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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
Kitten Viewings & Collection
Payment
Health & Nutrition
General
KITTEN VIEWINGS
& COLLECTION
Can we visit our
baby when he/she is born?
You are welcome to
come and visit the kittens once they are 6 weeks old (we will notify you when
the time comes to make arrangements).
It is a first come
first served basis, and a deposit secures your kitten once it is available to view
at 6 weeks old. Deposits are taken no earlier than 6 weeks old. Obviously all
of our new families will be kept updated with various emails & pictures.
Will I be able to
meet the kittens' parents?
You will be able to
meet the girls, but we do not have any boys as we take our girls to visit the
boys wherever they may live.
You will be
introduced to every cat that shares our family because our cats have free run
of the home and whenever a visitor comes through the door our cat family will
all come up to say hello.
I live far away and
can't visit the baby before I collect him / her so what happens now?
We prefer to meet
all our babie’s new owners. This is also an important time for you to get to
know us as well, so that you are confident that we are raising our babies
properly and that our own cats are all friendly and well socialised.
However in special
circumstances we can arrange a mutual alternative. If this is the case, then
please contact us so that we can arrange something.
Can I choose my
kitten when I first visit him/her?
Sometimes, but not
always. It depends on a number of factors, such as where you are on the
"waiting list". For example, if someone has been waiting longer than
you, then they will first preference. Also, if someone has asked us if they can
show their kitten, then we won't choose that kitten for them, until the babies
are older and we are sure of show potential. But this is why we encourage new
families to visit all of the babies as often as they can manage it. Also, the
personalities have to come into play because if you have dogs, and for whatever
reason, one of our babies doesn't accept our own dogs, then that baby really
shouldn't be homed in a family with dogs.
Additionally we
operate a first come, first served basis when viewings take place, so if
someone has an appointment before you, then they have first choice of the
kittens.
Can I get my new
baby earlier than 13 weeks?
No im afraid not. The
first 13 weeks of any babies' life is very important for both socialisation and
health aspects. Sometimes new families think that their baby will not bond with
them as they are over 3 months of age, as opposed to the kittens sold in pet
shops or by unscrupulous breeders when they are 8 weeks of age, or younger. Of
course your 14 week old baby will bond with you, we have spent the first 14
weeks raising him/her to ensure they they will bond with you and be part of
your family.
Additionally the
GCCF rules are that you must not rehome a kitten until 13 weeks of age.
What are the best
times for us to view / collect our new baby?
Due to work
commitments we are only available to do this in the evening or weekends.
Taking kittens away
all in one go will also stress mum out and so it needs to be staggered.
We will contact you
to arrange a time and date via email, and these will again be allocated on a
first come, first served basis on whoever responds first getting the earliest
time & date.
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Do you accept
deposits for kittens?
We only accept
deposits when our babies turn 6 weeks of age.
We will not accept
deposits for any unborn kittens at all. The kitten deposit you pay (£50) is non
refundable, so if you change your mind, or decide to obtain a kitten elsewhere,
you are not entitled to your deposit back. The only time that a deposit is
refunded is if your chosen baby falls ill and we can no longer home your baby
with you.
How do we pay our deposit / balance for our
kitten?
Payments are to be
made in cash where possible. Please note that we DO NOT accept cheque. If you
need to pay by bank transfer or any other method, this needs to be agreed and
arranged with us in advance and prior to collection.
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Are your cats and
kittens vaccinated?
Yes all cats &
kittens are vaccinated. Kittens will be fully vaccinated by the time they go to
their Forever Homes at 13 weeks.
We vaccinate for:
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline Leukemia Virus (FELV), Calicivirus
Being a
breeding/show/multi cat home, it is also imperative that our cats receive the
basic vaccinations. Our cats are vaccinated for this annually, and our kittens
receive the standard 2 kitten vaccinations at 9 and 12 weeks
Do you use worming
treatments for your kittens/cats?
Yes, being a multi
cat home it is very important that our cat family is wormed. We use Panacur
liquid on our cats and our kittens and also. Our cats are wormed every 6 months
and our kittens are wormed at 9 weeks of age and 12 weeks of age.
Do you use flea
treatments for your kittens/cats?
