Liberty Loves Sacramento
Liberty and I left for Sacramento Wednesday, a very huge adventure for both of us. Not the flights for me... but the worry about traveling 13 hours and three flights with a very, very, very rambunctious, outgoing, and energetic F2B Savannah kitten.
We were up at 4:15 (1:15 Sacramento time) and at the airport at 6 a.m. to start our journey. I secured Liberty in her harness before we left the house and it didn't faze her one bit. For everyone else, the harness fitting had a very quieting, intimidating effect, always a good thing when carrying a Savannah kitten through the security screening. Not Liberty, she just shrugged, then kept on playing. Her (non-) reaction did nothing to allay my concerns.
But... we got to the airport, put my small carry-on bag on the conveyor, shoes off, then Liberty up, then in my arms -- to a unanimous chorus of "Ooohs and Ahhhss" over her beauty. She laid back in my arms and soaked in the praise as I walked without incident through the screening. She was safely in her soft pet bag within one minute of coming out. Again, most kittens can't WAIT to get back into the safety of their pet bag; Liberty would have gladly traveled the entire trip in my arms.
The first flight was loud and bumpy, a small commuter. We scrambled full-speed to make our second connection where Liberty again drew praise, this time from the First Class cabin. Our kittens make the long hauls in style! Because I use my Dividend Miles and upgrade on the longer flights. And coast-to-coast certainly qualifies as long.
Liberty was a bit talkative by this time, having been in her pet bag for, "Oh, my!", four hours (little did she know what was ahead...). But she settled down when we'd make eye contact, a very Savannah trait, to look to their humans for guidance, reassurance, and praise. I wrapped her bag in a blanket to insure she'd be warm enough on the floor, and she settled in for a very long nap.
A bit of excitement while boarding proceeded, as there was a disagreement over seating in row 28, with the flight attendants discussing and expecting more trouble. Later in the flight, the very large, intimidating male flight attendant blocked the opening from First Class to the galley and cockpit area with a large food cart. He stood there, braced, for at least 30 minutes. Probably while the problems in the back were settled.
The toddler in the row across from ours was not nearly as good as Liberty. She threw a fit several times, which her parents did nothing to end, and Liberty would cry in concert with the monster-child's screams. I'd look at Liberty and say no, pet her nose through the mesh, and she'd go back to sleep. Can't say the same for the child.
We were supposed to make two stops on the way, but wound up making an unplanned landing in El Paso. Another passenger in First Class suffered a heart attack and we immediately diverted to the closest airport. The USAirways crew was fantastic: professional, calm, efficient, there was a doctor on board, and one flight attendant was EMT trained. The gentleman was alive when the paramedics took him off the plane. Lots of prayers for him on board, and after, and I hope he survived... he was traveling alone.
We managed to make our next connection, even with the diversion, the flight was boarding as Liberty and I arrived at the gate, she was very wide-eyed from being bounced around on my shoulder from one terminal to another, but still a very good traveler. No digging or clawing or biting at the mesh. Cary almost chewed his way out of his carrier on his flight home. Thanks to Cary, I now travel with a back-up pet bag in my carry-on. Just in case. But no worries with Liberty, she was a sweetheart.
And 12 hours, 45 minutes later we met Brittany and Scott who have been waiting what seems like forever, for their baby. We headed straight for Liberty's vet appointment, where again, she drew a crowd of vet techs to assess her beauty. Liberty is their first Savannah cat and they were awed by her looks, but most impressed with her affectionate personality.
Brittany and Scott passed her from one to the other in the exam room while we waited for the vet. And even though Liberty had met them only a few minutes before, she was full of kisses (a Liberty trademark, full on the mouth -- and more, if you're not careful!), but full of kisses, paws around neck, and snuggled in for love.
She is an F2B Savannah, and like all our early generation kittens and adults Liberty is loving, a lap cat, a cuddler, and likes to be held. A lot. Our Savannahs are part of our family, never caged, and I work from home as a consultant, so never alone. They're extremely well-socialized and well-behaved when they leave us. And we choose families who have lots of time and who will insure each kitten remains a happy, well-mannered member of the family.
If you're new to Savannahs and have heard that F2s are not loving or don't like to be held, please visit our Testimonials page for an even better idea of our kittens' temperament. While we're very pleased with our kittens' type (adherence to the breed standard), we're most proud of their temperament and very loving personality.
Back to Liberty's Big Adventure: she received a rave review from the vet, for health and for personality, then we finally headed home after 14+ hours of traveling. Brittany and Scott had her bedroom all set up for her two-week quarantine, with more toys than either I or Liberty could count. But she tried! Nuzzling and playing with each before settling on a ring (dog) toy that made a distinctive crinkle sound. One I was to hear all night long, as I got to spend one last night with Liberty before I flew out the next morning.
She explored her room, snuggled with Brittany and Scott, ate, drank, scooped her dry food out on the carpet, played in both litter boxes, ran under the futon (all our beds are enclosed, so under-the-bed is always a new experience for our kittens), played in the litter again, kissed both her new humans over-and-over-and-over. Groomed Scott's beard, a favorite game with Jason, played in Brittany's hair, and finally, fell asleep in my arms, on her back, while happily purring.
She was laying on the futon, on her side, purring from my petting, as I left her Thursday morning. We've heard from her new parents twice already, and she's doing great. They were in love before they met her, and even more so now. Rumor is, Liberty, now known as Keesa, will have her own Blog up soon. I just created it, but her family has to approve, then I hope you'll visit Keesa's blog, too, to follow even more F2B Savannah kitten adventures.
