A1 Savannahs has changed hands from Martin and Kathrin Stucki to Martin M. Engster and family. This was a two stage handover. At first, the Stucki’s sold a share in the business and then after a while the remainder of the business was transfered to the Engster family.
A1 Savannahs is probably the most high profile cat breeders in the world. Compared to the typical hobby breeder they are vast. The facilities cover many, many acres in all. They breed Savannah cats of all generations, F1-F5 etc. and servals. Some people like to keep servals as pets or to breed F1 Savannahs from them. The serval is a medium sized wild cat. They raised the world famous Magic (female F1 Savannah), the world’s largest domestic cat, Motzie, another famous Savannah cat (F2) and Titan (F1 male). The famous Savannah cat video: A Beautiful Relationship, shows Magic with Andreas Stucki, the Stucki’s son.
The entire complex is very impressive. It is a real business as opposed to the typical cat breeder who does it for money, yes, but not as a full-blown business.
The Stuckis are great people. Highly professional and great hosts. I stayed at their guest house for ten days on one occasion. A1 Savannahs have a detached house on the premises for guests, usually buyers, who travel from many other countries to see the cats. They supplied F1 Savannahs to the King of Morocco as I recall.
A1 Savannahs is not only a cat breeding facility but the Stuckis also called it a farm because there are lots of other animals. That is the general background.
For me, and this is a personal issue, the new owner, Martin M. Engster is not my sort of person – not at all. Although I have no idea what he is like as a person, I do know, from quick research, that he sells guns and organizes hunting trips, including international hunts.
He runs a business called “Centerline Firearms”. This sort of mentality and activity is the kind I detest, sadly. A know a lot of people like to shoot animals for fun and they like their guns. This is anathema to me. Truthfully, too, I don’t think a person who likes to shoot animals for fun (sport hunting) should be involved in breeding cats. Sorry to state that. It it not meant as a criticism of the Stuckis. It is just that I feel strongly about these things.
There are many people who feel strongly about cat breeding never mind sport hunting. But Martin M. Engster combines the two. Arguably there is no place for cat breeding while there are millions of homeless cats wandering around starving and living miserable lives.
I am sure Martin M. Engster is businesslike. How sensitive is he towards the cats? A person who likes to kill animals cannot, in my opinion, be sensitive towards them. This is not good.
There it is. A sad day for me really. Just another little negative.
I am always a voice for animals but I haven’t commented again because Savannah Owner, you and Michael have said it all. There is no more to be said, you are right about this murderer, there is no way he cares about animals. I just hope and pray the cats in his care are looked upon as creatures with the right to live and sold only to people who will care for them properly, because the wild animals he kills obviously mean nothing to him at all apart from being trophies and to be made money from.
Thank you for your support. What is so typical is that these people defend the indefensible for the sake of the almighty dollar. It is obvious that a person who kills for fun cannot be suited to cat breeding. In fact there is no longer a place in the world for killing animals for fun. All sport hunting should be banned. It disgusts me. Sadly, business works with politics to keep these things going.
Thank-you Michael and the admiration is mutual. I found this info first on FB and in researching I found that everything I read was true I saw it all on his own website and then I came across your website. I hope that more and more people pick up all of this info and and continue to spread the word about this sad situation. Many people are mortified about this and if we can get the word out maybe we can prevent people from supporting him and his business and he will sell out. I do not see him keeping the business if he cannot sell his kittens. Thank-you for being an advocate of these beautiful beloved cats and the other animals that they slaughter. Someone has to be a voice for the animals.
Savannah Owner, I just want to say well done. I admire you.
because they helped you build this site..
Not true. In using the video material it helped the site for a while but that is different. The Stucki’s very little website building knowledge. It is all my work.
No, I don’t agree with breeding cats. I visited despite that underlying disagreement. Please don’t make assumptions.
It is not my intention to damage him. I am just reporting a fact and giving my opinion quite delicately I think. I could have been harsher. The problem is not mine.
It is obvious that Savannah Cat Girl knows me personally as she has used my first name which was not in the post?
I have some cats that have A1 genetics as well but I would never buy cat from a cat mill and especially one that has such a shady reputation. Some of their cats are gorgeous indeed. Many breeders avoid them due to their reputation of being untrustworthy. The early A1 cats were some widely used in breeding programs unfortunately it has changed hands so many times. What I wrote above is entirely hearsay from the many many emails and calls over the 10 years I have been breeding cats. Each one from someone asking me what they should do. I can tell them nothing as there is no “cat police” – other breeders won’t stand up for the little guys. All we can do is tell them that they are singing to the choir but keep singing! No one can fix the past but I hope someday someone will make A1 into the cattery that it could be. I do hope for better from the new owner.