What would you like to know about the Dearheart Silver Persians?
(Please be brief)
Thanks for visiting our FAQ's section.
We know the wait has been long and we thank you for your overwhelming interest and patience during our update!
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***2) What kind of kitten is in the Fancy Feast commercial? Is it a Dearheart? How old is it?
The kitten in the Fancy Feast commercial is a Chinchilla Silver Persian. It is in fact a
Dearheart Chinchilla Silver Persian. We are sorry to inform you that the kitten in the commercial is only 6 weeks old at most. Never before has it been allowed (by the owner & trainer of the kitten & cats in the commercial) to have a kitten, let alone one that young, in a commercial or a shoot. This was a first. Another factoid is that it usually takes several cats to film one commercial; since different cats like to do different things.
I.e. coming down the stairs, licking lips, eating food in dish.
***3) How do I get a kitten for Christmas?
Females have to be bred in June in order for the kittens to be old enough to go to new homes for Christmas. Once bred she will be pregnant for around 61 days. The kittens can go home at 14-16 weeks. These kittens will go fast so if you're interested please fill out the contact info form.
4) How big do Dearheart Persians get?
Females range between 5-8 lbs. Our females currently weigh just under 6 lbs
Males range between 6-9 lbs. Our males currently weigh just over 6 lbs, with the exception being Mini-Scoot from our first litter. We are told he weighs just under 8 lbs. (Our standard persian weighs 13 lbs, our maine coon mix weighs 15lbs)
5) Do you feed them a special diet? Do you give them Fancy Feast?
We feed our cats Royal Canin. This brand was recommended by our breeder when we got our kittens. There are always new and better products but persians need special levels of different supplements and the Royal Canin line has formulations from babies (after they are weaned) to adults and seniors. We live in the high desert in the Carson Valley where there is almost no humidity so we also feed them shredded chicken breast in the evening. This is when we actually do add a little of the Fancy Feast canned turkey (about 1/2 teaspoon) into the chicken for flavor. This helps keep the moisture level up in their digestive system.
6) Are they as soft as they look?
Absolutely! We took them to a couple of shows (just to see what they were like) and that was the #2 question (we'll answer the #1 show question down the line). As previously stated in the Chinchilla Silver Origins section, this is one of the only breeds to have both the persian and the angora coats set in as a trait. The silkiness of the angora is unbelievable.
7) Are they hard to care for?
As much as we'd like to say no they must be combed everyday. We find that just by spending that time with each of them everyday a bond is built between you. They get to where they almost fall asleep while you're combing them. (It doesn't take that long as long as you don't skip days, that is where the tangles and mats can happen.) We start bathing them once they are old enough. We start out once a week, then every other week etc until we bath them once a month. This gets them used to being bathed. Cats continually groom themselves,by bathing them frequently it cuts down on the hair ingested and also the dander.
8) Why can't we take them before 4 months old?
We are sorry we can't oblige this request but 14-16 weeks old is the standard among the professionals and the association. This is for the protection of the animal. Making sure their immune system is ready is important with purebreds. There are so many things that are contagious in the animal world now that weren't in the past.
9) What is the difference between a Dearheart chinchilla silver and other chinchilla silver persians we see online? What is setting a trait and what's so special about these particular chinchilla silver persians?
The Dearheart persians are a line of traditional chinchilla silver persians that were bred by Jeanne and Philip Ramsdale who were authorities in the breed, setting & maintaining particular traits in their line. Philip was a veterinarian and they bred their line to be healthy and strong. Jeanne Ramsdale died Nov 1, 1992.
The kittens and cats in the Fancy Feast commercials are Traditional Chinchilla Silver and Shaded Persians from that line. Fancy Feast has solely used the Dearhearts for decades.
The gene pool of the Dearheart lineage is very small which is why if you are thinking of breeding yourself, careful coordination must be done to make sure the gene pool stays strong.
Some of the chinchilla silvers you see online "could" have Dearhearts up their line but don't have the Pedigree to show it. Those who have a cat from the Dearheart line know it and will assure that their Dearheart is bred to another Dearheart. (The CFA has record as well). This is imperative as the traits can be lost if bred to another chinchilla silver. There are not that many true Dearhearts left because of the popularity of the standard persians ("flat faced").
Setting a trait is when you breed for specific genetics to be passed down to all offspring coming from that gene pool. As long as you breed within that line & according to the guidelines of the association, those traits will be certain to be passed down. Setting a trait takes time and expertise. This breed is one of the oldest man made cat breeds. Sometimes trying to improve a line will lose these set-in traits.
10) This brings us to the #1 show question: How can that be a persian when it doesn't have a flat face?
The persian did not originally have a flat face (peked face). The chinchilla origins page explains how silvers came into being and gives a history of both the angoras and silver persians. A lot of Chinchilla Silver breeders have lost several of the original (traditional)
traits by breeding for the peked face.
