The Philosophy behind it
Baton Rouge's goal is to breed healthy and happy Abyssinians with exceptional personalities and an appearance conforming to the breed standard. The color preference of Baton Rouge Abyssinians is ruddy and red. I kept a very small separate Silver Abyssinian breeding program for a while, but it was discontinued in 1998. Melanie Walzer from Opelousa Abyssinians will carry on what I began.
Baton Rouge Abyssinians are kept indoors only and they have the free run of the apartment . To enjoy fresh air and sunshine they have access to a secured large balcony. The risks of free roaming are simply too numerous and not limited to be overrun by cars only. That's why I prefer to place my Abys with people who have a similar point of view.
Of course, my Abys are considered to be family members which means, they take part of every action I take at home. I think this is a very important approach to raising outstanding tempered Abysinians who are definitely intelligent, social and people oriented cats. Kittens are raised with lots of love and have daily human contact from the moment they are born. I prefer that they stay in my home until they are at least four months of age (preferably even longer), since I personally believe, that they need this time to spend together with their siblings and the rest of the group in order to develop properly. But also from an immunological point of view this is important, because it is now believed that kittens should receive their last shot of immunization not before 14-16 weeks of age, due to possibile maternal antibodies which can be still present before and hence render vaccinations ineffective.
If you are interested in getting a Baton Rouge Abyssinian kitten or cat, you are encouraged to visit my home and spend some time with my adult cats as well as the kittens. It's the best way to learn about the charm, intelligence, affection....in short, the uniqueness of this breed! But be warned! Not everyone who wants a Baton Rouge Abyssinian will automatically approve for a kitten or cat placement. I am very selective and will refuse to sell kittens/cats to anyone I don't feel right for my Abys. I want the prospective buyers to become aware of the characteristics of this special breed and the responsibility and respect it takes to keep them right and happy for the next couple of years! This means, I am on the lookout for a hopefully permanent home and for the rest of their life. Since most healthy Abys reach an age between 14-20 years you have to think twice and be certain about the commitment you plan to take.
All Baton Rouge Abyssinians are placed with a written contract, vaccination certificates and are registered with an official cat association. Cats considered to be pets (not for breeding) will be neutered/spayed. You will also receive lots of advices and recommondations and I will be there if you need help or have questions also after the cats/kittens have left my home.
Another priority at Baton Rouge's is health and vigor and therefore a selective breeding program is conducted. I was lucky from the very beginning as my foundation stock out of well known American, Australian and European lines not only clicked well to create beautiful examplares of the breed but they turned out to produce very sound offspring for me so far as well. A solid genetic background certainly is fundamental to raising healthy animals. On the other hand, environmental factors play a significant role as well. Proper nutrition is one part of it. Besides a variety of high quality commercial cat food they also get fresh food occasionally.
