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How can I reserve a Birsace kitten?
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We are a very small hobby
cattery and have only one - two litters per year. Whenever
possible, our preference is to have two kittens adopted together
for easier transition into
their new home as well as lifetime companionship with a
sibling. Families interested in adopting two kittens
always receive first priority. By the time kittens are 8
-10 weeks old, we can generally determine show or pet quality,
and kitten(s)
are generally adopted at approximately 16 weeks
of age.
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What is the price of a Birsace kitten and what does it
include?
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Our pet kittens are adopted for $800, which includes spay/neuter,
two sets of vaccinations, and veterinary examination by
Dr. Michael Sweet at Signal Hill Vet clinic. We have
worked with this clinic for several years and they have
provided veterinary care for all of our Birmans. All
kittens have a
health guarantee (against premature death from genetic
defects as outlined in our
contract). All litters are registered with TICA prior to
adoption, and a five generation pedigree is provided.
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Why are pedigreed kittens so expensive?
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We are committed to improving genetic diversity in the
Birman breed in our quest for optimal health and immune
function. The expense of importing quality
breeding cats with unrelated pedigrees from Australia
and North America has been high. In addition,
maintaining a healthy cattery includes quality wet and dry food,
and excellent veterinary care which includes bloodwork
and screening tests. Cat shows are a very
important part of a reputable breeding program, and travel
costs, entry and hotel
fees constitute a huge expense. Caesarean Sections
are invariably required from time to time, not to
mention unexpected emergency vet costs, all of which
very definitely make
breeding pedigreed cats a "non profit" hobby.
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What is your policy on early spay/neuter?
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This is a topic that has been under considerable debate
amongst breeders for years. Despite careful screening of adoptive
families who must sign a 'no breeding' contract, our Birmans
are spay/neutered prior to
leaving our home to eliminate the risk of unscrupulous
"backyard breeding". Our kittens are not spay/neutered
until they are over 3 months of age, and it is important
that they have significant time to recover from the stress of surgery before
transitioning to their forever home.
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Do you ship your kittens?
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We have had first hand experience with an airline
forgetting to put a kitten on a connecting flight, so
our kittens will only be allowed to travel on direct flights.
It is
our preference, however, to meet and get to know
all families adopting our kittens.
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Do
you allow declawing?
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No. Declawing is amputation at the first finger joint
and is a traumatic and painful surgery. Our kittens
become accustomed to scratching posts at an early age
and it is important that you have cat trees and
scratching posts set up in your home prior to adoption.
