Montana Devons
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Our Cattery
Kittens are always evaluated for placement in this order:
1) keeping here at our cattery,
2) going to other catteries, and
3) placement as pets.
Most of our kittens do end up going to pet homes. If you are interested in our kittens, please get in touch with me, and I will be happy to discuss the possibility of placing kittens with you.
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Our kittens do not leave us until they are at least four months old, spayed or neutered, vaccinated with at least three doses of FVRCP and rabies, microchipped, and cleared by our vet. Our contract includes a health guarantee (see below), and all kittens are eligible for one month of free pet insurance via Trupanion (it just has to be initiated by the family). We start reserving kittens at around two months old. This gives us a good amount of time to get a feel for their individual personalities.
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I will be upfront about this - occasionally, I get inquiries from people who think it would be fun to have a litter of kittens or two (sometimes to show their kids the "birds and bees" or the responsibility of raising young animals - there are much better and more responsible ways to do both) and to make back the money they spent on getting their cat(s). I will not sell kittens to anyone wanting to do this, and to ensure this does not happen "accidentally/on purpose," all our kittens sold as pets are spayed and neutered before leaving for their new families.
No exceptions, period. This is never a reason anyone should go into breeding animals, especially since millions of domestic cats and dogs are euthanized annually. Ethical breeders aim to better the breed by passing on the correct/most ideal physical traits, personality traits, temperament, and health to their animal's offspring. Genetic factors must also be tested to ensure the parents are healthy and will produce healthy kittens. In short, a lot more (financial, time, learning) goes into breeding good quality, healthy kittens than most people realize - plus, keeping multiple unfixed adult cats around a house can be pretty challenging (and stinky)!
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Health Guarantee -
the "short version."
Our kittens come with a health guarantee. Your licensed veterinarian must examine the kitten within 72 hours/3 business days of receiving your cat. During the first two weeks, the kitten must be kept separate from other animals to ensure it is not unintentionally exposed to any illnesses (not doing so will void this health guarantee). No drastic changes should be made, like changes to the diet or feeding routine. Everything possible should be done to minimize stress and ensure a smooth transition for the kitten and family.
All our cats are indoor-only and FeLV/FIV negative. Our queens and studs receive cardiac scans every 1-2 years to monitor their hearts' health.
Our veterinarian examines all of our kittens before they leave us, and they will have been neutered or spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped before leaving us at least four months old. We do not allow our kittens to go before this age or before being spayed or neutered. We guarantee that our kittens are free of congenital or hereditary defects which are life-threatening. If, for any reason, a kitten is not deemed 100% healthy, I reserve the right to hold onto that kitten until it is completely healthy again. If any health situation arises, I will immediately contact you to discuss the best way to proceed mutually. Please note that this may delay the kitten from leaving our cattery for a TBD amount of time or possibly lead to replacement with another kitten or a refund.
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Occasionally, the stress of going to a new home can result in the kitten developing a mild cold that was not present when it left us. If this occurs, it generally resolves within a couple of weeks without intervention. If the diet is suddenly changed, it can lead to gastrointestinal upset (say hello to vomiting and diarrhea), so please do not make sudden changes to your cat's diet after you get it.
Please notify me immediately if your kitten gets sick. I can help guide you on what to do if necessary.
If your kitten should die from a problem present prior to sale (illness/congenital/hereditary, this is why your vet needs to confirm the cat is healthy as well as my vet), then we will replace the animal with one of equal quality or provide a refund of the kitten price based on our discretion. I also include FIP in my coverage since many unknown causative underlying factors exist. However, affordable treatment is available for FIP, and families must attempt treatment if their cat is diagnosed. If your cat does not survive FIP but treatment has been started under the guidance of a team knowledgeable in FIP treatment, then it will be covered under our health guarantee.
FAQ
How do I get my cat from you?
You can drive or fly to Missoula, MT, to pick up the kitten. This is my preferred option; I LOVE to meet the families our kittens go to in person! We will occasionally ship our cats with a courier that drives or via air transport with certain airlines.