Yes we treat
kittens at 9 and 12 weeks with Advocate, and our cats are treated with
Frontline Spot-On.
What do your cats
and kittens eat?
Kittens are given
lots of different foods whilst in our care, so that they do not become fussy
eaters when they are adults.
The list of the
types of food we feed (although not exhaustive) are:
Fresh Food
Cooked – chicken
(boiled or roast), turkey, cod, haddock, tuna steak, mackerel, lean beef and
scrambled egg
Tinned Fish
Sardines, mackerel,
pilchards and tuna in either tomato sauce, brine or spring water
Dry Food
Royal Canin Babycat
34 (from 1-4 months) and Kitten 36 (from 4 – 12 months)
Wet Food
Hills Science
Kitten Food, Applaws, Pets At Home Kitten Pate, Natures Menu Kitten Food
Will my cat /
kitten be Microchipped?
No, but we strongly
recommend that you take them to the vets to get this sorted as soon as you can.
Even if they are indoor cats, we suggest you do this in case they escape and
get lost.
When should we have
our kitten neutered / spayed?
We recommend this
is done as soon as your vet is comfortable doing so. Some vets will do it
earlier than other, but certainly no later than 6 months old.
If you have 2
kittens which are male & female, you certainly need to have them done
earlier rather than later to avoid mistakes. Particularly as we have known
kittens come into season as early as 20 weeks of age!
A mistake mating of
this kind should never be allowed to happen, because the kittens are siblings
and the kittens will all be deformed.
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Do your cats live
indoors?
All of our girls
and boys live indoors as part of the family and our babies are also all raised
indoors.
Do your cats and
dogs get on?
Yes they do, we
have 1 dog called Scooby, a Long Haired Sable German Shepherd who has run of
the house alongside our cat family.
Can we choose our
cats' registered name?
No, I'm afraid not.
One of the fun parts of breeding is deciding on our babies' "posh"
names. However, you can of course give
them a pet name, and if you let us know what that is going to be, then we will
ensure we call the kitten by that name to help them get used to it.
Are show kittens
more expensive than pet kittens?
No they are not,
and nor should they ever be! I don't know how any breeder can suddenly raise
the price by £50 or £100 or even more, solely because a kitten has show/breed
potential. At the end of the day, all babies are raised the same. A show
quality kitten is not fed any different food than a pet quality kitten. The
show quality kitten is not loved or cared for any more, or any differently from
a pet quality kitten so why on earth would the price be different? All of our
babies are loved regardless of whether or not they might do well on the show
bench. This aside though, NO breeder can guarantee show potential because
babies can look stunning at 13 weeks of age and then totally "lose
it" by 6 months of age.
Will my kitten be
litter trained before he/she leaves home ?
All of our babies
are litter trained prior to leaving home, and they are usually litter trained
at about 5-6 weeks old.
Can we let our
kitten/cat go outdoors?
Ultimately it is
your cat / kitten and you decide what is best for your baby.
However, we
strongly advise that you do not let them out if you are near busy roads, and
would recommend fully enclosed cat run, or if you wish to take your baby for a
walk on a leash and harness. Indoor cats are incredibly happy cats so long as
they have company and stimulation. Cat runs are incredibly cheap to construct
or buy and they are a wonderful alternative to allowing a cat to be safely outdoors
where no harm can come to him/her.
Whatever you decide
though, we think its best to have your baby micro-chipped in the event that
they get lost. Even if you decide that your baby is to stay indoors, they may
escape and will almost certainly get lost if they are not used to going out.
What do I get when
I collect my kitten?
All our kittens
leave us complete with kitten pack and paperwork, which includes:
- Kitten Pack
(includes blanket, food, toys)
- Pink GCCF
Registration slip (transfer of ownership)
- 4 weeks free
insurance from Pet Plan
- 5 generation
Pedigree Certificate
- Vaccination records
- Fully treated for
fleas and worms
- Kitten Diet &
Care Sheet
- Kitten's Personal
Information (this includes a weight chart up until week 13, time of birth, when
kitten was weaned, the kittens parents etc. etc.)
- Poisonous Plants
list
- Kitten Information
(Settling in your new kitten & Kitten FAQ’s)
- Continuous lifetime
support & advice
If I change my mind
and bring my kitten back do I get a refund?
