When is it Time to Send a Deposit?

First, let me say congratulations! You will soon share your life with one of the most incredible creatures on God’s green earth! As you may already have read on our site, Siamese are one of the most uniquely special, one of the oldest, most exotic feline breeds know to man. On top of all of that, here at the Chit-Chat Cattery we strive to raise kittens that excel in beauty and health but most profoundly in personality! What a treat you have in store...

So now you’ve already typed “Siamese kittens” (or something similar) into a search engine on the internet, been referred to us by a friend or found us on a breeder’s referral list. You’ve looked at our site, liked the look of our cats and the many, many (many!) things we have to say about them. There comes a point with each customer when the decision to purchase a Chit-Chat Cat seems right. So what do you do now? As you will see on the web site, the vast majority of our kittens are spoken for long before the time they are actually ready to go to their new homes. This is a blessing to a breeder. It is of great comfort to know that these precious souls have a home with someone actually waiting to love and care for them. The deposit tells me you are serious and holds your kitten for you without your having to pay for it in full until you are ready to bring your baby home.

If you have found that perfect little friend on our site, you will want to e-mail or call us right away. If no one else has spoken for that kitten, and you are sure that he or she is “the one,” I will update the site to read deposit pending, then e-mail (or snail mail) you the kitten deposit contract which you will fill out and send with your $100.00 deposit. (The kitten deposit is purposely not available on our web-site because we not only want to know who you are and which kitten you are interested in, but we don’t want you sending money for a kitten that may have been recently spoken for.)

We accept Cashier’s Checks or Money Orders made payable to CRYSTAL SCHULZ. Regretfully we no longer accept personal checks. Once we have your deposit in-hand, we update the site to read, “Deposit Received” and will hold your deposit for one week to be assured that you are firm in your decision. Once that week has passed, the kitten is yours and we will deposit your Cashier’s Check or Money Order at which time it will become non-refundable. Your deposit is put toward the price of your kitten. Sometimes we do not have available the exact color or sex of a kitten that you are looking for. You may still send a deposit and we will then hold that kitten once it becomes available in a later litter. If we are unable to provide you a kitten in one year’s time, you may chose to continue waiting or we will refund your deposit in full.

If you are coming to us at a time that your chosen kitten is already of age to go home to you, and you live locally and are able to pick up your baby in person, you may pay in Cash, which is always welcome, or by Money Order or Cashier’s Check If we will be flying your baby to you, you may either send the full sale amount (plus shipping charges; ticket, crate and health certificate or possible rabies vaccination).

Once we have received your deposit, and your kitten is mature enough to leave his or her nest, we expect that your kitten will be either sent for or picked up within a reasonable, timely manner. It’s not fair to your new baby to have to wait until you have either come up with the additional funds or make the arrangements necessary. Please make certain you are ready and committed to your new baby before reserving him. We are quite flexible here of course and we wish to work with your schedule. As long as you are committed before contacting us, any bumps can usually be worked out to both parties’ satisfaction. We want this to be an easy transition for you and your new baby and we are here to help in any way we possibly can!

If, on the exceptionally rare occasion, we choose not to sell one of our Chit-Chat Cats to you, your deposit will be refunded in full unless services have been paid for which can not be refunded such, as the health certificate or an airline ticket. The only reason we would choose to do this would be if, through our dealings with you, we begin to feel as though our kitten may not be going into a safe and loving environment. Our primary concern is for the welfare of our kittens and, as we state on every page of this site, we do reserve the right to refuse anyone the sale of a kitten AT ANY TIME. Rest assured, this is an extreme situation and on the rare occasion that we have had to deny an individual, there have not been any expenses involved.

Now- we receive many questions about shipping. Unless you have had a need to ship a live animal in the past, one usually assumes “shipping” in terms of UPS or Fed-EX. Not at all! Here at the Chit-Chat Cattery, we ship through American Airlines. Here is a link to their web site for complete details;

