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Cat Thread For Geeks
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Waragainstsleep
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Dec 14, 2011, 12:14 PM
 
Starting this thread to balance out the one about dogs.

This is great:
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I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
SpaceMonkey
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Dec 14, 2011, 12:20 PM
 

"One ticket to Washington, please. I have a date with destiny."
     
nonhuman
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Dec 14, 2011, 12:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey View Post


How have I never seen that one before?
     
brassplayersrock²
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Dec 18, 2011, 03:21 AM
 
     
besson3c
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Dec 18, 2011, 03:33 AM
 
Paging Doofy...
     
Lateralus
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Dec 18, 2011, 03:56 AM
 
Uh, we already tried that. He doesn't find the internet very funny at all.
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Dec 18, 2011, 05:52 AM
 
I believe in Christmas miracles...
     
besson3c
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Dec 27, 2011, 05:31 PM
 
I found this picture of Doofy and his cat:

     
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Dec 27, 2011, 05:31 PM
 
Knock it off already.

Dumbass.
     
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Dec 27, 2011, 11:34 PM
 
     
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Dec 28, 2011, 03:55 AM
 
     
Shaddim
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Sep 15, 2012, 03:34 AM
 
I like cats, always have, we have three of them indoors; A black shorthair male (the king), a dark calico female (the rogue), and a white Ragdoll female (the airhead). This is fine, they all get along well, and aside from the rare scuffle, all is peaceful. So, what does my wife do? She gets a Savannah, an F1 male Savannah (75% serval). It's just a baby at 4 months, but he's already as tall as all but one of the other cats. He's 11" at the shoulder, and that will likely double. When he's full grown he'll probably look much like this:

5571/width/350/height/700[/IMG]

They're very friendly, I hear, and particularly good with small children (they form a bond with kids, much like some dogs). We've named him Ramses, and so far he's not caused any incidents with the other cats, and aside from the sounds he makes (which are very un-domestic-cat-like) and previously mentioned size, he's like a kitten/puppy hybrid. Oh, the noises, lol. Those are actually pretty neat, though a bit freaky. He doesn't "meow", he chirps, clicks, and hisses (the hissing is just conversation, not him getting angry).

[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtBPdw4ums[/VIDEO]

His big thing is to hug you, or practically anything he can get his paws around, and rub his head all over and lick you. He pounces and purrs like a cat, but he also likes to take walks outside wearing a harness and he'll follow you around like a dog. He hasn't tried to bite anyone, even in play, but I'm still nervous because of Emma. If it was just us adults, I'd be all for having him, but with her starting to crawl now, it won't be long until she starts grabbing and pulling tails. I'm told that I'm over-reacting, and as she grows up they'll be best friends, but I still keep seeing potential for harm. What do you guys think?
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OAW
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Sep 15, 2012, 05:21 AM
 
^^^^

I think he looks like something that would be tracking you for dinner on the savannahs of Africa. Good looking cat though!

OAW
     
andi*pandi
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Sep 15, 2012, 05:48 AM
 
aw.

As with any animal I'd a) not leave them alone, and b) see how it goes. Our cats, despite being born wild, were remarkably tolerant of small kids, and if they got pulled at, would opt to just leave.
     
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Sep 15, 2012, 10:02 AM
 
     
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Sep 15, 2012, 10:05 AM
 
What's the point of buying cat toys? We have some toys, but our cat prefers this stupid piece of string.
     
subego
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Sep 15, 2012, 10:09 AM
 
I've found most cat toys to be BS. The big exception are the furry balls at the end of elastic string.

     
andi*pandi
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Sep 15, 2012, 01:05 PM
 
our cats go crazy for things with feathers. And they used to love the long fleece on a stick that you would wave like a fishing rod.

Now the dog eats their toys and thinks they are hers.
     
subego
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Sep 15, 2012, 01:13 PM
 
Dogs and cat toys are definitely a bad mix.

What do you think about laser pointers? I've ultimately decided they're kind of cruel.
     
Shaddim
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Sep 15, 2012, 03:36 PM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
aw.
As with any animal I'd a) not leave them alone, and b) see how it goes. Our cats, despite being born wild, were remarkably tolerant of small kids, and if they got pulled at, would opt to just leave.
Thanks andi, that's what the breeders have been telling me too (I've probably annoyed the crap out of them). See, we didn't get Ramses from a savannah cattery, he came from serval breeders (they're licensed wild cat keepers). His sire is a full serval (huge fella), and his mother is half serval and half Egyptian mau. So with all that "wild" blood in him, I'm paranoid. I guess any cat can be dangerous around an infant, though. He's been nothing but playful and friendly, I'm just not accustomed to all his noises and traits yet.

