Savannah Cat aggressive Behavior

[slykat12]

I am cat sitting my sisters Savannah cat for just 48 hrs. He is a neutered F3 "I think" and is 13 months. I have visited his house several times and he has visited mine 2 times where he is staying now. Several of his fav toys and blankets and his owners used t shirt are currently in his private room so he can feel comfy. My cat who is a fixed domestic female and 10 months old is on another floor and very relaxed about the situation is also here. She just wants to play with him and has showed her submission several times to him.

This Savannah  cat is insane. He will not leave from under the bed and lunges and attacks me when I check on him. I tried food, treats, toys, and leaving him be for several hours. Each interaction is met with lunges and bats and bites and an abundance of hisses. I know they have boarded him before and I assume none of the workers could get close with this horrible behavior. I am glad he is with family now but I am freaking out at how to make him feel safe. 

I know he is afraid but the only way I seem to get him to relax is to yell NO! When  I do so he tends to stop and back off. Being sweet just gets me a bite and swat. We have only 48 hours but I will be his sitter in the future. Any advice? Please note his baseline personality is to hide under the bed to sleep and when scared.

TY

 

[catpack]

How does kitty act toward you when he is in his own home?

Has he acted this way the previous times he has visited?

 

[slykat12]

In the kittys own home he hisses sometimes too. But the lunging and biting is new.  And when he visited before he did not lunge and bite then either. I guess he just needs time. I have had cats my whole life and none acted like this I guess I am afraid it is his "wild side" coming out being a Savannah and all.

 

[denice]

You said he is 13 months old, this could be adult versus kitten behavior.   If he is an F3 he still has quite a bit of Serval in him some of this may just be his normal behavior.  I know there are ways to socialize hybrids and that it isn't exactly the same as a domestic cat.  Is he beginning to show different behaviors in his home with his own family.

 

[bonepicker]

This is how you solve the problem!

image.jpg

• bonepicker
• Jun 21, 2014

 

[slykat12]

yes the male Savannah is 13 months, my kitten is 10 months so they are not that far off.

He actually has been acting more hissy with family recently and has had no new stressors in his home. I also saw him lunge at his usual caregiver once recently. I guess I am assuming he is in Adolescence as Savannahs mature slowly. Anyhoo, today is slightly better! I guess I over reacted. He has not lunged or batted at me just hissy. I guess he is just very aggressive when scared and I was not experienced w that kind of kitty. So I came here in a panic.

TY for you guys responses and that picture is lovely!

 

[denice]

Serval cats are very hissy so he comes by that naturally.

 

[slykat12]

you must be correct. He is relaxing more and exploring his surroundings and simply hissing constantly. He smelled my feet=hiss, my computer=hiss, he hisses at his dinner and hissed at hiss toys. He lets me pet him then hisses. What a crackup! I just hiss back now. That actually seems to stop him in his tracks.

 

[puddykat]

Sometimes we just have to become a bigger cat! I know that once cats are used to one home and you move them it is quite a trama for them and being a kitten yet even more so, bu they say that time is a great healer.