(F)requently (A)sked (Q)uestions

Q1.  Where are you located?

A1.  We are located in Northern California, in a city called "Citrus Heights".  We are less than 20 minutes away from Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Rocklin, Auburn, and Orangevale.  We are about 35-55 minutes away from Davis, Vacaville, and Fairfield.  We are about an hour and a half away from Berkeley, Napa, Oakland, and San Francisco.  And we are 2 hours away from the San Jose Metro Area and surrounding cities.  

Q2.  What type of cats do you breed?

A2.  I breed Siamese cats, and Balinese cats.  I specialize in the Applehead Siamese & Applehead Balinese, these cats are also commonly referred to as Traditional Siamese, Traditional Balinese, Old Style Siamese, Old Style Balinese, and sometimes even Thai Cats.  I also breed Siamese Lynx Points, and Balinese Lynx Points (aka Snow Tigers).

Q3.  What cat registry are you affiliated with?

A3.  My cattery is registered with The International Cat Association (T.I.C.A), and the Cat Fanciers Association (C.F.A.) & The Cat Fanciers Federation (C.F.F.).  All of my breeding cats are registered with one or two of the mentioned cat registries.  My kittens will leave registered with either of these registry's.

Q4.  Do you offer stud service?  If not, why?

A4.  Absolutely not.  Any reputable breeder will never bring outside cats into their home because of the serious risks of diseases, parasites, fungus that may enter the cattery by way of the breeding cat.  Regardless of the fact that a female in heat may be examined by a veterinarian prior to a visit, there are dormant diseases that could potentially awaken during the mating trial and infect the male and surrounding areas of confinement.  When new cats are introduced into our home, they are quarantined for several months, and tested for diseases like Feline Leukemia, Feline Aids, etc.  Any breeder with experience in breeding will follow these standards as a rule.  

Q5.  What does your 72 hour health guarantee entail?

A5.  Kittens that leave my home are to be brought to a licensed veterinarian of the buyers choice within a period of 72 hours from the date of sale.  If your kitten is found to be unsuitable as a pet due to suspected health problems it may be returned back to my cattery with the veterinary report as proof, and a refund of the kittens purchase price shall be given to the buyer.  This refund however does not include veterinary or transportation expenses.  Please be assured that all of my kittens are examined by my veterinarian thoroughly, especially since they have to be approved for spaying & neutering.  This puts a lot of pressure on me as a breeder to keep my cats and kittens healthy, and my cattery environment spotless.

Q6.  What happens if I don't have the kitten examined by my veterinarian within the 72 hours of purchase?

A6.  As a consumer you should ensure that your kitten was healthy when purchased from the breeder, and therefore I encourage you to bring the kitten in for a health examination through your own veterinarian.  But if you don't take me up on my 72 hour health guarantee you may lose your opportunity to get your money back for a kitten that may be unhealthy to begin with.

Q7.  What are your extended hereditary/congenital/genetic health guarantees about?  Most breeders I see give only a 1 year health guarantee.

A7.  Because I know the lines I have in my breeding program, I know full well that they are genetically sound and therefore I have no fear of backing up my kittens longer than is traditionally done by most breeders.  There may be problems later on down the road after the 1st year, and I believe that it is fair to protect my clients for a longer term just in case if they so choose.  I currently offer a first birthday guarantee replacement at half the cost of the kitten purchased as long as the replacement kitten is of the same breed.  Clients who choose the limited 1st birthday guarantee do not have to commit nor supplement their kittens with NuVet plus vitamins.  Clients who choose an extended health guarantee will get a ½ purchase price replacement kitten as well assuming that the kitten is of the same breed for replacement, but their term for replacement goes beyond the kittens first birthday.  These clients who choose the extended health guarantee will need to purchase and supplement their kittens with the NuVet plus vitamin powder for their selected term in order for us to keep our replacement promise.  Sometimes some genetic or hereditary diseases may not become apparent until after the 1st birthday, in which case you would not have a replacement from a breeder offering only a one year health guarantee.  Please be aware that in order for me to back up your kitten for 2, 3, or 4 years, you will be contractually obligated to supplement my cat(s)/kitten(s) with NuVet plus Vitamins  for the length of the term you select (2, 3, or 4 years).  Our referral code (7355077) must be used when ordering your vitamins  in order for us to confirm that you have in fact ordered your vitamins, and that you are continuing to order the vitamins for the length of your chosen term.  Yes, there is a commission afforded to us by NuVet plus, and we use those  funds to continue purchasing our vitamin powder which we in turn feed to our cats and kittens to ensure health and immunity whilst in our care.  This is another reason why we offer an extended health guarantee beyond the usualy 1 year guarantee that most breeders adhere to.  We do not have to provide an extended guarantee, but we choose to do so for the health and longevity of our cats, and their offspring.

