Frequently Asked Questions
Below are questions I have been asked in the past. I compiled a list of the most asked questions so hopefully I can save you some time. I consider this a work in progress and will add to it as more questions come along.
1. What are the kittens priced at? Kittens listed as pet quality are $400. If you purchase more than one there is a $50 discount.
2. Do you ship kittens? Yes. Northwest/Delta airlines offers pet transport as cargo. There are temperature limitations on shipping, but prices start at $200. Additional charges are: Carrier $30, Health certificate/vet inspection/state required vaccinations, $60.
3. You mention you will drive to meet people wanting kittens. How far will you drive? Up to one hour from Pontotoc, MS free of charge.
a.) Mississippi? I saw an ad that said you were in another state. - yes someone thought it would be fun to put a bunch of fake advertisements on free websites selling pets listing my cattery in different states. I have tried to remove those ads, but they seem to pop up from time to time.
4. Are your kittens raised under foot? Yes. When kittens are weaned they are moved into the house and we start litter box training and also scratching post training. We spend hours daily with our kittens playing, grooming and preparing them for a new home.
5. Do you allow visitors to your cattery? Yes. Only by appointment and not just to "visit and play with the kittens." We are not a petting zoo and do not have retail store hours. You will be coming into our home, so please respect the fact that we have lives outside of raising cats, and just like your time, our time is valuable too. We won't waste your time, so please don't waste ours.
6. How old do you release kittens? 12 weeks of age.
7. What vaccinations do you administer? By the time they are released, they will have two sets of shots (Rhino, Pan, Calci). Also they will be wormed and vet inspected.
8. Do you offer a guarantee? Yes. All kittens sell with a 3 year congenial health guarantee.
9. Do you test your cats for HCM? Yes. We use DNA testing provided through Washington State University and Cat Genes USA.
10. Do you test your breeding cats for anything else? Yes. Feline Leukemia and PKD.
11. I've never owned a kitten before, what things will I need to purchase? A litter box, a scratching post or board, a pet bed, water and food bowls.
12. What food do you feed your kittens? Royal Canin Pro Kitten 36. You can purchase this at Pet's Mart, Petco and other pet speciality stores.
13. What litter do you recommend? Any clay based clumping cat litter. There have been studies done on what cat prefer to use, and it was always clay based litter. There is a lot of information about these studies provided on the Internet.
14. Do you sell your kittens already altered (spay/neuter)? No. We tried this with a couple of litters of kittens in the past and didn't have a good experience. Instead kittens are sold unaltered and the buyer can have them altered at anytime from 12 weeks to 12 months.
15. I don't want a male kitten. I heard they spray, right? I get this question a lot. Actually both male and female cats can spray when they are sexually active. This isn't a problem if you get your kitten altered before they reach sexual maturity. The age for that varies from cat to cat, (as early as 6 months)so the earlier you get it done the less chance you have for spraying.
16. What sex of kitten makes the best pet? A good question and one I get a lot too. The answer depends on what you are looking for in a pet. Females have a tendency to pick a member of the family to bond to and play favorites with only that person. Males usually love everyone equally. Of course this varies from cat to cat, so its just a general guideline. Also males are larger than females (especially once neutered) and can reach up to 30 lbs. Females average 11-15 lbs.
17. I am looking to purchase a kitten for my (girlfriend, wife, child, etc.) as a surprise gift. - Not a good idea. Pets in general do not make good surprise presents. Its like giving someone a new car and telling them to make the payments. Its not fair to the person receiving the gift, and not to the kitten. Cats can live 12+ years and need attention, food, shelter, love, etc. and this spells additional money and a lot of time. Talk to the person you want to purchase a kitten for and make sure its something they want and are willing to commit to.
18. Can I get my kitten declawed? Yes. We prefer that you do this as only a last resort. Cats and kittens need to scratch, so make sure you are providing them with a scratching post or scratching box. We work with all of our kittens to scratch only designated items, but we can not control what happens when they leave our home. We can however help you if you are having a problem with some training tips. etc.
