Since finding a Chinese Li Hua in the US is going to be a bit of a task, owing to the fact of their rarity in the country, the Internet is always a good place to start your search. You want to network with other Chinese Li Hua owners and breeders who will be able to point out other owners or breeders near your area. They will also be great resources of experienced knowledge and a good place to share best practices.
Learn to recognize these sites to sift out fly by night breeders from the good ones. You will need to learn to watch out for red flags that would give indication of shady or flowery messages. The Internet may be a good place to start looking for your Chinese Li Hua but it is also rife with undesirables. Be on the lookout for red flags such as the constant availability of kittens, and being subjected to making online credit card payments.
These may sound like convenient and standard payment procedures, but beware, because reputable breeders are almost never associated with these online payment options. Reputable breeders prefer to deal with potential cat guardians personally. They want to be able to share information with the people the kittens will be living with. They too will want to find out what a potential guardian has done in preparation for the new family addition.
Upstanding breeders will also not have constant availability of kittens on wait. Any individual who professes to have constant availability must be running a kitty mill, stay away. You shall have to go through the process of waiting. Breeders of good repute will add you on their waiting list and there will be a period of wait. Dragon Li cats are rare and few in the US and there is a relatively tiny group of people and breeders who breed them.
There is no guarantee that the information we have here will help you to better identify a breeders intentions. Nor can we \ assure you of the good or ill repute of breeders you will be in touch and dealing with. Therefore asking the right questions is equally important when seeking out an honest and ethical breeder.
A good breeder will not hesitate in answering questions about guarantees they can give. You will want to ask what the breeder the kitten later would do should be found to have a serious health condition. You will want to talk about how the kitten was socialized and see how the kittens interact and respond to the breeder, yourself. This will give you an idea of the cat’s personality and will give indication to the amount of handling and socialization the litters of kittens have received.
Set expectations and be ready to wait for at least 6 months (sometimes more) for the right kitten to be available. Since they are a rare, breeders may not be as easy to find. And there is no way to tell if they are in your immediate locale. Use this time to do research further whilst you prepare and outfit your home for the eventual addition of the Chinese Li Hua to your home.
Breeders of good standing will not release kittens to new homes until they are ready to be separated from its mother; this is typically around the 12th to 16th week or when the ittens have weaned off the teat. Expect to wait another 12-16 weeks after the birth of the Li Hua Mao before they can join you. This time can be put to good use by making certain you have covered all bases for the homecoming of your new Li Hua. You may want to check your home and its surroundings making sure it is ready for the new member to join the family ranks.
Author and long-time animal lover. Sharing knowledge on pet care through experience and the written word. 