Q8.  Why is it important to supplement the kittens with NuVet plus Vitamins?  And, what is NuVet plus like?  

A8.  NuVet plus vitamins are manufactured in powder form that is meant to be  sprinkled on the kittens food (not water).  The powder vitamins are tasty, palatable and give the food an enhancement in flavor and act as a cleanser too.  No cat food on the market today has enough vitamins for a growing kitten, and that is why supplementing the kittens with the vitamins is important to promote normal growth, and stronger immune support.  It is in my best interest as well as the kittens, and yours to keep the kitten healthy and strong as it develops and ages.  The vitamins may be ordered directly from my web-site by visiting my NuVet Vitamins store page.  Additionally I send all of my clients home with a NuVet dosage chart and instructions for easy, and proper supplementation.

Q9.  What kind of vet treatments do your kittens come with?

A9.  All of my kittens sold as pets will come with a strict spay/neuter agreement, micro-chipped,  1 or 2 feline distemper vaccines, and a health examination by my vet.  See my link to the 'Kitten Kits' page, it explains everything in detail regarding vet treatments and supplies I send with each kitten sold as a pet.

Q10.  Is spaying and neutering too risky for young cats?

A10.  Actually, spaying and neutering has been endorsed by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) since 1993, with limited risks as technology has advanced to the present day.  The only true risk to spaying and neutering is if too much sedation gas is given to the cat based on it's body weight, because then it is gassed to death.  But let's be fair here, that same risk goes along with adult cats or older kittens, puppies and dogs.  If a veterinary professional doesn't weigh the cats correctly, as well as measure the gas correctly then any cat (young, or old) may die. We used to sell our kittens spayed and neutered, but no longer are able to do so.  We recommend that our kittens be altered before reaching sexual maturity at 6-9 months of age (sooner for males to discourage spraying behavior).

Q11.  What do you feed your kittens & cats?

A11.  I feed my adult cats and kittens "Life's Abundance" cat food.  It is a holistic diet that uses human grade ingredients, and feeds all life stages out of the same bag.  My kittens also eat wet food made by "Life's Abundance" called Instinctive Choice as a treat mixed with dry 3-4 times a week.  They always have dry food out, and are free fed.  I do not have any obese cats in my breeding program thanks to this protein rich diet.  The food is enhanced with probiotics to ensure regularity in their bowel movements.  There are no harmful chemical preservatives to enhance shelf life, so therefore the food is not sold in stores and is only available online or by ordering by phone.  The food is delivered to your door, and you get to select how often your food is shipped, how much, and where it is shipped to (your home, or office).  This diet is comparable in cost to any premium cat food in a pet store, even after weighing in the shipping cost.  Again, visit my "Life's Abundance" web-page to order your kittens food today.

Q12.  At what age do you release your kittens to their new homes?

A12.  Kittens leave my home generally at about 12 weeks of age.  They are health checked at 11-12 weeks of age and are properly socialized, litter-box trained, and successfully weaned from the mothers milk.

Q13.  How often do you photograph your kittens?

A13.   Kittens are photographed every 2-4 weeks beginning at 4-5 weeks old.  This is a courtesy however on my part, and not an obligation that is contractual in nature.  Life here is busy with not only kittens and cats to tend to, but I have a family as well that I care for 24/7.  I do my best to photograph kittens often because I know that my clients look forward to the photo updates, but please remember that this is a courtesy and not a mandatory obligation.

