GENERAL

WHAT IS YOUR FARM LIKE?

We are located in Fallbrook which is a rural community in San Diego County.  Our home is situated on 4 acres on top of a hill overlooking the Santa Margarita River.  The environment is very quiet and we enjoy growing all sorts of plants, flowers and vegetables.  We have a beautiful large facility to house my horse, our adult Abyssinians and our Collies at night.  The dogs enjoy a 1 acre yard with a beautiful grassy hill to play on and many trees.  The kitties all have access to indoor and outdoor rooms so they can enjoy fresh air and sunshine during the majority of the year.  Babies are all cared for in our home in a nursery room we have set up there. 

WHAT IS THE TYPICAL DAY LIKE ON THE FARM?

Both of us work full time jobs so balancing everything can be a challenge!  The typical weekday starts with 2 hours spent caring for the babies in the nursery and then cleaning up after and feeding the horse, adult cats and Collies.  After that, we are at work during business hours and sometimes beyond, depending on whether or not work appointments took us out of town for the day.  Evening chores are next on the list and we generally get in around 8 or 9pm for dinner.  Any outstanding email inquiries from the day are answered after dinner and before bed.  Weekends involve the usual chores coupled with preparing for and attending shows as well as catching up on the gardening. 

CAN WE VISIT THE FARM TO SEE THE ANIMALS?

We get this request often as there are many people who would like to spend recreation time with our furry children in beautiful Fallbrook.  Unfortunately, our schedule does not permit casual visits and our home is not open to the public. 

WHY SHOULD WE CONSIDER ADOPTING A PUREBRED PET INSTEAD OF "RESCUING" AN ANIMAL IN NEED?

While adopting an animal in need is certainly a noble thing to do and is currently in vogue, it is not the right choice for everyone.  Adopting a purebred pet enables you to choose the breed that best suits your lifestyle, family dynamics and temperament.  Working with a responsible breeder enables you to obtain an animal with a health guarantee that has been thoughtfully and carefully socialized to bring joy to your family and/or to fulfill your goals for any activities that may interest you (ie showing, agility, obedience, herding or just a great family pet).  Responsible breeders also adhere to practices to limit exposure to disease so that you can be assured of bringing home a young animal that has not been exposed to some of the more devastating contagious diseases.  Unfortunately due to the nature of most animal shelters, there is no way to control the introduction of and exposure to any and all forms of viral, bacterial and fungal diseases.  In addition, shelter animals may or may not have been well socialized and may also have had some trauma in their lives.  A shelter pet adopting family will not be able to reliably predict the behavior and abilities of the pet they are adopting.  With all that said, shelter and rescue pets can be and often are wonderful animals for the right family who is willing to accept them for who they are and are not. 

Most Abys are very good with kind children and readily accept gentle dogs.   There are always exceptions to the rule but in general this is a characteristic we have seen in our kittens.

CAN ABYS LEARN TRICKS AND TO WALK ON A LEASH?

Yes!  We have had many families share stories about their talented kittens and many do accept a leash without problem.

CAN ABYS BE ALLOWED OUTSIDE?

While Abys do enjoy access to the outdoors, we do not recommend allowing your cat outside unless on a leash or within a secure enclosure.  It is well documented that outdoor cats live shorter lives due to exposure to diseases and risks of attack from wildlife, other cats and dogs, not to mention auto accidents and theft.  There are a multitude of options on the market for constructing outdoor enclosures depending on the design of your home and property.  Our enclosures feature real trees and plants, cedarwood climbing trees, baskets for sunning, misters and access to shade as well as sun. 

DO PUREBRED CATS HAVE MORE MEDICAL ISSUES THEN MIXED BREED OR RANDOM BRED CATS?

The simple answer to this is No.  In Cat Fancy magazine Sharon Eisen DVM of the Complete Cat Clinic in Connecticut states:  "I see both purebred and mixed breed cats in my practice and I see no difference in the incidence of major medical issues".  Vicki Thayer DVM of the Winn Feline Foundation states "Overall I would say that pedigreed cats don't have more medical issues then mixed-breed cats.  If you balance out all the potential medical problems, if they come from catteries that practice good breeding policies, it's about even.  Pedigreed cats may have more specific genetic diseases that are significant and these are notable catching the attention of cat owners and vets."   Joan Miller of the CFA points out that "there have been no health studies on random bred cats, wheras many studies have been done on purebred cats.  Because of these studies, much more is understood about the purebred cat and more can be done to eliminate these medical problems."  (quotes from an article in Cats USA 2011 annual issue).  

