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NEWS:Gemma has been awarded 2nd Best Siberian Cat in the South Central Region and Best Brown Classic Torbie in TICA for 2009-2010. Congratulations Gemma & ForestWind Siberians!

UPDATE: Pendraig launches new Golden Siberian Cat program.

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Important Information for Siberian Kitten Buyers

Part 2

By Dawn Campbell

Discovering the World of Pedigreed Siberian Cats

For many buying a pedigreed Siberian cat may seem like an intimidating and unusual experience especially for those used to adopting strays, rescues or buying a mixed breed kitten out of the paper or from a neighbor.

There are many potential pitfalls to be sure but it can also be a wonderful and rewarding experience if you are armed with some knowledge before you begin the adventure.

Forewarned is Forearmed

Do your research.  Figure out which breed you like, or prefer, and write down the pros and cons of that breed.  When you begin interviewing breeders you can use these pros and cons to interview the breeder to determine their knowledge and honesty.  For the purpose of this article we will assume you’ve settled on a Siberian Cat.

Besides the pros and cons you should also explore the potential health issues for the breed and be ready to ask the breeder if their lines are healthy and what they are doing to keep them healthy.  Do they do any health screening such as routine FIV and FeLV testing, HCM heart scans, DNA tests and routine health check-ups.  The breeder should do at least some minimum health screenings and offer a comprehensive genetic health guarantee for at least 2 years.
Be ready to ask your breeder for pedigrees on your kitten.  If you do not have a pedigree of the parents and copies of their registration papers, and papers for your kitten after the purchase, how can you possibly know it’s really a pedigreed Siberian cat or a Siberian cat at all?  Avoid breeders that won’t provide this information.  In the United States a good Siberian cat breeder should register their litters with a respected association such as CFA, TICA and ACFA.  In Europe they predominantly use WCF and FIFe.

Your breeder should be ready and willing to talk about the lines of her cats, how they are housed, what care is provided, what types of food does she use and what does she recommend kittens are fed in their new homes.  Anything that is important to you should also be a question for your breeder.  If you have children or dogs, or other cats you should ask your breeder about the suitability of the kitten you have in mind for your home and lifestyle.  Kittens are generally very adaptable but each does have a unique personality and some are better suited to quiet households while others enjoy busy and active families with much activity and opportunities for play and affection.  The breeder should be interested in your family, home life and circumstances because a good breeder wants to place the right kitten with the right home and cares for the welfare of her kittens for their entire lifetime.

Buying a pedigreed Siberian cat comes at a cost and for many breeds this can be a serious investment for any family.  Make sure you are getting the healthiest kitten for your money.  If you are buying a kitten from a natural rearing cattery such as ours then ask questions of that breeder regarding what steps they are taking to insure healthy kittens and what about their cattery makes them a naturally rearing cattery.  Important questions should include the cattery’s choice of diet which should be ideally raw and suitable for the cat’s requirements as an obligate carnivore.  Naturally rearing catteries follow a strict protocol of minimum vaccination, holistic care for the cats and kittens (homeopathy, herbs etc) and a non-toxic environment (no harsh cleaners, bleaches, and other products used around the cats).  Read our articles to learn more about naturally rearing catteries and how to recognize them as well as eco-friendly catteries.

If you are going with a more mainstream breeder then it is important to ask what vaccinations are given, at what ages as well as what medications and flea products are routinely used.  If you have chemical sensitivities a kitten could cause distress or illness upon arrival if they have been treated with a spot on treatment or a flea shampoo or dip.  It is better to be prepared.

Buying a pedigreed Siberian cat also includes getting advice and help for the life of your cat from the responsible breeder.  The breeder should not disappear after the sale.  They should be there to help you acclimate your cat to your household, and advise you on how to fix any problems with litter box use, eating, health and behavior.  Your breeder should give you tips to prevent inappropriate scratching and to train your kitten to use scratching posts and other materials provided.  A responsible breeder will prohibit declawing of the kitten you buy from them and they should be ready to explain why declawing violates the contract you have with the breeder and the health guarantee.   Your breeder should also prohibit your cat being allowed outdoors except in an escape proof enclosure or on a harness and lead with supervision.  If your breeder does not seem to care then find another breeder.  Your breeder should also care what happens to the cat for his/her lifetime and have a clause in the contract requiring the cat be given back to them if you cannot ever keep him or her.  Responsible breeders do not want their kittens to end up homeless, abused, neglected nor a burden on the overwhelmed shelter system and cat rescues.

Pedigreed kittens should come home after 10 weeks of age.  Any breeder sending them home earlier is not a responsible breeder.  Kittens need their mothers and siblings until at least 10 weeks of age in order to learn proper social skills as well as be firmly using their litter box.  Getting kittens much younger, especially if they are not weaned, can cause serious problems down the road.  Such problems can include inappropriate suckling of humans or other pets, behavior issues such as skittishness or aggressiveness, playing too rough because they never learned to be gentle with their siblings and a lack of confidence.  They can also exhibit refusal to use the litter box as this behavior is learned and takes diligence of the breeder to set it up firmly and correctly.  In the United States it is a violation of USDA regulations to sell a pet younger than 8 weeks of age yet it is done quite often and many online and print advertisements offer puppies and kittens at such young ages that it is truly criminal.

Your breeder should be dedicated to the welfare of her breed.  This includes avoiding excessive inbreeding (and line-breeding),  helping health research for the breed and cats in general, educating the public on her breed as well as general cat care, a responsible breeder of pedigreed Siberian cats should show their cats at least once a year otherwise they cannot possibly know that they are breeding to type.   Also by not attending shows breeders are cut off from support by other breeders in their breed or in others.

Lastly your breeder should be concerned about the future of her lines and should require all pets be spayed or neutered in their contract or they should have the surgery performed before the kittens go to their new homes.  If your breeder does require spay or neuter to be performed by the pet owner it is normal for them to withhold the cat’s papers until proof that the surgery has been performed however they should instead give you copies of the parents’ pedigrees and registration slips so that you can be assured you are purchasing a legitimate pedigreed Siberian cat.

There are many signs of an irresponsible breeder and we will cover those in a later segment.

Part III - Buyer Beware: How to recognize a good breeder vs. a bad breeder

Be Sure to Read Part I - Buying a Purebred Siberian Kitten

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