FAQ about Taiga Tiger cattery

1200€ (+ delivery) for kittens up to one year old, including 400€ nonrefundable deposit.

It includes

• pedigree;
• neutering;
• microchip;
• vet passport;
• health guarantee;
• shipping to Moscow;
• two shots of vaccination;
• three rounds of dewormer;
• health tests of kitten's parents*.

*It's about screening for HCM and PKD, genetic tests, tests for FIV and FeLV.

So far, all our cats that currently live in the USA were shipped there in cargo. It's pretty safe for 4-month-old or older kittens to travel like that. It would cost ~700-900$ if one kitten travel in a cage or 1000-1400$ for two kittens in one cage.
If you wish, we can send a kitten with a courier.

We release kittens when they are 4-month-old or older. By this age, they fully socialized, their body and immune system are sufficiently developed to live outside the cattery.

At the dawn of cat breeding, the critical period of kitten socialization was thought to end at 8 weeks of age. Recent research has shown that early weaning detrimentally affects cat behavior. Cats weaned before 8 weeks of age and between 12–13 weeks of age have 18% and 7.9% probabilities of behaving aggressively and displaying stereotypic behavior, respectively. "Moreover, cats weaned after 14 weeks of age have a lower probability of aggression towards strangers than early weaned cats and a lower probability of stereotypic behaviour (excessive grooming) than cats weaned at 12 weeks".

When you buy a kitten, you can expect that it will live with you for the next 15 years. A few less weeks staying with a mom cat may ruin these 15 years of happy cat life.

Ahola, M.K., Vapalahti, K. & Lohi, H. Early weaning increases aggression and stereotypic behaviour in cats. Sci Rep 7, 10412 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11173-5

Currently, we mostly feed different recipes of Purina Pro Plan dry food to our cats and kittens, such as Pro Plan Nature Elements or Pro Plan Delicate. Sometimes we give them wet food to pamper.

The reason why we prefer dry food over wet food is the result of research conducted by a group of scientists in the UK. They performed a mineral analysis of 177 different pet foods (113 for cats and 64 for dogs) labeled as ‘Complete’. The authors found that "only 6% (6/97) of wet and 38% (30/80) of dry foods were fully compliant. ... Foods with high fish content had high levels of undesirable metal elements such as arsenic. ... If fed exclusively and over an extended period, a number of these pet foods could impact the general health of companion animals."

Given that 94% of the wet foods analyzed did not comply with FEDIAF guidelines, we have decided to limit consumption of them and focus on dry foods.

Davies M, Alborough R, Jones L. et al. Mineral analysis of complete dog and cat foods in the UK and compliance with European guidelines. Sci Rep 7, 17107 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17159-7

There are two short advices we can give on that. First, ask your vet. Second, read a label.

We recommend this article from AAFCO to read:
https://www.aafco.org/consumers/understanding-pet-food/reading-labels/#adequacy

Please, pay attention that a label is supposed to contain any of these statements:

1. “___________ is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog (or cat) Food Nutrient Profiles for ___________.”

• The first blank must show the product name (the same name on the front of the package).
• The statement says if the product is for cats or dogs.
• The second blank says what life stage the product is for.

2.“Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that ______________ provides complete and balanced nutrition for _____________.”

• The first blank must show the product name (the same name on the front of the package).
• The second blank says what life stage the product is for.
• “AAFCO procedures” are standardized feeding protocols that define how feeding trials are to be conducted and assessed.

3. “_____________ provides complete and balanced nutrition for ___________ and is comparable to a product which has been substantiated using AAFCO feeding tests”

• The first blank must show the product name (the same name on the front of the package).
• The second blank says what life stage the product is for.
• Note that this particular nutritional adequacy statement is not used often. Products justified nutritionally adequate in this way are sometimes referred to as “family products,” meaning the product is similar, but not identical, to one which has been subjected to animal feeding tests. The differences may include minor formulation changes that do not affect the products’ nutritional basis.

Raw feeding has caught on in recent years. It's been largely credited by manufactures as "the natural diet" of domestic cats. Still, the benefits of raw feeding are anecdotal and don't get much support from the results of peer-reviewed researches.

"Therefore, aside from some plausible claims for better digestibility and stool quality, the various health claims made for raw feeding remain a mixture of anecdote and opinion, not backed by highly relevant data. This situation is reflected in critical reviews and in advice provided by professional bodies (Schlesinger & Joffe 2011, American Veterinary Medical Association 2012, Freeman et al. 2013, World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2015)."

R.H. Davies, J.R. Lawes, A.D. Wales. Raw diets for dogs and cats: a review, with particular reference to microbiological hazards J. Small Anim. Pract., 60 (2019), pp. 329-339

"If a commercial RMBD is formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient guidelines for a particular life stage (ie, growth-reproduction or adult maintenance) of a dog or cat, there should be minimal risk of nutritional inadequacy. However, few manufacturers of raw diets conduct AAFCO feeding trials or digestibility studies on finished products, and manufacturers differ with regard to their attention to quality-control procedures.
...
In contrast, home-prepared RMBDs rely heavily on each particular recipe or feeding program as well as the pet owner's interpretation of and compliance with published recommendations, understanding of nutrient requirements for dogs and cats, and understanding of the nutritional value of individual ingredients. On the basis of published diet reviews, most home-prepared diets (both raw and cooked) are deficient in 1 or more essential fatty acids, vitamins, or minerals or a combination thereof. Although the perceived benefits of home-prepared diets may be reinforced daily to owners through a pet's appetite or coat quality, nutrient deficiencies and excesses in adult animals are insidious and can lead to long-term complications if not detected and corrected. In young growing animals and pregnant or lactating animals, nutrient deficiencies and excesses can cause severe and sometimes life-threatening complications."

