Reserving a kitten is a two-way process. A good breeder is assessing whether your home suits the cat, and you are assessing whether the breeder is legitimate and the kitten is what was promised. Here is the full sequence, in order, with what each step should look like.
Quick answer: How to reserve a russian blue kitten — here’s the short version. Our Russian Blue kittens are $2,500 with a $250 deposit — see kittens for sale now or read the buying steps below.
Step 1: Enquire properly
The quality of your first message determines the speed and warmth of the reply. Breeders receive dozens of one-line “is this available” messages a week and cannot answer them meaningfully.
Include:
- Who is in your household – adults, children and their ages, other pets and their species and ages
- Whether the cat will live indoors only, and your view on that
- Your location, and whether you would collect or need delivery
- Your timing – now, or a future litter
- Any preference on sex, and whether it is firm
- Your experience with cats, if any
See contact us to send your enquiry. If you are comparing breeders, how to choose a Russian Blue breeder explains what separates a good one.
Step 2: Ask your questions before you commit
Do this before you discuss money. The answers tell you almost everything.
- Can I see the mother, and where does she live in the house?
- What health testing have the parents had?
- Which vet work is done before collection, and by which practice?
- Is desexing included?
- What registration comes with the kitten?
- What does the contract cover on health guarantees and returns?
- What age does the kitten go home, and why?
- What support do you offer afterwards?
The full list with the answers that should worry you is in 15 questions to ask a cat breeder, and 12 breeder red flags covers what to walk away from.
Step 3: See the kitten – properly
Never reserve on stock photos. You should get one or more of:
- An in-person visit, where you also see the mother and the environment. What a good visit looks like.
- A live video call showing the kitten moving, playing and being handled.
- Current photos and video of that specific kitten, including one taken on request with something identifiable in frame.
A breeder who refuses all three is not a breeder you should pay. Buying a kitten online safely covers how to verify remote sellers.
Step 4: Get the terms in writing
Before any money moves, you should have in writing:
- The total price and what it includes
- The deposit amount and its refund conditions
- The expected collection date
- The health guarantee terms
- Who pays for and arranges transport, if applicable
- What happens if the kitten becomes unwell before collection
- Whether the breeder requires the cat to be returned to them if you can no longer keep it
Read what to look for in a cat purchase contract before signing, and health guarantees explained for the clause that matters most.
Step 5: Pay the deposit
At our cattery the deposit is $250 against a $2,500 kitten. It reserves your specific kitten, or a waitlist place if no kittens are currently available. Deposits and payment options explains refundability and payment plans.
Pay safely:
- Bank transfer to an account in the breeder’s own name
- Never gift cards, cryptocurrency, or Western Union-style transfers
- Never to a third party or a “transport company” you have not verified
- Keep the receipt and the written terms together
Step 6: Prepare while you wait
Between reserving and collection, sort the practical side. Doing it now removes almost all the stress from collection day.
- Buy the kit. Carrier, litter trays, food and water bowls, scratching post, bed, toys. The full starter kit list and the supplies checklist.
- Kitten-proof the house. Room by room and what to buy and move.
- Get the same food. Ask the breeder what the kitten is eating and buy some. A sudden diet change causes diarrhoea in the first week.
- Book your vet. A check within the first week, and find out your local after-hours clinic now rather than at 2am.
- Plan the first week. Time off work if you can. The first week plan and the first 30 days.
- Sort transport. If you are collecting, collection day checklist. If travelling, choosing a travel crate.
Step 7: Collect, or arrange delivery
Collection day should be calm and unhurried. Bring the carrier, some of the breeder’s current food, and a towel or item that smells of the mother and littermates. Kitten collection day: what to bring and expect covers it fully.
If you are interstate, we arrange delivery Australia-wide. Delivery information and how Australia-wide kitten delivery works explain the options, welfare standards and costs.
What happens after you take the kitten home
A good breeder remains contactable for the life of the cat. Expect to be able to call about feeding, litter, behaviour and health questions, and expect the contract to require you to contact them first if you can ever no longer keep the cat.
That clause is not the breeder being controlling – it is the safety net that keeps their cats out of shelters. Rehoming a Russian Blue properly explains how it works from the owner’s side.
The order that matters
Suitability conversation first, questions second, see the kitten third, terms in writing fourth, deposit fifth. Any seller who wants to reverse that order is telling you something.
Quick answers
How much does it cost to reserve a Russian Blue kitten?
At our cattery, a $250 deposit against a $2,500 kitten. Across Australia deposits typically run $100 to $500.
How long does the whole process take?
Days if a kitten is available now and you are local. One to two weeks if transport needs arranging. Months if you are joining a waitlist.
Can I reserve a kitten before it is born?
Yes, via a waitlist deposit. Confirm in writing that it converts to the purchase price and what happens if the litter does not produce the sex or colour you wanted.
What if I change my mind after reserving?
Tell the breeder immediately. Deposits are usually non-refundable if you withdraw, but an early conversation often allows transfer to a future litter. See deposit terms.
Related reading
How to Reserve a Russian Blue Kitten: FAQs
How much does it cost to act on this?
When readers ask about how to reserve a russian blue kitten, the budget question comes first: our Russian Blue kittens are $2,500 with a $250 deposit, vet-checked and fully documented — see current Russian Blue kittens for sale.
Can I buy from another state?
Absolutely — how to reserve a russian blue kitten works interstate with safe pet transport. Read buying a kitten interstate for costs, rules and timelines.
What should I do next about how to reserve a russian blue kitten?
Read our 99 kitten-buying FAQs, then enquire — we reply within 24 hours and will happily talk through how to reserve a russian blue kitten for your situation.
Independent guidance: The RSPCA’s guide to choosing a pet responsibly before you commit to any kitten.
Ready to meet your kitten?
Our Russian Blue kittens are raised in our family home, vet-checked, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and socialised before they travel. We reserve with a $250 deposit and deliver Australia-wide.