what you need when bringing your new Savannah kitten home. what you will need when bringing home a kitten.
1. Food to Buy.
1. Food to Buy.
Step one when bringing home your kitten is preparing everything they require before arrival day. Food is top of the list.
We recommend Royal canin kitten kibble.
We require you to keep them on this brand of kibble until they are 1 year old, unless a Vet has advised otherwise for a particular kitten For medical reasons.
Switching there food can cause stomach upset and diarrhea that can take weeks to months to clear up. If you switch a kittens food it has to be done gradually and never suddenly.
2. Raw Food.
1. Food to Buy.
We promote ALL THE PROTEIN for your Savannah and many owners like to feed or supplement with Raw food. Our go to brand is Spring meadows Natural pet food which comes in a variety of meat. We recommend chicken, Rabbit, lamb or beef But you should always stick to the sameohe and not switch them up or again you can cause stomach upset.
When making the choice to feed raw you must take the time to educate yourself of proper sanitation practices and basic nutrition or you could make your savannah sick.
Raw feeding isn’t for everyone and instead you can choose to supplement their diet with a high quality canned wet food.
https://www.springmeadowsnaturalpetfood.com
3. Treats
When it comes to choosing treats for your savannah cat please always remember to keep in mind the protein is what they need and LOVE! Dont cheap out on the grocery store brand treats that are more comparable to junk food. This is a great opportunity to give them something healthy in disguise. Pet stores carry many great options from dried liver to chicken hearts.
We love the benny bullies.
Also available at….
https://www.amazon.ca/ref=nav_logo
4. Litter.
At Alberta Savannahs we use Pine pellets. We prefer the ABM brand which can be purchased at any UFA for $8 a bag which will do 3 tote sized litter boxes. Pine pellets are cleaner, cheaper, smell better and have no health risks to your cat. You will love them!
We do not recommend switching your kitten off the pine pellets ever but if you must then please wait until they are 6+ months old and completely settled into their new environment. If you switch your kitten too soon or dont transition them properly then you May cause your savannah cat to not use their litter box which can be extremely frustrating for both parties.
we buy ours in Alberta at UFA
https://ufa.com/myUFA/search/?text=ABM
You can also purchased at…
https://www.mrpets.ca/online/shop/horse-farm/bedding/eagle-valley-talon-abm-pine-pellet-35lb
https://shop.grangesupply.com/products/pellets-bedding-abm-35--34.html
5. Litter Boxes.
When it comes to a litter box for your Savannah cat you want something big. We like to use storage totes from wall mart. They are cheap, easy to clean and big enough for your long and tall Savannah to fit comfortably in Without making any messes.
The tote in the photo above is a 68L (18GAL) or 25”L X 18.5”W X 15.25”H
Cost $7-$9
Placement is very important, you should have a litter box on each floor for the first few months after bringing your kitten home. Our kittens come litter trained but they aren’t trained to know their new home and where everything is located especially when they need to remember quick where their bathroom is. Once the cat is fully settled in you may reduce your number of boxes.
People often forget these kittens are baby animals and just like a puppy will make mistakes and have accidents this is why its important for the litter box to be somewhere close and easily accessible.
If your cat goes to the bathroom outside of the box you need to clean this up quickly and with a good enzyme cleaner to break down the smell or the cat may return to that spot again thinking its okay. Do not use bleach or ammonia based cleaners as this mimics the smell of cat pee and will encourage them to pee there.
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/sterilite-68l-tote-box-gray-gray/6000060458950
6. Enrichment.
What you will need when bringing home a kitten.
It’s very important to have things to keep your pets busy and happy. There are many toys on the market to keep your cat stimulated just be sure to inspect them for any parts that could come off and be swallowed while playing.
It’s important to invest in a well built and solid cat tree or scratch post. Savannahs tend to be a little harder on their scratch post and toys then regular domestics so quality is key.
If your kitten starts to scratch somewhere they shouldn’t be you need to quickly take your kitten to their designated scratching post and mimic the scratching for them while rubbing the paw pads on that spot at the same time. Cats have scent glands in there paw pads just like wild cats do and this is their way of marking their territory so you need to clean the undesired places they scratch with the same enzyme cleaner recommended to clean cat pee. This will break down the pheromones and your cat wont be drawn to that spot again. Savannahs are very smart and they are easily trained but you must stay consistent. Kitten care is easy but as your breeder we are always here to help!