Today after Emma got up from her nap she was on the floor for her crawl and exercise time, and Ramses was hanging out and watching her. She saw him and called out and laughed, so I brought him over and he sniffed her and then did that thing where he hugs and licks (his claws are well trimmed), and he groomed her head. She thought that was pretty neat for a while, but then Emma had had enough so I put Ramses on the couch. Then she wanted to play some more, but by then he was more interested in his stuffed ferret. It went fine, we're just going to monitor things closely.

^^^^

I think he looks like something that would be tracking you for dinner on the savannahs of Africa. Good looking cat though!

OAW
No doubt. The full-blooded servals, to me, are a little spooky. They're friendly, like a domestic dog, but it doesn't take long to realize that these guys are only 3-4 generations removed from hunting in the African grasslands, just by the way they move and watch everything around them. These servals are descendants of rescue animals that were confiscated after being illegally brought to the US, so they were never in the wild and were raised around humans from birth. Ramses' father (Horus) is >24" tall at the shoulder and weighs 33lbs, and like I mentioned before he acts like a dog and loves to fetch and play tag. Good luck catching him, though, he's been clocked at 45mph. His mother (can't remember her name) is smaller, by a good bit, but she's a stunner. Beautiful cat.

Originally Posted by subego View Post
I've found most cat toys to be BS. The big exception are the furry balls at the end of elastic string.
Mine love these stuffed critters made of real fur and shaped like squirrels, ferrets, and rabbits. I buy them at Sam's. They go nuts and play with them so hard that eventually they end up peeling the animal hide completely off. We have a couple of them tied to short bamboo polls with ~6' of string and they chase them around. So, those are a big hit. Oh, and boxes, any box they can crawl into turns into an epic game of 3 or 4-way hide-and-seek.
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Shaddim
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Sep 15, 2012, 03:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Dogs and cat toys are definitely a bad mix.
What do you think about laser pointers? I've ultimately decided they're kind of cruel.
We have some, but yeah, it does seem unfair. They're in a drawer and we haven't used them in ages. The cats would rather tear apart the furry toys.
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subego
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Sep 15, 2012, 07:38 PM
 
Once the dot disappears, my dog will go on the hunt for it.

She gets more and more agitated she can't find it until all of the sudden she'll stop and piddle on the floor.
     
jmiddel
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Sep 16, 2012, 09:44 PM
 
She is pissed.
     
Shaddim
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Sep 17, 2012, 12:07 PM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Once the dot disappears, my dog will go on the hunt for it.
She gets more and more agitated she can't find it until all of the sudden she'll stop and piddle on the floor.
I don't believe cats get as emotionally involved. I took one out and they played with it, they went completely mental chasing the dot. Miro, the calico, seemed to quickly figure out it was bogus, she's the most intelligent of the lot, by far. But the others kept going until they were worn out. Speaking of, Ramses is hilarious; he hisses, clucks, and chirps. He has issues with those long gangly legs and his balance isn't cat-like at all. There was no loss of bladder control, however.

I'm really getting to like him, I've taught him how to sit on command (he gets a treat) and we're working on fetching. He'll go and get what I throw, but bringing it back just ain't happening.
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OAW
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Sep 17, 2012, 01:18 PM
 
@Shaddim,

As a result of your post my wife and I spent about an hour this weekend looking at YouTube videos on Savannah cats. Even though we already have a domestic short hair cat that's about 1.5 years old ... she instantly thought the Savannah cat was the coolest thing ever and just had to have one. That is until my 15-year old son overhead our conversation and mentioned that F1's can run about 10 grand. Wooowwwww!!!!! So now she's disappointed and it's all your fault!

OAW
     
subego
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Sep 17, 2012, 01:19 PM
 
My smart cat has figured it out, but there was a period he thought it lived under the couch and needed to do sentry duty.

My dumb cat ends up tripping over herself to get it and then tries to play that off as if she wasn't really interested in the first place.

My really dumb cat (now deceased), would chase it, but get crazy twitchy once it was gone.
     
