Why do you not let your kittens go until they are at
least 14 weeks of age?
We
routinely hear this question followed by the desire that the kitten comes as young as possible so it can bond to its new
family. We subscribe to the TICA Code of Ethics. Albeit it being voluntary
we take this very serious as it represents the absolute minimum service we
believe a breeder should provide. TICA Code of Ethics asks that the breeder
will not let a kitten go until it has had at least two inoculations. Our
veterinarian recommends the
first vaccine at 8 weeks of age, the second at 12 weeks of age and the
final vaccine at the age of 16 weeks. We
also include the rabies vaccine which is not to be given prior to the age of
3 months. This is
the best possible scenario providing the kitten with the best possible start
to a healthy and vigorous immune system. Some breeders will vaccinate
earlier; however, the last vaccine should not be given prior to the age of 16 weeks
as the immune system really does not respond to the
vaccines in the most effective way prior to that age.
All of
our kittens are spayed and neutered before they leave here. The males
are neutered at 3 months of age and the females are spayed not until they
are 16 weeks old due to the invasive and more complicated nature of this
procedure.
Kittens need time with their littermates to develop important social skills.
These skills develop between the age of 4 to 14 weeks, so it is important to
allow the kitten this time as it will make for the best socialized, people
friendly and confident kitten possible.
I have heard that
males spray, so I only want a female.
There
are two reasons why cats spray and they apply equally to male or female
cats. First they spray because they are intact. The chances of any
kitten to ever develop spraying behavior are minimized greatly through early
spay/neuter. This is why our pet cats are spayed and neutered
between
the age of 14 - 16 weeks. Secondly, cats spray because of
territorial issues. This behavior is not as easy to address.
There are many cats going through your yard at night and a lot of them mark
their territory by spraying on bushes, grass, fence posts, etc. If you
let your kitten outside it will certainly smell that intruders came into
the yard and it reciprocate by spraying right onto the same areas to make
sure that everybody knows who owns this territory. Then your little fur
ball will head on inside and feel the need to ensure that everybody knows
that the inside of your house is also clearly identified as his/her
territory and voila..........spraying inside the house. You can avoid
your kitten turning into a territorial spraying cat by never allowing it
outside.
I have heard
that female cats are not very affectionate, so I only want a male.
Some breeds
are notorious for females being somewhat aloof. Not the Pixie Bob.
It is our experience that this breed has equally affectionate males and
females. We have great many examples, such as our Arizona, Rayne and Thunder
N' Lightning.
Please do not limit your choices by excluding a gender based on what
you may have experienced with other breeds. Pixie Bobs are all very
affectionate, loyal and people loving cats - regardless of their gender.
What is Only-Kitten-Syndrome and what does it mean to
me?
Only-Kitten-Syndrome is a set of behavioral issues that can develop in a
kitten that is placed into a home by itself between the age of 14 weeks to 6
months. It will essentially grow up without the interaction of another
cat/kitten. Kittens actually learn important interaction skills from their
playmates. The biting, scratching and yowling that occurs during playing is
how the kittens learn when their behavior is too rough. Cats that grow up
on their own can become too aggressive when playing as these boundaries were
not established. Human companions cannot teach their kitten these
important skills. The kittens can learn only within their own species. You
may consider it cute if a kitten attacks your feet or your hair, but you
will no longer think this very same behavior is cute when that same kitten
attacks you as an adult and draws blood. Life skills, the most important
being good litter box habits, are also learned and reinforced by their
playmates. Another aspect of Only-Kitten-Syndrome is destructive behavior
(scratching furniture). If the kitten/cat would have a play pal it would
turn to it to play rather than your couch. Many rescue groups/shelters
will not adopt kittens (under 6 months) on their own because of all the
kittens returned for aggressive or inappropriate behaviors. We realize that
not everybody can afford buying two purebred kittens and we will adopt a
single kitten into a home; however, our contract addresses this issue and
requires you to be prepared getting your Pixie Bob a play mate from a
shelter if you encounter any of these behavioral issues rather than
addressing behavioral issue of this sort through medications or declaw
surgery.
It
is a myth that one kitten will bond deeper to their human(s) than two. We
have several cats at our house and they are all equally bonded to us. There
is always one on our lap or following us around. But when we leave for a
weekend we also know that there is not a lonely cat left behind wondering
when its humans will come back, but rather cats that can entertain
themselves and have someone to snuggle with until we return.
What all is included in your price?
Our
kittens all come with the following:
* Two baby well exams
* Series of two FVRCP shots
* Spay/neuter surgery
* Two wormings
* Written health guarantee
* TICA registration
papers to proof you are purchasing a purebred Pixie Bob
Do you
dock your kittens?
No, we
do not dock our long tailed kittens. We used to, but decided that it
was in the best interest of our kittens to be left the way God made them.
All of our short tails are natural short tails.
Why do your kittens cost so much? I have seen them in
the newspaper for as little as $200.
Regardless of where you buy your kitten from, please research this decision
carefully. Ask what all is included in the price. A $200
kitten that you will have to bring to the vet for all shots, wormings and a
spay will end up costing you the very same $800 that we would charge you or
worse. Run; do not walk, if a breeder offers you a sizeable discount if you do
not
want papers with your kitten. TICA charges $10 (yes, only ten dollars) for
registering an entire litter regardless of how many kittens it contains.
Selling a kitten without registration papers simply means the breeder is
breeding unregistered cats and certainly does not breed to improve the
breed, but rather his or her pocket book We suggest you visit their cattery
and then visit ours and see for yourself. It will be evident why our
kittens cost more and that our cattery offers value for your money.
Why do you oppose to declawing and why can we not let our
kitten outside?
We
got our start in rescue and have seen countless of declawed cats turned into
the shelter with litterbox issues. These cats often end up being euthanized
as nobody wants to adopt a cat that pees and poops outside the litterbox on
a daily basis. Despite popular belief that declawing simply means removing
the claw it really is amputation of the first digit of every claw. The claw
itself is attached to the first digit and cannot be removed by itself. The
declaw procedure is comparable to cutting off a finger after the
first knuckle. Cats are keenly aware that their first line of defense was
taken away and often end up being biters and people shy for the rest of
their lives.
There are so many diseases and dangers lurking out there for a cat these
days that the only safe place for a kitten is inside ? for life. There are
no cars inside, no anti freeze, no predators, such as coyotes or raccoons,
no Feline Leukemia, no Feline Aids, no ringworm, no rat poison, no abscess
acquired through fighting ? none of all that. That is why our contract asks
that you commit to keeping your new family member inside for life.
