From Jeffrey
Sunny Has Celebrated Her 2nd Birthday, She’s Soft, Smart, Funny And Pretty. One Of The Best Purchases I’ve Ever Made. So Full Of Energy. She Loves Our Play Time And Being Petted When I Wake Up, Get Back From Work And At Bedtime. She Has Many Toys And Snacks. As I Tell My Friends & Family: She Is Not Spoiled, She Just Has Special Needs.
From Carolyn of Animal Studios in CA on the silver Maus we sold to her firm
Hi Betsy, Carolyn here. I’m so glad you checked in. I’ve been meaning to email you for a while, just to let you know how amazing your boys have been with us. As you know, Tut Tut and Osiris have lived with me since I picked them up as tiny kittens from you 6yrs ago. Pharaoh, who I believe we got from you a couple years before the kittens, moved in with me about a year later, and Lapis Lazuli (Blue) has lived with me since you sent him to us a few years ago as well. That means I had 4 of your male Maus living with me and my gray male tabby cat (plus a bunch of dogs), which is quite a lot of male cats! And the Maus…4 Maus = 12 regular cats, the reason we affectionately call them “The Demons.” Seriously, I have added toddler locks to my cabinets, something I never did when I had actual human toddlers, but needed to do because they always know where the good food is in my house. They are the smartest and most mischievous, yet most wonderful cats I have ever had the pleasure to know.
As for our industry, they work all the time. They have such high energy, high food drive (they never get full), and high work drive. I can honestly say they really enjoy working, and live to figure out what I’m asking them to learn. Tut and Siris especially are their happiest when they’re being trained for a project. It’s really satisfying as a trainer to watch the wheels turn in their little heads, watch them master whatever task I’m asking of them, and then to have them snuggle up on me in bed, purring, after a long day of training.
Lotus – Egyptian Mau female
From Pam and Ray
Ray asked that I email you to let you know that Lotus is the best cat ever!! We have loved every minute of her as have our children and grandchildren. She greets every visitor to the house warmly. She is so amazing.
The picture was taken recently of her with our Christmas bulbs blooming. Hope all is well with you and your family at Belle Hollow farms. We need to make another trip back to visit.
Just wanted you to know that after two years with our Egyptian Mau we couldn’t be happier with her. Have a happy new year with hopes for many wonderful spotted felines.
ZAZA – female silver Egyptian Mau from her Mom Angelique
Hi Betsy,
I wanted to send you a quick email for an update on ZaZa. She is almost 1 years old and time has just flown by! She is not only beautiful to look at but beautiful in her character. She sweet and cuddly and oh so lovable. She has the best manners ever!!! I can clip her nails and rub her tummy all I want with no fuss from her. She has not once climbed on counters the whole time we’ve had her. She has not ever clawed drapes or carpet or furniture. She is playful and gentle and has a great sense of humor!!! She even plays fetch with her mouse!! When I am busy cooking in the kitchen she will drop it at my feet and I will throw it far and she will bring it right back and drop it again at my feet.
I always said that when we got ZaZa that I would toilet train her and would like to be completely trained by the time she turns one. Well, we are completely toilet trained and have no liter box in the house now!!!!! We took it slow but she was such a fast learner and has always had a fascination with the toilet so she just took to it!! We are sooooo proud of her!! Next I will teach her to flush 😉
She is one of my babies and we all love her so very much!!!
I really want to thank you and Stan for have such high quality Mau’s. Zaza is perfect and special in every way and I am sure that it runs in her family!!!
Take care,
Regarding Menes – Male Egyptian Mau Kitten from his Mom Evy
“He has definitely won my heart…. he is so precious… he plays with all his toys he loves to run all through the house and he usually does that as he is carrying a toy in his mouth…. He is not one to share… he will run to me with his toy in his mouth and growl like crazy when I try to take it to toss it for him…. I went on line to see if that was normal for his breed, and sure enough it is…. He makes me laugh….He does favor one toy more then the others so I am going to go back to PetCo and buy them in stock..haha… He loves his fresh water fountain… he loves attention and he is so jealous that I am typing right now and not petting him…. thank you for this wonderful kitten…. I can’t wait to get home from work each night to see him…. “
More on Menes
He has a wonderful disposition, and loves my attention. He is full of energy.Maggi (my daughters cat) was a rescue kitten, whom has become over weight, the vet put her on a strict diet. We have decided that the two of them need each other, so at least once a week, Maggi and Menes have a play date. Menes to use his extra energy and Maggi to exercise. They are the best of friends and Menes willingly gets in his carrier now, cuz he knows he is off to play with Maggi. Needless to say our little scheme is working brilliantly. Menes sleeps like a rock on these nights and Maggi is losing her weight and becoming more and more active again.
Well off to Maggi’s for Menes’s play date.
From Lysa about Zulu F-1 Savannah
Just wanted to give you an update on Zulu. We were at the vet yesterday for his shots. Our vet is very impressed with how well he is thriving and how confident he is. He weighed in this time at 6.3 pounds, which is 1 1/2 pounds more than 3 weeks ago when he was there.
Zulu is fitting in beautifully with our other cats. Bella, our little domestic, actually kind of likes him (which is a miracle), and he and Maximus are getting closer all the time. They play chase regularly and I even saw Maximus give Zulu’s paw a little lick during a nap recently.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know that he doing GREAT and we love him very much
From Michelle on Jamba F-1 Savannah
He is such a love to have around and cuddly, he loves to give hugs and kisses. He still yearns for his bottle and wants to speak to me when I talk to him. He follows me around, he’s very much a momma’s boy still. He wants to jump in the tub when I take a bath, only when I’m in the tub he tries to get in, otherwise he doesn’t care much for the water. Strange that he does that but I guess he just wants to go where momma goes LOL.
