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MORE INFO.
FELINE CARE
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS I've heard about 'Teacup Persian,' 'Pixie Persians,' 'Toy Persians.' What's the deal here? PLEASE be careful of anyone using these terms. There are some very small Persians due to a genetic anomaly upon which a few breeders are attempting to develop legitimate lines. As far as I know, these are the ONLY true 'Teacup Persians.' Many of the cat breeds began this way, for example the Scottish folds, the American Curls, the LaPerms, and others. Some were purposely created, for example the Himalayans, when someone crossed a Siamese with a Persian. I'm sure that all of these breeds or variations had their detractors in abundance in the beginning. It's possible that Teacup Persians will one day be recognized, but so far that is not the case. The majority of breeders using the term "Teacup," "Mini-Persian," "Pixie," or whatever, are more than likely breeding shaded silvers and goldens which tend to be a bit smaller than the other color divisions. They are not "Teacups." Do I ship my cats to their new homes? No, sorry, I do not ship at this time. What in the world is a 'Shaded Golden,' or a 'Shaded Silver?' And what does 'Chinchilla' mean? This is an area of considerable confusion, but genetically fascinating. I'm currently set up to breed predominately Shaded Silver and Golden kittens. They are a division of Persians, and often thought of as the "Rolls Royce" of Persians. The elite. They often are sold for higher prices. Probably the most famous Shaded Silver Persian is the Fancy Feast Cat. Genetically, a shaded silver/golden is unique and somewhat different. Traditionally, they have a slightly longer nose, though many breeders have pushed for and succeeded in achieving the more extreme face in their shaded silver/golden lines in order to make them more competitive in the show rings. What makes these cats somewhat unique is the 'inhibitor' gene. These cats are actually genetically black tabbies, but because of the inhibitor gene, their undercoat becomes increasingly lighter as they mature until they are white (or gold), with black ticking on their backs. The strength of the inhibitor gene dictates how light they become. I often tell people that they are like the Lipizzan horses because they are born black (or very dark) and lighten as they mature. Tiny Bear (see the 'Parent Cats' page) is almost completely white. The very light colored shaded silvers and goldens are called "Chinchillas." A subset of the shaded silver Persian is the shaded goldens which, put simply, comes about when two shaded silver Persians carrying the recessive golden trait, or two goldens are mated. Or, as in the case of my cats: a chinchilla silver, carrying gold mated with a shaded golden. Therefore, shaded goldens are quite unique, and a Chinchilla shaded golden (very light colored), even more so. Another genetic trait of the shaded silver/goldens is that they will ALL have green to blue-green eyes at maturity. Okay, then, what is a Himalayan? Are they Persians, or what? You may have found your way to my website looking for a Himalayan. Some of my early ads still show Himalayans at Mythicbells. I had hoped to breed them as they continue to be a favorite with me. Unfortunately, with a small program such as mine, certain choices have to be made, and that plan didn't work out. But, Himalayans are considered a color division of the Persian breed by the Cat Fanciers' Association, and are therefore considered Persians by them. Some other registrations consider the Himalayans a separate breed. Technically, they are not quite 'pure' Persians since somewhere in their background they started out with a Siamese crossed with a Persian. Some 'purist' Persian breeders will not allow CPC Persians in their programs. You may hear the term "CPC." This means 'Color Point Carrier.' Any 'CPC' Persian may or may not actually carry the color point gene, but has a Himalayan somewhere in their pedigree. It takes two cats carrying the gene to produce a Himalayan, so you might actually have two non-looking Himalayans who can produce Himalayan kittens. However, a Himalayan will only pass on the CPC gene and therefore two Himalayan cats will have all Himalayan kittens. A Persian that has the pointed color pattern of the Siamese is considered a Himalayan, and should also have blue eyes. In every other respect it should have the long fur, cobby body, shortened face, etc. of the standard Persian. Can I guarantee you a lap cat? Many people tell me that they are hoping for a lap cat "this time." We all love an affectionate animal, and naturally this is of concern. The reputation of the aloof cat is still quite prevalent and perhaps for good reason. Cats are not like dogs. Cats bestow their affections with discretion. No, I cannot guarantee a lap cat. Cats, like children, are SUCH individuals, each with his or her distinct and unique personality. It's important that each kitty be appreciated in his or her own right. HOWEVER, I can say this--my kittens are some of the friendliest I've personally known, and I work hard to socialize them and give them every chance to develop their natural, sweet temperaments. Many factors will contribute to the kind of kitty they will ultimately grow up to be. As Persians they are bred for sweetness, so heredity is in their favor. They have an excellent start in life with good nutrition and lots of love and handling during the first three months of their life. The rest will depend on each individual's innate personality combined with how gently he or she is introduced into the new home, as well as interaction with all family members including other pets. In any case, and in general, a Persian will only be a "temporary" lap cat ... they like to cuddle until they get hot, then will flounce off to some near-by spot to cool off. Is a male or female better? And which is easier to introduce to established family pets? I'm often asked these gender questions. I can only tell you my own experience. I've had both genders of cats. In general, I've found females to be just a bit more independent than males. But every kitty is an individual and, once neutered, males and females only exhibit subtle differences. As for which gender is the easiest to introduce into a household? I have people call and tell me that they want a male because they already have a female cat (or visa versa), and were told that a male and female would get along better. I don't know this to be true. I know that jealousy issues definitely can arise when introducing a new animal, but I've had very little trouble with Persians of either gender. ... AND what about males spraying? Yes, this can happen -- but it's rare in a neutered male. It's preferable to neuter males before they begin spraying (at around 6 - 8 