The Abyssinian Experience
So I had my first visit to a cattery! Which was a very interesting experience--I've never, ever done the purebred thing before with cats. (Though my family did raise a few litters of purebred brittany spaniels growing up--though not for show. These were hunting dogs.) I went yesterday afternoon, expecting to stay maybe a half-hour or so for the interview and to see the cats, and ended up staying 3 hours! Which given rush hour traffic around here wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I definitely didn't expect to spend my entire evening playing with and talking about cats. Such a horrible fate. :P
In case anyone else who might be curious about what a cattery is like:
The cattery I went to was located in a wealthy suburb of Seattle--*very* upscale. As in Microsoft millionaires kind of upscale, so I was a bit worried that my teeny little condo would not be up to this breeder's standards as far as a home went. I passed lots of mansions on my way there--only to find the cattery located in an older, rather rundown and very ordinary-looking home at the end of the drive. Which both worried and reassured me at the same time. (Worried because I was afraid conditions inside might be bad, reassured because at least it looked like these weren't super-fancy people!)
Knocked on the door and went inside--and sure enough, there were cats *everywhere*. I don't think I ever got a good headcount--I want to say there were at least seven or eight running around loose in the house. Plus a mama and her new litter in isolation (the babies hadn't had all their shots yet and contact with other cats could make them sick), and three studs and a Bengal (who apparently just showed up one day) in individual pens downstairs. All of them were very healthy looking, affectionate and playful, and very young--less than a year to three years old--for the most part, except for a couple of retired champions who were a bit older. Needless to say there was a lot of racing around the house and wrestling going on!
The breeder was also in the middle of a move. It was a bit surreal to sit in a living room mostly devoid of furniture and decorations to talk, surrounded by cats. The breeder was an older gentleman, retired--which apparently is unusual in the cat world, as most are women. His wife was the one who had gotten into the hobby, and made a lot of friends as a result. She had passed away several years ago, and he had thought about retiring from the breeding end of things, but he still enjoyed the social aspect of going to shows and hanging out with their friends in the cat world. He had ribbons hanging all over--his profile said that he and his wife had been breeding since the 80's, and it definitely showed. We talked about his contract requirements for his cats--health guarantees, no declawing, etc--but we talked a lot more about the show world, all the places he's been to in order to breed or trade cats ... as far away as Russia and Japan! All to keep inbreeding to a minimum and preserve good bloodlines. I got introduced to all the cats--including the studs downstairs, who were also very affectionate, but apparently have to be penned up separate from each other because intact toms don't always get along.) He also talked quite a bit about shows, some of the drama between breeders, the finances (apparently cat shows are the best place to get cat products, because breeders never have a lot of money but still demand good quality), and all the different people he's worked with over the years. It was quite an eye-opener!
I have to admit I was more than a bit nervous--from what I've read, meeting a breeder is an interview process, and if they decide they don't think you'll be good for the cats, you won't get one. So I wanted to be very careful not to assume I could just stroll in and plunk down the cash to buy one of his babies. I'm not sure I convinced him I was 100% serious--he did say I should take a couple days to think it over before I had to make a commitment. On the other hand, he did say a 'looked like a nice person' when I finally asked if he thought I'd be a good fit, so ... :P
He had one 4 month old kitten available, as well as the kitten's mother, who he was considering retiring from breeding. It was a hard decision for him--apparently she's a complete outcross, which is very valuable for his lines. But she's also three years old, which is about the time he retires his breeding cats so they can go to homes and have 'real lives', as he puts it. They're both adorable, and very lovey (though the kitten was zooming around so much it was hard to get a good sense of his personality), and his prices for both of them were more than reasonable, given what I'd been quoted elsewhere. I was surprised by how quiet Abyssinians are, but they are very active--if I do get them, I foresee a great deal of kitten-proofing of my condo in the future!