11) Why don't they look as fluffy as in the commercials?
There are special grooming techniques and products used for shows and photo shoots etc.
Cats are very sensitive to grooming products. Even those made for cats. ( Because they spend so much time grooming themselves and it is ingested.) Therefore most professionals do not keep them "groomed up" when not scheduled for a show or photo shoot. Also in the spring they shed the under layers of 'dead' fur. It's at this time when you can see the soft silky angora fur.
***12) What product do you use to groom your cats?
After much trial & error (We are still rookies too! lol) we have finally found a miracle!!
We saw a post by Alida Delport of Cherie-Finesse in January about their photoshoot
in Milan Italy and she mentioned Wampum Miracle Grooming Spray. EEEhaaaa!
So Google I did! There are only a couple of places online in the USA to find it. It is a product from South Africa. We purchased ours through www.biewerhouse.com They are dog breeders, a type of yorkie. They are located in New Jersey. (Just a little plug for them!) It is truly a miracle. We use the whole line. We also use 'Groomer's Goop for cats' for the base of the tail on males. We purchase ours through www.uscatbreeders.com it is also available at
***13) How do you bathe them?
Since we have bathed them from very young they are pretty used to it. Some do better than others. (Benji is so relaxed that the first time we bathed him we thought he fainted.
Stop laughing we were scared!) Anyway, here's our step by step. One of us prefers to bathe the cats in the kitchen utility sink, the other prefers the double wide shower with
several buckets. That part is optional. Either way: 1) If the cat is a male spray Wampum Instant Slip & Sheen Spray at the base of the tail and work through with a soft toothbrush. This will dissolve the waxy coating they get at the base of their tail. 2) Get them wet. (Their body temp is naturally above our 98.6 so it needs to be at a nice comfortable temp to keep them warm while bathing) 3) Take a small amount of Groomers Goop shampoo for cats and dilute it in a cup of water. Then pour it over their fur and massage it in well. 4) Massage the groomers goop through the tail hair. 5) Rinse WELL! 6) Dilute a small amount of Wampum Whitening & Brightening shampoo and pour through coat and let soak. While waiting take a small amount of baby shampoo on a wet washcloth and clean their face and outside of ears. (Be careful not to get it in the ears.) Rinse the washcloth and then use it to remove the baby shampoo.7) Rinse the whitening shampoo out WELL!!! 8) Dilute conditioner and pour it through fur. Massage it in well so that it soaks in for a minute or so. 9) Rinse WELL!! 10) Squeeze out excess water. 11) Spray on Wampum Miracle Grooming spray. Make sure it is evenly distributed. 12) Towel dry. 13) Check to make sure you didn't miss any area with the Wampum. If there are any areas where the hair looks like it might mat comb through that area. 14) This is where most people blow dry and that is fine, just make sure that the temperature isn't too hot, their skin is very sensitive. We put the cat in a hard shelled pet taxi in the bathroom and make sure it is warm enough that they don't catch a chill. (We have a rainbow vacuum cleaner with a long hose, so we put it in the hallway and hook the hose in the output end and aim it at the carrier inside the bathroom. It's quieter and quicker than a blow dryer and produces less static. We live in the high desert so this is important here.) There are also professional groomer's dryers but you must be careful it doesn't get too hot and overheat your cat. IT HAPPENS! Even the "professional" groomers have had accidents. We bathe multiple cats so by the time we get done with the second cat the first is almost all dry. This is where you make sure all mats are OUT! If there are any problem areas use a little more Wampum miracle spray and work it out, I use a little 2 oz spray bottle so it's easy to deal with while blow drying. Blow dry until they are ALL THE WAY DRY!!! If you don't they will get mats. Fluff with Persian grooming brush.
We cannot stress enough the rinse well part. Cats groom and therefore ingest what is on their hair. They can get very sick if you don't rinse well. The rule is: when you think you've rinsed enough, rinse again.
When we say trial & error we mean it! Everyone has probably experienced it and it is a disaster. The worst case scenario is an embarassed cat who looks like a shorn lamb. This is where I thank God that Alida posted the Miracle Grooming Spray by Wampum. It not only cuts the drying time in half and removes tangles it keeps the hair from tangling and matting until the next bath. We bathe our cats once a month due to allergies. Yep, Mom has always been allergic to cats, except when bathed regularly.
Fancy Feast YouTube 1
Short Version
Fancy Feast YouTube 3
Fancy Feast YouTube 2
"The Engagement" extended version
Click Here
to view the
Cherie-Finesse video
Fancy Feast YouTube 4
"The Wedding"
FAQ's
1) How much does a Dearheart kitten cost?
Currently, as of January 2015, a Dearheart kitten is $1500. The buyer also is responsible for the cost of transportation. We do not ship kittens, they must fly in-cabin with a passenger. See the "Kitten Inquiries" page to view deposit policy.
