LOOK HERE
to meet the
favored feline
members
of our
household!
Karen and Dottie's Kitties

I began my breeding program to enjoy the hobby of producing and showing Exotic Shorthairs.  
I breed to the CFA standard &
carefully research the pedigrees & genetics of our matches.
I raise home pampered pets with the sweet disposition Persians & Exotics are so well known for.  
My cats run free through the house as house pets
and are not caged unless in the extreme case for a cat's health or safety.   
Our kitties are all well socialized and raised with lots of attention and handling from the kids.  
I keep a low number of cats to ensure their health and happiness.  
They receive regular veterinary care with Dr. Kelli Rosen at Cascade Animal Clinic.  All of our new
breeding cats are tested negative for FeLV, FIV and are DNA PKD negative.  
They are free from fleas, fungus, parasites & disease.
Focus

One of the most beautiful cats I have seen at the shows is the
classic silver tabby American Shorthair.  
Their pattern and color are absolutely exquisite!!

Being a Person of the Persian Purrsuasion, I, of course, want to replicate this outstanding
beauty in Exotics.  After thoughtful consideration, I decided that the direction I wanted
KaDoKits to go in was primarily silver tabby Exotic Shorthairs.  I want to keep my
numbers low & I think it’s important to focus on a particular color program.  Candy has
reminded me of the work involved with the Persian coat, and boy, what a beautiful coat
she has!  The Exotics are easier to care for in grooming while still being a Persian.  I have
long loved the silver tabbies and in my opinion, the tabby pattern looks better on a
shorthaired cat.
“Bi-colors” or “with white” are my first love…and will always be a part of my breeding
program…just with a different twist…or stripe!    

I am constantly looking up current information and picking the brains of other breeders to
refresh my memory and learn new principles to a good silver tabby breeding program.  
I've searched the internet & have found some outstanding breeders of these colors (see
my links page) in both Persian & Exotic.  I am really excited to have the opportunity to try
my hand at breeding silver tabby Exotics again!
My goal is to produce…

   clear silver color with a neat, well-defined pattern.
   a wide-eyed sweet & open expression
   a broad, smooth top head with tiny, low placed ears
   a heavy boned, cobby body
   a plush, thick, teddy bear coat
To reach this goal, I plan to use…

   Silver tabbies from lines free of tarnishing and with excellent pattern
    Exotics & Persians from the best producing European & American lines
   Cats with perfect head structure and expression, and solid bodies
   Smokes and shadeds when possible to improve color clarity
I created these pages to help newcomers to the cat fancy gain a basic
understanding of cat breeding genetics.
Click the link to learn about each topic, then when you're finished, click
the back button on your browser.
The focus of my discussions is on the Silver Tabby Exotic breeding
program.  Most of the information can be used with other colors and
breeds.  I do not discuss at length the colors/patterns I do not work with.

   Start here!...Introduction to genetics basics
   Punnet Squares
   Phenotype vs. Genotype
   Sex linked Genetic Traits
   Dominant Genes vs. Recessive Genes
   Homozygous vs. Heterozygous

   Basic Cat Colors
   Color vs. Pattern...Determining your cat's basic color
   Tabby Pattern vs. Agouti
   The Inhibitor Gene, A.K.A. Silver
   Bi-Colors or "with white"
   Basic Primer on Whites
   What's the Point?....about the color-point/Himalayan gene
   The Long & Short of It....hair length in the Exotic breeding
program

                         Putting it All Together
  Chicken Soup for the Silver Tabby Exotic Lover's Soul            
  Grandma's Teapot
Placing Babies

I keep my kittens until they are 12 weeks old before placing them in their
new homes.  If a kitten needs to fly home, they’ll stay with me at least until
they are 16 weeks old to ensure they are able to tolerate the stress of the
flight.  
These are guidelines, kittens leave home when they are ready.
All pet kittens are sold already altered.  All kittens are current on their
vaccinations and are free from parasites and illness.  They are vet checked
and sold with a health guarantee.  I prefer to place kittens in pet homes so
they can live the life of household pets.  I only place kittens with other
breeders who I know or know well of.  They have to have high standards and
ethics and must keep the welfare of their kitties as number one priority.
A Few Parting Words
I am always researching catteries and articles on the internet & in print to
learn current trends, breeding practices, genetics, pedigrees and successful
there who are working on producing wonderful cats without being 'backyard'
kitten mills.  Some of you have included so much useful information to help
others and the cat fancy.  THANK YOU!

Above all, this is a hobby to be enjoyed.  It takes a lot of hard work,
dedication, and thoughtfulness to breed pedigreed animals.  NO ONE
should enter into it lightly!  There is no easy buck to make and it is unethical
to run a “kitten mill” or to sell to pet shops.  If you’d love to show a pedigreed
to share any information, opinions, laughter & tears with other cat fanciers.  
I pray that I will always have the grace to behave like a friend &
not an opponent.

I hope you enjoy visiting my site.  Please leave your paw print in my guest
book or send me an email…I love to cat chat!  
Hopefully we’ll meet at a show someday.
KaDoKits Cattery    =^o.o^=    Breeding Program