How to purchase a kitten from Auroralights

Auroralights Bengal Cats & Kittens of Michigan Specializing in Early Generation (EG) Browns, Snows

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How to purchase a kitten from Auroralights

You see a kitten you would like to purchase but you don't know how to proceed from here? This is what you do.

1. Decide if you are close enough to come see the kitten. Keep in mind that you will NOT be able to tell the personality of a kitten until it is at least 7wks old. Prior to that, they all act very similar. Between 7-10wks you will notice differences in each kitten.

YES- Email me to set up a time to meet the kittens.

NO- That is ok too. I can email you pictures of the kitten as it grows. Keep in mind that if there are any health or temperament concerns I will notify you and you may have your money back if you choose.

2. If you know which kitten you like and are ready to send a deposit on the kitten, just send me an email and tell me "I would like the female kitten #1, or the one with the green collar, etc..... when my kittens look very similar I put colored collars on them. If the kitten is posted on my site as "AVAILABLE" then it is still available. If it is posted as "PENDING DEPOSIT" that means I have a request for the kitten and have been told the deposit is in the mail. I give families 7 days for the deposit to arrive.

3. When I receive your email telling me you want the kitten, I will then email you a "purchase agreement." You must read this. It has my expectations of you as the new owner and spells out my obligations to you as well. This purchase agreement must be printed and returned to me with the deposit. While I am waiting for it to arrive I will NOT sell the kitten to another family. The kitten will be posted as "pending deposit." It is very important that you return it to me within 7 days or I will assume you no longer want the kitten.

4. When I receive your deposit the kitten will be marked as SOLD so you know I received it. Final payment for the kitten is due when you come to pick up your kitten. If you live too far away to drive to pick up your kitten then I can fly the kitten to your local International Airport.

5. FLYING YOUR KITTEN HOME? This is very simple to do. To fly a kitten home I have to buy a carrier to fly the kitten in. The carrier costs anywhere from $15-$25 but I look for sales and buy them online in bulk to save money so they are usually $15.

Then I have to bring the kitten to my vet for a Health Certificate which is required by the airlines. The price for this can vary because my vet charges an office call plus a small payment for the Health Certificate. If I take in more then one kitten the price is divided among the families. This is never more then $40 and many times is around $20. My vet is not consistent on pricing for this. The Health Certificate is good for 10 days so once I have the Health Certificate I must fly the kitten to you during that time period or another one will have to be obtained. The last thing I do is Book the flight. This is not done way ahead of time. The flight is usually booked two days before the kitten flies home. Why? Because the airline looks at the high and low temps at each stop to make sure they are above 10 degrees. They also look at availablility in the temperature controlled cargo area. I will need you to send me :

The name of your airport. If you know your airport code that helps too. This is NOT the initials.

Your full name or the full name of the person who will be picking up the kitten at the airport. (They will check for ID and they must match)

Your full address, make sure it matches your license.

Your contact phone number for that day incase the airline has to get ahold of you. Sometimes a flight will come in early or be delayed.

The total cost for flying the kitten is about $275. The final cost of the kitten + the shipping charges must be paid in full by the time the kitten is 9wks old or 1wk prior to flying home.

What if the flight ends up costing less? Then I will paypal you the difference.

What if it costs more? Then I would expect you would paypal me the difference.

**Remember I do not charge for gas or my time to drive the kitten to the vet for the health certificate or to drive the kitten to the airport**

What do I do when I first bring my new kitten home?

1. You will need to buy a litter box. Don't buy a box for a tiny kitten, make sure the sides are at least 4 inches high.

2. For the first litter I strongly suggest you buy the brand called "Kitten Attract." This litter is specially formulated to attract kittens to the box and works well.

3. I feed Royal Canin Kitten 4-12 months. (NOT the kitten 0-4 months) You will want to pick up a bag of this. I mix this with ProPlan Kitten Canned Chicken and Liver flavor. Your kitten will be used to these two foods being mixed together. It is very importnant that you do not stress your kitten by changing its food during the first couple months.

4. Prepare a small area for you kitten for the first two weeks. This can be a small bedroom, a bathroom, even a livingroom if you are able to block the doorways into the other rooms. Panel boards work great for this. Your kitten will be lost in its new environment and will need to know exactly where the litterbox is. You want to encourage proper use right from the start. It is also a good idea to leave a little bit of your kittens poo in its box right at first. Even if it is only one piece. Their sense of smell is very good. Sometimes cleaning it too well can create a problem. This is only at first of course.

5. When your kitten comes home it will be a little nervous, this is ok. Just hold your kitten and pet your kitten and reassure it that you are a good thing. DO NOT introduce your kitten to other animals during this time. Your cat or dog could carry viruses or bacteria that your kitten could pick up during this time of stress. Remember, your kitten has left its family, been given vaccines and has been brought to a new home with different smells, different sounds, etc... all this stress and decrease a kittens immune system. If your kitten develops a cold or diarrhea during this time you do not want your other animals to catch it. Nor do you want to wonder who gave it to who.