Now I'm off to update the AJSavannahs website with photos and movies. Aren't you GLAD all the long updates are on the blog???
We were up at 4:15 (1:15 Sacramento time) and at the airport at 6 a.m. to start our journey. I secured Liberty in her harness before we left the house and it didn't faze her one bit. For everyone else, the harness fitting had a very quieting, intimidating effect, always a good thing when carrying a Savannah kitten through the security screening. Not Liberty, she just shrugged, then kept on playing. Her (non-) reaction did nothing to allay my concerns.
But... we got to the airport, put my small carry-on bag on the conveyor, shoes off, then Liberty up, then in my arms -- to a unanimous chorus of "Ooohs and Ahhhss" over her beauty. She laid back in my arms and soaked in the praise as I walked without incident through the screening. She was safely in her soft pet bag within one minute of coming out. Again, most kittens can't WAIT to get back into the safety of their pet bag; Liberty would have gladly traveled the entire trip in my arms.
The first flight was loud and bumpy, a small commuter. We scrambled full-speed to make our second connection where Liberty again drew praise, this time from the First Class cabin. Our kittens make the long hauls in style! Because I use my Dividend Miles and upgrade on the longer flights. And coast-to-coast certainly qualifies as long.
Liberty was a bit talkative by this time, having been in her pet bag for, "Oh, my!", four hours (little did she know what was ahead...). But she settled down when we'd make eye contact, a very Savannah trait, to look to their humans for guidance, reassurance, and praise. I wrapped her bag in a blanket to insure she'd be warm enough on the floor, and she settled in for a very long nap.
A bit of excitement while boarding proceeded, as there was a disagreement over seating in row 28, with the flight attendants discussing and expecting more trouble. Later in the flight, the very large, intimidating male flight attendant blocked the opening from First Class to the galley and cockpit area with a large food cart. He stood there, braced, for at least 30 minutes. Probably while the problems in the back were settled.
The toddler in the row across from ours was not nearly as good as Liberty. She threw a fit several times, which her parents did nothing to end, and Liberty would cry in concert with the monster-child's screams. I'd look at Liberty and say no, pet her nose through the mesh, and she'd go back to sleep. Can't say the same for the child.
We were supposed to make two stops on the way, but wound up making an unplanned landing in El Paso. Another passenger in First Class suffered a heart attack and we immediately diverted to the closest airport. The USAirways crew was fantastic: professional, calm, efficient, there was a doctor on board, and one flight attendant was EMT trained. The gentleman was alive when the paramedics took him off the plane. Lots of prayers for him on board, and after, and I hope he survived... he was traveling alone.
We managed to make our next connection, even with the diversion, the flight was boarding as Liberty and I arrived at the gate, she was very wide-eyed from being bounced around on my shoulder from one terminal to another, but still a very good traveler. No digging or clawing or biting at the mesh. Cary almost chewed his way out of his carrier on his flight home. Thanks to Cary, I now travel with a back-up pet bag in my carry-on. Just in case. But no worries with Liberty, she was a sweetheart.
And 12 hours, 45 minutes later we met Brittany and Scott who have been waiting what seems like forever, for their baby. We headed straight for Liberty's vet appointment, where again, she drew a crowd of vet techs to assess her beauty. Liberty is their first Savannah cat and they were awed by her looks, but most impressed with her affectionate personality.
Brittany and Scott passed her from one to the other in the exam room while we waited for the vet. And even though Liberty had met them only a few minutes before, she was full of kisses (a Liberty trademark, full on the mouth -- and more, if you're not careful!), but full of kisses, paws around neck, and snuggled in for love.
She is an F2B Savannah, and like all our early generation kittens and adults Liberty is loving, a lap cat, a cuddler, and likes to be held. A lot. Our Savannahs are part of our family, never caged, and I work from home as a consultant, so never alone. They're extremely well-socialized and well-behaved when they leave us. And we choose families who have lots of time and who will insure each kitten remains a happy, well-mannered member of the family.
If you're new to Savannahs and have heard that F2s are not loving or don't like to be held, please visit our Testimonials page for an even better idea of our kittens' temperament. While we're very pleased with our kittens' type (adherence to the breed standard), we're most proud of their temperament and very loving personality.
Back to Liberty's Big Adventure: she received a rave review from the vet, for health and for personality, then we finally headed home after 14+ hours of traveling. Brittany and Scott had her bedroom all set up for her two-week quarantine, with more toys than either I or Liberty could count. But she tried! Nuzzling and playing with each before settling on a ring (dog) toy that made a distinctive crinkle sound. One I was to hear all night long, as I got to spend one last night with Liberty before I flew out the next morning.
She explored her room, snuggled with Brittany and Scott, ate, drank, scooped her dry food out on the carpet, played in both litter boxes, ran under the futon (all our beds are enclosed, so under-the-bed is always a new experience for our kittens), played in the litter again, kissed both her new humans over-and-over-and-over. Groomed Scott's beard, a favorite game with Jason, played in Brittany's hair, and finally, fell asleep in my arms, on her back, while happily purring.
She was laying on the futon, on her side, purring from my petting, as I left her Thursday morning. We've heard from her new parents twice already, and she's doing great. They were in love before they met her, and even more so now. Rumor is, Liberty, now known as Keesa, will have her own Blog up soon. I just created it, but her family has to approve, then I hope you'll visit Keesa's blog, too, to follow even more F2B Savannah kitten adventures.
Now I'm off to update the AJSavannahs website with photos and movies. Aren't you GLAD all the long updates are on the blog???
Labels: Cary, Liberty, Savannah cat, Savannah kittens, Testimonials