Freeman LM, Chandler ML, Hamper BA, Weeth LP. Current knowledge about the risks and benefits of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., 243 (2013), pp. 1549-1558, 10.2460/javma.243.11.1549

If you're still determined to feed your cat raw and prepare it by yourself, the only way to do things properly is to consult with a board certified vet nutritionist.

Yes, cats' teeth, like humans', need to be brushed regularly. Cats have no innate immunity against plaque and caries, so the best prevention of dental issues is regular teeth brushing at home (1-3 times a week) and professional cleaning under anesthesia by a veterinary dentist as needed (usually once every 1-3 years).

We deworm our kittens trice: at 7, 10 and 13 weeks of age.

The veterinarian-recommended deworming kittens at least once, starting at 6-7 weeks of age, with a mean frequency of three treatments. Deworming only following a positive fecal examination is generally not recommended due to low sensitivity, often due to low egg production.

Stull JW, Carr AP, Chomel BB, Berghaus RD, Hird DW. Small animal deworming protocols, client education, and veterinarian perception of zoonotic parasites in western Canada. Can Vet J. 2007 Mar;48(3):269-76. doi: 10.4141/cjas68-037. PMID: 17436903; PMCID: PMC1800965.

According to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) vaccination guidelines, the core vaccines are for feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV1), feline calicivirus (FCV), feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), and rabies. Some vets, some states or countries may not recommend indoor cats getting the rabies vaccine because their region is supposed to be free of it.

Our kittens get initial vaccination for FNV1, FCV, and FPV at 9-10 weeks of age, then one booster at 13 weeks. The rabies vaccine is administered as a single dose at 13 weeks of age.

https://wsava.org/global-guidelines/vaccination-guidelines/

We neuter all our kittens sold without breeding rights at 14 weeks of age.

Traditionally, cats are neutered starting at the age of 6 months. However, there is no reason for any health concern if kittens are fixed between 2 and 4 months. Early neutering is convenient for both an owner and a breeder. The former does not need to worry about the surgery, while the latter ensures that his/her kittens cannot be used in backyard breeding.

https://fve.org/publications/early-neutering-of-kittens/

Luckily, Siberians are healthy breed without any specific health problems. There are a couple of hereditary diseases that are extremely rare but still may be found among Siberians. It is polycystic kidney disease (PKD), pyruvate kinase deficiency (PK-def) and Cystinuria В. PKD is a dominant trait, which means that even one copy of the mutant allele is enough for the development of symptoms. Cystinuria В and PK-def are recessive and therefore may be passed through generations unnoticed unless breeders test their cats before breeding them.

Before our cats are used in a breeding program we send samples of their DNA to a genetics laboratory to make sure that they are free from these diseases. Feel free to reach out to us to see the results.

Anderson H, Davison S, Lytle KM, Honkanen L, Freyer J, Mathlin J, et al. (2022) Genetic epidemiology of blood type, disease and trait variants, and genome-wide genetic diversity in over 11,000 domestic cats. PLoS Genet 18(6): e1009804. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1009804

Grahn RA, Grahn JС, Penedo MC. et al. Erythrocyte Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency mutation identified in multiple breeds of domestic cats. BMC Vet Res 8, 207 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-8-207

As mentioned above, Siberians do not have any specific health problems. However, two diseases are prevalent in many breeds, including Siberians: hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

HCM is considered hereditary in cats, but there are only few studies proving that. Causal mutations have been found only in three breeds: Maine Coon, Ragdoll, and Sphynx. Until the cause of HCM in Siberians is known, the only way to eliminate the affected individuals is the annual ultrasound scanning of heart.

PKD is an inherited autosomal kidney disease which is most commonly identified in Persian and Persian-related cats. Gene testing has limitations as it will only identify the autosomal dominant form of PKD and not other forms of cystic kidney disease. Unlike age-dependent and slowly developing HCM, PKD can be diagnosed in cats at 10 months of age without having to repeat scanning.

We test our cats for PKD via echocardiogram at 10-12 months of age, for HCM at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 years of age. Feel free to reach out to us to see the results.

Kittleson MD, Meurs KM, Harris SP. The genetic basis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in cats and humans. J Vet Cardiol. 2015 Dec;17 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S53-73. doi: 10.1016/j.jvc.2015.03.001.

Wills SJ, Barrett EL, Barr FJ, Bradley KJ, Helps CR, Cannon MJ, Gruffydd-Jones TJ. Evaluation of the repeatability of ultrasound scanning for detection of feline polycystic kidney disease. J Feline Med Surg. 2009 Dec;11(12):993-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jfms.2009.07.002