Velvet Dolls

  **Our waitlist will open on May 1st, 2024 with a very limited number of spots. Please use the kitten application form to submit an official request to join our Velvet Dolls family on or after May 1st.  Applications received before May 1st will not be held for the May 1st opening day**

What is the process of purchasing a kitten from Velvet Dolls?

     Purchasing your furever baby from Velvet Dolls begins by sending us an email or a message on Facebook Messenger letting us know you are interested in learning more.  We like to learn about you, your family and home environment as well as any pets you currently have.  If you feel like Velvet Dolls is the right breeder for your family and we feel like you are the right family for one of our babies, then you can be placed on our "List of Interest".  This list is free to be on.  When a litter is born that you can choose from, you will be contacted and told which order you will be to pick. At 6 weeks old you can pick your baby and place the deposit to secure your selection.  Your new baby will be ready to go home with you after he or she has recovered from spay/neuter surgery, typically at 12 weeks, but as late as 14 weeks if your baby needs more time to recover. 

 

What does it mean that you are a "closed cattery"?

     Being a closed cattery means that we do not anyone in to visit our cats or kittens.  This protects our babies from germs, parasite and unnecessary stress. This is non-negotiable.  We do send lots of pictures and videos and often do video chats for families to see their babies.

 

I'd like to learn about purchasing a retired breeding cat.  How does that work?

      Our breeding cats are retired around the age of 3-5 years old.  They deserve to relax and have a "typical" cat life.  Our retired breeders will go to very special homes as they have given very special gifts to the world.  Retired breeders are sold for $400-$1,000.  They will go to their new homes up to date on vaccinations and spayed/neutered.  

 

What items should I purchase for my new Velvet Dolls baby before they arrive home?

• Large litter boxes
• Litter
• Toys
• Scratching post
• Ceramic or stainless-steel food and water bowls (no plastic bowls)
• Brush
• The same wet and dry food that your baby is already eating in our cattery

 

How should I kitten proof my home?

     Kittens are like babies!  They love to get into things they shouldn't.  Keep covers on fish tanks, and other animal cages.  Put toilet covers down so they don't land in the toilet after jumping up.  Check to ensure that the plants you have in your home are not poisonous, you'd be surprised at how many are!  Cover cords with cord protectors available at amazon or wrap cords up and place in areas the kitten can't access.  Be extra cautious when putting recliner chairs up or down that a kitten isn't underneath.  These are just some of the ways you can keep your baby safe.

 

I think my Ragdoll would like to go outside, what is your policy on this?

     Ragdolls are very friendly, unassuming cats, they are not meant to be outdoor cats.  They should NEVER be let outside.   

 

I'm thinking of declawing, can you tell me more about it?

     Declawing a cat is done by amputating the last bone on each toe.  This is very painful and can lead to health problems and behavioral problems.  Litter box issues often arise after surgery from the pain the litter causes on their paws. We have a strict "No declawing policy" for our cats and kittens.

 

Your prices are higher than I expected, why is that?

     Breeding Ragdolls is an expensive hobby!  There are the costs of high-quality food, litter, cleaning products, cat trees, toys and birthing supplies.  There are vet bills for vaccines, spay/neuter surgeries as well as any extra vet visits for a cat or kitten that is feeling under the weather.  There is the expense of the vaccines for the breeding queens and king as well as their vet visits for well checks.  All of our adult cats are genetically screened as well, and those tests cost money as well. There are yearly fees to be registered with TICA and CFA and separate fees for registering our cats, our litters, our cattery name and more fees to list our cattery on the website that we are registered with! You'd think they would at least give us that for free but nope! The biggest expense comes from when a cattery purchases cats for the breeding program with breeding rights.  We pay between $3,000-$5,000 each for these cats!  None of this even takes into account the endless hours we spend taking care of our cats and kittens, speaking to perspective families, developing and maintaining social media accounts and websites. The work never ends, but we do it because we love this breed, and we want to contribute positively to the future of the Ragdoll cat. 

