An Interview with Savannah Cat Breeder Lynda Ryskamp of Salem’s Pride Savannahs

Where's your cattery located?

Salem's Pride Savannahs is an "in-home" cattery on two acres outside Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I've resided since 1978.

Please tell us about your background, family, occupation, and how you started Savannah breeding.

I'm a very private person, and my home and personal life are essential to my well-being. I, therefore, run a "closed cattery." I've mostly been a single mom of three sons and a daughter and am now a widow. I was also a foster mom to around 250 medically fragile/special needs and hospice infants and children for almost 30 years. I've also owned many dogs, cats, goats, horses, bunnies, and chickens.

I was a breeder of AKC Old English Sheepdogs during my time as a foster mom. In 2012, I traded Savannah breeder Rebecca Jensen of A Wildside Cattery, a female Old English Sheepdog "Sadie," for an F3 female Savannah "Deja. "Rebecca introduced me to several cat shows, explaining the unique Savannah traits, and she guided me through purchasing my first Drinkwater F1, "Diva." I soon added F7 Drinkwater stud, "DaVinci,"--and a Savannah breeder was born!

What's your typical daily cattery routine?

My routine starts at 7:00 a.m. with "coffee with the cats" in the cattery, feeding canned food, checking cat litter, sweeping, washing bowls, and playing. I repeat that cycle in the afternoon and evening. Kitten rooms are cleaned daily from top to bottom, with lots of playtimes.

My routine is checking for heat cycles, breedings, pregnancies, worming schedules, vet appointments, and TICA paperwork for the kittens. Taking photos, keeping in contact with previous buyers, current or potential buyers, and answering questions for new people account for the rest of the day.

What are the best and worst parts of breeding?

The excitement of a new litter, how that litter progresses, and the fun of watching them meet their new families make breeding a rewarding experience. Losing kittens or cats is the worst part of breeding.

What advice would you give to new breeders based on your experience?

For new breeders, I'd suggest going to cat shows, even to listen to the judges and see how it works. Networking with other breeders and not just one mentor is also helpful. TYPE is extremely important and not just "Serval Gold with Black Spots," Not every kitten in every litter is breeder quality. Each cat should bring something unique to improve your line.

What do you feed your Savannahs and recommend to your new kitten's families?

I feed my kittens a variety of foods as much and as often as they want. Dry food is always out; I provide canned food in the morning and raw food in the evenings.

What generations do you breed, and which is your favorite?

I concentrate on the TICA show standards as I strive to produce healthy, social, Serval-looking Savannahs from the F2 through F6 generations. My favorite generation is the F2. I find them super fun and behave a lot like a Serval.

What else would you like the Savannah world to know about you and your cattery?

My goal has always been to show and Champion, but I'm very nervous at cat shows. I had Aundrea Marchionna of Motown Cats show two of my kittens to Championship status, so I'm hoping she can take a few on to Grand or Supreme Champion status! I hope to breed down from my F1s using my studs to produce at least 3-4 show-quality F4 SBTs to have others show--THREE generations of Salem's Pride to Salem's Pride cats!

At this time, I'm downsizing, spaying and neutering or moving my exceptional queens to good breeding programs with the idea of breeding for SBTs for the show hall. As a side note, Aundrea and I have a Krazy Cat Lady boutique at the cat shows! The boutique is fun and offsets some costs for the cat shows. Aundrea makes most of the jewelry and cat-themed items; she's a fantastic crafter and breeder friend.

Follow our Savannahs at www.salemspridesavannahs.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/salemspridesavannahs.

I have kittens available year-round and can ship throughout the U.S. in the cabin with Pet Jet Pals or a private flight nanny.