Savannah Cat Quarantine
“personal time with new owners”
Quarantine is a time frame of 2-3 weeks of personal one-on-one time with the new owner(s). Rushing the introduction process can result in a scared, skittish, and unsure feline that can result in unruly behavior at your fault, not the cat.
Quarantine should be in a medium-sized room. NOT A BATHROOM. This room should be ideal for the kitten to not be too confined, so the kitten does not feel threatened. You will then need to provide proper enrichment items to redirect the cat attention, provide exercise and to provide an activity to bond with your new kitten.
The most important aspect of quarantine is keeping all animals separate during introduction and eliminates typical routes of bacterial and viral infections.
Remember your kitten requires visits to the veterinarian’s office for crucial vaccinations and exams, while a kitten it's immune system is less than adult making it easy to catch something. Most animals only visit a vet when sick, take care to disinfect any surface the kitten will touch at the vet.
Sales Contracts between you and your breeder often mandate a veterinary visit within a specified brief time after arrival, this allows the vet to discover any issues that may have incurred due to stress of being re-homed or otherwise obtained. The quarantine is also the ideal time to reinforce litter box habits. In the eyes of your kitten, you must realize that your home is much larger to them than it is to you. Therefore, being in a smaller area where they can easily locate the litter box is ideal.
Be calm and quiet when you bring your kitten into your home.
Place the carrier on the floor and let the kitten come out on its own.
To encourage the kitten to come out of the carrier for the first time coax him/her out with a teaser-toy.
Keep the kitten in a small room to start, slowly allowing him/her more run of the house.
Place the kitten in the litter box several times in the first couple of days.
Sit on the floor, on the kitten’s level, to play and socialize.
First Meeting - Cat to Cat
Phase 1
Successful introductions take time. DO NOT and we repeat DO NOT try to introduce the new addition to your resident cat(s) immediately upon arrival. You may damage the new relationship irreparably and initiate fear, anger, aggression, spraying and litter box problems in the new cat and/or resident cat(s). Successful introductions take time.
Let the cats sniff out the situation. Let “smell” be the first introduction as the cats sniff each other from under the “safe room” door. Within two to four days, begin exchanging the bedding between the new and resident cat(s) daily. This helps familiarize the cats with each other’s scents.
Phase 2
Let the sniffing continue. If there are no marked signs of aggression from the cats, such as hissing and growling, the next step is to confine your resident cat to a room and let the new cat explore your house for a couple of hours each day for several days.
Phase 3
Organize a carrier meeting. Place your new cat in a carrier and put the carrier in a location of your home outside of the safe room (for example, the living room). Allow the cats to look at each other and sniff through the carrier door.
Any signs of aggression? Keep the visit short and return the new cat to its safe room.
Repeat this phase 2 to 3 times daily (if possible), until cats appear to be more comfortable with each other.
Phase 4
Let the cats meet at their own pace. If there are no signs of aggression between cats, leave the door to the safe room open a crack. This will allow the new cat to explore and/or your resident cat to visit. Supervision is necessary for the safety of both cats.
In case of aggression, have a spray bottle filled with water or a towel handy. Always stop serious threats and/or aggression immediately, as a serious fight may damage the potential for successful integration and relationship.
If over a period of weeks your integration plan is not going well, consider the installation of an inexpensive screen door from a building supply store. The screen door allows the cats to continue to get to know each other by sight and smell, while keeping both parties safe. Each cat can take turns in the screened room.
A Feliway diffuser may also prove helpful when integration is difficult.
Phase 5
You may notice some occasional hissing, swatting and grouchy behavior over the next few months (and years). This is normal. Cats are hierarchical by nature and must establish and affirm the pecking order within your household. Plus, much like humans, all cats have the occasional “off” day.
Note: Shy cats or kittens may desire companionship for your resident cat, a quicker integration may be best. Shy cats are often used to and welcome other feline companionship. They will be very lonely on their own, so we recommend that the integration take place very quickly (1-3 days) unless there are significant problems.
First Meeting - Cat to Dog
Phase 1
Follow the steps detailed in Phase 1 of the How to Introduce Cats to Cats section above.
Phase 2
If there are no other cats in your home, confine the dog to one room and let the cat begin to explore the rest of your house for one to two hours each day until the cat is familiar and comfortable with the layout of your home.
Phase 3
Bring the dog in on a leash. Once the cat is used to your home, let the cat roam loose in one room. Keep the dog on a leash and have dog treats ready in your pocket. If possible, have another person the cat is familiar with on the other side of the room to reassure and distract the cat from the dog.
Sit and meet. Keep the dog seated and focused on you as the leader. Try offering the dog a toy. If the dog focuses on or accepts the toy, reward the dog with a treat. If the dog tries to stand and move towards the cat(s), correct the dog slightly with the leash and reward him or her with a treat. If at any point the dog is not responding to your commands or the cat’s stress level appears elevated, remove the dog from the room. Keep repeating this process until the dog is responding to you and either ignoring or accepting the cat(s). This process helps teach the dog that cats are not prey, toys to be chased, or threats.
Watch. Never leave the dog and cat(s) unsupervised until you are absolutely sure they have built up a mutual, trusting and respectful relationship.
Make sure kitty has some space for alone time. Even once the cat(s) and dog(s) are comfortable with each other, cats still like having the option to retreat to a space away from the dog. Place a baby gate across the doorway of a room in the house where the cat or cats like to hang out, or buy or build a tall cat tower so they can retreat when needed.
Note: The length of time required to successfully integrate cats with dogs varies depending on the previous experiences of the animals involved. For example, your dog may have had previous encounter with a cat or the cat may have had prior experience with a dog. Often, when the cats and dogs are used to being around the other species, integration can be quicker.
Remember, integration into the rest of the house is dependent on the personality of your new cat (as well as your existing pets). Sometimes the integration process can begin in just two to four days; however, sometimes it is best to wait a couple weeks. Your cat may need a longer integration period. Consult with your breeder if you are having difficulties or even just small questions.
The sweetest kitten couldneed to most adjustment time, so do not lose hope!