Basically, if American Airlines flies to an airport near your home, we will ship your baby though American Airline’s desk-to-desk service. They call this “Priority Parcel” shipping and the cost will be approximately $170.00. If you are purchasing two kittens, American Airlines will allow them to ride together on the same ticket for the same price. Obviously, if American Airlines does not fly to your airport, you would need to pick an alternative. The Airlines require a specific type and size crate, the smaller of the two we recommend runs approximately $25.00, the larger $35.00. The larger can usually fit two adult cats comfortably, the smaller only one. The airlines, in following the Federal Department of Agriculture laws also require a health certificate dated 10 days or less prior to the flight for each kitten and it must be signed by a licensed veterinarian. The cost of the health certificate is approximately $45.00 per kitten. If your kitten is over 12 weeks old, the airlines also require a rabies vaccination that is not included in the shots we provide here at the Chit-Chat Cattery. We try to ship right before the kitten turns 12 weeks old to avoid this. The rabies vaccine is very hard on a kitten’s immune system, especially at this tender age. Most vets won’t even give it until they are 5 or 6 months old. If, however, your baby is over 12 weeks old, this would be an additional expense of approximately $20.00.

With rare exception, the airlines will not ship a live animal if the temperature is below 50o Fahrenheit, or over 85o Fahrenheit, in any city on the route, so the time of year may also determine if you will be able to reserve a specific kitten or not. There are times, like in the middle of the winter, when we simply won’t be able to send you your kitty through the airlines. Temperatures over 85 will often be allowed if it is a direct flight as the cargo area your kitty will be shipped in is kept at temperatures between 50-70 degrees. There may also be times where we can obtain a “letter of acclimation” from a licensed veterinarian that will allow us to ship in temperatures as low as 40 degrees. You may be able to actually fly here yourself and bring your kitten on board with you as a carry on, (a possible solution around the temperature issue), but usually the cost of your ticket is more than the shipping charge. This may mean forgoing your selected baby, and placing the deposit on one that can be shipped at a more acceptable time of the year. Shipping may also require a bit of flexibility on your and my part as the airlines will not let us reserve the flight for your kitten more than 72 hours in advance (due to rapidly changing weather conditions). One other thing to be aware of, the signed health certificate can be no more than 10 days old when the kitten is shipped so, if for some reason the airlines can’t ship when we expect, you may end up with an additional health certificate expense.

We are open to other transportation services such as “pet taxi” ground services to be decided on a case by case scenario. These alternative arrangements would then be arranged by you, the buyer, and only then with our approval. Our kittens are very precious to us (as they are to you!). Though most of these services are quite a bit more expensive, there are other options available.

Another question frequently asked is in regard to the safety of shipping a kitten. The reason we chose American Airlines is because of their excellent reputation in their care of live animals. I literally don’t know of any other cattery that uses an alternative airline. American Airlines is definitely the airline of choice among dog and cat breeders. They require food and water to be given to the kitten in case of a layover and, in general, just seem to care very much for the well-being of our beloved kittens. We have not had a single problem using them. As far as how your kitten will handle the trip, Siamese do very, very well traveling. One of the reasons they make such good show cats is due to the fact that they simply love new people and noises and change in general. They truly enjoy traveling in a car and survive air flights exceptionally well, arriving happy and ready for their new home. It is stressful to them, just as it is to us when we have to travel, but overall, they do extremely well. The thing they hate the most is being confined to that darn crate for a few hours and will usually let you know just how they feel about their confinement. Because they may arrive feeling some stress, it is important for you to remain calm, and bring her into a calm environment (if possible) with food and water already set up in a quiet, confined area until she can feel reasonably assured about her new home. Overwhelmingly, Siamese kittens fair exceptionally well in travel and will be so grateful to finally meet you!

The best-case scenario of course is if you live close enough to come visit us and can pick up your baby in person. One of the things I love most about raising Siamese is the people who buy them. I love meeting you and your family and seeing you meet your newest family member. It’s especially special if you are able to meet the kittens at a very young age and can visit a few times before they are actually ready to go home. As I stated before, we understand this is not always possible and we want to be flexible for you, meeting you at the airport or even helping you to find a local hotel if you chose to stay overnight instead of flying right back. We have several hotels within 5-15 min. of our home and we may even be able to take you to and from La Crossee Airport (about 10 min. away) pending other commitments. We are open to just about any alternatives you can think of!

If you are looking to send a deposit to reserve your kitten, we only ask for $100.00 per kitten, which is non-refundable and goes toward the price of your kitten. If you need to have your kitten shipped to you, the expenses could be approximately an additional $250 (give or take depending on the situation). As I’m sure these procedures are unfamiliar to most of you, you may find you have many additional questions. As always, feel free to write or call at any time!