1. Adoption Process
We get a lot of requests for kittens, and as of the time of writing this, we have more requests than we have kittens available at a given time! While we are expanding our cattery to meet this demand, it takes time because we want to do it right. Our cats are first and foremost our family members, and that's why our kittens have such great personalities, social conditioning, and excellent happy cat parents.
Our most frequently asked question is; how do we begin the adoption process? We've made this section to hopefully make it more clear and easier for you to begin, as there is no time to waste!
Each kitten is priced between $2,000 to $3,000 depending on the rarity of their color or quality. We have a king who is from a long line of WCF Champions, and often produces big beautiful cats. Here is the way you get on to our waiting list:
Submit Your Application
While our application is for us to be sure you are a good fit for a cat, please don't be pressured. Acceptance is likely, but we may have a few clarifying questions. These cats are great family members and truly love being around people, are socialized this way, and will be a good fit for most situations. Therefore, consistent prolonged absences or transient living situations may be unsettling for them.
Make Your Reservation
Once your application is due, we will send an invoice for the reservation deposit of $500. This is 50% refundable, and guarantees your pick of the litter. Picks are made in the order of the deposit placed. If you have a low pick, such as 4th or 5th pick, or the litter doesn't have the color you are hoping for, you may opt to be first in line for the subsequent litter if you choose. There is no expiration date on deposits!
Schedule A Visit!
Once your application and reservation fee is accepted, you are welcome to schedule a visit with the kittens to solidify your bond with your pick! Even if you didn't follow the first two steps, you are welcome to visit our adults to test your reaction if you are generally allergic to cats and want to test if a Siberian is right for you. We get this a lot and are confident in our cattery, but we want you to be sure as well.
2. Frequently Asked Questions
You are of course welcome to reach out with any questions, but if you'd like to gain an understanding of how we do things at our cattery, these are our most common questions:
Q: What age do your kittens go home?
A: We typically allow kittens to go home at 3 months old. They can go home after 2 months old, as our kittens are weaned, litter trained, on solid foods, and independent at that time, but 3 months allows us to give them their booster vaccination and continue social development.
Q. What vaccinations/treatments do they have before they go home?
A. They have their first and second FVRCP vaccinations, they are dewormed, microchipped, nad given a health certificate by our veterinarian. Each kitten has a health guarantee of 1 year.
Q. Do you test your cats for genetic defects?
A. We DNA test our kings and queens in our breeding program to screen for serious genetic conditions such as HCM, PKD, and others. These results are available upon request.
Q. Are they hypoallergenic?
A. There is no such thing as a 100% hypoallergenic cat. However, Siberian cats exhibit much lower levels of the Fel d 1 protein. We have a 95% success rate of placing cats in families who have an allergic family member, with all but the most severe cases having reactions. Traditional tabby Siberians have even lower Fel d 1 levels when compared to the Neva Masquerade, or colorpoint variant Siberians, as they have Siamese cats deep in their historical heritage in order to get those beautiful blue eyes and colorpoint patterns. However, this difference is small, and we have had equal success placing all color variations with little noticeable difference. We do not test for Fel d 1 levels, as we use the same kings and queens for each litter and have placed kittens into allergic households and have full confidence in our lines. Moreover, we feel that families considering Siberians would usually like to visit to test their allergies in the presence of our cats regardless of the test. For many, such a test would just be numbers on a paper and we prefer the in-person testing route to meet and build a relationship with our cat families.
Q. Is there continued support after adoption?
A. Yes! Absolutely. Not only do we just have the desire to maintain the connection with our families and see how are kittens are developing, but we feel it's our responsibility to make sure we are bringing quality cats into the world in terms of health, temperament, and beauty. We started doing this because we had such a positive experience with our first Siberian, and we want to share this experience with as many families as possible and that has always been our motivation.
Q. What socialization do they have before they go home?
A. We spend every day with them, and they grow up in a room that is used by our family members so they see all of us every day. We have a 6 year old and a 14 year old, so they are well accustomed to life with kids, and we routinely clean and vacuum their room so they are all used to being around noise and commotion as well. As a result, our kittens typically adjust to their new homes very quickly and pass through the shy phase swiftly, if they go through it at all.
Q. What do you provide your families when they bring their kitten home?
A. We provide vaccination records and health information, the signed pet contract, information on bonding with new kittens, food samples, a sample of used litter, toys with kittens scent, and discounts on the food and cat litter your kitten will be used to. See the section below for more details!
Q. Do you ship kittens if we are far away?
A. The well-being of our cats are most important, but they absolutely can travel. We have experience flying and guiding customers to fly with new kittens. While we will not deliver them personally via airplane because the time commitment takes us away from our other cats and kittens that need our time and care, we charge $500 to bring them directly to either JFK airport, or LaGuardia airport in NYC close to where we live so you can fly there, pickup the cat, and fly back. Please reach out for closer delivery or pickup options.