I still feel guilty for not taking in another rescue, but ... I had two rescues for over sixteen years. No doubt I will have rescues again in the future. I think tomorrow I will probably send the breeder an e-mail, and let him know I still want to commit to those two. Possibly it's self-serving, but I don't think it's a bad thing to give an Abyssinian a good home. And who knows--if I am lucky enough to end up with these two, maybe I'll consider an older rescue as a third. After all, everyone knows it's a fine line between 'eccentric artist' and 'crazy cat lady'. XD
In case anyone else who might be curious about what a cattery is like:
The cattery I went to was located in a wealthy suburb of Seattle--*very* upscale. As in Microsoft millionaires kind of upscale, so I was a bit worried that my teeny little condo would not be up to this breeder's standards as far as a home went. I passed lots of mansions on my way there--only to find the cattery located in an older, rather rundown and very ordinary-looking home at the end of the drive. Which both worried and reassured me at the same time. (Worried because I was afraid conditions inside might be bad, reassured because at least it looked like these weren't super-fancy people!)
Knocked on the door and went inside--and sure enough, there were cats *everywhere*. I don't think I ever got a good headcount--I want to say there were at least seven or eight running around loose in the house. Plus a mama and her new litter in isolation (the babies hadn't had all their shots yet and contact with other cats could make them sick), and three studs and a Bengal (who apparently just showed up one day) in individual pens downstairs. All of them were very healthy looking, affectionate and playful, and very young--less than a year to three years old--for the most part, except for a couple of retired champions who were a bit older. Needless to say there was a lot of racing around the house and wrestling going on!
The breeder was also in the middle of a move. It was a bit surreal to sit in a living room mostly devoid of furniture and decorations to talk, surrounded by cats. The breeder was an older gentleman, retired--which apparently is unusual in the cat world, as most are women. His wife was the one who had gotten into the hobby, and made a lot of friends as a result. She had passed away several years ago, and he had thought about retiring from the breeding end of things, but he still enjoyed the social aspect of going to shows and hanging out with their friends in the cat world. He had ribbons hanging all over--his profile said that he and his wife had been breeding since the 80's, and it definitely showed. We talked about his contract requirements for his cats--health guarantees, no declawing, etc--but we talked a lot more about the show world, all the places he's been to in order to breed or trade cats ... as far away as Russia and Japan! All to keep inbreeding to a minimum and preserve good bloodlines. I got introduced to all the cats--including the studs downstairs, who were also very affectionate, but apparently have to be penned up separate from each other because intact toms don't always get along.) He also talked quite a bit about shows, some of the drama between breeders, the finances (apparently cat shows are the best place to get cat products, because breeders never have a lot of money but still demand good quality), and all the different people he's worked with over the years. It was quite an eye-opener!
I have to admit I was more than a bit nervous--from what I've read, meeting a breeder is an interview process, and if they decide they don't think you'll be good for the cats, you won't get one. So I wanted to be very careful not to assume I could just stroll in and plunk down the cash to buy one of his babies. I'm not sure I convinced him I was 100% serious--he did say I should take a couple days to think it over before I had to make a commitment. On the other hand, he did say a 'looked like a nice person' when I finally asked if he thought I'd be a good fit, so ... :P
He had one 4 month old kitten available, as well as the kitten's mother, who he was considering retiring from breeding. It was a hard decision for him--apparently she's a complete outcross, which is very valuable for his lines. But she's also three years old, which is about the time he retires his breeding cats so they can go to homes and have 'real lives', as he puts it. They're both adorable, and very lovey (though the kitten was zooming around so much it was hard to get a good sense of his personality), and his prices for both of them were more than reasonable, given what I'd been quoted elsewhere. I was surprised by how quiet Abyssinians are, but they are very active--if I do get them, I foresee a great deal of kitten-proofing of my condo in the future!
I still feel guilty for not taking in another rescue, but ... I had two rescues for over sixteen years. No doubt I will have rescues again in the future. I think tomorrow I will probably send the breeder an e-mail, and let him know I still want to commit to those two. Possibly it's self-serving, but I don't think it's a bad thing to give an Abyssinian a good home. And who knows--if I am lucky enough to end up with these two, maybe I'll consider an older rescue as a third. After all, everyone knows it's a fine line between 'eccentric artist' and 'crazy cat lady'. XD