Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Baby Updates

Valentines Day Updates -

3 Black & White Boys Available To Reserve



Show homes preferred

"Grand" Congratualtions

We are so pleased to share one of our world Traveler's  This is Mio - aka Kender's King Endmion of The Alkie  , who lives in Hong Kong.
This weekend he was shown to his Grand Championship.
Lovely job by "The Alkie" cattery in presenting him.

We are thrilled to have another CFA Grand to our cattery and the friendship of Jackie and her family

Saturday, March 10, 2018

"Til We Meet Again

R.I.P Sweet Girl


This lovely old lady just crossed the rainbow bridge at almost 14 years of age. We thank her wonderful Kender Familyfor giving her those amazing and loving years. C. Callenbach & Family . Know we grieve with you. 



Thursday, March 8, 2018

Tigger the street wise thug

This is NOT a Siberian - this is NOT even a purebred cat - HOWEVER this goes on every day in multiple households all over the world.  Also - I did not write this - I am just sharing because it is so so true and accurate.

Taken from a FB Group posting -
My name is Tigger and I am a bully. My new adopted family found me living under a car and took me to a shelter but decided the next day they couldn't let me stay so adopted me. I have 3 new sisters and a brother whom I chase, hiss and growl out. Needing info on how to become a nicer kitty so my sisters and brother isn't so afraid of me. I've only been here 6 days and don't want to leave my nice new home. Please help me know what to do so I can stay here forever.
feeling concerned.
 
Response by one of our multiple Kender Kitty Family Moms - 
  OMGoodness, Tigger. Your family needs to start over. Create a sanctuary room for you. Tell them you are scared because it's like they picked you up and dropped you in the middle of New York City and thought you'd be fine.. when you are scared!! I'd be scared too, if someone just picked me up and dropped me in the middle of NYC!! It can take weeks for all kitties to get alone. Tell your family to give you a room all your own. No other cats can go in there for 2 weeks. It's called a sanctuary room. After 2 weeks, have your mom or dad rub a sock on the muzzle of one your new siblings, then put it in your room. It's called a Sock Exchange. Don't let them rub it on you... that's kind of rude. You can sniff it when you feel like it. Then have them take another sock, rub it on your muzzle and drop it where your new siblings can smell it. They will. Remind your family that you ARE the intruder cat and the other cats are the residents. After a few days, have them rub the sock in your room, on another cat.. add that smell.. then a few days later, the third cat. Oh and tell them to get some Feliway Diffusers!! I have 4 cats and the last cat I got, even though they all came from the same cattery and are used to having sisters.. it took 4 months, yes FOUR MONTHS for the last cat to get to know and get along with the other 3 cats. Sometimes it doesn't take that long. After about 2-3 weeks, have your family put the resident cats away, maybe in another bedroom, then let you out for about an hour or two, so you can get to know the house. You will also be leaving your scent around and smelling the other cats..so you can get used to them. When your family thinks you are ready, have them introduce YOU to the calmest, nicest cat. They can do nose to nose through a tiny crack in doors. (treats are great!!!) Then eventually they can let you out to meet that cat. They may have to introduce you to each
cat separately for a while. That is what I had to do. And we never have any fights (knock on wood). Also tell your family, that cats can take up to a YEAR to make friendships!! Yup. And.. lastly, before I step off my soap box lol, have them get Pam Johnson-Bennett's book, "Think Like a Cat."
 
 
Cats are NOT automatically "friends" or even "friendly" - cats are territorial. 
 Cats are unique finicky funny special creatures who take their space very seriously. 
Do them and your household the favor and learn how to integrate new family members so harmony reigns.  

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Jimmy

Sharing this amazing photo of Jimmy - AKA Kender's Diamond Jim of CyrstalStar  , owned by Paula Haren bred by us. He is quite the amazing boy. look for him in the Premier ring shortly !

Baby Updates!

Valentines Day Baby Updates ! Arent they just too precious !
 5 boys are being made available to reserve. 2 are Black and white bi colors 3 are brown mac tabby and whites.




