We love questions! We want to do all we can to insure our RagaMuffin babies are placed in the best possible homes with the happiest owners who will love and spoil them forever. Please let us know if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about anything mentioned or not mentioned here. We do our very best to raise well-socialized, happy, healthy kittens here at GW Muffins. It is very important that anyone considering being loved by a Muffin become well-informed about the breed, so please do not hesitate to ask questions!
Future Breeders
As soon as a litter is born, we watch each kitten closely for any indication that he/she might make the perfect addition to our breeding program. If it becomes obvious that a particular kitten will carry on the most desirable traits of the breed, we will hold that kitten back for further consideration. “Possible Future Queen or Stud” will be posted by that kitten’s picture on the website. If we later decide to release the kitten for purchase, he/she will be marked “Available”.
Kitten Contracts
Please ask us for a draft of our Kitten Contract, if you are seriously thinking about placing a deposit on one of our kittens. It includes many of the topics discussed here. All buyers are asked to sign a contract agreeing to these terms prior to purchasing a kitten. Our Kitten Contract is designed to protect the rights of the buyer, the seller, and most of all our kittens. In order to try to assure that our kittens are placed in the best possible homes, we do screen prospective buyers. In most cases, we ask for a veterinary reference. We reserve the right to decline any person’s adoption application, at our sole discretion.
Deposits/Reserving a Kitten from a Current Litter
If you wish to reserve a kitten from a current litter, a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit of $500 will be required. The deposit will be deducted from the total price of the kitten. After we receive your deposit, the kitten will be considered “Reserved”. When we receive payment in full, the kitten will be considered “Adopted”. Kittens must be paid for in full one week prior to delivery and final payment must be made in cash or PayPal. Because we have a very limited number of kittens and usually only one litter at a time, we try very hard to be fair to all potential buyers and will not hold a kitten without a deposit. If you change your mind, please understand that we have turned down other possible owners, and there will be no cash refunds of deposits. You can, however, apply the deposit to a kitten in a future litter. We take PayPal for kitten deposits. Please contact me for my PayPal account information.
The Waiting List
If you want the best chance of getting your first-choice of the kittens in a future litter, ask that your name/deposit be placed on the waiting list. Available kittens will be placed in the order the deposits were received. If you do not see a kitten that you want to make yours in the litter, your name will be applied to the next litter, if you would like to wait. If there is a kitten you love in the litter, you will be asked to pay the NON-REFUNDABLE deposit of $500 to hold the kitten until he/she is 16 weeks old and ready for delivery.
Age at Delivery
Kittens will be ready to be picked up or delivered at 16 weeks of age. We have found our kittens transition into their new homes very easily by that age. We will give you advice on how to make the adjustment the best for you and the kitten. To see why it is best to keep your kitten with Mom and littermates for 16 weeks, click on this article.
Mode of Delivery
For those living within driving distance of Kansas City, I welcome visits to my home for kitten pick up. I am happy to meet part way, within a 100 mile radius of my home. For those too far away to drive, I can bring the kitten to the nearest airport, which is KCI/MCI in Kansas City, and meet new owners as they personally come to pick up their kitten. For those unable to come themselves, there are some wonderful pet escort services available to deliver the kitten to an airport nearby. I can help arrange delivery with a reputable personal pet escort. New owners are responsible for paying the escort at the airport when the kitten is delivered to them. I will not collect that fee and it is not included in any kitten price quoted by me. For their protection, and my sanity, my kittens are NOT to be delivered as cargo on any commercial airline.
Health
Our breeding adults have been DNA-tested for the Ragdoll mutation of the HCM gene. They are also tested for PKD and many other conditions prior to breeding. DNA results will be provided to our kitten buyers to help with the kitten’s future health screenings. They are tested prior to each breeding for FeLV and FIV to insure their continued fine health. They have had echocardiograms to monitor their cardiac health. They are treated as members of our family, never caged. Our kittens are guaranteed against life-threatening congenital defects for one year. They are examined by our vet at least four times while here and will receive all three of their kitten vaccinations before leaving us at 16 weeks. FVRCP vaccines are administered by our vet. Our kittens and adults are encouraged to eat Wellness Core and American Journey chicken at least twice daily. They are also free-fed Merrick Purrfect Bistro dry food with distilled water available at all times in bowls and fountains. All of these foods are available online Chewy.com and Amazon, as well as at Petco, PetSmart, and other retail stores.
De-Clawing
Our kittens are not to be de-clawed. This is a cruel and unnecessary procedure. For additional information click here. Our kittens have been trained to use scratching posts from a very early age. Please be sure you have a scratching post available before you bring the kitten home. Our cats and kittens prefer Natural Scratch and Purrfect Post as well as their tall cat tree to climb, scratch, and nap on. They are introduced to carpet, sisal, natural tree bark, cardboard, and the soft white pine of the Natural Scratch posts. Look for a very sturdy cat tree that will not tip under the weight of a large cat. Your RagaMuffin kitten could grow to be a 20 lb. adult someday.
Spay/Neuter
All kittens, sold as pets, will be altered prior to leaving GW Muffins. They will be spayed or neutered at 14 weeks, if our vet feels they are mature enough and ready at that age. The cost of the surgery is included in the purchase price of the kitten. If an adult is purchased from us, he/she will be altered before leaving GW Muffins.
ACFA Registration Slips
Our cattery and cats are registered in ACFA. All litters will be registered in ACFA. The registration slip will indicate that the cat may not be used for breeding, unless other arrangements with GW Muffins have been made.
Microchipping
Microchipping is one of the things we can do, as dedicated pet owners and breeders, to help our cats and kittens be identified and found if ever lost or stolen. Our vet will insert a Micro ID microchip when the kitten is examined and vaccinated at 12 weeks of age. There is no additional charge for the insertion of the microchip. Each kitten’s microchip will be registered to the owner prior to the kitten leaving GW Muffins.
Indoor Living Only
RagaMuffin kittens and cats should not be allowed outdoors. All cats will live much happier and healthier lives indoors. But RagaMuffins must remain indoors for their own safety. They have been bred for their fabulous, sweet-natured personalities. They simply do not have the survival instincts required to survive outdoors. They believe everyone and everything is their friend. If taken outdoors, they should always be in a harness with a leash or in a carrier, always attended and protected.