months), but neutering an adult male will, in most cases, stop the spraying habit, though it may take a few weeks or months. Also, though many don't know this, females can spray (both neutered and non-neutered) -- again, it's rare in a spayed female. Households that experience spraying from spayed or neutered cats are generally multiple cat environments where the cats feel as if they are in competition with each other for territory. Is it difficult to introduce a new cat into a home with established cats. This will depend on the personality of the pet you already have. The kitten will probably want to make friends as soon as he or she becomes accustomed to the new environment, but the older pet is going to feel threatened, so you will need to be patient. Some take longer than others. I've had it be a non-event or, as in one case with an older cat, it took several months for her to accept the new kittens. Usually, they are tolerating each other within a few days, and full acceptance on average is two weeks. What about having an ONLY cat? Will it get lonely? I, personally, would always like to see my kittens go to new homes in pairs. It's fun for them and the new owners. However, I highly respect the pet owner who knows their limits. Quite often that limit is ONE cat. An ONLY cat does quite well once they adjust to their new environment, and quickly becomes accustomed to being king or queen of the family. I would like to emphasis, however, that these are SOCIAL cats!! As such, they should not be left for long periods of time without human companionship and attention. If you work long hours, I STRONGLY recommend two kittens. If you plan to introduce another cat at some later date, it's advisable to do it while the resident cat is fairly young, as they can get quite attached to their royal status as the one and only family pet. Why do most breeders keep their kittens until at least
12 weeks, and some even longer? Yes, I know many puppies
and kittens go to new
homes at 8 weeks and sometimes even younger. You will usually find
this to be the case in animal shelters, or large breeding operations where it's
necessary to move them out as soon as possible....and, of course, we all
know that they usually manage fine in their new homes. However, most breeders do not like to let their kittens go that
early for a number of reasons, especially if they are going with a health
guarantee: What about vaccinations and worming? Since I mention vaccinations above, this might be a good time to address this question. The savvy buyer should ask about both vaccinations and worming. At the time of writing this, the latest recommended vaccination protocols along with other health related information was published in November of 2006 by the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners) - When you have the time, I highly recommend checking out this link: http://www.aafponline.org/resources/practice_guidelines.htm. The vaccination protocol for low risk catteries such as mine indicate that the first three-way upper respiratory vaccination be given at about 8 - 9 weeks of age. I have this done at this age when I take the kittens in for their veterinary examination. The second vaccination should be give 3 - 4 weeks later. This means that IF YOU WANT YOUR KITTEN at 12 weeks of age, the second vaccination will be the buyers' responsibility. Many breeders will keep their kittens until after 16 weeks of age to accommodate this second vaccine (among other personal reasons). Some practitioners are recommending a third vaccine after 16 weeks. For my own cats, I give two vaccinations -- at 9 weeks, then one after 16 weeks of age, then possibly a follow up at 1 year of age. This is something for the buyer to discuss with their veterinarian. Other vaccinations to discuss are the FeLV, which is not considered a "core" vaccine and is recommended only for cats at risk (usu. outside or indoor/outdoor cats) and the rabies vaccination which is mandated by law. I do not administer either of these vaccines to out-going kittens, and leave that decision up to the buyer. WORMING: As a precaution, I worm the kittens twice before adoption with Panacur; a de-wormer drug I favor for its broad spectrum qualities which also include the common protozoa, giardia. I also like it for its safe use in very young kittens and even pregnant cats. I follow up with a parasite fecal screen done by my veterinarian at 8 - 9 weeks of age so that the results will be in by the time I take them in for their exam. What can you expect from me if you purchase one of my
kittens? What will I expect of you? At the time of adoption,
you can expect your kitten to be well socialized, well trained to the litter
box, and free of illness, parasites, or contagious diseases. The
kitten comes from PKD negative parents (an inherited kidney disease), and a
limited health guarantee is written into the contract. You, as the
buyer must understand that, as in adopting a child, there are no REAL
guarantees down the road of life, however, if the kitten should die of a
genetic defect within the first two years, you will be refunded or offered a
replacement kitten. Health is guaranteed at the time of adoption,
however any illness or disease contracted after adoption is not included in
the guarantee. You are encouraged to have the kitten inspected soon
after adoption by your veterinarian to verify its health and have it on
record. What does it mean to have a registered pedigree cat? Having a cattery registered with one or more of the major cat registries lends legitimacy to the cattery and the kittens born in that cattery. There are several cat registries, with the CFA (Cat Fanciers' Association) being one of the largest. If you want to show a pedigree cat in a CFA cat show, it must be registered with CFA. Mythicbells is a CFA registered cattery. Each litter is registered individually with CFA. The registration for each litter provides the vital information for the kittens in that litter to legitimize their heredity as pedigreed kittens. This includes date of birth, name of father and mother, breeders name, etc. As a pet, your kitten does not need to be registered. However, I feel that if you have gone to the expense of securing a pedigreed kitten as your valued family member, it is your right to have registration papers on that kitten should you choose to have them. These papers will be provided to you upon proof of spay/neuter. IF you have purchased breeding rights to the kitten, you will need to register the kitten and will receive the papers with the kitten, or as soon as I get them from CFA. Each of these papers require a PIN number FROM ME to indicate that you have purchased the breeding rights to that kitten. Without the PIN number, CFA will not allow you to register the cat with breeding rights.
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