At iCandy RagaMuffin cats, there is almost always a waitlist for a kitten or retired adult.  One of the most frequent questions I get is “if I fill out an application, where will I be on the waitlist?” or “how long will it be until I get a kitten?”  Honestly, I don’t have a way to predict. I wish there was an easy answer.

 

On rare occasion, there is a RagaMuffin kitten readily available when an inquiry is made. At those times, I have usually held on to a kitten for another breeder or myself and made the hard decision to place a particular kitten as a beloved pet.

 

I generally accept deposits at two to four weeks of age from people that have been waiting.  The order the deposit is accepted is the order the RagaMuffin kitten is chosen at around eight weeks of age. If a family places the first deposit, they get to choose first (after me and other breeders). Second deposit gets the next choice and so on. If there is not a kitten that the individual or family is happy with, the deposit is transferable to the next litter.

 

Availability varies greatly in a litter. The expected litter may produce one kitten or six. In a large litter there may only be one sex. If the first five people on the list want a male, and all the kittens are females, the sixth person on the list who happens to want a female is invited to place a deposit for first pick!

 

Another variable is color. Breeders cannot paint the kittens as they are born. While genetics can narrow the colors expected, RagaMuffin kittens are not made to order. If there is a 25% chance of a kitten being blue, it is a 25% chance for each kitten in the litter. So, Mother Nature being fickle may produce one, some, or all kittens in blue. If several people are waiting for blue kittens, they may be lucky, or not.

 

In some cases, I will contact people that there is a RagaMuffin kitten available that matches the description desired on their application. At that time, they may inform me that it is not a good time for them to get a kitten due to illness or some other reason. In those cases, they may choose to stay on the list for a later litter or decide to contact me later if desired.

 

And there is more to it than just pumping out RagaMuffin kittens. Here at iCandy, I make sure all females are in excellent condition prior to breeding. Health clearances are done, routine medical care is up to date, and the desired sire for an ideal breeding is chosen and available. A coefficient of inbreeding is calculated on every litter to ensure appropriate genetic diversity.

 

I know it is hard for kitten buyers to understand why I can’t predict when there will be a kitten available. But, as explained, it is more complicated than a number on a list.