Shaddim
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Sep 17, 2012, 03:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by OAW View Post
@Shaddim,
As a result of your post my wife and I spent about an hour this weekend looking at YouTube videos on Savannah cats. Even though we already have a domestic short hair cat that's about 1.5 years old ... she instantly thought the Savannah cat was the coolest thing ever and just had to have one. That is until my 15-year old son overhead our conversation and mentioned that F1's can run about 10 grand. Wooowwwww!!!!! So now she's disappointed and it's all your fault!
OAW
Wait! Hold on. You can find them for $1500-2500, and F2s for $1000-2000. F3s and up can be even less, you just have to shop around and check with the breeders. Now, I realize that's still expensive, restrictively so for many people, but the $10k+ number is for show cats and breeders. Also, you can buy, if your state law allows, full-blooded servals for <$2000 (they're sold already spayed or neutered). I can hook you up with the info if you want, just know that they do require extra care, and although they're "tame", they still have some wild tendencies and can be a handful. So, if she wants a spotted exotic, there are more affordable options. We technically didn't buy ours, we made a donation to the sanctuary.

All that said, Ramses is very lovable and is quite a bit like a doberman puppy that can use a litter box. He's energetic and needs to be exercised, and requires daily affection and contact, though. He hops up on our laps for hugs and petting regularly. I hate to think how unhappy he'd be without it. There's also our Ragdoll, Princess, she plays and sleeps with him most of the time, acting like a surrogate sister.

If you want one, I think that's a reasonable idea, just know this ain't your regular kitty cat.
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OAW
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Sep 18, 2012, 08:21 AM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
Wait! Hold on. You can find them for $1500-2500, and F2s for $1000-2000. F3s and up can be even less, you just have to shop around and check with the breeders. Now, I realize that's still expensive, restrictively so for many people, but the $10k+ number is for show cats and breeders. Also, you can buy, if your state law allows, full-blooded servals for <$2000 (they're sold already spayed or neutered). I can hook you up with the info if you want, just know that they do require extra care, and although they're "tame", they still have some wild tendencies and can be a handful. So, if she wants a spotted exotic, there are more affordable options. We technically didn't buy ours, we made a donation to the sanctuary.
All that said, Ramses is very lovable and is quite a bit like a doberman puppy that can use a litter box. He's energetic and needs to be exercised, and requires daily affection and contact, though. He hops up on our laps for hugs and petting regularly. I hate to think how unhappy he'd be without it. There's also our Ragdoll, Princess, she plays and sleeps with him most of the time, acting like a surrogate sister.
If you want one, I think that's a reasonable idea, just know this ain't your regular kitty cat.
I appreciate the info my man. I was just kidding with you. I think my wife likes the idea of a Savannah cat a lot more than the reality of having one. From what I could gather from the YouTube videos they are some rambunctious little fellas. And then when we found out that it can be difficult finding a boarder for them because of their size well then it was a wrap on that idea. And we like to travel way too much to be restricted like that.

OAW
     
Leonard
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Sep 18, 2012, 11:19 AM
 
Originally Posted by Shaddim View Post
No doubt. The full-blooded servals, to me, are a little spooky. They're friendly, like a domestic dog, but it doesn't take long to realize that these guys are only 3-4 generations removed from hunting in the African grasslands, just by the way they move and watch everything around them. These servals are descendants of rescue animals that were confiscated after being illegally brought to the US, so they were never in the wild and were raised around humans from birth. Ramses' father (Horus) is >24" tall at the shoulder and weighs 33lbs, and like I mentioned before he acts like a dog and loves to fetch and play tag. Good luck catching him, though, he's been clocked at 45mph. His mother (can't remember her name) is smaller, by a good bit, but she's a stunner. Beautiful cat.
WOW, I don't think I've ever seen a cat like that.

And I thought the cat I had when I was young was a dog's worst enemy (she would hiss at any cat or even some dogs that would come near the place). She was very territorial, but she loved attention from those she knew. Pure white domestic short hair, two different colored eyes. She was the runt of the litter, but boy did she grow.

Like one guy said, it looks like something that would be chasing you for dinner. LOL
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Shaddim
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Sep 19, 2012, 07:20 PM
 
Think that's bad? You should see what she originally wanted.

