Aboutcattery

About the Cattery

The male cats have a huge screened dog kennel near the orchard for
sunshine and shade
Females have their own outdoor areas as well. Cats and kitt3ns spend
time in the house playing and exploring. All kittens are born inside
where they are warm, safe and well protected. These outdoor areas are
wonderful for cats who love the grass under their feet and the fresh
air all around them. The trees surrounding these playpens are nesting
and bedding areas for quail, robins, western tanager, magpies and
other wonderful birds. There is a peaceful co-existence for these
wonderful creatures when they are set up the way we have planned the
areas.

We will ship kittens anywhere they are wanted with a protective
contract. The kittens will be 12 to 14 weeks old when they go to their
new homes locally. When they are shipped they are 16 weeks. They will
have been spayed/neutered and have 2 sets of vaccinations. Our prices
for kittens are about the same as the majority of breeders with quality
kittens for sale. There are many expenses involved in raising healthy
kittens for 3 to 4 months. It is important to understand the expenses
regarding what is charged by a breeder for these excellent kittens. The
Siberian is the only breed known to be hypo-allergenic in addition to the
excellence in quality of the kittens a breeder sells.

As I become better acquainted with my new kittens, I
observe many interesting facets of the two breeds.

The Siberians and Norwegians are similar in appearance, although in the
Norwegian, the head is more of a triangle and in the Siberian, there is a
sense of roundness which contributes to the "sweet" look of these
kittens.

Both breeds are very slow to mature. It may take 4 or 5 years to reach
complete adulthood.

The eyes of the Siberian are shaped like lemons! They are round on top
and the lower portion has a curve which will show the shape of a lemon
on it's side. Norwegian has almond shaped eyes with a slight slant
toward the outer part of the eye. My Ben has spectacular, big eyes
which are both gold and green. When he looks at you...you know he
loves you.

The Siberian body is powerful, even at an early age. The feet are large,
the legs are strong and the entire body is compact. The Norwegian
appears to have a longer body.

I can't imagine having one kitten alone under any circumstance. The
kittens themselves need kitten play and they will enjoy their toys, but
the true play comes with interaction with another kitten. They show all
of the behaviors to each other...play, cooperation, assertiveness,
determination. I truly believe when one looks into the eyes...love pours
out in abundance. This love is directed toward another kitten and to
the family members.
Development of behaviors is rapid in the growth of kittens. They learn
to use the litter box instantly, seemingly without any prior knowledge.
When they first begin eating kitten foods, the same skill is evident.
They taste and eat.

I use a premium kitten dry food...put it in a mini-processor to break it
into tiny pieces. I add a teaspoon of canned food...mix them and at
first add a little canned milk or KMR milk replacement for kittens. The
milk is rapidly replaced with warm water. Very quickly they will be
eating regular kitten food. I use Chicken Soup for the Kitten soul and
Innova Evo, mixed...for the dry food. I use Felidae, Innova Evo and
other canned foods which are pure, people quality foods. I also feed
the cats lightly cooked heart and liver to add 'spice' to their lives and
to provide muscle meats for their growth.

When they are introduced to other people (particularly children)...It is
important to remember that they are both tiny and frighten easily with
loud noises or sharp movements. Gradually, they will not flinch near
the vacuum cleaner and other everyday noises. However this is after
they have found that people are safe. This is expressed also in their
play with toys. They should have access to balls and stringed toys so
when THEY are ready to explore them...they will. Suddenly, you will
find them batting their toys around like old friends. Safety with toys is
crucial. Feather and string toys are used with supervision only.
Like young children...they should have suitable toys for independent
play...which are sturdy and have no parts which can be ingested.

One of the most beautiful sights I often see, is Mom and the babies
just sitting together. They will run to her...she reaches out, pulls them
close and begins to groom them. Sometimes they get too frisky for her.
This is when she will "grab" and take over the situation. She "places"
them where she wants them and then and again, begins to groom!!