Okay, let me walk you through how I went about looking for Russian Blue cat breeders here in NY. It wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, but I got there eventually.
Getting Started: The Decision
So, first things first, I decided I really wanted a Russian Blue. Loved their look, heard good things about their personality – seemed like a good fit. I live in New York, so naturally, I wanted to find a breeder reasonably close by. Didn’t fancy driving halfway across the country, you know?
The Initial Search Phase
My first step was pretty basic. I went online. Fired up the computer and just typed something like “russian blue cat breeders ny” into the search bar. Simple as that.
Got back a whole mess of results, as you’d expect. Some websites looked pretty polished, others looked like they were built back in the dial-up days. It was a mixed bag, really. I started clicking through, just trying to get a feel for who was out there.
Figuring Out Who’s Legit
Now, here’s the tricky part. You can’t just trust the first website you see. I started looking for specific things. Real breeders, the good ones, usually talk a lot about their cats. Not just selling them, but showing them, talking about health testing, stuff like that.
- I looked for breeders registered with cat associations, like CFA or TICA. Seemed like a decent sign they were serious.
- Checked if they had photos of their cats, the parents, the kittens. Not just stock photos, but real pictures in a home environment.
- Read whatever info they provided about health guarantees or vet checks. This was super important to me. Didn’t want to end up with a sick kitten.
- Tried to see if they actually sounded like they cared about where their kittens went. Some ask a lot of questions, which I actually took as a good sign.
Making Contact and Following Up
After shortlisting a few that looked promising, I started reaching out. Sent some emails, filled out contact forms on their websites. Some breeders got back to me pretty quickly, others took a while, and some never replied at all. That’s just how it goes, I guess.
I asked questions about their breeding practices, how the kittens were raised (underfoot or in cages?), what kind of socialization they got. I also asked about visiting, though I knew with CVID and just general caution, not everyone allows visits anymore, or they have specific protocols.
Patience is key here. Good breeders often have waiting lists. Sometimes long ones. They don’t just have kittens available all the time, which again, is usually a sign they’re doing things right and not just churning out kittens constantly.
Sorting Through the Options
It took some time, a bit of back-and-forth communication, and comparing notes. Some breeders just felt right, based on their communication and transparency. Others gave me a weird vibe, or their answers were vague. You kind of develop a gut feeling after talking to a few.
I focused on breeders located within NY state or reasonably close in neighboring states to make potential pickup or visits feasible. Travel adds a whole other layer of stress, both for me and the kitten.
Eventually, I narrowed it down based on who I felt most comfortable with, who seemed to genuinely care for their cats’ health and well-being, and whose timeline potentially matched mine. It’s a process, definitely takes some effort, but finding the right breeder felt important for getting a healthy, well-socialized cat.
