An adorable Everpaw Exotic Longhair kitten living with a new loving family in MN.
About the Cattery:
When I say I am a very small cattery I mean it. I only breed Exotics! I am in love with this breed and invest all my time and effort to producing the best quality, sound, and healthy cats with amazing temperaments for my hobby of showing them at prestigious cat shows around the country. I am particularly focused on breeding Silver Tabbies/Smokes, but I will typically have a large range of kitten colors and patterns available! Some kittens posted on my social media and website may not be available.
I have only 1-2 breeding males at a time and I limit my breeding Queens to one litter per year, creating small litters of wonderful quality. This effort ensures I am meeting my primary goal to enhance the standard of the breed, taking great care that each kitten receives the attention, care, and love they deserve. My cats are raised inside our spacious home and they are never allowed to go outside. My in-home cattery includes a large living space with a privacy room plus a nursery for the kittens. My cattery offers plenty of natural light, fresh air, and is temperature controlled. Because I take the health and safety of our cats and kittens very seriously, the cattery is cleaned and sanitized from top to bottom every day. I also go above and beyond what most Exotic breeders do for health testing, I run extra tests to establish that my cats are healthy enough to breed and to ensure the imported lines we are using are also healthy I run HCM scans before they are bred to make sure they have healthy hearts. I have spent countless hours researching my lines and pedigrees to ensure all my lines are HEALTHY!
About US:
We (myself, husband and children) are California natives that now reside in Minneapolis, MN where we have lived since 2017. We have owned and cared for cats for over 45 years and have a host of knowledge and experience with many different breeds of cats. We have also bred horses, dogs, birds, and fish!
More Details:
I show my cats at various CFA, TICA, and ACFA approved cat shows throughout the year in order to improve my program and to show the world our beautiful cats and let them impress the judges in the ring. If you see me at a show please feel free to come introduce yourself and see my gorgeous Exotic Shorthairs in person!
My Sires and Queens are all DNA tested and are NEGATIVE for PKD, FIV, and FELV. Additionally, they come from lines free of those diseases. I have taken great care to make sure I am enhancing the standards of the Exotic breed as I strive to create sound, healthy, happy, beautiful exotic shorthair and longhair kittens. (Imported lines get an additional round of testing via HCM scans from licensed Veterinary Cardiologists to ensure I am providing the GOLD STANDARD in my breeding program)
Shout Outs:
I want to give a special thank you to Lisa Thostenson of Purrtopia Exotics and Diane Wagner of Vareda Persians for their mentorship and assistance with getting me started with our breeding program and with showing my beautiful Exotics at cat shows. I also want to thank Janet and Carissa Altschul of Cacao Cattery and Cary Plummer with Stars R Us cattery for helping me get started with my Silver Tabby/Smoke program.
Here is a brief summary of how we raise our kittens:
· As soon as I know one of my Queens is pregnant (usually around day 21 of pregnancy) she gets placed in a maternity suite to keep her and the unborn kittens safe and so we can monitor her food and water intake as well as her litter box habits.
· When the kittens are born (around 65 days of pregnancy) they will stay in the birthing suite with their mother for the first few days until I know they are all nursing and gaining weight.
· Once I'm confident that they are gaining the proper amount of weight, mom and kittens are moved into a large kitten suite. This space is kept dimly lit and quiet so mom feels secure knowing her kittens are safe and so she can get some much needed rest.
· When the kittens are about three-four weeks old, they venture out of the birthing box and explore their area and get introduced to solid foods.
· At four-five weeks old, the kittens start to use the litter box, are eating solid food, and are drinking water. This is also the time when they get their nails trimmed, first bath and blow dry (with a hand held dryer), and first pictures taken.
· Between five and eight weeks old, kittens will be gaining proficiency with using the litter box, eating dry and wet food, playing with toys and using a scratching post. When they become very active they are moved into a large secured kitten nursery inside the cattery.
· Once the kittens are between eight and nine weeks old they will have had several baths, are used to being blown dry, having their nails trimmed, and their faces washed. They will also receive their first set of vaccinations.
· By the time kittens are 12-16 weeks old, they are well-socialized and are now ready to go to their new homes. They will have received their second set of vaccinations, be proficient at using the litter box, using a scratching post, and eating both wet and dry food.
One of Everpaw's adorable Exotic Longhair Kittens now living with an amazing family in Virginia!