Buying a Kitten

byingakitten

Buying a Kitten

So you decided to buy a kitten

Start by visiting a cat show, observe the many breeds, talk to breeders, pick up flyers and business cards, make appointments with breeders for a visit after a show.

How to buy a purebred kitten

By Dave Thomas david@micro.ti.com - With regard to finding a breeder, cat shows are the best places to meet and talk to breeders. You can see all the different colors and patterns, learn about the characteristics of the breed, and ask questions. Do your homework, and try not to fall in love with the first kitten you see.

Read More: http://www.fanciers.com/other-faqs/purebredkits.shtml

Info on choosing a cat and backyard breeders - www.birman.biz/Fall2002/window.htm

Starting Right with Kittens - Kittens will easily make the transition to the raw meat diet; in fact they often show a true craving for it and act euphoric when presented with it.
Kittens are fed the same formulation as adult cats, with the distinction that kittens are allowed to eat as much as they wish. Between the 4th and 5th week of life, solid foods can be introduced, and should be offered 4-6 x daily. It is not necessary to puree the food into a smoother consistency. We often introduce our kittens to solid foods by hand feeding them tiny chunks of raw meat.
By no means does the introduction of solid foods mean that a kitten no longer requires nursing. At this age solid foods merely present an addition while the mother"s milk remains the staple diet. At the age of 3 months the kitten becomes mainly reliant on solid foods, but nursing should not be discouraged.

Read More: http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/bpo_ch11.php

Long Haired Kitten?

What feature should you look for when choosing a long haired kitten?
Kittens should be at least 12 weeks old and look happy and interested. Its ears, eyes and nose should be clean and free of any discharge. The cat's gums should be pink, its hair soft, clean and shiny and it should feel 'solid' not bony (from Pet Peoples Place
http://www.petpeoplesplace.com)

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Want a blue-eyed white kitten?

Some people claim that 99% of blue-eyed white cats are deaf. This is inaccurate because blue-eyedness and whiteness can both be caused by different genes. It all depends on what genes the cat has inherited. (from Pet Peoples Place http://www.petpeoplesplace.com)

Guide to Cat Coat Colors & Patterns -by Sarah Hartwell (Sarah Hartwell works for the UK's Cats Protection (CP) and writes articles related to the welfare, care and behavior of cats. Sarah has an excellent sense of humor, which you will witness in reading any of her more light-hearted short stories. In her spare time Sarah adopts and cares for aged cats.

Solid/Self - The cat is a single color; the individual hairs are one color with no agouti banding on the hairs.
Agouti - Refers to the several bands of color on a single hair (e.g. on Abyssinian cats or in the pale areas of a tabby cat). Agouti is also used to mean a ticked tabby cat such as the Abyssinian.
Maltesing - Color dilution e.g. the dilute of black is blue (gray)
Sepia (1) - Apparently self-colored cat bearing gene for Colorpoint e.g. Burmese series; sometimes you can see that the legs, head and tail are darker than the body.
Sepia (2) - The 'old ivory' color of Singapura cat
Mink - Intermediate between sepia and pointed; the points (face, legs, tail) are a darker version of main body color.
Pointed - The Siamese pattern (also called Himalayan pattern) with a pale body and darker legs, tail and ears.
Bi-Color (Magpie) - Any color & white; for show cats the color should be evenly distributed.
Tri-Color - Calico/Tortoiseshell (tortie) & White Color Range
Parti-Color - Usually defined as calico, with color patches on up to one-third of the body
Calico - Tortoiseshell (tortie) & white
Torbico - Torbie (tabby-tortie) & white
Van/Van Bicolor - White with color on the tail between the ears.
Harlequin - Van markings (any color) + small patches (as few as possible) of the same color on the body and legs.
Pied - Unevenly splashed with color.

Is Cat Coat Color Linked to Temperament? - by Sarah Hartwell - At the cat shelter where I work we refer to "naughty torties" and "laid back blacks". One of our vets also used the "naughty tortie" epithet and told us it is "well known that tortie cats are temperamental". However, the addition of white has a "calming effect" and tortie-and-whites are "not quite as temperamental as brindled torties. The naughty tortie tag is not applied to dilute torties (blue-creams), possibly because they are less common in the moggy population. Ginger cats are said to be spirited and fiery (and sometimes mean-spirited or sly) - very apt considering their fiery color and there is the epithet "ginger tom" to describe the supposedly typical alley cat. Blotched tabbies are "real homebodies" while their striped cousins are "more independent".

Read More: http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/articles/cats/015-01.htm

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Here is what you should expect from the breeder:

A visit to the cattery and ask to see the kittens mom and if possible the dad. Information about the breed and the kitten's personality.
Disclosure about the breeder's breeding procedures, possible health problems in the breeder's line and if the kitten is show or pet quality.
You should get a health guarantee. If your vet thinks that you kitten has a genetic problem or is sick you should get your money back or a new kitten.
To take the kitten or cat back in circumstances beyond your control and after serious consideration.

Here is what the breeder should expect from you:

Disclosure where your kitten will be moving to and what other pets you have around your house. If it will be an inside cat or will you you let it out. Any intend to declaw your kitten. That the kitten will be part of your family.
That you take the new kitten to a vet as soon as possible to establish it is healthy and that you will keep up with the necessary vaccinations, tests and checkups.
That you don't take the kitten back to the breeder (sometimes the responsible breeder will help you out if your problems are serious and beyond your control)