Prekrasne Siberian Cats:

A.  The difference is strictly in the kitten's physical structure and its ability to meet the breed standard.  To most people there may be no difference to the untrained eye, but to a breeder or person involved in showing they may be obvious.  This includes everything from profile, boning, ear shape, etc.  A pet quality cat is simply a kitten who may not belong in a breeding program, but who is otherwise a wonderful kitten.  Even a small flaw in the kittens features, such as larger than desired ears may keep an otherwise perfect kitten from being a show or breeder quality. 

We may sell Show quality kittens at the Pet quality level to ensure they go to loving homes.  That is the ultimate goal.  However, if your intent is to show your new cat in Premiership, please be honest about this since their registration will reflect that they are "Not for Showing."

Kittens are evaluated around 8 weeks and again at 12 weeks to determine if they meet Show or Breeder Quality standards.

Q.  Are your kittens more expensive than other breeders?

A.  You may certainly find kittens that are less expensive and others that are more expensive, but a Prekrasne Siberian is one that lives up to its name - breathtaking.  Of course, we are certain you will find our kittens pedigrees to be some of the most impressive out there.  In addition, we include many benefits that add value to your new kitten.  This is everything from a longer than average health guarantee (most breeders offer a 1 yr limited health guarantee), generous kitten packages to our contributions to feline organizations.  We understand if our prospective "parents" check around (trust me, I did exhaustive research myself before I started so I understand), but rest assured you will be hard pressed to find kittens as wonderful as these with the care we take all through the "adoption" process.

At Prekrasne we also take such care with our fur babies to ensure they are socialized and great examples of the Siberian breed both in looks and temperament.

For information on our contract requirements and our health guarantee see our Contract Info link below.  Our actual contract is somewhat more comprehensive but this will give you the key points.

Q.  How come I can find purebred cats for $200 or $300 but others are a lot more expensive?

A.  There are many people who decide to breed without taking the measures necessary to ensure the improvement and future of their respective breed.  These breeders may or may not have their cats registered with CFA or TICA. They often buy these cats as pets from breeders who have spay/neuter agreements - registration is contingent upon altering - they then go ahead and breed the cats anyway.  Others register the cats but do not always offer the comprehensive sales contract w/guarantees nor do they do they always feed, house or test their breeding cats.  These types of breeders are often referred to as Backyard Breeders. 

One thing to ask yourself is this:  If this breeder was 1) performing screens on their cats for HCM, FeLV/FIV, Ringworm, etc which totals roughly $700 per cat yearly 2) feeding the highest quality diets to the kittens and to the pregnant & nursing queens which averages $25 - $30 per bag 3) breeding selectively, 4) Providing health & genetic guarantees 5) Taking back any cat that is unable to be kept and 5) covering very expensive emergency medical costs such as C-Sections which run $1500-$2000 or more and 6) Vaccinating, registering and vet checking every kitten- could this person only charge me $200 - $300 per kitten?  This is especially magnified by the fact that Siberians are still a relatively uncommon breed and hard to find and even more difficult to obtain breeding stock that is healthy, genetically sound and true to the Siberian type.  Remember, even if you are "only" adopting a pet Siberian and not showing, Prekrasne is still working to improve the breed and help the Siberian have a consistent type (look) and temperament while working to eliminate preventable genetic diseases.  This is important if, as a fan of the Siberian, you want to have certain known traits that tell you "This is a Siberian!"  And for us, we want to be certain that you can also say, "This is a Prekrasne Siberian!" and say this with pride.

Keep in mind; some breeders such as me also take care of additional expenses such as spaying or neutering, providing kitten packages, etc.  There are very few breeders, including me, who make any money.  Much as with most things, you often get what you pay for!  If you value a healthy, socialized, supremely fed and cared for kitten that is the result of socialized, healthy, supremely fed and cared for parents along with the peace of mind that comes from knowing your kitten will not arrive with ringworm (which can infect you and your family) or parasites. 

However, if cost is a concern please check for our occasional retired breeding cats or young adults as they range typically from $250 and higher.  There may be those with future show careers that may still be more expensive but most will be from $350 - $700.  Another alternative is to check for a Siberian Rescue organization.  You can occasionally find retired breeding Siberians on our Available Adults page.

Q.  Speaking of the benefits of buying a kitten from Prekrasne, what exactly will I get?

A.  In a nutshell you receive the following:

1.      A 2 yr limited health guarantee

2.      Vet check before pickup/shipping

3.      Minimum of 2 vaccinations depending on the age at time of delivery

5.      A Kitten pack which includes info on caring for your kitten and how to introduce them into the household.  6.      Toys for your new kitten

7.      Online photo album

8.      Carrier

9.     Registration with TICA and/or CFA

Q.  How are Prekrasne kittens raised?

A.  We raise our kittens in our homes with the family.  The first couple weeks they spend primarily with their mother but with daily human contact.  They are more susceptible to infections and viruses at this age so outside contact is limited.  From 2-6 weeks they will receive lots of daily human contact, but in their "nursery" so they do not get lost or injured.  Once they are over 6 weeks they have the run of the house with the rest of the pets.  This means they will be around vacuum cleaners, dogs, children, etc. and will be well socialized. 

In addition, we offer plenty of scratching posts and toys for stimulating play.  I am adding 2 fish tanks for their enjoyment.  One will be in the boys' "bachelor pad" and the other is in the living room. 

Q.  Why don't you breed colorpoint kittens?

A.  The colorpoints or Neva Masquerade are technically a separate breed in my view - even though CFA & TICA do not recognize them in this fashion. In fact, the European organization FIFe and The Traditional Cat Association both consider them as separate breeds. The Neva Masquerades occurred due to the addition (whether by accident or design) of the Siamese and/or Himilayan genes.  We are looking to preserve the native beauty, health and true forest cat beauty of the Siberian and we don't believe this can be done if we introduce colorpoints into our breeding program.  This is not to say that Nevas are not wonderful.  I actually own a Neva neutered male and love him dearly.  However, I also have a neutered Ragdoll and it would never occur to me to mix a Ragdoll with the Siberians.  The same holds true for Nevas.  In my breeding philosophy it would be akin to out crossing to a separate breed.  This is why I also indicate contractually that my cats that are sold for breeding may not be used in to cross with Nevas. 

With the exception of Ekaterina, all of these cats are negative for the colorpoint gene.