WHAT HEALTH ISSUES DO WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF?

 Beyond the normal things cats can run into (ie viral diseases, bacterial infections, etc) Abys can have 2 genetic blood disorders and one eye disorder.  Pyruvate Kinase deficiency (PK) can cause a form of anemia.  Not all affected cats will show symptoms and carriers of PK do not exhibit the disease but should not be bred to other carriers.  Fortunately this disease can be detected through a DNA test so we can clear our breeding cats before adding them to a breeding program.  Osmootic Fragility is another anemia type of disease for which there is currently no test.  Abys can also carry PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) which can cause blindness.  This genetic disorder now has a DNA test available and we test all our adult cats to insure we are not passing along this gene.  More commonly, Abys tend to have trouble with gum and tooth disease.  You will need to plan to provide regular dental care to insure against serious gum disease and tooth loss.  Like many purebred cats, some Abys can have sensitive digestive systems.  While many Abys have normal stools no matter what they eat, some Abys will have loose stools due to stress or intolerance for certain foods. 

WHAT FOOD DO YOU FEED?

We are currently feeding a raw diet to our adult cats as we have found it to be best from an overall health and digestive perspective.  All our cats do well on this diet, where we have found that some cats are not able to digest dry foods and some canned foods.  We are feeding Nature's Variety raw frozen chicken and The Honest Kitchen "Prowl" dehydrated raw cat food.  For folks who want to feed a more traditional diet, we recommend only premium whole ingredient foods.  The best brands we have used are:  Innova, Wellness, Chicken Soup for Kitten Lovers, Natures Variety, Premium Edge and Natural Balance. 

DO YOU PROVIDE A HEALTH GUARANTEE?

Yes, this is an important part of what is included when you purchase a kitten from us.  We guarantee that your kitten is healthy when you pick it up from us and we will replace the kitten or refund your purchase price if a congenital or genetic disease presents itself during the kitten’s first year, or if an illness presents itself within 7 days after you take your kitty home.  Fortunately this type of situation is rare, but despite all efforts to breed and raise only healthy cats and kittens, genetic and congenital issues can still occur and health issues that are not apparent at pick up time can occasionally crop up.  This is why a guarantee is provided. 

DO YOU SPAY/NEUTER KITTENS BEFORE THEY GO TO NEW HOMES?

No.  Our veterinarians do not recommend early spay and neuter.  Most vets suggest 4 to 6 months as the ideal age for spaying and neutering.  All pet kittens are sold with a spay/neuter requirement. 

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A POTENTIAL HOME FOR AN ABY?

We look for families that are interested in an active, intelligent cat and can provide attention and a healthy indoor environment.  Access to a secure outdoor enclosure is a bonus.  A sense of humor and tolerance for interference in your daily activities helps!  On a personal note, since our kitty adopting families become part of our extended family, we prefer to work with folks who have an appreciation for what we do and are pleasant to work with.  This is a labor of love for us and the motivating factor is the happiness we are able to bring to other families through our precious little kittens.  Everything we do is intended to provide our adopting families with healthy, well socialized kittens that will bring joy into your home.  If we feel that we can not meet your needs or that there is any issue that will make a working relationship difficult, we have no problem referring you to someone who may better meet your needs. 

I HAVE AN OLDER CAT FOR WHOM I WANT TO ACQUIRE A KITTEN FRIEND.  IS THIS A GOOD IDEA? 

Very few adult cats jump for joy initially if you bring a new cat into the home.  I have found that it is harder for adult cats to accept another adult – kittens are at the outset more compliant and have no dominance issues or baggage – however, kittens do like to play and the older cat may become the target of too many play attempts.  Depending on your cat and your situation, it may be a better plan to adopt 2 kittens so that they will play with each other and not focus so much on the older cat.  Here is what you should consider before deciding to adopt another kitten:

1.   Is your older cat having any health issues?  If so, I would not add a cat or kitten to the home as the stress could exacerbate health issues in your older cat.

2.   Is your older cat normally pretty easy going with other pets and cats?  If so, you have a good chance that things will eventually go ok. If not, you will likely have a very put out cat for a very long time.

3.    How much does your cat like to play – and play rough?  A kitten or young cat will want to play a lot and if he or she does not have a same age playmate, your older cat will be the target.  This may not go over well and may cause stress for the older cat.

4.  Gender is something to consider as well.  Normally we recommend boy/girl or boy/boy combos as girls can tend to be more territorial with each other.

