This page was set up to let you know a little "About Us" and how we raise our cats.
"We Are Family"
This is "Tally."
Talistar is named for our first Birman,
Landshigh Tally Ho! Way to Go.
Tally is a lovely lady with only half of a lace which prevents her from being shown. She is the mother of Kiree, grandmother to Willow and Zion, all of whom reside at Talistar. And the great-grandmother of Soleil. When trying to decide on a cattery name, I decided since Tally could never be a champion she would be honored as the
"Star" of our home.
We are a CFA Cattery of Excellence, licensed in both the City of Lenexa and the State of Kansas. Our cattery is small, specializing in seal and blue point Birmans. We have one to three litters of kittens each year that are placed in approved homes. See the Kittens page for more information on our kittens. E-mail us on the Contact Us page.Our kittens are raised underfoot and in the bed (or under it depending on the particular Mom - Xandria thinks she should deliver kittens in the bed and they should reside there for their first month. Kiree makes a nest under the bed and Willow hides them for the first two weeks, much to my distress). They are raised with lots of love and attention with two Labrador Retrievers. They are well socialized with cats, dogs and humans, as well as litter box and scratching post trained by their mother's.
Our Birmans receive the very best health care. All of our adult cats are vaccinated on an 18-month schedule. Kittens are fully vaccinated prior to leaving for their adopted homes and need only be spayed or neutered once they are of appropriate age.
It is said that within each Birman resides the soul of a monk. Much of the history is cloaked in mystery. However this wonderful breed was developed, they are loving and social animals. They make wonderful pets and adore their people.
Birmans are often thought of as a "middle of the road" cat. While they are intelligent, active and playful, they generally are not destructive nor overly vocal. They love to be with their people, bonding with more than just the "food provider" and tend to follow you around much as a dog. They also like to "help" you read by sitting on your book or paper and rubbing against it for visual aide, help you sleep by cuddling with you or taking the middle of the bed, and they are particularly fond of helping prepare food (especially theirs). Most believe they are computer literate. Some are lap sitters and some prefer to sit next to you, with just a paw on your hand. Some are "leg weavers" and others keep their distance from moving people. Each cat has his or her own purrsonality waiting to be recognized by their human and cultivated to "be the best they can be".
Talistar's Birmans are raised in the home with the family. Kittens start out with their Mom in our bedroom prior to moving to the Cat Room. We have a "Cat Room" devoted entirely to our feline family members. The "Cat Room" houses our stud, Xydeco, as well as any girls who are cycling and Moms with kittens who are still being litter box trained. Once kittens are well trained they join the rest of the group with full run of the house. They also interact with their father, who loves his babies. Some of the girls "share" kittens and some are quite possessive. And Willow loves all kittens and tries to take everyone else's, as well as her own.
Overall the cats enjoy each other as well as the human housekeeping staff (that would be me) and the dogs. It is common to find a couple of cats curled up next to the dogs sound asleep or grooming each other.
