What to expect and ask for from Siberian Breeders.

1.You should have a guarantee that your kitten will be healthy. Kittens should be checked by a vet just before leaving and have their first and/or appropriate number of vaccinations. They should be guaranteed such that if a hereditary disease is discovered in the first 3-5 years of life, you will be entitled to a replacement kitten or refund if your cat dies from that disease.

2. You should have a guarantee that the kitten has the parents and pedigree stated. All kittens should be registered or eligible to be registered in TICA or CFA. Registration is available upon submitting proof the cat has been spayed or neutered.

3. You should inspect the cattery and visit your kitten before purchase. The cattery should be kept clean, and best is the situation where the cats live with the family in their home and the kittens are all socialized by living as part of a family.

4. You should have our guarantee that our adult cats have all been tested for FIV and FeLV and found negative. Cats should get regular worming, checking stool samples for parasites, checking for ringworm and be fed quality food. Look for catteries who do not buy or breed cats from lines known to have or carry hereditary disease such as PKD or HCM, no matter how prestigious the pedigree. There is no such thing as an HCM-free cattery, there are no DNA tests for Siberians for HCM, and disease usually does not show up on heart scans until the cats are older - sometimes past breeding age.  PKD is suspected to come only from very few lines and can be largely avoided as it can be tested for at a very early age. Cats with PKD should not be bred.

5. Siberian cats can be tested for level of allergen - if you are allergic, you should test with the adult cats at the cattery to see if they provoke allergies - also discuss having the adults tested for level of Fel d1.

7. All information on kittens should be fully disclosed - their healthy, growth record, eating and litter box habits, personality.