Q14.  What are your thoughts on de-clawing?

A14.  I do not condone, or support this procedure as it is often times traumatic enough to alter a friendly kittens personality into that of a nervous, paranoid, territorial, and temperamental cat.  Cats need their claws not only for self protection, but also for climbing, balancing, and grooming.  There are many other ways of deterring your kitten from scratching you or family members, or furniture (even unwanted climbing of certain areas in your home), and those are:  1.  Clip their nail tips regularly with a cat nail trimmer (found in all pet stores), have the vet show you how to do this if you are inexperienced.  2.  Try softpaws silicone covers, they are available at most pet stores in a variety of colors and styles.  3.  Keep a scratching post around for the kitten/cat to access for it's scratching needs.  The best solution to unwanted scratching from your kitten is if you buy a cat condo with sisal rope, they will climb it, scratch it, and use that rather than your furniture.  Remember that the bigger the condo the more fun and exciting it will be to your kitten...and it may spend the majority of it's time on the cat condo/cat tree overlooking the lay of his or her land (your home).  Feel free to read some informative articles about de-clawing by visiting these sites (warning some pictures may be graphic):  http://www.declawing.com, and  http://www.communityconcernforcats.org/dontdeclaw.html

Q15.  Do you recommend getting 2 kittens rather than 1?  Additionally, do you offer a discount if I buy 2 or more

kittens rather than 1?    

A15.  This is  truly a decision that you must make on your own, because of the added cost for a second kitten, and the amount of attention they will both need from you.  Generally most breeders will recommend that you acquire two kittens if the kitten is left home alone for more than 7 hours a day, 4 or more days a week.  I do offer a discount of $50.00 off the 2nd kitten if you buy two or more, and although the discount is minimal, keep in mind that my expenses to raise the kittens, adult cats, veterinary treatments/services, run a cattery stay the same whether you buy 1 or 2 or 3 kittens.

Q16.  How do you socialize your kittens?

A16.  Our kittens are handled daily from birth as they are inspected for proper growth & development.  They are kissed often and spoken to, and once the kittens are out of the birthing box they are played with often, and observed for personality traits.  We do not sell fractious, aggressive, wild kittens.  

Q17.  Do you de-worm your kittens?

A17.  Yes, we do.  We de-worm them against the ‘unseen’ parasites/protozoa, and not for ‘worms’ per se’.  By the time they leave our home, they are fully de-wormed.  Because my cats are kept indoors at all times, and we have no flea infestations, there is no risk of worms like ‘hookworm, roundworm, tapeworm, whipworm, stomach worm”.  We recommend all of our buyers to have a fecal exam done on their kittens with their veterinarians, rather than to have to subject the kitten to an unnecessary de-worming treatment which often times disrupts a kittens delicate digestive system.  

Q18.  Do you ship your kittens?

A18.  I prefer that my kittens e picked up from my home locally, rather than to have them shipped.  However, certain criteria has to be met in order for me to ship a kitten as ‘live cargo’ via the airlines.  For more information and details about this subject, please feel free to contact me by phone or by e-mail.

Q19.  How much does shipping a kitten cost?

A19.  Shipping ranges anywhere from $450.00-$500.000 domestically for ONE kitten (shipping 2 kittens together in the same crate costs about $125.00 more).  The estimate for ONE kitten includes:  1.  The Flight Fare, 2.  A Health Certificate (required by all airlines), 3.  Crate/Padding (to ship the kitten in comfortably and securely), 4.  Transportation Fees (my gas, mileage, toll, parking to & from the airport.  Note:  Shipping costs may vary depending on the economic value for these services at the time, as well as the number of kittens being shipped in one carrier or separately.  Certain criteria has to be met in order for me to allow one of my kittens or cats to be shipped as ‘live cargo’ via the airlines.  Contact me for more information.

Q20.  Do you ever sell adult cats?

