PRIVILEGED
IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE SELECTED TO BE THE OWNER OF A RUSSIAN!
It is so exciting to be counting down the weeks, days and hours for the arrival of your Russian kitten/s. To all New “awaiting” Russian kitten owners, the long wait is the perfect opportunity to prepare for your new arrival/s, it is a good time to kitty proof your home, buying kitty toys, kitty beds, soft blankets and cushions, litter trays and Cats Best Litter, food and water bowels as well as kitty food. The recommended kitten and cat food is Royal Canin Kitten, Royal Canin Kitten Precision Kibble, Hills Science Diet Kitten Kibble or Orijen Cat & Kitten. Some of you would also want to add some Royal Canin, Hills Science Diet, or Orijen wet food. Adult Russians can be fed Royal Canin, Hills Science Diet Adult Cat Kibble or Orijen Cat Kitten Kibble. Chose a room, which kitty can call his/her safe room, almost like preparing a baby room. It is also a good time to research and select a good vet in your area, as the new arrival/s must go for a vet check within 72 hours after his/her arrival and also for future annual vaccinations or emergencies.
If you are unsure about anything or have questions after the arrival of your kitten/s, your kittens breeder will always be available to help guide you along.
A note from personal experiences, if you think of adding a Russian kitten to your life and you don’t have other animals, preferably also cats, then it would be a wise move to adopt two Russian kittens at the same time, either brothers, sisters or brother and sister. It is comforting to have a sibling as well as stimulating for the kittens to have each other, especially when you spend long hours at work.
Letters from Russian Kitten Owners - Why two Kittens are just better than one Kitten
"My name is Robyn Wayland and I have been a cat lover for as long as I can remember. It has always been a wish to get my own cat(s) once I have moved out and into my own place. My fiancé however did not share my passion for cats and as such it took a while to slowly convince him. The moment I won him over, the search for the best breed to suit us both began.
Our research made us put our name down for a Russian Blue kitten. Her name is Alaska. Of course her name was already decided. We waited a few months which felt like an eternity! When Alaska arrived she immediately stole our heart, a week after getting to know her, our breeder contacted us and asked if we were willing to adopt her little brother 'Blue', naturally I said yes and a few days later he arrived home. Getting Blue was the best decision I could have made as the 2 cats keep each other occupied when I am at work, they encourage each other when shy or nervous and they cuddle each other when sleeping. Overall they are more relaxed when together. When one is out of sight, the other calls out to be reunited, or when one is in distress the other is quick to rush to the rescue. I couldn't imagine life without both Alaska and Blue in it, I know that I made the best decision getting the siblings, they have an inseparable bond which you don’t see with other cats."
IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE SELECTED TO BE THE OWNER OF A RUSSIAN!
It is so exciting to be counting down the weeks, days and hours for the arrival of your Russian kitten/s. To all New “awaiting” Russian kitten owners, the long wait is the perfect opportunity to prepare for your new arrival/s, it is a good time to kitty proof your home, buying kitty toys, kitty beds, soft blankets and cushions, litter trays and Cats Best Litter, food and water bowels as well as kitty food. The recommended kitten and cat food is Royal Canin Kitten, Royal Canin Kitten Precision Kibble, Hills Science Diet Kitten Kibble or Orijen Cat & Kitten. Some of you would also want to add some Royal Canin, Hills Science Diet, or Orijen wet food. Adult Russians can be fed Royal Canin, Hills Science Diet Adult Cat Kibble or Orijen Cat Kitten Kibble. Chose a room, which kitty can call his/her safe room, almost like preparing a baby room. It is also a good time to research and select a good vet in your area, as the new arrival/s must go for a vet check within 72 hours after his/her arrival and also for future annual vaccinations or emergencies.
If you are unsure about anything or have questions after the arrival of your kitten/s, your kittens breeder will always be available to help guide you along.
A note from personal experiences, if you think of adding a Russian kitten to your life and you don’t have other animals, preferably also cats, then it would be a wise move to adopt two Russian kittens at the same time, either brothers, sisters or brother and sister. It is comforting to have a sibling as well as stimulating for the kittens to have each other, especially when you spend long hours at work.