I AM INTERESTED IN ADOPTING AN ADULT CAT.  DO YOU PLACE YOUR RETIRED GIRLS AND BOYS?

We occasionally do have retired adults to place in the right home, check with us for availability.  If you are interested in an adult, we suggest you check out Southern California Aby Rescue (there is a link to them on my helpful links page).  There are many needy Abys available these days, some with special needs and many who just simply need a loving home.  

I AM INTERESTED IN SHOWING MY KITTEN, WHAT IS INVOLVED IN ACQUIRING A SHOW PROSPECT?

Many of the pet kittens we place are show quality and can be shown in the altered cats division.  We don't charge more for pet kittens who will also be shown, but we are not able to guarantee show quality or potential at the time of reservation as our kittens are usually reserved at a very young age.  While we do our best to provide a kitten with show potential when asked, since we are not able to provide a guarantee beyond health and pet qualities, if you are serious about showing we recommend working with a breeder that has more of a focus on showing.

I AM INTERESTED IN BREEDING, WILL YOU SELL ME A BREEDING CAT?

We do not customarily sell our kittens for breeding with the exception of to established breeders with whom we are familiar.  All pet kittens are sold with spay/neuter requirement and restricted papers. 

I AM INTERESTED IN BREEDING MY CAT, WILL YOU MAKE YOUR CATS AVAILABLE AT STUD?

No.  We are a closed cattery and do not accept any outside cats into our facilities. 

WHAT PRACTICES DO YOU USE TO PREVENT DISEASE IN YOUR CATTERY?

We take a very aggressive approach to managing disease prevention.  Our facilities are disinfected weekly with bleach and a hospital grade antibacterial/antiviral/antifungal agent.  Kittens are kept separate from adult cats and all cats are vaccinated annually.  Show cats are sent out to a separate facility for one week prior and one week after the show and are given a ringworm preventative.  New cats are added to the cattery only after a 3 week isolation period at a separate facility with ringworm preventative.  No outside cats are accepted for breeding.  No visitors are allowed into the nursery and kittens can not be handled by anyone other then ourselves until they have had at least one vaccination. 

DO YOU ALLOW VISITS TO YOUR CATTERY?

Visits are limited to appointments to pick up reserved kittens for many reasons including:

• Available time – full time jobs, training classes, shows and animal care take up most of our time.  Any available time we have is generally dedicated to accommodate pick up of kittens by families who have reserved them with a deposit.  We make every effort to find a convenient time for kitten pickup when the time comes.  Appointments are generally set for weekday evenings and some weekdays, weekends are generally more difficult due to shows but we do the best we can to accomodate schedules.
• Disease prevention – since many diseases can be brought in on the shoes and clothing of humans, allowing visitors includes an element of risk.  Limiting this risk is a part of our disease prevention practice.  For health risk prevention reasons, kittens under 6 weeks of age are not allowed to be handled by visitors and we never allow visitors into our nursery. 
• Security – our cattery is a part of our home.  Unfortunately there are people who use a visit as a means to scope out homes for theft, vandalism and animal activism /terrorism.  Our home is not open to the public and it is important for us to be discriminating about who we allow into our home.  Visits are limited to folks picking up a reserved kitten. 

HOW DOES YOUR KITTEN RESERVATION PROCESS WORK?

Since we have a fairly active waiting list for our kittens, most of our babies are reserved well before they are ready to go to new homes.   Although we occasionally have an unreserved older kitten available, this has been the exception.  For folks who would like to be assured of a kitten of the color and gender they prefer, we accept deposits on specific kittens after they are born.  Reservations are done on a first deposit recieved, first reserved basis.   If we have more than one of the color and gender you have reserved than you can select your kitten based on the order in which we recieved your deposit (ie first deposit, first pick, etc).  Deposits are $200 and are applied to the purchase price of the kitten.  Since we turn away other inquiring families to honor our reservations, deposits are non refundable UNLESS we are unable to provide a healthy kitten of the color and gender reserved.  The balance of the purchase price is due when kittens are picked up or before shipped.  If a deposited customer chooses not to accept a reserved kitten, the deposit may be applied to a future litter.  If a deposited customer can not pick up their kitten when it is ready, arrangements for us to keep the kitten longer must be made well in advance.  The full purchase price of the kitten must be paid at the time the kitten is ready to go and a boarding fee will be charged for any weeks past the ready date.

HOW DOES YOUR WAIT LIST WORK?