Sight Is in the Eye of the Beholder

I still remember the sound of her rocking chair. 'Squeak, rock, squeak, rock.' Grandma wouldn't let Grandpa fix that squeak. She said it meant she was content. She would reach her hands into her little velvet purse and feel around for the little candies she had for me when I'd come. Even though she was blind, her other senses were right on top of it. She could hear Grandpa coming up the walk after a long day of work, she would smell when the roast was finished, and could tell by the touch when the baked bread was just right. Even though she had lost her sight she felt ever presence and more alert than when she had had her sight.

Grandma knew every little nook and cranny of her home and when her sight slowly dimmed she made it clear to remember every little thing that she once saw; the beautiful blue sky with the clouds breezing through, the little yellow finch's beak when it would open ever so slightly to sing out a little tune, and the look of her grandchildren's faces when they lit up after she had baked them a batch of oatmeal cookies. She etched it within her mind to enjoy the things that she would no longer be able to see. But she found that what she couldn't see she could still see in other ways.

Kittens Cats

She could tell when a blue sky was around by the feel of the sun on her face and she could now feel the yellow finch even more clearly than before. She also could feel the faces of her grandchildren from the sound of joy in their voices and the touch of their skin. She said she wasn't missing much. It was us who were missing out. She was using her real eyes. The eyes of the soul.

Sight Is in the Eye of the Beholder

Grandma taught me through her blindness how to see in other ways. She'd tell me to close my eyes and listen to the things that my eyes wouldn't let me hear. I began to realize that my eyes could be deceiving at times. When I closed my eyes a whole new world came open. One that I could hear and feel. Grandma helped me to realize that things are not always as they seemed.

She had a little kitten named Cottontail. Cottontail didn't have much of a tail and was the runt of the litter. Cottontail had a sideways walk and seemed a bit off. This little cat ran into walls and always missed the cat box. He hugged the wall when he walked and could never catch a mouse. He would wiggle his stub of a tail and pounce only to be four inches off. Grandma would hear the thud against the wall and say, "Cottontail you are just a good kitty getting mice for me!" Cottontail would wobble over to Grandma for a pat on the head and get back to work. Back in those days you didn't take an animal to the vet. I never saw Cottontail but I heard many stories about the little cat.

Grandma would feed him bits of fish from the table and then he'd curl up and sleep on Grandma's housecoat. She would pet him with her gnarled little hands saying, "Precious kitty kitty, precious kitty kitty." Grandpa told her that 'that cat isn't right in the head.' But Grandma would say, "Close your eyes, Grandpa. He loves, he purrs, he eats...he is just perfect to me." How could Grandpa argue with that?

Grandma is long gone now but if I close my eyes I can smell her rose perfume and feel those little gnarled hands reaching into her little velvet pouch to give me little round pieces of colored candy. She taught me that sometimes if you just close your eyes and 'see' a whole new world opens up to you because you are using the eyes within that really count.

Sight Is in the Eye of the Beholder

Are Cats Smarter Than Dogs?

For as long as I can remember I have heard that dogs are much smarter than cats.

However, I have felt that just because a dog will do tricks and most cats don't, is not reason enough to say cats are not smart.

Kittens Cats

My theory has always been that cats are so smart that they won't learn any tricks unless they want to.

Are Cats Smarter Than Dogs?

It is not something they have to do.

Dogs by nature are social animals and their main goal in life besides eating, is to please their people.

Cats on the other hand lack the "gene" that makes it important to please anyone, but themselves.

Why have I brought this subject up?

Well I read an article that discussed feline intelligence in Cat Watch, a magazine put out by Cornell's School of Veterinary Medicine.

It went on to say, at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, researchers have found that the structure of a cat's brain and that of a human brain are very similar.

To quote the article "the physical structure of our brain and that of cats are very similar: they have the same lobes in the cerebral cortex (the seat of intelligence) as we do. Our brains function the same way, conveying data via identical neurotransmitters."

What that means, is our cats take in data from the 5 senses and process it just like we do.

Hmmmmm, thinking cats. Who would ever believe that?

But, it is true, cats process things in a way similar to our way of thinking. They actually make decisions.

Animal Discovery.com says that cats are: "incredibly resourceful and self-reliant, the species has survived thousands of years in radically different environments and living conditions. Even domestic cats show a crafty, strong-willed and versatile nature."

There is so much about cats that we take for granted or if the truth be known, we don't even think about.

When we see a cat sitting in a doorway or staring off into space, we just laugh at it, not realizing that the cat is actually thinking about what it is going to do next.

The cat is surveying the situation, using its 5 senses to determine whether it is safe or not to move onward.

We think of a cat as a somewhat anti-social animal because it is solitary by nature, but cats can adapt to conditions just as we do.

"The fact that a cat can adapt to different situations is a sign of intelligence, that goes beyond conditioning or instinct," says Dr. Julia Albright of Cornell's Veterinary School.

Cats do socialize with each other, if the situation warrants it: such as meeting at an eating or drinking place (the barn, fishing pier or where someone feeds stray cats.)

Did you know that domesticated female cats and lions are the only two species of cat that will raise their young in a group with other mothers, if it is necessary?

Cats also learn by observation.

Just because kitty is sitting there staring into space does not mean it is daydreaming. It may be learning, by watching you, how to open the cupboard door.

Kittens that are raised without their mother or other cats to observe, do not do a lot of things we consider normal behavior for cats.