Letters from Russian Kitten Owners - Why two Kittens are just better than one Kitten
"My name is Robyn Wayland and I have been a cat lover for as long as I can remember. It has always been a wish to get my own cat(s) once I have moved out and into my own place. My fiancé however did not share my passion for cats and as such it took a while to slowly convince him. The moment I won him over, the search for the best breed to suit us both began.
Our research made us put our name down for a Russian Blue kitten. Her name is Alaska. Of course her name was already decided. We waited a few months which felt like an eternity! When Alaska arrived she immediately stole our heart, a week after getting to know her, our breeder contacted us and asked if we were willing to adopt her little brother 'Blue', naturally I said yes and a few days later he arrived home. Getting Blue was the best decision I could have made as the 2 cats keep each other occupied when I am at work, they encourage each other when shy or nervous and they cuddle each other when sleeping. Overall they are more relaxed when together. When one is out of sight, the other calls out to be reunited, or when one is in distress the other is quick to rush to the rescue. I couldn't imagine life without both Alaska and Blue in it, I know that I made the best decision getting the siblings, they have an inseparable bond which you don’t see with other cats."
Robyn's two Russian Blue Kittens from Silversheen Russians - Alaska & Blue
Leesyl and I got introduced to each other because of our mutual love for cats. When we got married, we both had an adult cat at the time. It has been a lasting struggle to get our two cats to accept each other, let alone be friends.
We desired a Russian Blue for sometime and when the opportunity came, we both agreed that he will need a buddy from the start. It just so happened that we were looking after some new born rescue kittens, (a litter from a stray cat at Leesyl's work) for a little while before they could go to Pro Life rescue. We could not keep them and grew quite attached to them by the time they went to Pro Life. We frequently visited them there as they got adopted one by one. Except for the adorable little black kitten. I hate the superstition!
This all happened in December 2015 and during the Christmas holiday, we decided to adopt the black kitten if he was still available after our holiday. This opened up the chance to get a Russian, so I did a search on Google and got Solly's and Saskia's contact details. When we got a response from Saskia, we knew we had to enslave ourselves for the sake of our new black kitten, since they were born only two weeks apart.
We got Veneno first and had to wait for Sesto to arrive from Durban. We have read about introducing cats to each other and how you shouldn't rush it. So we kept the two apart for a few hours, maybe half a day. Leesyl put in for leave to look after them and I was so jealous for not being able to do the same.
The next morning she decided they should meet, since they were both still kittens and both came from a place surrounded by other kittens, she figured it would be fine. There was some hissing and raising of hair for a few minutes, until Veneno started playfully attacking Sesto, and that was it. The bond was formed.
They have been inseparable ever since. I believe it was the best choice to get two kittens at the same time and I would recommend it to anyone enslaving themselves to kittens. Not only do they accompany each other when left home alone, but they enrich our lives so much. Their different personalities are so entertaining and truly a blessing.
In the pictures you will notice that they do everything together, even share a sandbox. They also love giving each other hugs :-)
Blessings
Dewald Niemandt
Dewald & Leesyl's two kittens, 1 Ruskia Russian and 1 Rescued Kitty - Sesto & Veneno
My husband and I had been longing to add a furry body to our family, did a lot of research and decided that a Russian Blue would be perfect.
We contacted Alma Pretorius at Esky Russians and were overjoyed to hear that Esky Quin was available for adoption.
In the process of preparing for his arrival we considered the fact that he might be lonely during the day and did some research regarding the adoption of two kittens at the same time. All of our research showed that it would be a very good idea. We were a bit nervous, since we hadn’t owned any pets before and all of our childhood pets had been dogs, but we went ahead anyway and adopted Quin’s brother, Quincy.
We are so happy to have the two brothers! From the very beginning on the long car ride home, they were a source of comfort to one another. We believe that they settled into our home so well primarily because they had each other to play with. They sleep and eat together, groom each other and chase each other around the house.
Due to our experience with these two amazing little kittens we will not consider getting one kitten alone, two kittens is a definite must!
It is also very special to see the two brothers grow and develop different personalities. It’s been a lot of fun to try and tell them apart and to see how each is definitely his own cat. We are looking forward to many years with these guys, they are the best of friends and our lives are so much richer with them!
Kind regards,
Campbell and Tamsin Bam
We contacted Alma Pretorius at Esky Russians and were overjoyed to hear that Esky Quin was available for adoption.