19. I have small children and want to buy them a ragdoll to grow up with. Not a good idea. Very young children should not be left unattended with any pet. Toddlers and babies do not have good control of their arms and legs and are also dealing with balance issues. They can severely hurt a kitten and even get hurt themselves from roughly handling kittens. Its normal for a kitten to protect themselves with their claws and teeth...so wait till your children are older and know how to treat an animal.
20. Do you sell breeder Ragdolls? Yes, however only to established catteries. If you are interested in breeding ragdolls, and want to know how to get started, go to www.rfci.com You will need a mentor to get started and CFA has a program to get you set up and on the right track. Go to www.cfa.org
21. Wow, you sell kittens for $400, there must be money in raising kittens, right? No. I wish I could say yes, but there are a lot of expenses that come with raising cats. Medical, show, food, toys,litter, housing etc. It all adds up. I have yet to make a profit from raising cats. So, I advise people who want to breed, to do a lot of research so you aren't disappointed. I do this because I love the cats and raising kittens.
22. Do you sell show quality kittens? Yes. Sometimes we are lucky enough to get several kittens that are worthy of showing and some of those are offered to the public.
23. Do you offer stud service? No. We do not allow any outside cats into the cattery.
24. What registration does my kitten come with? Either CFA or TICA depending on the parents
25. Do you offer mink ragdolls? Yes
26. Are mink ragdolls real ragdolls? Yes. What makes mink ragdolls unique from the standard ragdolls is they are born with full color. (standard ragdolls are born white and start to develop their color by day 10) They also have aqua colored eyes (standard ragdolls have blue eyes) and their body color is a light brown on cream. Their coats feel no different that a normal ragdoll.
27. Do ragdolls shed? Yes. Every animal (including humans) shed. Ragdolls just shed less than a normal long haired cats such as a persian.
28. I heard ragdolls are hypoallergenic. Its that true? No.
29. I heard that the ragdoll breed is like a dog in personality. Is that true? Every cat is an individual, but yes most ragdolls have the personality of a dog. They are happy to see you and want to spend time with you. They like to play (Ashley play's fetch with show laces) and some even swim. Yep, I said swim. Pickles and Cecila both think they help me around the house. Pickles helps me with my sculpting (who says cat hair doesn't add character) and Cecilia will keep my lap warm while on the computer.
30. Do you recommend letting the kittens outside? No. Always and forever, no. I have heard horror stories of people allowing their cats out just for a few minutes because they were dying to get outside and watch the birds. Either the cats were lost, never to be seen again or ran over, or killed by a neighbor's dog. Please do not make this mistake. Keep your cats inside.
31. I have alot of breakable collectibles. Will the cats climb on my curio cabinets? Usually ragdolls like to keep their feet on the ground. The do enjoy sleeping on the couch or in a cat tree, but they are not inclined to jump on your cabinets, entertainment centers or curtains. There are always exceptions, but in general ragdolls like being closer to the ground.
32. I have an older cat and would like to buy a kitten for him/her to have as a friend. Is this a good idea? Usually not. Females especially, are teritorial and do not like having a new spry kitten jumping around bugging them and messing up the order of their household. Males can be the same way. If you want to pair up your cat however and you know they do like other cats/kittens its best to match up males with females and vise versa. Female/female usually doesn't work well unless they are sisters or were raised together.
33. I saw a kitten on your website and want you to hold them for me. What do I need to do? Only a deposit in hand will hold a kitten for you. You need to contact me (Danisjumpers@aol.com) and let me know your intentions. I'll email you a contact and give you information on how to reserve a kitten.
34. I would like to raise a litter of ragdolls just to enjoy the kittens and teach my children about reproduction. Can I buy a pet quality ragdoll and get her bred so I can share this with my kids? Sorry. I wouldn't be doing the ragdoll world any good selling by you a bred pet quality cat. There are tons of unwanted pets in this world. Just check with your local animal shelter to see what is happening right in your own neighborhood.
a. I would just raise the kittens and give them to family members. It wouldn't be like I was selling them. Sorry, the answer is still no. I would not be doing my job as a responsible breeder and there is a chance you will be adding to the unwanted pet population. If you are serious about breeding and want to look into starting a cattery and raising Ragdolls I am more than happy to point you in the right direction.
35. Do you accept Credit Cards? Yes, but only thought PayPal.