More from Michelle
Jamba is just like having a sweet serval that uses the litter box. He looks and acts just like one. When friends see him they go WOW what type of cat is that? He is definitely not your typical cat. Jamba is such a sweetheart. He still wants his bottle. He is 11 pounds at 17 months. He stands 15 inches at the shoulder so he’s a very lean and tall cat.
He likes water and will get in the tub from time to time. His favorite toy is one of those gong dog rubber indestructible toys that he fetches and chews on all day and night. Of course his other favorites are boxes and the dish rag in the sink which I find on the floor covered in his hair from nuzzling on it. He loves to nuzzle our fresh clean clothes. He wakes me up with Savannah kisses to the face and loud purring. He is not afraid of new people that come in to the place and he’s very social and interested when we go to the vet for check ups. He is not afraid at all of anything and loves to investigate every little sound and creek that goes on. I love watching him and I can just picture him in the wild chasing birds and other little creatures every which way. Jamba is the best and I wouldn’t trade him for the world!
From Mike Regarding Dakar Our Genius F-1 Savannah
Dakar’s favorite toy right now is his snake (made, according to the label, by Ethical Products, China.) This snake is sold at the one dollar store as a cat toy. There was something in the head that I assumed was a rattle. Dakar bit the head so many times, the plastic parts inside broke into little nuggets and started protruding trough the snake’s head. I cut a hole in the snake and fished the pieces out to the trash can. I was quite astonished that the parts proved to be a spring-powered vibrator wound up by a pull in the snake’s tail. The mechanism was broken from the start and one has to wonder if this item really was ever designed to be a cat toy. So much for ethical. I gave the now eviscerated snake back to Dakar. A few minutes later I heard some weird sounds from the location of the trash can. I found the snake draped over the edge of the trash can and Dakar had fished the vibrator out along with a lot of the plastic shards. He was trying to reassemble the snake!
Every other month or so I put some feeder fish in the bathtub for enrichment. Dakar has figured out how to pull the plug to herd the fish to his end of the tub. So I removed the ring on the plug. He still pulls out the plug with his claws. Today I put an inverted dinner plate over the plug. He scooted it aside. Scary. And smart.
More on Dakar as an Ambassador By Lynn Culver
The FCF booth featured a variety of feline photos and a message ³Your feline is your connection to the wild Friday and Sunday, Dakar, an exotic half-serval, half-Siamese, was on display compliments our editor, Mike Friese. This was my first close encounter with a Savannah and it was certainly not your ordinary cat. Not gold like a serval, but a rich dark grey with large inky black spots, a black nose and bridge, and characteristically long serval legs holding up a delicate, lean body which appeared much heavier than his reported weight of only 7.5 pounds. Dakar spoke serval, with hisses and grumbles and gave typical head butt greetings. When he was back home in his element, he strut about Mike¹s home and then repeatedly stood up on his hind legs to exuberantly rub his face and full body against each of our legs, his tall body reaching well past our knees. The FCF message is about conservation of nature¹s felines. Dakar is an artificial man-made creation, only a shadow of the creature that naturally evolved in Africa, but he served as feline ambassador to draw thousands of domestic cat lovers into our booth where we could engage them in dialog about real servals, pass out our new brochures, and talk about the FCF and our ongoing project to help save the Andean cat.
After the expo, Lynn Culver came over to the house and saw Dakar in his relaxed state. She said he seemed like a new species to her. She said Dakar acted and vocalized just like a serval but was smaller and the wrong color. She said, “Mike, you truly have an exotic cat.”
From Romie on Zuko Male Egyptain Mau
Abe and I just wanted to update you about Zuko. Again, we want to thank you both for raising such a wonderful creature…he is magnificent. On the way to Atlanta, Zuko did not meow a lot nor poop which he was just a real champ about the trip. Once we got him home, of course he was very timid about coming out of the carrier which we just gave him time to adjust. Today, he was a little shy this morning. By mid morning..oh my god..he was all over the place. He just played and played until he need a little nap on my chest and stomach which he stayed there for about an hour. He now follows and stays with us in every room we go. We truly love him, and will love him even more with each passing day.
About Gracie F-1 Non Standard Savannah from her mom Judy
She loves the kitchen towel or a wash cloth. She carries it, loves on it, and plays with it for pretty long periods. She really likes a wadded piece of paper or a plastic bag she can get into or catch in mid air if we throw it up for her. She likes being outside as long as we are with her. She wants to be where we are, no matter if outside or inside. I had to be away on a retreat this past weekend, and she and Chris really had a good time together. He really thinks she is something else!!!!!!
From Darlynne on Dega Our Savannahrama Queen
Dega is doing great, she is still a sweetheart, except for food. She has become extremely food aggressive in trying to steal people food. No aggression to the other cats, but she will latch on to a loaf of bread and if she isn’t quick enough to run into the living room with it, she will dangle in the air while I try to pry her loose! It was kind of cute at first when she stole things off our plates at a dead run, but I now have to confine her to the laundry room while I eat. She’s a very smart girl, and usually just one display of the spray bottle turns her away from mischief, except for this food thing. She gets plenty of cat food, and it’s not one particular type of people food she goes after. It’s everything from fruit to pizza, to beer. She will come at the run as soon as I walk in with grocery bags, dive in and grab the first thing she can, and off at a run. It’s funny and frustrating at the same time, as I have to come up with new ways to defeat her. She can open just about everything in the kitchen except the fridge and the microwave now. It’s like living with my F2’s only more so. She is much more active and mischievous than my serval ever was, LOL!