In the process of preparing for his arrival we considered the fact that he might be lonely during the day and did some research regarding the adoption of two kittens at the same time. All of our research showed that it would be a very good idea. We were a bit nervous, since we hadn’t owned any pets before and all of our childhood pets had been dogs, but we went ahead anyway and adopted Quin’s brother, Quincy.
We are so happy to have the two brothers! From the very beginning on the long car ride home, they were a source of comfort to one another. We believe that they settled into our home so well primarily because they had each other to play with. They sleep and eat together, groom each other and chase each other around the house.
Due to our experience with these two amazing little kittens we will not consider getting one kitten alone, two kittens is a definite must!
It is also very special to see the two brothers grow and develop different personalities. It’s been a lot of fun to try and tell them apart and to see how each is definitely his own cat. We are looking forward to many years with these guys, they are the best of friends and our lives are so much richer with them!
Kind regards,
Campbell and Tamsin Bam
Campbell & Tamsin's two Russian Blue brothers Quin and Quincy
To the next story I have to add a bit of a personal intro, as the following two boys have a bit of a special place in my heart. Our Jet Boys as I love to call them. Keanu & Nicolai........... so now to Tammy's story.
Keanu & Nikolai: A Bromance
My giant love affair with cats started from very young as I grew up in a household where we always had cats. I used to dress up Sylvester in doll’s clothes and push him around in the pram. I am extremely fond of cats and admire their intelligence and beauty and always seek their affections. My pedigree journey started in 2005 after we moved in to our first house and my brother gave us a Siamese kitten for my husband's birthday. My husband only grew up with dogs and never knew cats but took to Max immediately. About a year later we found Koda and the boys were complete and inseparable. Brothers from different mothers. I remember thinking that we should not have waited so long because we could see how lonely Max was when we were out during the day at school and work. I do think it is better to get kittens together, after all as I always tell new cat owners, one cat always leads to another...
After our Siamese passed away around 10 years later (5 months apart) I was devastated and I went in to mourning for a long time. We visited a friend who has a Russian and it peaked my interest in this breed. After doing some research I realised that the breed is quite rare in SA and there are not too many breeders. I had already decided years before that I would get brothers together or at least 2 boys from litters a few weeks apart. I had found boys from Alma but that ended in tragedy and I was heartbroken all over again. The RCIG pulled together and there were litters on the way and some that had just been born. Joelene had 1 confirmed boy out of 6 babies which I was ecstatic about. I was trying to find another boy from one of the other litters and then Joelene messaged me that she had another boy. That was the best news I had received in a long while.
The only issue was the long wait ahead and all we could do was to deduct each day off our countdown on the white board to keep us sane!
The 14th of March arrived and the household was so excited. Unfortunately the new Rabies law got the better of us and we received the bad news that the boys were turned away from the airport and it wasn't very clear when they would be allowed to fly.
I had to do something as our family was sad again and "not possible" does not exist in my vocab! I managed to find a charter flight from Cape Town to Jhb and they quite frankly said that they couldn't care less about Rabies certificates or contraband for that matter.
So a few days later I was flying down to Cape Town to bring the babies home. I felt gangster with my 'contraband' for a couple of hours. It was quite a spectacular experience.
The boys arrived home and were bouncing around in no time. Immediately I could see that they were confident and not afraid of anything. One hiss and the dogs were trained.
We are all so happy to be sharing our home with these little womb mates. They bring us so much joy each day. I am so glad I made the decision of getting siblings as they really love each other a lot and get along so well. They do everything together - eat, litterbox, sleep, play but still seek our affections and can act independently. Even though they are like twins, we have seen them developing in to their own personalities which complement each other. Their faces are maturing and taking on their own features and we can identify them without looking at their collars! Their mannerisms are also evolving. For instance Keanu makes bread but Nik just doesn't. Nik tries to cover up any cups of coffee and is wary of the vacuum cleaner. Keanu doesn't beg for table food (unless biltong). The only gripe I have is that they don't sleep with their mother at night... Dad AKA "Catnip legs" runs the 'nursery' at night.
It's been an amazing 7 months so far and I look forward to many more years with these Archangels that complete our family.
Tammy's Russian Blue Brothers Keanu & Nikolai aka. Jet Boys