Why we do what we do

At Simply Divine, our emphasis is on producing healthy and well-adjusted kittens for allergic families like our own. We strive to produce kittens that are superlative in every way and only have a few litters each year so that we can be sure that they get all the love and attention they need. Our cats are beloved members of our family, and our kittens are raised under foot with lots of love and attention.

There is nothing we love hearing more from our kittens’ new families than, “This is the best kitten we have ever owned!” That is why we do what we do.

I came from the womb with a profound love for all of God’s creatures, with a special place in my heart for cats. My grandmother and mother were both hobby breeders of beautiful Persians and Himalayans. I received my first cat — a shaded silver Persian named Frosty — as a gift for my fifth birthday. Thus began my “breeding career”. Frosty produced many beautiful babies and I delivered her last litter solo at the age of ten. Raising kittens was a passion for me and I would sit outside the nest box for hours just watching her babies sleep.

At the age of ten I became very ill and much to my dismay, was diagnosed with severe allergies to nearly everything with fur. I began receiving allergy injections due to the severity of the allergies, as living without pets was not an option for me.

I began establishing myself as a reputable breeder, while continuing to suffer with allergy symptoms despite ongoing medical treatment and prescription medications. I was forced to discontinue receiving allergy injections when I bacame pregnant with my first child, and my symptoms intensified. This marked the beginning of a ten year period of time in which I was unable to share my home with the cats I so adored. My cats lived with my parents and I would get hives, swollen itchy eyes, and asthma every time I would visit their home, in spite of taking prescription allergy medications. We were able to have hypo-allergenic dogs, but it wasn’t the same — dogs don’t purr! During this time, I began to search for a hypo-allergenic cat. I researched many breeds including the “genetically engineered” breeds. This was when I came across Siberians. I have to admit, they sounded too good to be true. I ordered a hair sample from an on-line breeder, and to my great surprise, I didn’t have a reaction at all! I made an appointment to visit a Siberian breeder and do a live test as I was still extremely skeptical. I spent the afternoon with her Siberians and fell madly in love with the breed. I was absolutely amazed at my lack of allergic response.

There were no breeders in my area that were producing colorpoints, so this became my mission. Misty, a seal lynx point, joined my family in 2007 as the first of the queens here at Simply Divine. I was elated to discover that I had no symptoms from her living in my home even without taking any allergy medications. I was also completely smitten with her lovely disposition and affectionate and laid back temperament. I couldn’t wait to get another one. A year later, Angel, another seal lynx point, joined the family. She is now retired. That’s the funny thing about Siberians — one is never enough! We have had many beautiful girls join the family since then and contribute to our breeding program. Most have been retired to wonderful pet homes. Misty and Darling are now retired here as our forever pets. Some of our queens over the years were Bella and Scarlet, Misty’s daughters. Ivy, Bella’s daughter. Bloom, Scarlet’s daughter. Darling, a seal point, and Angel’s half sister. Darling’s daughters are Jasmine, Pandora, Wisteria, Aspen, Aurora, and Whimsey. Wisteria’s daughters Marigold and Willow. Aspen’s daughter is Violet. Mia, joined our family from Nikarl. Lacey and Velvet imported from Blekitny Aniol in Poland. In our current line up are Whimsey, Violet, Velvet, and Jasper.

Being loved by my Siberians is amazing and raising their kittens is pure delight. My girls love being mommies and welcome me to partner with them in raising their kittens. Delivery Day here at Simply Divine is an eagerly anticipated and truly intimate event. As a queen nears her due date, I prepare a nest box for her upcoming litter in my bedroom. My girls have come to rely on my company and support during labor. I never miss a delivery! After the kittens are born they spend the first month in a quiet corner of my bedroom. At four to six weeks, the kittens will move to a fully-furnished kitten nursery in our finished basement or to one of our our daughter’s room during the night, and begin supervised exploration of the house during the day. At this point, we start solid foods, potty training, and scratching post games. The kittens have access to several different litter boxes throughout the house with different types of natural litter in each box so they will have been exposed to whatever kind they will be using in their future homes. We also use several different types of scratching posts so our babies learn where it is appropriate to stretch and use their claws. When they leave our home, our kittens have been extensively socialized and make the transition into their new environment with ease. Most families are pleased to report that their new kitten made himself right at home as if he were always a loved member of the family!

It is my passion to produce kittens that truly are hypo-allergenic, intelligent, affectionate, loyal, playful, inquisitive, and in a nutshell — simply divine!