My Pledge to Them—and the Pledge I Ask of You

When you choose to bring home a kitten from Royal Velvet Cattery, there is something I want you to understand before anything else:

I made a promise to that kitten long before you ever knew their name.

Being a breeder is not simply about producing beautiful kittens. At least, it shouldn’t be.

For me, responsible cat breeding means accepting responsibility for the lives I help bring into this world—from the decisions I make before a breeding ever takes place to the homes those kittens eventually become part of.

At Royal Velvet, we raise Sphynx, Devon Rex, and Lykoi kittens, but regardless of breed, every kitten deserves the same thing: a breeder who takes their health, happiness, future, and well-being seriously.

And that is where my pledge begins.

My Pledge as Their Breeder

I pledge to put the health and well-being of my cats ahead of profit or convenience.

That means making thoughtful breeding decisions, performing appropriate health and genetic testing, continuing to learn as veterinary medicine and feline genetics advance, and being willing to change course when new information tells me I should.

Ethical breeding isn’t about pretending that health problems can never happen. Biology doesn’t work that way.

It’s about doing everything reasonably within our power to reduce those risks, being transparent when problems arise, learning from them, and continually working toward healthier generations.

I pledge to care for every kitten as an individual from the moment they enter this world.

They will know human hands.

They will know affection.

They will know the sounds and routines of a home.

They will be given time to grow, develop, socialize, and become emotionally prepared for the enormous transition from my home to yours.

Because raising a well-adjusted kitten involves far more than feeding them until they’re old enough to leave.

I Pledge to Be Honest With You

I pledge to be honest about my cats, my breeding program, and the realities of the breeds I love.

I will never promise perfection because no ethical breeder can guarantee a perfectly healthy animal for life.

What I can promise is that I will do my part.

I will health test.

I will make thoughtful breeding decisions.

I will continue educating myself.

I will provide appropriate veterinary care.

I will stand behind the health guarantees I make.

And when something difficult happens, I will not simply disappear.

My Responsibility Doesn’t End on Go-Home Day

One of the most important parts of my pledge is this:

My responsibility to a Royal Velvet kitten does not end when that kitten leaves my home.

I want to hear about their first night.

I want the pictures.

I want to know about the ridiculous thing they did that made you laugh.

And if something isn’t right, I want you to call me.

Breeder support shouldn’t disappear once the final payment is made.

Whether your Royal Velvet cat is six months old, six years old, or a senior curled up beside you many years from now, they will always be part of the family that began here.

And if life ever changes and you truly cannot keep them, please come back to me before you decide they have nowhere else to go.

There should never be a day when one of my cats has nowhere safe to land.

But I’m Not the Only One Who Has to Make a Pledge

This may be the most important part of this entire message.

I am not the only person who has to make a promise to these kittens.

When you choose to bring one home, I’m asking you to make one too.

A kitten isn’t a temporary decision.

They aren’t something to bring home because they’re adorable today and reconsider when life becomes inconvenient tomorrow.

When you adopt a kitten, you may be making a commitment that lasts 15 to 20 years.

So when I carefully choose families for my kittens, I’m not simply looking for someone who wants one.

I’m looking for someone willing to make a promise.

The Pledge I Ask of Every Royal Velvet Family

I ask you to promise that this kitten will be family.

That you will provide appropriate veterinary care, quality nutrition, a safe home, companionship, enrichment, and the care their individual breed requires.

That you will be patient while they adjust.

That you will care for them when they’re healthy and when they’re sick.

That you will care for them when they’re tiny and entertaining, when they’re adults with established personalities, and when they’re seniors who may need more from you than they once did.

I ask you to promise that they will never be declawed, neglected, abandoned, casually rehomed, or treated as disposable.

And if circumstances arise that leave you struggling to care for them, contact me.

I’d much rather receive that phone call than ever learn that one of my cats needed help and nobody called.

Ethical Breeding Requires Commitment on Both Sides

There is a lot of conversation today about what people should expect from a responsible or ethical cat breeder.

And there should be.

You should expect your breeder to care.

You should ask questions about health testing, veterinary care, socialization, contracts, health guarantees, and what happens after the kitten goes home.

Hold breeders accountable.

But responsible breeding doesn’t stop with the breeder.

The family who takes that kitten home becomes the other half of the equation.

I can spend months—and generations—working toward healthy, confident, well-socialized kittens.

But eventually, I have to place one of those little lives into someone else’s hands.

That’s why choosing the right homes matters so deeply to me.

From My Home to Yours

Every Royal Velvet kitten leaves here carrying a little piece of my heart and a whole lot of hope for the life ahead of them.

My pledge is to do everything I reasonably can to give them the strongest beginning possible.

To breed responsibly.

To care deeply.

To continue learning.

To be honest.

To stand behind my program.

And to remain a resource for the families who love them.

Your pledge begins where mine continues.

Love them.

Protect them.

Care for them.

Advocate for them when they cannot advocate for themselves.

And when life gets difficult, remember the promise you made when you chose them.

Because I made mine before they were ever yours.

And ultimately, that’s what I believe responsible breeding and responsible adoption should be:

Two people making the same promise to one little life.

From my home to yours, may we always love them well.

— Adra
Royal Velvet Cattery