Hello!

First time cat owner here, I got this guy for free a little over a month ago from my boss who just had a baby girl and had his hands a little full with the newborn, a 2 yr old, 2 cats, fish, and a dog.  Asked me if I wanted and I couldn't refuse.

His name is Samson and not much else is known about him.  He's estimated between 3 and 5 years old, and I was told he is an F3 Savannah but I think he resembles an Ocicat more.  It's part of the reason I made an account here, to get a better idea about him.

So far he's very friendly and trusting and genuinely surprised me in his attitude.  He's my first cat, but friends and family have owned cats that I have had some limited interactions with.  Samson has completely circumvented my expectations and my knowledge of cat behavior, and he's shown me qualities I'd normally associate with a dog (which I have owned before).

He is very social and usually wants to be in the same room as you so he'll follow you around the house.

He is pretty vocal.

He will let you handle his paws without resistance (haven't tried nail clippers yet).

He has rolled onto his back for a belly rub and purred all the while!  Every other cat I have ever handled has tried to grab/bite your hand if you touch below the mid line.

And he enjoys playing with a tennis ball, though I haven't been able to get him to fetch yet.  He just chases, catches, bites, and kangaroo kicks then gets up and wants you to throw again.

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So far he's loads of fun, easy to maintain, and rather impressive because of his size and markings.  Never would have considered myself a cat person, but I guess you can say I've seen the light!

Welcome Watcher-45. Samson sounds absolutely delightful. One of my cats fetches a ball but I don't think she would be able to lift a tennis ball. Have you tried a lighter softer ball? This is the one Cleo uses. Samson is a different cat of course he might just be happy with his tennis ball. Enjoy TCS and enjoy Samson.

Hi Watcher-45.. managed to upload your photos.

What a gorgeous boy!!

Welcome to TCS..

Welcome to the cat site, any questions you have or any time you need to vent, this is the place! He is definitely a beautiful cat and being a cat will seem to be a lot more independent then a dog. At least they go in a litterbox! My cats love those little furry mice you can buy. usually in a 6 pack, they also LOVE those corrugated 'scratchers' ( for clawing) you can get at several places like Walmart.No more scratching the furniture! Good luck and I hope you'll have many years of enjoyment with your Samson.

Thanks for all the welcomes!

Samson has no problem with the tennis ball.  It might be a little large for him to grab in his mouth properly, but he grabs it by the hair and can lift it up no problem.

If I come across a mini one I won't hesitate to pick it up, I know I've seen them before.

He also is quite fond of this little plastic ball I have.  It's full of water and has a weighted platform inside with a fake beetle on top, so that way as it rolls the beetle stays facing up.

He bats it around and chases it all through the house.

I might pick up one of those cardboard scratchers for him.  I wasn't about to spend what the local shops want for good sized scratching posts so I tried my hand at building one.


It stands nearly 3 feet tall, but I still think it's kind of small for him.  He can easily reach right over the top of it without even fully standing up, and he's heavy enough to rock it a little.

I've seen him use it a few times, but it hasn't kept him off the couch.

To tell the truth, it doesn't seem like he has the desire to scratch all that much.  Despite him putting claws on the couch more than a few times you can't tell by inspecting it.  He also grabbed onto my desk chair a few times, I don't mind that he does that, and that shows no signs of his presence either.

I just hate to spend good money on something he's just going to look at.

Watcher-45 said:

Thanks for all the welcomes!


Samson has no problem with the tennis ball.  It might be a little large for him to grab in his mouth properly, but he grabs it by the hair and can lift it up no problem.
If I come across a mini one I won't hesitate to pick it up, I know I've seen them before.

He also is quite fond of this little plastic ball I have.  It's full of water and has a weighted platform inside with a fake beetle on top, so that way as it rolls the beetle stays facing up.
He bats it around and chases it all through the house.



I might pick up one of those cardboard scratchers for him.  I wasn't about to spend what the local shops want for good sized scratching posts so I tried my hand at building one.

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• watcher-45
• Mar 19, 2014

It stands nearly 3 feet tall, but I still think it's kind of small for him.  He can easily reach right over the top of it without even fully standing up, and he's heavy enough to rock it a little.
I've seen him use it a few times, but it hasn't kept him off the couch.

To tell the truth, it doesn't seem like he has the desire to scratch all that much.  Despite him putting claws on the couch more than a few times you can't tell by inspecting it.  He also grabbed onto my desk chair a few times, I don't mind that he does that, and that shows no signs of his presence either.

I just hate to spend good money on something he's just going to look at.

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That's so cool!! Good work. Yes I agree about spending money on wasted toys ect.. I have just taken a bag of cat toys to the op shop and human kids toys are always going there. We have lots of bargain shops where I live so it's too hard to resist buying gifts. Honestly though sometimes a cardboard box is the best toy ever. My cats have one they are shredding at the moment and the human kids had lots of fun with it also. The pics of Samsom are great. He is a very handsome boy.

You know, he doesn't like boxes.  At all.

He doesn't climb in them, he doesn't scratch on them, he doesn't play around them, he doesn't even really pay them any mind other than a sniff.

Doesn't like to really be in anything either, prefers to be on or out in the open...

Watcher-45 said:

You know, he doesn't like boxes.  At all.

He doesn't climb in them, he doesn't scratch on them, he doesn't play around them, he doesn't even really pay them any mind other than a sniff.


Doesn't like to really be in anything either, prefers to be on or out in the open...

Click to expand...

Well he's just his little own unique self. A gorgeous treasure.