SAVANNAHGANS® In-depth Interview with a Savannah Breed Founder, Patrick Kelly of Fig Tree Felines
How'd you come up with your cattery name of "Fig Tree Felines"?
Besides Savannahs, I have an interest in growing fruit trees! One of my favorites is the fig tree. My sister Cappy suggested "Fig Tree Felines" because she saw how I posted pictures of my figs and how I nurtured them as I do my cats. I live in the Philippines, and Mediterranean figs aren't easy to grow. Every fruit is quite precious if you're lucky enough to get one. I liked the different sounds of the name, so that became my new cattery name.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, family, and occupation?
I live in the Philippines with my daughter Colleen, who's seven years old. I grew up in a family of five kids, and I'm the second oldest. My Dad was a heart surgeon, and my mother a housewife. I always loved animals. As a kid, I had chickens and ducks, and we always had a family cat and dog. I was fascinated with wild animals and daydreamed of being a zookeeper and an actor.
Now at 58 years old, I have an online business running pet-related websites, hosting and maintaining several cattery sites, as well as BengalBreed.com. Most importantly, I own and maintain SavannahCat.com, the first website where people could learn about the Savannah Cat breed. I started this site over 25 years ago.
I started with Savannahs in the early 1990s after visiting a lady in Tarzana, CA, Jan Giacinto, a breeder of Bengal cats. While at her home, I caught a glimpse of her Serval cat. I'd never before seen a cat like this. It was huge in comparison to Bengal cats. I asked Jan if anyone had ever created a hybrid of a cat-like the Serval, and she said she'd heard of someone--but they weren't worth anything--and brought my attention back to her Bengals. But...it was too late. I'd already begun to figure out how a Serval/domestic cross would become the next breed of cats.
I tracked down the two women involved in this rare Serval/domestic cross, Suzie Mustacio of Alabama and Judy Frank of Pennsylvania. Both women thought the cross was interesting but unsure of the worthiness of becoming a new breed. My background wasn't with cats--other than reading about domestic, wild, and hybrid cats at the library. I was obsessed and reading everything I could get my hands on, but I was far from being an expert. What I felt was an absolute certainty that this breed (which Suzie Mustacio had already coined as the "Savannah") was going to be a big hit. Suzie had come to own "Savannah," the F1 Judy Frank had bred, as Judy wasn't interested in pursuing the Serval/domestic cross.
At first, not many people believed in it, but Suzie Mustacio did. She bred her F1 named "Savannah" to a Turkish Angora named "Albert." They had some kittens, but all ended up dying young for unknown reasons. One female survived, an F2 named Kitty, which Suzie gave to me. This wasn't much to start and the whole breed with, so I set out looking for cat breeders who wanted to join me in the Savannah.
What's the best part about breeding?
The best part of breeding cats is the kittens. The second, best part is calling up your really close cat friends and getting all the news about what’s going on in their lives with the breed and exchanging ideas.
Do you recommend people try breeding Savannahs? Why/Why not?
There are so many breeders! I recommend people enjoy their Savannah pets and leave the hard work and expense to the breeders. It’s challenging to break even financially for a new (and most) Savannah breeder and also extremely hard to establish a name for themselves. It takes years and years to accomplish both these things.
What's the best tip or advice you've received from another breeder?
It’s hard to say because everything I know is from other breeders. Probably the best advice is for all cat owners is to keep up on your cats' vaccinations and be very careful introducing a new cat to your home or cattery. FIP, Feline Leukemia, and other viruses are real and devastating. I can’t stress how important it is to keep your cats protected from them.
What's the biggest strength of the Savannah breed?
If a person or family's looking for a cat who loves to interact with them, with cat toys and go on trips with them or on a leash, this is the cat for you. The Savannah's a very healthy breed, and if fed the right diet, will live a long and active life.
What's the most important thing a breeder does?
The most important thing a breeder does is be a spokesman for the breed. The Savannah breed attracts curiosity, so be prepared to answer any and all questions.
Do you feed your Savannahs a raw diet and do you recommend raw feeding?
I feed both raw, and my favorite kibble is a local one called "Special Cat" (a fairly new premium dry cat food manufactured exclusively for the Philippine market) that uses rabbit and minimal additives. We have access to many farm-raised quail where I live, and the cats love them. It’s close to the size and makeup of an animal a cat their size would hunt in the wild, and my cats love them.
Do you own a Serval? What generations do you breed and how many litters per year on average?
I have servals, but they are getting up there in age and are no longer used in my breeding program. I breed F5 SBT kittens currently. I usually have one or two litters per year.
Do you have a favorite Savannah Cat website?
Yes! SavannahCat.com. We just added videos on the first page, and of course, there are many breeders to visit and correspond with from all over the world.
Do you or have you bred any other type of cat or animal?
Besides Savannahs, I've bred some other species of animals, including chickens, pigeons, rabbits, and dairy goats.
What else would you like the Savannah world to know about you and your cattery?
It’s really a good time for people looking for a pet Savannah. Please take your time and research the breed and the breeders you're interested in purchasing a cat from. You're choosing a cat that'll be with you for 18 years approximately, so it's a big commitment.
I wish this new magazine well, and I look forward to watching it grow, evolve, and find its niche in this marvelous breed I've been with so long.
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