What do I need to do to adopt a Harvest Hill kitten? After kittens are born, I will wait a few days to make sure they are all growing and doing good before I will take deposits on the kittens. After you have chosen the kitten you would like to adopt, I will need to have a non-refundable deposit to hold it for you. I prefer PayPal, as it is super fast and you can choose your preferred form of payment. (You do NOT need a Paypal account to send a deposit) PayPal deposits are $104. You are also welcome to send a personal check or money order for $100 for the deposit. I will also have you copy off my pet contract and fill in your info and send it to me. Make sure you thoroughly read it and agree with it. I will update pictures on my available kittens page and my Himalayans Facebook page as often as I get a chance for you to see your kitten growing. When the kitten is 12 weeks old it will be ready for it’s new home.
Do you accept payments? Yes, the kitten will stay here at Harvest Hill until fully paid for. ( An extended payment plan that goes past the kitten’s age of 12 weeks, will require an additional sum to cover extra food and vet expenses.) Payments are non-refundable, so be sure you want the kitten and plan to follow through. Exceptions would be if I choose not to sell or wasn’t able to provide the kitten, then I would return any money paid.
Do you ship your kittens? NO! Due to the new USDA/APHIS rule, I will not be shipping any kittens. Since I have 5 female breeding cats, to stay within their guidelines, I have to meet people face-to-face when selling kittens. So you are welcome to pick them up here locally, or I would be willing to deliver or meet part way (within reasonable distance and for an additional fee) Or I have had people fly into the nearest airport (Denver or Wichita), rent a car and meet me part way. The nearest airports are 4-5 hours (one way) from me. You can read more about the USDA/APHIS rule on The Cat Fanciers’ Association’s website. http://www.cfainc.org/
Do you have a waiting list? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Waiting lists are the one thing that I dislike most, because they really complicate things and slow the process down, but everyone wants to be on it. I have had 40 people on the list at a time and that makes it almost impossible to individually contact people one at a time, wait for a response then go to the next person. So from now on I will put you on my list if you are interested. I will list my available kittens on my website and Facebook page and let anyone that is on my waiting list have first chance at them. After a week or two, if there are any kittens still available I will make them available to anyone interested and advertise on other online places. So if you see a kitten that is listed as AVAILABLE, just contact me asap.-l
Do you provide extra services like spay/neuter, health certificates? Yes, if kitten is old enough. My vet has very reasonably priced services. Health certificates are available to anyone wanting one for $35. If the kitten is sold out of the state of Kansas, the health certificate is a requirement. I will usually have that figured into the price of the kitten.
Do you sell your cats with breeding rights? Most of my kittens are sold with a spay/neuter contract, stating that they have to be fixed before the age of 6 months. Occasionally I may sell breeding rights for an additional price, to a small cattery or individual who has a registered cattery name with CFA. I will also not sell kittens to the same area where I have other breeder friends with cats from my cattery. If you are interested, please email me.
Do you declaw your cats? NO! Scratching is a natural part of a cat’s life and they need to do it. Provide them with cat appropriate scratching surfaces and encourage them to use it. I start my kitties on a scratching post a very young age, and I don’t usually have any problems with them trying other things. Spray catnip on the post and place lots of fun toys around the area. It will become a fun, welcoming place to be. If you do have problems with your cat scratching other places, there are many things that you can try to retrain them. There is a lot of info on the web, just do a search for lots of ideas.
Do you allow your cats outside? No! There are too many risks to a cat when let outside. Even though we live in the country and don’t have traffic, it is still not safe for cats. We don’t have outdoor cats, but there are quite often strays that wonder through, so to me it is not worth the risk of them picking up some sickness or disease. . My kitties are all pampered and live the good life indoors with heat and air conditioning and a nice cushy bed.
Do I have to sign a contract? Yes! I will only sell a kitten with a signed contract. It is for your protection as well as mine. That way we both know exactly what is expected before the kitten is sold. Whether you are buying a kitten for a pet or with breeding rights, make sure you agree with the contract and intend to follow it. I do have the right as the breeder to refuse sale of any kitten, at any time, for any reason.
Why are you asking me personal questions?I want to know that every kitten I sell goes to a good loving, forever home. I will probably ask you if you have children and their ages, other pets, and if so what kind and how many, the kind of home you could provide for the kitty, have you ever owned long haired cats before, and others. If you are going to inquire about a kitten, you could put that info into your email and anything else that you may think is important, and save some time of me having to ask it. Let me know what kind of kitten you are looking for, whether a boy or girl, or certain color. If you want a certain personality, let me know that too. I try my best to match the kitten with the right home. My personal opinion is that a neutered male makes the best, most loving pet.
