BREEDING FOR DISPOSITION
Just as breeders select for beauty and good health, we also have the power to breed for disposition. This is a process that starts before birth and involves a fine balance between nature and nurture. Our goal is to breed cats that greet you with love and are resilient to change. Purrsonality is a quality that matters more than beauty and as much as health.
Breeding for Disposition
Persians are known for their calm and friendly personalities. However, some kitties are more social and trusting than others. So, what makes a cat friendly?
Prioritizing Purrsonable Parents
The process of creating friendly Persian kittens starts before birth. Selecting sweet tempered, trusting breeders ensures that the kittens inherit an innate demeanor similar to their parents. For this reason, we only keep kings and queens who are affectionate and confident.
The Influence of Genetics
We find that our sweetest, most trusting persians have moderate to extreme brachycephalic features. Centuries of domestication and decades of specialization for the extreme type has caused cranial changes in the breed that permanently affect temperament. Some kittens are hardwired to be calmer, less reactive and more aloof.
The Influence of Environment
While genetics plays a role in a cat’s friendliness, it is not the only factor. Early socialization, positive experiences with people, and a comfortable living environment all contribute to a cats personality. For this reason, we begin handling newborns at an early age and progressively expose kittens to loud noises, frequent grooming sessions, new pets and humans.
Building Tolerance
Our goal with every kitten is to build tolerance while celebrating the characteristics that make each one unique. Exposure therapy is a technique we use to increase our cats tolerance to common activities, objects and noises. To accustom our kittens to grooming and the noises associated, each kitten is bathed every 2 weeks, starting at 4 weeks of age. All are held frequently and in different positions to increase their tolerance. We do not expect every kitten to relax when being handled but we do expect them to be very tolerant. We cannot claim that every kitten we produce turns into a lap cat, but many get very close.
Creating Expectations
Every cat is unique, and their personality may not fit into any specific category. We share personality quirks of each kitten with their owner to help owners create appropriate expectations. All parents will continue to shape the personality of their kitten, as much as by what they do as by what they don’t do.
Life After Us
All of our pet parents want their ethereal kitten to remain friendly and social. To accomplish this, we recommend you continually expose your kitten to small yet frequent amounts of stress to increase their tolerance. Exposure to loud noises, objects and activities can be controlled and used as a form of therapy. If your kitten is often bored and not stimulated, acquiring a friendly and permanent playmate for them helps boost confidence and reduce anxiety. Keep in mind that a cat raised in a boisterous, lively home will be less reactive than a kitten raised in a calm and quite environment.
Celebrating Unique Purrsonalities
In conclusion, feline friendliness is a complex combination of nature and nurture. While genetics may predisposes a cat to innate tendencies and ticks, environment and experiences may be just if not more impactful to the sociability of cats. So if you’re thinking of adding a feline friend to your family, be sure to choose a breeder who prioritizes socialization and friendliness in their breeding program.