No. Even if you
bring him/her back to us within a few days of collecting him/her, we still will
not refund you any money. Kitten families have no idea of the stress and trauma
involved for a kitten when they are placed in a new home, only to be returned a
few days or a couple of week's later. A baby is taken from a loving, caring
environment, full of brothers, sisters and extended family members, their world
is suddenly turned upside down when they are homed with a family. They then
start to bond with their family and suddenly, their family decides that they
don't want a kitten after all and bring them back to us. So for the 3rd time,
this babies' world has been shattered, they have been uprooted yet again,
returned to us which is yet another new environment as they were already settled
with their new family. Instead, we would suggest prior to obtaining a kitten,
that you think long and carefully because a baby is a life time
commitment.
Do you ever use
other breeders' stud cats?
Yes we do because we
do not have our own studs.
Do you have more
than one litter at a time?
Sometimes, yes.
This is because some girls get on better having the support of their friend The
majority of our mothers are all content to share litters and there is nothing
better than seeing 2 or 3 mummies all happily raising their babies together. In
the case of a new mummy having problems or not accepting motherhood, it is also
useful to have a "foster" mummy to help raise babies. We do find that
having one litter in the home is not much different to have 2 litters, or even
3 at the same time.
How many litters do
your queens have each year?
We abide by the
GCCF rules which state that you are not allowed more than 3 litters over 2
years.
And sometimes it
can be less than this. Some queens bounce straight back after having a litter,
others lose a lot of condition and need much more recovery time before being
mated again. In our home we have queens who fit into both those categories. It
also depends on the size of the litter. If they have a big litter, then they
need a longer break.
How do I know if
this is the right breed for me?
You can find
information on the breeds on our site, by clicking on “Breed Profiles”.
However this information
will give you just a small insight into what it is like to share your home with
one of these breeds. I can honestly tell you that merely reading about the
breeds will not truly tell you what it is like to have one in your life. We
would suggest that you visit breeders, meet their cats, see what their
personalities and temperaments are like, speak with other owners that have the
breed and maybe join a relevant internet forum and chat with owners about their
experiences of living with these breeds.
Do they get on with
children?
Are your children
well behaved and have they been taught to respect animals? If so, then yes. Burmese
& Siamese cats love everybody and unless they are mistreated i.e. a child
pulls their tail or is extremely rough with them, then you can expect to
witness an amazing friendship and bond between your child and your cat.
Only if their
breeder/owner has taught them to be fussy eaters. Like any animal, they may
have a favourite food for months on end and then suddenly not want to eat it at
all. As a rule, no they are not fussy eaters.
Can we leave them
on their own?
Again they are very
social felines and if their humans are not at home during they day it is
essential that they have another feline for companionship. A cat left alone for
long periods of time will be unhappy and it is not fair. If you know you are
not going to be home during the day or evening, then please consider getting
another cat / kitten to keep them company.
What food should I
buy in preparation for my cat / kitten?
We feed Royal Canin
Babycat 34 or Royal Canin Kitten 36. Babycat is to be fed from 1-4 months, but
then to ensure they are receiving the right nutrients, they need to be switched
to Kitten 36 up to 1 year of age.
After that, visit
the Royal Canin website for details on all the different types of food
available for adult cats.
When we collect our
cat / kitten, should we put them in the same carrier?
Yes providing it
will be big enough for both or more. In fact it is probably better because they
will be felling a little bit uncomfortable not knowing you, the car or where
they are going. And so they will keep each other company. And usually on long
journeys they will go to sleep anyway.
What accessories
should we get ready for when the cat / kitten comes home?
-
Litter Tray
-
Cat Litter
-
Toys
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Bedding
-
Scratch Post
-
Food Bowls
-
Food & Treats
What litter will my
cat / kitten be used to?
We have tried all
sorts of wonderful and expensive cat litter, and always go back to Tesco’s
Clumping Litter as its easier to remove the soiled litter. But any clumping
litter would be fine.
What happens in
between visiting our kitten, and them coming home?
You will be sent
regular updates and photos of the progress of your kitten via email. We are
also available to answer any questions or concerns that you may have.
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