5655/width/350/height/700[/IMG]5656/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
5657/width/350/height/700[/IMG]

A caracal. The one in the upper-left is a juvenile, they get about twice that size. She wanted to build a large fenced-in enclosure and get a pair of females. Two wild cats the size of Siberian huskies? No, just no. They can be tamed, and the ones we petted were friendly, but their temperament can shift quickly when they're frightened or surprised. Servals are known for being practically as tame as domestic cats when born in captivity and handled as kittens. A 75% serval is what she got, and he's plenty.


He's kind hard on Emma's toys, though.

5660/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
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Sep 20, 2012, 04:39 AM
 
super cute though!
     
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Sep 20, 2012, 09:12 AM
 
My mom's intent on getting an F1 after she moves. I can't wait to check it out, you can actually take it for walks. She lives by a huge state park, so it's going to be awesome letting it run around. Well, on a leash, but still, how many people walk a cat?

As for wild cats, they simply shouldn't be held as pets. Doesn't matter how tame you think they are, they are wild animals. How many morons in states like Oregon that allow full bred wolves as pets, and someone gets killed? Ridiculous. We have enough problems with pitbulls and rottweilers, let alone wolves. Savannah's about as close as you wanna get to a wild cat.

By the way, the gene that allows a great cat to roar is in transmitted via the Y chromosome, so F1 & F2 female Savannahs still have that gene. Not only can they meow like a smaller kitty, but they also have a low, rumbling "roar." They're too small to really roar like bigger cats, but they can still vocalize a low rumble. It's pretty damn cool.
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Sep 20, 2012, 09:26 AM
 
Originally Posted by andi*pandi View Post
super cute though!
Yeah, he's adorable. If I had it to do over I'd want to name him Hobbes, he almost never stops playing. If he weren't so gentle around things, he'd probably tear the house down.
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Sep 20, 2012, 09:35 AM
 
I love to get a caracal - what a stunningly beautiful animal. Would be kind of fun to let loose in the dog run, probably tear everything to shreds... lol
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Shaddim
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Sep 20, 2012, 11:02 AM
 
Originally Posted by olePigeon View Post
My mom's intent on getting an F1 after she moves. I can't wait to check it out, you can actually take it for walks. She lives by a huge state park, so it's going to be awesome letting it run around. Well, on a leash, but still, how many people walk a cat?
As for wild cats, they simply shouldn't be held as pets. Doesn't matter how tame you think they are, they are wild animals. How many morons in states like Oregon that allow full bred wolves as pets, and someone gets killed? Ridiculous. We have enough problems with pitbulls and rottweilers, let alone wolves. Savannah's about as close as you wanna get to a wild cat.
By the way, the gene that allows a great cat to roar is in transmitted via the Y chromosome, so F1 & F2 female Savannahs still have that gene. Not only can they meow like a smaller kitty, but they also have a low, rumbling "roar." They're too small to really roar like bigger cats, but they can still vocalize a low rumble. It's pretty damn cool.
I've not heard Ramses "meow" yet, just the other sounds, but his purr is serious business. And yes, he loves his walks outside and doesn't fuss at all about wearing a harness, or someone rubbing is belly.

About the wild cats debate, if you're going to be a wild cat sanctuary, be a sanctuary. Don't act like they're just big pets, like some people do, that's the way you get hurt and you aren't doing the cats any favors. Those caracals are beautiful, and seemed pretty tame, but they can and do lash out. Then you have something almost the size of a mountain lion on your face. Servals, well, they're out of the bag, so to speak. Humans aren't just going to leave them alone now. Even in the wild, servals have been known to just walk up to people. One reason is because they're bird and small rodent hunters, like domestic cats. Although they can, and have, hunted larger animals, that isn't their primary M.O..

I'm not sure if it's because they were frequently domesticated as pets during ancient times, but they tend to be outgoing by nature. Bobcats, lynx, caracals, margays, sand cats, and the like, aren't. There is a very real issue regarding servals, however. As I previously mentioned, they're energetic and crave socialization, they need lots of attention and care. This includes savannahs with a high % of serval blood. If you can't give that to them, and they're ignored or left to fend for themselves for long periods of time, they can be destructive, much like a dog that suffers from separation anxiety. For that reason, people have been abandoning them or dumping them off on unsuspecting new owners or shelters. I'm not sure what the answer is, with proper care there aren't major issues with them, despite their size. Proper education regarding these animals is the next step, however.
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