Are you registered? Yes, in several ways. My cattery name Harvest Hill is registered with CFA, and every cat that I have is registered with them. I am also registered with The Kansas Animal Health Department and have a Hobby License. With that, I am able to sell up to 5 litters of kittens a year. The state inspector comes and does a premise inspection once or twice a year. I am also required to have all my cats inspected by my vet yearly, so she comes here to my house and does a health check of every cat and kitten. She also does the CFA Approved Cattery Environment Program inspection. (Thank you Dr. Jacey, you are a wonderful vet, and I appreciate all you have done. And thanks to everyone that works at the vet’s office; you all help keep all my cats happy and healthy.)
Why don’t you sell your kittens at 6-8 weeks of age? Why do I have to wait until they are 12 weeks old to get them? I have had several people ask me this, or some almost insist that they want a very young kitten. It is illegal in all 50 states to sell a kitten before the age of 8 weeks. They really are not ready until they are 12 weeks and I have had a few kittens that still weren’t ready until even older. My kittens are very important to me, and I will keep them as long as I think they need to make sure they are ready for their new homes. Trust me, you do NOT want a kitten that is not ready. Here is a link with lots of information about it, they can explain it much better then I can. http://www.breedlist.com/faq/young.html
Do the cats shed? Do your cats need groomed? Yes and yes!!! All my cats are long haired, they shed and they will need combed!!! As kittens they don’t shed much yet or need groomed often, but as they get older and their adult coats come in, many cats will need combed daily, while others only need it weekly. It would be good to start a daily habit with them, to keep their fur in good condition and prevent any mats from starting. Cats often get mats when their fur gets oily, so a good bath will really help. Just make sure you comb them out well before the bath or mats will get tighter.
Do your cats need their eyes wiped? Because Persian / Himalayans have larger eyes and flatter faces, it is very common for them to have more tearing then other breeds. Daily eye wiping is necessary for many cats. Every kitten is different, and even kittens within the same litter will be different. A warm damp cloth works great for daily cleaning, or there are many products online or at pet supply stores that should work also.
Do you allow visitors to come to your cattery? We at Harvest Hill have given a lot of thought to the question of whether or not to allow people to visit the kitties here at our home. In the past, we have allowed people to come and see the kittens and cats and check out how their new kitty has been raised. It was a great time, and I enjoyed visiting with each of you that have been here, but with the changing times, info I have read on other breeders’ websites, and especially info passed on to me from my animal health inspector, (more about that below) sadly, we feel for the safety of our family and cats, we can no longer allow customers to come to our house.
The physical safety of my family will always come first, they are everything to me and it is my job to keep them safe. I know that most people are honest and have good intentions, but there are the rare few as in this case. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbie_Jo_Stinnett or this case. http://www.kwch.com/content/news/Assaria-dog-breeder-killed-authorities-asking-for-information–384756651.html
Next is the safety of my cats and kittens. There have been reports of stolen animals from people posing as customers, and even those who intend harm to the cats and kittens. (I talked to a breeder that had someone come to her house when she was not home and let all her Persian/Himalayans outside and she lost several of them.) Visitors can also unknowingly bring in viruses and diseases that can potentially be fatal to the cats or cause sickness to spread through the whole cattery. I can’t even imagine what would take place if that were to happen, and it is just not worth it.
So, I will try to take plenty of pictures as the kittens grow, and occasionally I will get a video or two when my computer and camera cooperate and will allow it. : ) I will always provide info about which cats are the parents and give my best description of the kitties both in looks and personalities. You are also always welcome to ask any questions you have and I will do my best to give you a complete, honest answer. My cattery is inspected 2-3 times a year by a licensed veterinarian and the Kansas Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health. I also go one step farther and every year since 2012 I have had my vet do an optional Cattery Environment Inspection for CFA and each year I have gotten their Cattery Of Excellence Certificate, which is the highest rating.
After talking with the Kansas Animal Health Inspector, (while they were here at my house doing the annual inspection) they said that they would never allow someone to come to their home, and suggested that I do the same for safety reasons. One of their breeders (that they inspect) was just recently murdered in her home, they think from someone posing as a customer. The case is listed above on the second link.
That is very horrifying, scary news to all of us that try our hardest to raise sweet, social, lovable animals that will be wonderful, forever pets for many of you reading this. I hope that everyone will understand our decision on this matter, and there may be a time where I loose a customer because of it, but at least I know that I am doing everything in my power to keep my family and cats safe. We have also added a surveillance system to our farm for additional security.
Wishing you and all your loved ones, human and four legged, a safe, beautiful and blessed day. Karen from Harvest Hill
If you have any other questions not answered here, please send me an email. Thanks. himalayans@live.com
Harvest Hill Himalayans & Persians 