 

I see breeders letting their kittens go home at 8 weeks, why don't you?

      Ragdolls are a slow to develop breed.  They are not even full grown or have their full coat in until the age of 3!  The extra few weeks allows them time to socialize with their littermates as well as us under their Mom's watchful eye.  She redirects their behavior when they do something she doesn't like.  Those last few weeks are very important.  Most of our kittens are still nursing here and there for comfort right up until the day they leave our home.  Please see breeders that release their kittens at 8 weeks as a huge red flag and run the other way.  The cost of raising kittens between 8 to 12 weeks is so high.  They eat us out of house and home, but it's worth it in the extra time they have with their siblings.  It's easier for a breeder to give them up at 8 weeks, they'd be saving hundreds of dollars in food and litter as well as not being responsible for the 12-week vaccines and the spay/neuter surgery.  So please know that it is not "awesome" to have your baby younger, it is truly an act of love that we keep them until they are developmentally ready to go home to you.

 

I don't care about the "papers" so do you have less expensive kittens that aren't pedigree?

     All of our cats come with TICA pedigree paperwork.  We do not sell non-pedigree cats.  The bigger expense here isn't the cost of the paperwork, it is the cost of the high-quality breeding cats that we have purchased to breed from.  

 

I'm not going to breed the kitten, I promise, so can I purchase it without being spayed or neutered?

    Absolutely not. 

 

I don't want my kitten to be vaccinated, is that ok with you?

     That is not in line with our beliefs here at Velvet Dolls.  We respect your views on not wanting to vaccinate, but we are not the right cattery for you.

 

What color/pattern is my new baby?

     One of my biggest pet peeves that I see online in Ragdoll Facebook groups is when a family doesn't know what color and pattern their baby is because their breeder didn't take the time to explain it to them.  When you purchase your baby from Velvet Dolls you are not just purchasing your kitten, you are purchasing an education about your baby.  You will know their coloring and their pattern, you'll know their Mom and Dad's coloring, you'll know their birthday and their vaccination dates, and their surgery dates and any other important information about your baby. You'll know what foods they might not like, and which toy is their favorite.  You'll know which area of their playroom that they usually sleep in and if it's on a certain type of cat bed or just on the floor.  You'll also have a lifelong commitment from us to answer any questions to the best of our ability for the life of your baby!  You become family for life when you join the Velvet Dolls family.

 

I see other catteries with babies available all the time, why is that?

       There are bigger catteries out there.  There are kitten mills, and breeders who breed the same cat back-to-back with no recovery time in between. Hopefully a cattery having babies available that frequently is a red flag to you.  We do not operate like that.  We are a small cattery intentionally.  We let our Queens recover for months and months between litters.  We assess them individually to determine when they are ready again, there is no hard and fast rule to our timing here.  If one cat needs a few extra months, then she gets a few extra months.  Staying small allows us ample time to love on our King and Queens and to socialize their kittens.  Our babies are played with and held multiple times a day, every single day.  They are snuggled and carried and petted.  Remember, these are truly OUR babies before they become your babies.

 

I see kittens listed on other sites at significantly cheaper prices, how can that be?

    There are breeders who do not purchase high quality cats for breeding.  They may not run DNA genetic screenings like we do, they may not have their kittens visit vets or even receive vaccinations. We run our cattery with high standards and these high standards come at a price.  We do not cut corners, we do not give our own shots and skip the vet visits.  Often those "bargin kittens" come at a higher price down the road.  There are heart and kidney issues that are common in the Ragdoll breed that can be screened for, as we do.  Please ensure that whatever breeder you decide to go with can show you test results for the minimum screening of those conditions.  You don't want to find out the hard way a few years down the road that your baby may not have the long healthy life you thought they would. 

 

Will you be reachable for questions after I take my Velvet Dolls baby home?

     Yes!  I don't even mind if you didn't get your baby from us, if you have a question that I can answer I'm more than happy to help!