Breeders

Copied And Shared from Long Time Persian Breeder  Carissa Altschul


Some advice for new breeders:
1) Be Persistent - breeders often have "real" jobs on top of their breeding. They are often very busy. Sometimes emails/voicemails get lost or buried. The breeder isn't likely to have the time to remember to go through old emails, but you can make the effort to keep in contact. Not every day! Once a week or two, send an email out to them.
2) Be Polite - the best breeders will have more inquiries than they have kittens. Potential buyers who are rude will quickly be ignored/discarded. Breeders do talk to each other, so expect that if you are very rude to a breeder, they are going to share the experience with other breeders.
3) Be Realistic - if you are a new breeder, you simply are not going to be offered a top show cat as your first breeding cat. Breeders want their top show cats in the hands of someone who will truly show the cat to its full potential. A new breeder/exhibitor simply doesn't have the experience do to so. Top breeders didn't get where they are by getting top cats - everyone had to start with less-than-top-show to learn the ropes, including grooming, breeding philosophies, and just plain experience. Accepting breeder quality cats from top lines will get you farther in the long run than "show quality" from un-proven/non-showing lines. Breeder quality cats can often still be shown - you can still get great experience with them. Some often go on to become Grands!
4) Be Patient - show quality kittens are not born in every litter. The best breeders will not sell kittens for show purposes until the kittens are at least 12 weeks old, if not older. Do not be sold on a kitten at 2 weeks! When it comes time for you to show, remember, results are not instantaneous. Patience can bring you valuable learning experiences you will carry throughout your time in this hobby.
5) Be Prepared - both financially, structurally, and mentally. Study books on cat breeding. Have an area in your house prepared for a stud male, show cats, and breeding moms. You can't let them all run your house and expect good results. Show quality cats are not cheap, neither is showing. This is a hobby that requires a heavy investment in both time and money. To be a reputable breeder, you must be prepared to invest ample amounts of both. Additionally, it can place a heavy toll on you mentally. With the joys of raising animal comes also the grief of losing them.
6) Be Invested - in the history, present, and future of your chosen breed. Before you ever purchase your first cat, ask yourself - why do I want to do this? If it's not for the betterment of the breed, you might want to consider a different hobby. Are you going to invest in new breeders down the line when you have established yourself? If not, then perhaps you aren't as committed as you think. Being a breeder isn't about making kittens to sell, it's about preserving the breed for future generations, which includes allowing good quality kittens to be bought by other breeders when you have produced some you do not need for your own breeding program.
7) Be committed - being a breeder means a tremendous commitment of your time and resources. Every day, you have to be committed to caring for you cats, even days when you are busy with what seems like endless others chores, you still have to care for your cats. Even days when you are sick, you still have to care for your cats. Even when you are feeling like your breeding program is a failure - you still have to care for your cats. You will be exhausted and still, there will be a cat that needs your care, your time, your attention. This isn't a "I'll do it when I feel like hobby" - it's a "I will do this each and every day" hobby.
Some advice for experienced breeders:
1) Be involved - in cat clubs, in your association, in breed clubs. After you have some experience under your belt, it's time to push your involvement into other areas beyond your breeding program. Cat shows don't happen on their own - it takes the involvement of local breeders to get these shows put together and organized. The rules and regulations of an association are developed, modified, and changed by the breeders in the association. If you take an active role, you can really take ownership of the future of your hobby.
2) Be an advocate - of your breed and your hobby. There are those outside of our hobby who seek to end it. Those who believe that all breeders are "bad." Advocate for the development and preservation of purebred animals to the public. Talk to spectators about why your breed is special and deserves protection and a future. Advocate for your breed within your association. Advocate for new breeders when they are feeling alone. Remember that you were once new and probably you didn't get where you were today without others advocating for you.
3) Be friendly - not as easy as it sounds! If you spend any time in any hobby, there will of course be personalities that conflict. But that doesn't have to escalate to outright personal battles. Avoid confrontation where possible, and be professional in discussions with opposing viewpoints. Be friendly to those who you do not know. Spectators are a window to the public - be friendly with them and hopefully they will pass on to others their good experiences.
4) Be Generous - with your time, your knowledge, and the lines you have been entrusted with. Nobody "owns" a breeding line - it is carefully crafted with the attention of numerous breeders, each passing on to the next. Knowledge is also passed one from one breeder to the next, refined, learned from, and created again. Share your time, knowledge, and lines with other breeders and watch your breed and the fancy thrive and grow!
5) Be Gracious - in victory, defeat, and in conversations. Newer exhibitors look to those who are winning to see what behaviors are accepted and which are not. Set the tone in the show halls and online by demonstrating gracious behavior and you will find your hobby will become far more positive and enjoyable.