A20.  Yes, from time to time I do.  My female cats are usually retired at 4 -5 years of age, and my males are retired later than that or sooner depending on the direction of my breeding program at any given time.  When I do sell my adult cats as "pets", they will leave my home Spayed/Neutered, have a professional deep teeth cleaning if older than 3 years old and deemed necessary by my vet, be up to date on all vaccinations, and have a health examination performed as well.  Adult cat's available for adoption can be found via this link when available:  Available Adults

Q21. What cat litter do you use?

A21.  I use two kinds of cat litter.  The first one that I use is called Dr. Elsy's Precioius Cat Scoopable Cat Litter.  It's a safe silica based cat litter, that is strong in odor control, yet gentle enough for litter-box training kittens.  It is a bit exclusive, so be sure to visit www.preciouscat.com, to find a dealer near you.  The second one that I also use is called “Natures Miracle”, if my local pet store is out of the “Dr Elsys’ Precious Cat Litter”.

Q22.  I noticed that you encourage spaying & neutering the kittens early before they reach 7 months of age, but can I breed my cat and not spay or neuter it?

A22.  No.  Only kittens that are intended to be a part of a reputable and responsible breeding program will be sold with a strict breeding agreement.  All kittens that are sold and intended to be strictly pets must be altered at no later than 9 months of age by a licensed veterinarian at the buyers expense and not allowed to ever reproduce.  Please refer to Q10 for the benefits of spaying & neutering.  

Q23.  I've heard that microchips cause tumors in animals, can I have my kitten sold to me without a microchip implant?

A23.  We use transponder chips, and these chips are not known to cause cancers or tumors at the injection site or

around it.  Additionally, most pet microchips are bio-compatible. This means that they are designed to be compatible with a pet's body tissue and not cause an allergic reaction when professionally implanted.  But, if you do not want your kitten micro-chipped we will honor that request and forgo the microchip implantation.

Q24.  How much are your kittens sold for?

A24.  Please note that not all breeders operate the same or prepare their kittens the same way, and not all breeders are the same.  Every breeder charges what they feel is fair for the quality of the kittens they produce, as well as the amount of veterinary treatments and care that they invest into each kitten.  With that being said, please call me for a price quote, and be prepared to answer the following questions I will ask:  1.  What are you looking for (Siamese or Balinese or Either), 2.  What gender (male or female or either).  3.  What colorpoints are you interested in (Seal, Chocolate, Blue, Lilac, or Lynx Pointed).  4.  How soon are you ready for a kitten (today, within a month or so, or longer).  The answers to these questions will help me determine your price quote.

Q25.  Where are your Siamese kittens and Balinese kittens sold?

A25.  I sell my Siamese kittens and Balinese kittens primarily in California (i.e. Sacramento, The Bay Area, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, areas).  I have sold kittens throughout most of the 50 continental states in the USA.  My Siamese & Balinese Kittens are sold in the following states:  California, Alaska, Hawaii (quarantine), Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine.  I do not sell kittens internationally (except for Canda, and Mexico), unless the kitten/cat is picked up locally from the international buyer.

Q26.  Do you allow in-home visitations prior to choosing a kitten?  If no, why not?

A26.  This is a great question, and my short answer is, no.  Firstly, let me point out that not all breeders operate the same way and so visiting policies can vary from breeder to breeder. In my past experiences when visitors would touch, or interact with the kittens, the kittens would become stressed because they would be afraid, away from mom, in an unfamiliar setting, hungry (nursing), and this stress could at times trigger an upper respiratory infection.  Additionally the queen (mom cat) would get nervous, move her kittens around (hide them), and be anxious because her kittens were taken out of their birthing box or because an unfamiliar person visited her birthing environment.  The stress of having to medicate kittens, and then the possibility of other litters becoming infected (chain reaction) could drive anyone batty, plus their projected ‘release’ dates would now be pushed out further.  The kittens go through enough stress as it is nursing in a large litter, or weaning and litter box training at 4 weeks old, then getting de-worming treatments, and shots, by 8 weeks old.  So our policy is to NOT allow in home visitations for these reasons.  So how does one get to choose a kitten, one might ask.  Well the answer is simple, when kittens are 4-5 weeks old, they are photographed for the first time, and then they are identified (breed, color point, gender) and are then matched to my clients on the waiting list (starting from the top of the list, and then working our way down).  If there are several kittens to pick from, then each individual photo collage is sent to a client so that they can pick their kitten out of the bunch via my photos.  Once a kitten is selected by the client, we schedule the pick up time.  We try to photograph or take video clips of our kittens every 2 weeks (when possible), and this way clients can see their kittens grow and change as well as keep the baby pictures or videos as mementos for years to come.

