My children, friends and I all raise the kittens together.  I make an effort to expose them to lots of people, dogs, noises, activities, and lots of love and affection at an early age.  I’m shooting for ‘as confident as a movie star’.

It is true that Siberians are very dog-like.  Our first one, Novinka, fetches naturally.  I remember the first time I realized this was when my hairband fell off of the nightstand and he jumped off the bed and put it back on the nightstand.  Some of the kittens will retrieve a ball or toy 15 – 20 times to you without hesitation.   My kittens usually will kiss you on the nose, run to the door when you come home and lie on your neck when you sit on the couch.

My  cats are all FIV/FeLV negative.  Several of the  cats also have had echocardiograms done at Oregon State University and all get regular check ups at the clinic where I work. Fvrccp vaccines are done at about 8 weeks and 12 weeks.  Deworming is done twice by the time they leave. If they are 14 weeks or older, they will also receive a Rabies vaccine and certificate.  All kittens receive a 4 week check up and one right before they leave me again.
 
One thing that Tom Lundberg was doing in Siberian Research   (http://siberianresearch.com/ ) was tracking all known cases of HypertrophicCardioMyopathy and sudden deaths and educating breeders and pet owners of risks associated with specific lines so that these cats were pulled from breeding programs.  Hypertrophic Cardio Myopathy or HCM, urinary  problems, gum disease, and hereditary cancer can be a problem if breeders are unaware of what they are producing or don’t care.   These problems are accelerated by the practice of line-breeding which I feel is very unhealthy.  I make an effort to outcross my cats from the Starpoint lines (original American Siberians) with known-to-be healthy Russian lines.  I want my cats to be healthy in mind and  body.

The kittens can go home between 10 and 16 weeks of age, depending upon if they are getting picked up or being shipped and time of year.  I don’t have a set rule. If the kittens are 14-16 weeks I can happily spay or neuter if requested.  If the new owner sends in proof of spay or neuter from their vet I will send a TICA (The International Cat Association) limited registration form or “blue slip” so they can register the kitten in their name if they wish. I would like all of the kittens to be spayed or neutered by seven months of age.

Once the kittens are in your home I offer a 1 week trial with a full refund, less shipping.  I also offer after-sale phone or email support to help the transition from new kitten to adored family member.

We have asthma and cat allergies in the family, particularly in my daughter.  So I am able to say confidently – from watching my daughter  –  that many Siberians do not cause an allergic reaction in people.  I encourage allergy testing in my home before putting down a deposit if at all possible. This consists of hanging out with the cats for 2-3 hours.  I charge $50 for the visit, ask you to bring any medications and rescue inhaler and sign a release form.  This money can go toward the deposit of $100 to buy a kitten.