Ask yourself: ”Do I have time to take care of a cat”? A cat is not a toy, that you can take out of a closet when you want a hug. That little cat needs you every day, even when you are tired after the day's work and just want to rest. A cat needs your attention every day - many times a day. It will wait for you, and yes, it will miss you when you're gone, so a cat is not a suitable pet for a person who is always on the go. A cat is the pet for you if you have time for it, and are willing to look beyond the surface, to understand its nature.
The cat may very well be the world's most misunderstood animal and the assumption that cats are withdrawn, autonomous animals that like to be alone, is not accurate. If you try to understand a cat's needs and nature, and you are prepared to make it a full member in your family's everyday life, you will see the true nature of the cat, which doesn't include living a life of cowering under tables. The cat is a very sensible animal, that can sense your attitude towards it and will intuitively act accordingly.
If you've decided to have a cat as a pet, you have to choose whether you want a kitten or an adult cat? A kitten is more than just a cute little, furry thing. Kittens are at a cat's most active stage of life and may sometimes be so playful, that it can drive you nuts. Kittens can climb curtains, they can wake you from your sleep 3 times a night, or run over your full plate at dinner time. The early experiences of kittenhood determine what kind of adult cat a kitten will become, so there is a very big responsibility in caring for a kitten.
House cats and abyssinians do not differ only in appearence. They seem to do so in character too. You can learn about an abyssinian's nature by reading guidebooks on cats or visiting an abyssinian club's homepages, but keep in mind that every cat is an individual. Housecats are usually more placid and can seem to be quite lazy by nature compared to the average abyssinian.
The most important thing is to take your time and carefully choose the cattery you want your cat or kitten from. It is important that the kittens and queen are being cared for properly. Kittens should be living in a home environment and in such a way that they can participate in the family's everyday life without being isolated or caged.
KNOW WHAT KIND OF HOME YOUR KITTEN COMES FROM. Don't be a part
of or support unethical kittenmill breeding!
If a breeder claims your kitten is a pedigree cat, it will be sold with
the proper registration papers. If someone tries to
sell a cat as an abyssinian without proper paperwork, it may
be mixed breed kitten, or its parents may be sick or too closely
related.
SO BE RESPONSIBLE and make sure the breeder of your house cat or
pedigree cat takes proper care of ALL of his/her cats.
If something is not in order, do not buy a cat out of pity - no matter
how sweet or cute the kitten looks.
If you do, you only make the situation worse and add to the problem by
making "space" for new kittens being subjected to the same kind of care.
If you witness cruelty to cats or other animals, please contact animal cruelty officers or authorities in you region or country. Report the situation to the authorities, so that they are able to act and intervene when necessary.
SAY "NO!" TO CAGE BREEDING!
Both queens and toms live in a home enviroment as family pets. All cats selected for breeding must meet the breed standard in both appearance as well as character.
Cats used for breeding are tested for FeLV
(Feline Leukemia Virus) and
FiV
(Feline Immunodeficiency Virus). Their knees are tested in case of Patella
Luxatio and have PRA status test with PRA -test for rdAC
-mutation.
My breedingline is PK (Pyruvate kinenas) negative.
Cats used for breeding do not have or have not previously had navel
hernias and the males have a veterinarian's certificate stating that
both the testes are normal. All breeding cats' bloodtypes have been
defined and the queen is dewormed before pregnancy and will be dewormed
again when the kittens get their deworming at the age of 4 weeks.
The Bastian's cattery and it's cats are also tested negative for
Microsporum canis
Bastian's kittens live their first weeks in my bedroom/livingroom along with their mother. Somewhere around the kittens' first 2-4 weeks, the other cats in the household are let in from the other rooms to meet the new arrivals. The kittens take part of the family's everyday life. The kittens are handled many times per day so that they'll grow up to be open and trusting adults. The kittens leave for their new homes around age 14-16 weeks depending on their individual growth and development. At that point they will have been registreted with Fifé, dewormed 2-3 times and fully vaccinated.
The kittens and queen are fed as follows: 1/3 raw meat, 1/3 dry food and 1/3 moist food. As industrial dry foods, we use only good qualified products like Royal Canin, Acana, Orijen. For moist food, we use products by Animonda (Carny and Vom Feinstein), Almo Nature, Feline Porta and Schesir.
It is best to contact me well before a litter is born or sometimes even before the cats mate. I want to get to know prospective buyers well in advance before kittens can be reserved.
I always want to meet the kitten's new owner before making the
decision to sell the kitten to him/her if possible. I only sell kittens
to one owner, so the contract is made with only one person.
I don't ship kittens alone as cargo. In some cases, I will bring the
kitten to it's
new home. If the new home in these cases is outside of Finland, the
cost of the trip is paid by the new owner.
You are welcome to come and visit my cats in their home enviroment.
When we have kittens, you can come to see them after they are about 6-7
week old.
Before that, only people that the kittens' mother knows, can come to
visit.
Kittens will be sold as pets if a contract has not been made
for specifically using them for future breeding.
I rarely sell kittens for breeding.
BASTIAN'S KITTENS ARE NOT SOLD AS OUTDOOR CATS. Bastian's kittens must
be kept indoors and should only be taken outside supervised on a leash
or let into a outdoor enclosure suitable for cats.
Bastian's kittens will leave for their new homes usually at
the age of 14-15 weeks. It is very rare for a kitten to be ready for
its new
life at 12 weeks.
The kittens are registered with Fifé,
vaccinated and ready for new adventures.
Upon leaving, the
kitten will have with it a blanket with the cattery's familiar scents,
some food the kitten is used to, toys etc.
Kittens can miss their old home and siblings for a few days at first. The kitten might crying a bit when it's alone, but never isolate it at that time. Usually the kitten will calm down when it has settled in its new home and feels safe and loved. Isolating the kitten doesn't help in that situation.
I encourage new owners to feed kittens the same way they have
grown accustomed to for the first weeks, so there will not be too
many changes for the kitten at the same time. I am always happy to help
new owners find a suitable food for the cat.
Remember that how you feed your cat determines its health for better or
for worse!
You can do a LOT of damage
by feeding your cat the wrong way.
I like to follow my kittens' development, so the new owner
should be willing to let me know from time to
time how the cat is doing.
Whenever a new owner has
something to ask or
discuss, I'm glad to help.
Sincerely,
Kuu-Katjaana Salonen
FIN*Bastian's Abyssinians