3. Bringing Home Your First Siberian Cat!
Are you ready for the investment of getting a Siberian cat for your family? If you haven't reached out to us to ask about availability and pick your kitten yet, go ahead and click on "Contact" and get in touch with us! Your kitten has been growing and learning all kinds of things at an amazing rate. Playing with their brothers and sisters, they learn not only how to play, but how to be gentle! They have been doing great with litter training, and they are all successfully weaned off of mom and onto a healthy diet of wet food. We are with them every day, so they have been well socialized and they are very sweet, but of course when they get into play mode they turn into little tigers! SO, here’s a few things to keep in mind as you prepare for your little friends!
There’s a lot to cover, but much of it can be explained by our friend Jackson Galaxy, who has great resources available online if you want to learn more. Even if you’ve had cats your whole life, like me, I still learned a lot and reflected on past cats I’ve had and how certain things could have been helped or avoided by watching his videos.
Step 1: Set up your base camp for your kitten!
GET YOUR FOOD
You should get their in advance of their arrival. Please keep them on these foods (Royal Canin Mother & Baby Cat wet food and Royal Canin Kitten Dry Food) and introduce them gently to any new foods or treats. Some of them might eat everything you offer, but too much variety too quickly can be harmful to the balance of bacteria in their gut and make them sick. Once you agree to take your kitten, we will send you a link that will get you important savings, and you will also take a kit home with you to get your started!
LITTER
Here’s the litter they’ve been using (two kinds.) One is kitten litter, the other is regular unscented clay. They can be eased onto any litter, most likely, but this will make their transition smoother. A litter box we love, due to its size, durability, and ability to deep clean, are the stainless steel boxes. It’s a bit more of an investment up front, but you can use it for the cat’s lifetime (especially for Siberians, as they are larger breeds).
1. Natural litter for cats and kittens: https://purrifycatlitter.com?sca_ref=10475518.19qBmIg0B8Hau2
Apply Coupon Code: SENGE25 for 25% off your first order! This litter has great natural odor control, and you can use one bag for 3 weeks without replacing!
ACCESSORIES
Refer to the video for any other purchases, but we consider cat trees and toys essential. Cat trees not only cover all the bases for scratching and playing, whether they prefer scratching horizontally or vertically, but height is confidence for cats. If you want your new best friend to be confident and see you as a pal, give them the high ground! If there are beds or dressers in your basecamp, don’t let them go under and hide. While our kittens are used to people and it’s not as much of a concern as if you had a shelter cat with an unknown past, every cat has a different personality. Hiding in a “hole” on ground level puts them in animal mode, and can make them more fearful and cautious, and they realize you can’t get to them if they don’t want you to. This is the opposite of confidence and could stall your bonding, so block tight and extensive hiding spots if possible.
We have a few great cat towers available at a price you won't find online elsewhere. These are good quality and unique cat towers that your kitten will undoubtedly enjoy. To see them, go to our online shop!
Step 2: Cat Proofing your Home!
CHECK HOUSEPLANTS
One thing we really recommend as you prepare for your new best friend, is to just do some research on the plants you have in your home and their toxicity levels toward cats.
JUMPING ON COUNTERS
Kittens don’t jump up to surfaces, they climb! If you don’t want them on kitchen tables or other surfaces, check out this product: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0721735K9?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-reorder_k1_1_7&=&crid=27PWU2STZVQNW&sprefix=motion%2B&th=1
We have used this to train all our cats on what is theirs, and what is ours (we only claim the kitchen table and counters, they get anything else!) The product is a bit pricey but they get the hint after a few scares.
TRAINING
One last thing we learned the hard way. Part of being gentle with their brothers and sisters also goes into being gentle toward you, their new guardians. We only use our hands to pet and show affection, not to play. You’ll find out just how tempting it is to rub their little tummy and have them cling on and play with your hand like its another kitten, and they don’t bite hard or scratch hard, but when they’re older they won’t forget those times as a kitten and will still see your hand as a toy. Not that they will hurt you (our big boy Lucas does this and he has never drawn blood and is always gentle even though he looks like a crazy man), but you just can’t predict if they will see your hand as affection or see it as a toy, or your guests for that matter. Especially if you have a boy, it can be alarming for your visitors if an 18 pound cat decides their hand is a toy upon introduction, so our advice is to always keep toys as toys, and hands as affection.
This is not an exhaustive list, and I’m sure as you and your cat learn each other there will be other things that come up. Again, Jackson Galaxy is an excellent source of knowledge, and we will also be available for any questions you might have. In all likelihood, you will have an amazing time with your new best friend and you won’t even need to think about most of these things beyond the first day, but we always like to be prepared and make sure you are prepared for their transition to your home.