Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

About the Cattery

On Pricing

On Process

On Care

  • golden division. Our kittens can come in black golden (ny) or chocolate golden (by) in ticked (25), shaded (11), or chinchilla (12) coats.

  • The standard eye color for black or chocolate golden British shorthairs is green, ideally a deep emerald green. All kittens, regardless of breed or color, are born with blue eyes. Their eye colors will start to change around 5-6 weeks of age and will stabilize as they grow into adults.

  • Unfortunately British shorthair cats are not hypoallergenic and will produce the Fel d1 allergen that will trigger allergies. If you are unsure about your condition, we recommend visiting a shelter, cat cafe, or a friend who has a cat.

    British shorthairs have very dense and thick coats but they can shed quite a lot. For the most part, they are able to maintain their coats on their own but we recommend brushing perhaps once a week or more. Some BSH can be seasonal shedders. The environment and temperature can play a huge factor on when they shed the most, but we have found our cats typically shed around the summer time.

  • In our experience, it is not possible to attach a blanket statement on personalities based on gender. While British shorthairs are known to have wonderful and stable temperaments, individual personalities depend on both nature and nurture. Each kitten inherits certain traits from their parents, which can be further developed with proper socialization and exposure to experiences. Their personalities can also change over time as they age.

    So when looking for a kitten, please be sure to ask the breeder what the temperaments of their kittens are. A professional breeder will be able to tell you specific traits and personalities of each individual kitten to match your desired attributes.

  • There are several qualities that make us different but the primary one is quality. We care greatly about the livelihoods of our cats and kittens. This is shown in our dedication to full genetic testing and the copious amount of care we spend raising them. No kitten is neglected from care and are thoroughly played with, handled, and trained for good temperament. Each kitten and cat truly are a piece of our hearts. Should a match not be found, we have no problems in raising them forever.

    We also are lifetime partners to whoever is selected to adopt a cat from us. This means we are on standby for any questions, concerns, and complications you might have. We know each kitten and cat's history from birth and pride ourselves in offering support even when they graduate from our arms.

  • I am closing my cattery because of two reasons.

    Firstly, Maple Cat, our stud, has reached a healthy retirement age of 7. I have decided to spay and neuter all of our adult cats so they may live a happy retired life.

    Secondly, the priorities of my personal life have shifted significantly from when I started breeding back in 2018-2019. These responsibilities to my family and loved ones supersede my time and ability to continue on with a new stud. Breeding is very time consuming at the level of quality care that I provide.

    Things have just come to a natural and gradual close, and I'm grateful we were able to raise so many wonderful cats and kittens.

  • My cats and kittens live in my home and regularly interact with me and my guests. All of the kittens are properly socialized with their siblings and adult cats. Cats are never caged, declawed, or disciplined in a manner that causes anxiety or fear.

  • The only edits we apply to our photos, videos, and stories are lighting correction and watermarking. Any adjustments to the lighting are done to realistically represent our kittens’s coat colors. We never alter the original content to change any features such as small ear shape, saturated coat color, or big eye size to our cats.

  • Our prices are US market price calibrated and determined by the professionalism, quality of kitten, trust in transparency, and the service we bring to our future families. The market average for pedigreed golden British shorthairs in the US is around $3,000-$5,000 with most recent inflation costs. Cats imported from other countries outside of the US such as Russia or Asia, often start at $2,500-$10,000 not including transportation costs. Due to covid, transportation costs have doubled and tripled with longer or more challenging flights for the kittens.

    Things such as the difference in cost of living, testing costs, and veterinary price costs can affect the price range from cattery to cattery as well. However, not all catteries are the same or reputable. It is very challenging to find a reputable breeder that is transparent about the health of their cats or their tests, especially oversees. Quite a lot of catteries both domestically or internationally do not do necessary genetic testing or get certain annual tests re-done.

    We do the full genetic panel testing for our cats, vaccinations, and raise each kitten with lots of nurture and care. Breeding is a huge responsibility- if done ethically and responsibly, breeding is not profitable. Often times the adoption fees only barely cover the expenses. Our main priorities are raising healthy kittens and sharing the love of the British Shorthair breed, over making any profits.

  • The prices for our cats and kittens can vary based on multiple factors. However, since we are closing our cattery this 2024 and will be finishing with our last litter ever, our general range for adults and kittens will be anywhere from $4,000-$6,500 with a few exceptions.

  • I will not be offering discounts on our last litter for any single adoptions. However, I may however consider sibling discounts if someone is interested in adopting two.

  • We do not have a waiting list nor do we take advanced deposits. Since we are a small home-based cattery, we do not have cats available all the time. However we will always announce available litters on our website and social media platforms. Our applications will be announced publicly with set deadlines to ensure a fair process. Please subscribe to our cattery newsletter to make sure you get all the latest information.

  • Future owners ideally are those who wholeheartedly love cats and have every intention of treating their kitten as a family member. They are in a stable place in their life and living situation where they'd like to welcome and raise a kitten like their own kid. They are aware that pets are not products or should be given as gifts, but instead a wonderful companion that will be their beloved friend for life.

  • When our kittens are available for reservation, we will make public announcements that we are ready to take applications. The deadline for submission will be clearly listed on our website so that everyone has time to apply. The application is a set of questions about you that will assess if you and your home are good fits for our kittens. Please take the time to answer thoughtfully. Those we select will then go through an online interview with both of us. From there we will determine who our kittens will go to. The selected owner will then be sent a contract to review and put down a deposit. Should a reservation fall through, the next best applicant will be notified.

  • Due to the fact that our cats are raised in our own homes, we do not allow people to visit our home for privacy and security reasons unless they have paid a deposit with intent to adopt.

    We offer online video sessions where we would be happy to show our homes, cats, and kittens to you. We also post regularly to our instagram (@cheeky.cats) and provide photos and videos to selected owners.

    All owners are required to meet their kittens in person at pick up or have a family member or friend sign a proxy agreement.

  • Yes, we provide a contract for each kitten outlining clearly the kitten’s pedigree details, terms of adoption, price, and policies. The contract will be emailed to the new owner in advance for review. All revisions or negotiations must be agreed upon by both parties. Once the contract is signed, all terms are irrevocable when the deposit is paid.

  • There’s no magical number but kittens at the 12 week stage are incredibly energetic and playful. While we socialize our kittens, you will also need to dedicate time to acclimating and training your kitten. This is a great age to socialize and introduce them to as many experiences as possible. If you work long and uninterrupted hours, it is best to defer getting a kitten later in life or consider adopting a sibling to keep them company.

  • At the time of pick up, owners should have a carrier ready to receive their kitten. As for home items, we have a list of goods we recommend for every first time cat owner on Maple’s blog. All the items we list on the blog are items we have at home and personally use. Each kitten will also go home with a care manual and samples of food they already eat.

    https://www.maplecat.co/blog/items-every-new-cat-owner-needs