Cats also retain memory, they are smart enough to know when they are scolded not to do that behavior in front of you again. They will wait until your back is turned.

Dogs on the other hand will repeat a bad behavior several times, before it finally sinks in that they are not supposed behave that way.

We will all agree that dogs are easier to train to do tricks than cats, but dogs have the predisposition to please and learning tricks is one way to please.

Cats can learn tricks, but it is harder to get them to do things, unless you provide a reward that is really appealing.

There is also the thought that dogs have been selectively bred for certain behaviors, cats have been cats forever.

There has not been a time when a cat has been selectively bred to hunt, catch birds or play only with blue yarn balls.

I agree that the particular breeds of cat have been kept as pure as possible, but have you ever heard of a cat species being bred to do a chore such as "rounding up mice."

In truth I guess it is impossible to say which species is smarter, dogs or cats, but I will leave you with this thought, "dogs have masters, cats have staff."

Need I say more?

Are Cats Smarter Than Dogs?

Savannah Breeders and Savannah Kittens - The Exotically Good Looking Cats

What is a Savannah cat?

A Savannah Cat is the crossing of an African Serval to a domestic cat. This cross made for a very large cat that looked wild but acted domestic. The first cross of a Serval to a domestic cat was an accidental breeding by Judy Frank in 1986. At first the word spread slowly then in the mid 90's Joyce Sroufe heard of this cross and started her own breeding program. The rest as we say is "history". The Savannah breed was born.

Kittens Cats

Since their inception the Savannah Cat has grown exponentially. In 1997 a breed standard was created by Joyce Sroufe and submitted to TICA (the international cat association) and was accepted.

Savannah Breeders and Savannah Kittens - The Exotically Good Looking Cats

Savannahs are known for their long slender bodies, big ears, long legs and their spots. The Savannah cat is one of the newest and most exciting breeds of cats currently being developed by a select few breeders around the world. There are still relatively few Savannahs in existence, and the demand for them is quite high.

How to choose a Savannah Breeder?

Choosing a Savannah Cat Breeder does not have to be difficult. Search the internet for a savannah breeder and email them if they have a kitten you like. It is best to locate a savannah cat breeder in your area but that may not be possible. You may need to ship a kitten to you.

Be sure to ask lots of questions. A good savannah breeder will be happy to answer as many questions as you have. If you can, go visit the cattery. Is it clean or have an odor? Do the cats look healthy? Are all the cats and savannah kittens friendly? Is the breeder friendly? These are all important clues.

If you can only talk on the phone make sure you ask many questions and listen for inconsistencies in the answers. Ask for lots of pictures and not only look at the cute kitten but look at other things. Does the house look clean in the background? Does the kitten have runny eyes or nose? Do the ears look dirty? There are lots of clues in pictures if you just look.

What are Savannah Cat Personalities like?

Savannah Cats have very loving and outgoing personalities and are commonly compared to dogs in their loyalty. While being very cat like for obvious reasons, savannahs also like to play in water, play fetch, walk on a leash and will follow you around the house like a dog. They are also very active cats with an incredible jumping ability. It is not uncommon to find them in places a cat cannot normally get to.

How big do Savannahs get?

All Foundation Savannahs have the letter "F" and a number associated with it to indicate how many generations it is from its Serval ancestor.

F1 = first generation (~50% Serval)

F2 = second generation (~25% Serval)

F3 = third generation (~12.5% Serval) etc.

There are a lot of variables when it comes to size in Savannah Cats. The size depends much on the size and type of their parents and also of the percentage of wild blood they have from their Serval ancestry. With each generation the size will also decrease but most males will be larger than most domestic cats. The female however can be small and will be the same size as a domestic cat but with a much larger personality. If you absolutely must have a large cat you should choose an F1 or F2 male for sure. After that there are no guarantees that any savannah will be a large cat.

Are Savannah Cats good with kids and other pets?

Absolutely! When Savannah Kittens are raised in a home with well-behaved children and pets, a Savannah kitten will thrive and are often found seen sleeping with both kids and other animals.

Diet & Health Care

Savannahs do very well on a high quality dry cat food supplemented with canned wet food and some raw (or cooked) meat.

Please try to stay away from grocery store brand dry cat foods as they are all mostly fillers and very low quality.

Savannah Breeders give the same vaccinations and veterinarian health care as domestic cats. I prefer to use "all killed" versus a "modified live" vaccination with my cats.

Of course, all of our kittens are fully litter box trained and properly vaccinated before they go to their new owners.

How Much Does A Savannah Cost?

The price of a Savannah will vary depending on the quality of the individual cat. Our Savannahs will be individually priced based on gender, fertility, generation and type. Their cost will be noted with their pictures.

Higher percentage Savannahs (F1's and F2's) are rare and very difficult to breed. It takes many years and a lot of luck to mate a Serval with a domestic cat. Only a few breeders worldwide have had success.

Servals are wild cats with special needs in terms of their caging requirements, their diet and their health care. Caring for pure Servals and mating them to domestic cats is costly, time consuming and demanding.

Following are average price ranges for PET kittens, breeders are priced higher:

F1's will range from 00 to 00

F2's will range from 00 - 00

F3's will range from 00 - 00

F4's will range from 00 - 00

F5's will range from 00 - 00

SBT's will range from 00 -50

Author: Gary Fulgham

Savannah Breeders and Savannah Kittens - The Exotically Good Looking Cats