CATREBA SIBERIAN CATS

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When looking for a kitten, you should expect to be asked many questions about your family, other pets and circumstances.  This is so the breeder can assure themselves you are prepared for, accept and understand the responsibilities  involved in looking after a Siberian kitten.  In the same way, breeders will not mind and will expect you to ask questions of them too.  Be wary if this is not the case.

If you are buying a pedigree kitten, no reputable breeder will allow a kitten to leave their home before they are 12 to 14 weeks old. Be very suspicious of any breeder who will allow you to take home a kitten unvaccinated at less than 12 weeks old.  

Socialisation for all kittens is important.  From my personal experience, this appears to be particularly important with Siberian kittens as  I have found that Siberian kittens still have an inbred instinct to flee and hide from anything they perceive as danger. This would have been essential behaviour for survival.  They need to be handled continually and introduced as early as possible to every kind of experience they are likely to be exposed to with their new family. However, when correctly socialised they are the most enchanting, loyal and loving cat you could ever wish to own.

As young kittens need companionship to continue their socialisation, they should not be left alone.  Are you able to be home for all or part of the day?  If not, you need to consider whether a young kitten is right for you. An older kitten, adult or two kittens would be a solution in such a situation. Young children can unintentionally hurt a small kitten, it is therefore important to ensure that small children are supervised at all times when introducing a young kitten to your home. 

A kitten should be fully vaccinated and free from parasites.  A veterinary health check for parasites and contagious disease is generally carried out at the time of vaccinations.  A reputable breeder will guarantee a kitten against any veterinary diagnosed illness present at time of purchase. 

All breeds can carry genetic diseases and Siberians are no exception. It is prudent to ask the breeder about hereditary diseases. Is the breeder screening for these diseases? Will the breeder guarantee the kittens against genetic illnesses? In view of on going research showing that some Siberian lines carry Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and Polycistic Kidney Disease (PKD,) I am screening my Siberians and breeding from negative cats or lines known to be free of carriers.

Catreba kittens are born in my bedroom, usually in a ready made nest, (ocassionally on the bed) where they stay until they start crawling, with Siberians around 2 to 3 weeks, when they are then taken down stairs with mum and placed in a large pen where mum has free 24 hour access to them and can come and go at will.  In this pen the kittens can eat and play without being disturbed by older cats and grandchildren.  By four weeks they have learned how to use the litter tray.  From the safety of the pen they see and hear the comings and goings of the house.  Under supervision, they are given regular play time out of the pen.  At 8 to 9 weeks they have grown and developed enough to no longer need the security of a pen and live entirely as part of the family until the time they leave for their new home. TOP

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