Buying A Siberian Kitten From A Breeder

[DotMatrix]

Beautiful! Where did you get your cat from?

Hi everyone I am new to this forum. I’m trying to find a reputable Siberian cat breeder. I live in the NY/NJ area but am having a hard time trying to find a blue Siberian AND a reputable breeder. A few questions:
1) what are your thoughts on having the cat shipped if a breeder is quite far away?
2) a breeder I was emailing with stated that she no longer shares the sales agreement on her site bc other cat breeders are copying it. So she is only sharing info from the sales agreement via email—not the actual document. Is this standard?
3) What is a standard amount to pay to be on a waitlist? Is it typically non refundable?
4) how should I expect to pay a breeder? Sometimes I see cash or a portion in cash which makes me nervous.
5) any recommendations on a reputable Siberian breeder in the NY/NJ area if you don’t recommend flying out and shipping the cat?

I’d really appreciate your help. I’ve been waiting to get a cat for so long!

Thanks so much.

 

[Boris Diamond]

Siberians are great cats. Here is my experience, D DotMatrix .


1) what are your thoughts on having the cat shipped if a breeder is quite far away? I don't want a cat to be shipped in the baggage compartment. There are too many unfortunate stories associated with this. I flew about 600 miles to get my last Siberian. It only cost me $100 more than having him shipped, and he rode under a seat in the passenger compartment. Many breeders will now deliver your cat for a fee because they don't want them riding in the baggage compartment, either.
2) a breeder I was emailing with stated that she no longer shares the sales agreement on her site bc other cat breeders are copying it. So she is only sharing info from the sales agreement via email—not the actual document. Is this standard? My breeder did not send me the agreement until I had agreed to purchase the cat and paid a holding fee, though she made sure I understood the conditions - no declawing, no Fiv/FeLV shot, neutering by a certain age, no keeping cat in cages, indoor only, etc.
3) What is a standard amount to pay to be on a waitlist? Is it typically non refundable? The wait lest fees I have seen are $100 to $300 for a cat costing $900 - $1000. Most have been refundable, but that was years ago. Things may have changed.
4) how should I expect to pay a breeder? Sometimes I see cash or a portion in cash which makes me nervous. My breeder wanted cash. I was from 300 miles away, and if my check or MO was not good, it could be very hard for her to get the cat back. I wan't comfortable with cash, but everything worked out well. My breeder, Reigning Cats, is a member of the CFA Siberian Breed Council and the Taiga Siberian Breed Club.
5) any recommendations on a reputable Siberian breeder in the NY/NJ area if you don’t recommend flying out and shipping the cat? My breeder was in MD, but when she retired from her regular job, she moved to Tampa, FL., quite a distance from you. I don't know any breeders in your area. Here is a link on how to choose a good breeder from the American Cat Fanciers Association.
http://www.acfacat.com/Articles/How to Find a Reputable Breeder.pdf


Good luck! I have been very happy with my Siberians, and I hope you will be too!

 

[Shikaslate]

Beautiful! Where did you get your cat from?
Hiya! I'm the original poster of this thread. I got my Siberian from Svetdanhaus in Lousiana.

1) what are your thoughts on having the cat shipped if a breeder is quite far away?
I'm in California and as I said prior, the breeder in Lousiana. We were originally going to fly her to us, but due to the summer heat, it could not be done. A lot of airlines don't have a pet service in the summer for safety reasons. I was actually relieved because even though I know people who had their puppies shipped to them this way, I was insanely nervous. So instead, we used a pet transportation service which drives your pet by road from A to B in the 48 contiguous states. The service is called Chelsea's Chariot. They're amazing and take amazing care of your cat throughout the trip. You can find them through their facebook page.

2) a breeder I was emailing with stated that she no longer shares the sales agreement on her site bc other cat breeders are copying it. So she is only sharing info from the sales agreement via email—not the actual document. Is this standard?
Most breeders I looked up and contacted had everything visible. Could either be an irrational annoyance or signs of shadiness. It sounds shady to me honestly. Trust your gut is my advice.

3) What is a standard amount to pay to be on a waitlist? Is it typically non refundable?
I second that $100 - $400 is around the typical waitlist amount and yeah it is usually non-refundable. According to some breeders, they do non-refundable waitlists now because so many people back out and buy a cat elsewhere so this shows you're committed.

4) how should I expect to pay a breeder? Sometimes I see cash or a portion in cash which makes me nervous.
I found that cash or money orders seems to be the usual payment options. I paid using money orders. I've never sent a money order before this, so it was nerve-wracking. I recommend paying for tracking information so you can see if they received it. Keep all the receipts too. Again, trust your gut especially in this case!

5) any recommendations on a reputable Siberian breeder in the NY/NJ area if you don’t recommend flying out and shipping the cat?
I've looked into quite a few breeders everywhere because we were desperate haha. The one with the policies I liked most was Forestwind Siberians in Buffalo, NY. I've also heard good things about Winterblue Siberians in CT and RocKaRan SiberKats in PA.

When we get a 2nd Siberian, we plan to look for breeders in surrounding states as opposed to anywhere in the US so we can just roadtrip there and avoid all the flight and transportation hassles.

Good luck - your blue Sib is out there waiting for you! Feel free to ask any more questions

 

[posiepurrs]

I know of 2 breeders in Massachusetts, but only remember one of the cattery names. However they do work together sharing so if one doesn't have something, the other may. If you want to check out her site I will post it if permitted, if not I can pm it to you. The owner is a CFA judge and a long time breeder of Turkish Angoras and Siberians.

 

[abyeb]

The best way to meet reputable breeders is to go to cat shows. That way, you can get to the breeders and interact with their cats. The breeders at shows put a lot of time and effort into their breeding programs, breeding their cats to standard, and spending the time and money to go to shows. I'll attach a link to the CFA and TICA show calendars.

Show Calendar

TICA Show Calendar