Q27.  Can you tell me about gender personalities?

A27.  Let’s start with females.  Females are affectionate and playful as kittens, just like males.  However, as they mature in age, they tend to become more independent, and can develop the ‘diva’ syndrome.  That’s where they believe that they are the queens of the home.  Females tend to bond more with the men in the  family, and they are more patient with younger children.  They also enjoy grooming, and attention.  Mature female cats give affection on their terms, which means that you can pet them, hold them, and love on them when they say it’s okay, and for whatever length of time they choose.  Moving onto the males now:  Males are affectionate, playful, rambunctious, as kittens.  As they mature in age, they continue to keep a lot of their kitten like qualities.  They are considered overly affectionate, always demanding love, touching, and kisses.  They can get very pushy with their affections at times, especially with the women (females) in the family.  If you want a co dependant cat, and you need a constant little shadow at your side, then a male will fit the bill in most cases.  If you are a low energy person or personality, then do not choose a male kitten, as they will become detached from you over time, or become destructive in order to have attention and their needs met.

Q28.  What are the best kitten pairings in terms of gender?  

A28.  If you are considering acquiring two kittens, the n the best gender combinations are:  Male & Female, followed by Male & Male, and lastly Female & Female.  I will now elaborate on the dynamics of these pairings.  

-Males & Females:  Males will typically not challenge a female for food, toys, cat trees, or persons.  A male will ignore  and not fight with a female cat once the female tells him she’s had enough of him.  He will simply back down, and find something else to do, and then come back and hang out with her again later as if nothing ever happened.  She will in turn groom, and care for him as if he were her own offspring, even though they may be of the same age.  Females have a strong mothering and protecting instinct.  They love males because they don’t get challenged as females tend to do with each other.     

-Male & Male:  Males typically get along fabulously with one another.  They do tend to get very rough when they play, and they feed off of each others energies, creating a little tornado of destruction within the home at times.  This is normal, and natural as in the wild as well as outdoors, male cats are observed wrestling, sparring and training as cubs/kittens in order to survive and protect territory from other animals and felines.  They will sometimes compete for the best lap in the house, but they end up mainly in the same lap together so long as that lap has two hands for equal petting and affection.

-Female & Female:  Females tend to get along well in the long run, constantly cultivating a relationship of respect and care for one another.  However, in most female to female cat relationships there has to be a queen bee, and a runner up.  It may take a  while for that hierarchy to establish itself, which to the human observer will look like occasional hissy fits, paw slaps, growling, and sometimes biting, until one  of the females backs down, and accepts her role as the runner up.  Females will typically have conflict over favorite toys, who uses the litter box first after it has been freshened up (which is why you should have two litter boxes  if you own two cats), who plays with the best toys most, who gets the top tier of a favorite cat tree or sun bathing area, who snuggles with their favorite human at night and during down time., Etc.  Once the hierarchy is established, you will see peace in the land, lots of grooming, love, protection, and a great energy of acceptance and companionship.     

Q29.  Do you recommend any cat behavioral training books or material?

A29.  Yes, the best training resource that I have found is an e-book called "Cat Behavior Secrets Revealed" by author Liz Barton.  Click on the link below (at the end of this page) to read about it, and to order it.  Please note, that I always  have recommended this book as a training resource guide to my clients whenever there has been an issue that I could not help resolve myself.  It is always better to educate yourself on being a careful and responsible cat owner before bringing a new kitten into a household.

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