The UK ‘market’ is an interesting one for the Savannah cat. It’s very known worldwide to be one of the cheapest places to buy a Savannah cat. So why then are other breeders around the world not flooding UK breeders with requests to buy their kittens?
 
The reason is, the quality is just not in the UK market. The cats being produced in the UK are way behind others in the USA, Canada and many parts of Europe. That’s not to say that breeders aren’t working hard to strive for better lines, and better type in their kittens. It is very commonplace in the UK for breeders to swap kittens or sell every single kitten in their litters as breeders. The result of this is that every next-door neighbour and their Granny are breeding Savannah cats in the hope of making a quick buck or what we are called about frequently, which is, “I bought an F2, F4 and a boy to top up my retirement but it hasn’t worked, can you help me?”
 
Cats should never be used to ‘top up’ your bank balance. They are not commodities. If you feel like giving us a call because your ‘cheap’ breeder doesn’t have a clue and can’t help you, or your cat has a whole host of issues because a breeder accepted your call to ‘pop in’ for stud on them – please STOP! We are not here to pick up the pieces from all of these other so-called breeders sharing their cats across studs that haven’t had basic blood tests done, never mind any faecal samples or swabs to safeguard your darling kitty from a whole host of issues.
 
Feel free to use our guides – they have been written to give you a fully comprehensive guide on safeguarding your cats and kittens.
 
You have to understand that the breeders in the UK are one of the most notorious for ‘bitching’ or attacking those who are more successful than them or who have lucrative lines within their cattery, let alone every single one of their cats being imports with the exception of those who have been kept back to breed from a litter.
 
I previously have written a guide to breeding which included all of the costs but again I just wanted to reiterate why things cost they do when they come from exceptional lines.
 
A baseline would be an F7 male who cost $6,500 USD to purchase, this is the equivalent of £5,295 GBP. An SBT female at $4,500 is equivalent to £3,666 GBP at today’s rate but that's BEFORE costs!
 
Let me show you how the costs quickly mount up to obtain this line into the UK and the dedication you must have not only financially IN but that there’s no guarantee of an OUT and you cannot simply be in this to create your ‘buck’.

Health tests are also not on this table as every state charges different fees for FeL-V/ FIV, Upper Respiratory panels and Faecal screens. This would average around £500 per kitten.
 
*QUARANTINE
A fully licensed DEFRA-APPROVED facility for incoming DWA animals is non-existent in the UK unless you are a private holder. It takes years of work to get everything approved and signed off in Scotland, to get a quarantine unit approved by the Scottish Government. This comes with a massive cost and investment. You can put normal cats and dogs into quarantine but F2 onwards do NOT require quarantine. F1 cats DO require quarantine BUT they are Dangerous Wild Animals in the UK which means they are subject to a licence. This means they cannot be quarantined in a normal UK quarantine station. It takes a lot of dedication to create a quarantine station and have it approved. You also need to have a van and have it fitted out and approved by the Government for transporting them or a certified transporter for DWA cats under rabies control.
 
With all this being clearer, ask yourself why breeders get upset in the UK? It’s dog-eat-dog or cat-eat-cat more like. Let’s all pretend to be friends then we will all message each other privately about the other one who has nice kittens. Childs play. Something I would sincerely consider is that Facebook allows children to read your posts and as such, it is an absolutely disgusting way to conduct yourself not only in front of children, but for your clients – you are only hurting yourself!
 
Sorry, we’re not interested. We’re ‘grown-up’ breeders J
 
Lately, we had agreed a transfer of our cattery to someone very close to us to allow us to focus on a new centre to focus on our conservation work which has been a real success behind the scenes. When we announced that these plans were made and everything came together, we received many calls and messages from our UK, American, Asian and Canadian friends and clients not to do the transfer, as it would be a mistake. We really appreciate these messages and as such, we have been persuaded to try to do both our new centre and keep the cats while we do this. It will be a challenge to say the least but we have put in so much effort over the years to produce some really amazing kittens and it can only get better when you see our new big black nosed Drinkwater F1’s and F2’s which have not yet made way to the page.
 
We also cannot wait to show you our spring babies. They are so adorable and from the most AMAZING lines you will see out there – we’ve spent years constructing them.

When you see an F7 or F8 created from 5 generations of lines (if they even have a pedigree) from the same cats that everyone else is using in the UK with HUGE round eyes, round faces and a mousey brown coat with faded spots and no contrast, ask yourself WHY there is a price difference between big bold gold coats, with jet black spots and a gorgeous wild face. That's not to say that every coat is perfect on kittens coming from imports but when the results are consistently 'far from type' on an island country - ask yourself if the breeder has a 'cheap' breeding cattery or an elusive, finely hand-picked line, with years dedicated to import and improvement.,,,you be the judge.

Peace out!
KML

In response to the articles as displayed in the Daily Mail and Mail Online on April 27 2020.

Misconceptions and Misquotes

1. Joe Exotic is not my friend.
2.  I consulted with 5 different facilities about enclosure design. Joe Exotic was one of them.
3. I am not campaigning for his release from prison.
4. I have never been to GW Zoo nor have I met Joe Exotic in person.
5. I do not support the behaviour portrayed by Joe Exotic or the way he conducted himself at the GW Zoo as shown on the Tiger King series.
6. I do not have a facility in Perthshire.
7. Savannah cats make good pets.
8. Wild cats such as Caracals, Servals, Bobcats etc. do not make good pets in domestic environments.
9. We are not the only facility in the UK to keep and place DWA cats.
10. Every facility should be looked at on it's own merits. We always work toward the best interest of the cats in our care.
11. I do not see any similarities between myself and Joe Exotic.
12. As stated on our website, we do not place wild cats as pets.

The interest in "Tiger King" has brought a lot of attention our way.  I have no personal knowledge of how those facilities were run so have no comments about "Tiger King" or Joe Exotic.  We would be happy to discuss the care of our animals and answer questions about our facility and new conservation centre.

Kayleigh McIntosh-Lowrie

Updated 13th May 2020
Response received from Daily Record Complaints:
"You have complained that you are not best friends with Joe Exotic. It is worth noting that nowhere within the article does it describe you and Joe Exotic as the 'best of friends' as you have suggested in your complaint. The article describes you as a 'pal' and a 'long-time friend'. 

Having read the transcript of your interview, I understand that you spoke to Joe Exotic through Facebook and Messenger, and you state: 'I haven’t spoken to him for a few years now' and that 'We have common friends'.

You have complained that the article is inaccurate to have stated that you have a puma-breeding programme at an undisclosed location in Perthshire. This information came from an anonymous source, and although not a significant inaccuracy, the publication would be happy to remove this statement from the article.

You have also disputed the statement: 'Kayleigh lives in Denny, Stirlingshire, where she has bred bobcats and Savannah cats for sale to wealthy buyers for up to £7500 each', specifically the suggestion that you have sold a bobcat. I note within your interview that you are quoted stating that 'Bobcats can go for £7,500'. However, the publication would be happy to remove this paragraph as a gesture of goodwill. 

In light of your concerns of the quote: 'If they are treated correctly, they make fantastic pets – more like dogs than cats in the way they bond', the publication would be happy to clarify that this is in relation to Savannah Cats, as a gesture of goodwill. 

Finally, you have complained that you are not the only person in the UK to keep or sell DWA cats. I note that the article states that you are the only breeder in Scotland, not in the UK."