)

Kiki's babies are on the run!

2009-08-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

Kiki's babies (F4C) are very outgoing, sociable and adventurous. Poor Kiki!

At four weeks of age, they have left their birthing crate and are not looking back. They've discovered toys, wrestling and chewing on fingers... they think humans are great jungle gyms. Kiki is ready to have a nervous breakdown but they are ready to take on the world :-)

Also in Cat Fancy...

2009-08-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

Imagine our surprise to not only have our precious Daffy featured on the cover of the Cat Fancy magazine, and see her in the article AND the centerfold, but turn that page and there is yet another familiar kitty face!

Dino is our new SBT Savannah stud. This picture was taken at one of his first shows, he was such a cute and personable kitten.

Dino has just proven fertile, he's sired his first litter of babies this month at ~11 months of age! We look forward to seeing how they develop now..

Cat Fancy magazine, August 2009

2009-08-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

When a friend showed me her subscription copy of the August issue of Cat Fancy magazine I felt a chill. I knew that cat, it was one of mine!

Daffy was a special kitten, when she was born we intended to keep her and show her. But at her first show, she was too young for the ring but we had her in the benching cages to get used to the show hall atmosphere... Jamie Christian came up saying how he wanted a Savannah to show. He is a very persuasive man! Before I knew it, I'd agreed to let him take her home. He was on the other side of the country (Ohio to my California) and he showed a lot. It was a great opportunity to continue promoting the Savannah breed. But we missed our Daffy girl, she was full of personality!

Every time I'd visit her at a show she'd be loving on me...and the judges...and everyone. Christian insists that she loved him best and I know he was right. He'd say how she was the only cat he'd ever had that danced on her hindlegs to greet him every night at the door... what a cat! Daffy charmed judges and exhibitors, I'd meet folk in California at shows that were introduced to Savannahs by Daffy and I was so proud.

Sadly, Kirembo Dafine Kike of Kingsransom is no longer with us. She tragically fell prey to an upper respiratory infection that progressed so quickly it was not able to be treated in time. She died way too early, and we grieve her still. For her to be immortalized on the cover of Cat Fancy magazine (and centerfold too!) was very special to us all. Daffy was a wonderful Ambassador for the Savannah Breed.