I can make all arrangements with the airline so all you have to do is arrive at the airport with the reservation information. Please note that all flight options are subject to change based on airline guidelines which I have no control over. So occasionally, backup plans will need to be made if flights are not an option at that time. You are responsible for all shipping charges (including the additional costs for a carrier and a health certificate required by the airlines), and if the kitten is flying, you will need to be able to pick it up from an airport that Delta, United, or Alaska Airlines flies into because pets can not be shipped via multiple carriers. Flights are subject to weather restrictions and available space. We can ship up to 2 kittens under 6 months old in a single carrier, so you can save a lot in shipping by getting two kittens at the same time. We have never had any issue with the airlines transporting our cats, but as I said, pick-up in person is highly preferred.
What are Devon Rexes like, and other interesting facts...
They are smart, high-energy, social cats. The best way I’ve heard them described is as a dog/monkey/cat. They love to climb, and many enjoy riding shoulders or finding the highest possible place to perch. They can play fetch and have been known to drag stick toys around on many occasions. They are quite human-oriented and love to be with their people. Some have even been known to follow their human into the bathtub/shower. These are NOT cats for people who just want one cat, and that cat will be left alone all day while their human is at work. There must be at least one other cat companion in homes where people work all day.
What is Devon Rex fur like?
Devon Rexes generally have short, velvety, wavy fur. This is because their fur is missing most/all of the outer layer guard hairs, and many of them shed minimally (although some do shed a lot). The fur comes in varying lengths, from very short to medium/short length. Devon Rexes can carry long hair genes (this is not standard to the breed), but we do not have any with long hair genes. When the fur is very short it tends to appear thinner, when it is a medium/short length it’s usually plusher. Devon Rexes can molt their fur in early kittenhood and appear nearly bald. Their fur does usually grow back nicely, but be aware that it can take a couple of years for this to happen. No one can completely guarantee how the coat will be as an adult, but we usually have a pretty good guess based on their newborn kitten coats.
I’ve heard that Devon Rexes are hypoallergenic, is that true?
No. Be very wary of someone who tells you all Devon Rexes are hypoallergenic and will not trigger cat allergies! People with cat allergies are usually allergic to proteins in the cat's saliva, urine, and/or dander (dried flakes of skin). Devon Rexes are unique, though, and their mutation seems to affect the protein, shedding, and dander release. This means that if you have mild to moderate allergies, you may be able to tolerate having a Devon Rex as a pet. Many of our families have successfully found that they have had little or no allergies when they own a Devon. But unfortunately, this will not be the answer for everyone with cat allergies. If you have concerns, reach out to the breeder you are interested in getting a cat from to discuss your options with them. We allow local people to sit with our cats to see if they react, and while this is good for our cats, it will not tell you if you will react to cats from another cattery or other genetic lines within the same cattery.
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How did the Devon Rex breed come to be?
The first Devon Rex, Kirlee, appeared in Buckfastleigh, Devonshire, England in 1960. The Devon Rex is caused by a genetic mutation called Gene II Rex. At first, it was thought that the Devon and Cornish mutations were the same. However, early cross-breeding found that the mutation is on a different gene than the Cornish Rex mutation, referred to as Gene I Rex. It is a recessive mutation, meaning that if you breed a Devon Rex to a domestic cat, you will not have any kittens with the Devon Rex characteristics. If you breed cats that are half Devon Rex/half domestic together, statistically, there is a 25% chance of having a Devon Rex kitten, a 25% chance of having a domestic, and 50% of having a kitten that is half Devon/half domestic (but you probably won't be able to tell since the kittens will appear to be domestic).
To read more about Devon's visit https://tica.org/breeds/browse-all-breeds#devon-rex
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A study shows that the Devon Rex mutation and the Sphynx mutation are actually caused by the same gene - KRT71. There are three alleles of this gene - KRT71(+) which produces normal haired cats, KRT71(hr) which causes the hairless mutation, and KRT71(re) which causes the Rex mutation. KRT71(+) is dominant over the other alleles, and KRT71(hr) is dominant over KRT71(re). So some Sphynx cats are heterozygous, and if they were to be bred with other heterozygous Sphynx, then Devon Rex kittens could be produced! How neat is that?!
Visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20953787 to read more.
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Page updated: 3/9/2024