If you are searching for a Russian Blue kitten, more than likely you have come across links and pages for many breeders across the US.  There are breeder websites, Facebook pages, and unfortunately some of them are preying on the unsuspecting public and offering instantly available kittens using stolen photos.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Breeder A accepts inquiries only after a cat has been bred, and then takes a $200 refundable deposit to be added to their waitlist after a lengthy screening process.  Preference given to former Russian Blue owners.

Breeder B has an informal waitlist, requires no deposit, and may not have a definitive timeline for when kittens will be available.  There is also a screening process, and kittens are matched to an ideal home, so it may not be “first come first served”, and the breeder may decline to sell you a kitten.

Breeder C has an active social media presence, beautiful pictures,  and advertises kittens as available immediately.  They may even offer several different breeds.  Your purchase is secured by a hefty non-refundable down payment via PayPal or Venmo.

I’m sure by now you’ve found the red flags with Breeder C.  Breeder A seems an ideal match, but what about Breeder B?

You have to understand that as breeders, we are looking for the perfect homes for our kittens.  Homes that will be for the life of the cat.  We aren’t selling Nike shoes, XBox systems or other commodities.  We are placing a part of our family.  So not everyone screened makes it to the waitlist.  And your spot on the waitlist can change.  If you are in the right place, at the right time, your new family member could arrive much sooner than you expect.

Oh, and I’m a Breeder B.  If that’s not a style that works for you, please check out any of the breeders that can be found on the Russian Blue Fanciers’ site that I link elsewhere on my page.

I typically receive a handful of inquiries each week from people looking for a Russian Blue kitten.  I have a very small breeding program, and can’t honor the requests from all qualified applicants.  With the “stay at home” orders imposed by many states due to COVID-19, I think many people are sensing a void in the home, and if they have put off adding a four legged family member now seems like a good time to bring home a new pet and spending that early time bonding.

I’m now getting a couple of inquiries per day.  People looking for kittens NOW.  The demand is far outweighing the supply.  It takes 6 months from the time of breeding to have a kitten ready to travel to their new home.  So there’s a lot of advance planning.  The last kittens placed went to their new homes about 11 months from first contact with the buyers.  So be prepared to wait.

That doesn’t mean a kitten cannot be available sooner.  A sale may fall through.  A buyer may now not want to fly to pick up a kitten and wants to look locally.  We just continue down our list until we find the right match.  And, we are a fairly close knit group within the breed.  I regularly will refer potential buyers to a breeder in their region.

I’ve been following a few social media posts, and it seems pet buyers don’t know what to look for in a potential breeder to avoid being scammed.  Within the past 6 months, I’ve had 2 people reach out to me for a Russian Blue kitten, after being scammed after paying a non-refundable deposit and being ghosted by the breeder.

So Jack and I are going to do a series of blog posts talking about ways to go about searching out a reputable breeder who’s able to put a healthy, well adjusted and socialized Russian Blue into your home.

Hi there!  My name is Jack.  It’s not my real name.  But we’ll cover that later.

I wanted to have this blog so that I can share with you all sorts things about Russian Blues, and show cats in general.  My human shows in CFA, which is not a Chartered Financial Analyst.  It’s the Cat Fanciers’ Association.  I’ll be updating you regularly so please bookmark this page and check back often!