The Spellbound Selection Process

From deposit to pickup—here’s how it all works.

We know this can feel overwhelming at first. Please know you’ll never be left alone in the process—we’ll always answer your questions by call, text, or email.

Quick Overview

Deposit placed (reserves your spot)
kittens born
Early Selection begins (~2 weeks)
Regular Selection (~8 weeks, if kittens remain)
payments (at 6 weeks and 1 week before pickup)
pickup at 12–14 weeks.

Our process is designed to be fair and transparent while giving families choices about timing and selection order.

Step 1: Place Your Deposit

What you do: Choose your upgrades and place your deposit through our online store.

What happens:

Your spot on the waitlist is secured (payment date = waitlist order).
Deposit is 1/3 of total cost and applies toward your kitten’s final price.
Deposit amounts vary based on upgrades chosen and whether you live or pick up your kitten in Texas.

Upgrade options:

Litter Hold ($500) – guarantees placement in a specific litter (doesn’t affect selection order).
Early Selection ($500) – choose your kitten at ~2 weeks instead of waiting until 8 weeks.
Priority ($300) – move ahead of others at your same level (Early or Regular).
Decision Hold ($500 per kitten) – hold multiple kittens while deciding; refundable if you decide before 8 weeks and another family chooses the released kitten via Early Selection.
Early + Priority ($800, most popular) – choose first at ~2 weeks, before other families.

Step 2: Wait for Your Litter

What happens: When kittens are born, families are placed into that litter’s queue:

Litter Hold families (first into the litter).
Early Selection families (if space remains).
Regular Selection families (added at 8 weeks if kittens remain).

What you’ll see: Kittens posted on our website marked as “PENDING waitlist selections.”

Step 3: Selection Time

Around 2 weeks (eyes open):

Early Selection families with Priority choose first.
Early Selection families without Priority choose next.
Each family has 24 hours to decide, pass, or wait for another litter.

Around 8 weeks (if kittens remain):

Regular Selection families with Priority.
Regular Selection families without Priority.
Full disclosure: since late 2023, kittens have almost always been chosen before 8 weeks.

Understand Upgrade Options

Litter Hold – guarantees placement into a specific litter. This does not affect selection order—it simply reserves space.
Early Selection – families with this upgrade may choose their kitten when kittens are around 2 weeks old (before Regular Selection families). If there’s no waitlist, Early Selection also allows you to choose at any time after birth.
Priority – moves your family ahead of others at the same level (Early or Regular).
Decision Hold – if you’re trying to decide between 2–3 kittens, you can pay a small fee to mark them “Pending” while you decide. If you choose before 8 weeks and another family purchases Early Selection for a released kitten, we’ll refund your Decision Hold fee(s) on your final invoice.

During your turn, you may:

Choose your kitten.
Place a Decision Hold to mark multiple kittens as “Pending” while you decide.
Pass and wait for another litter.

After your turn, you may:

Switch to a different available kitten in the same litter.
Switch to a future litter (upgrades don’t transfer—they’ve already affected other families).

Step 4: Payments & Pickup

Payment schedule:

Deposit – when you join the waitlist (1/3 of total).
Second payment – when kittens are 6 weeks old.
Final payment – one week before pickup.

Pickup options (12–14 weeks):

Pick up at the cattery where the kitten was raised.
Arrange home delivery (additional fee).
Meet partway (reduced fee compared to full delivery).
Join a group delivery (costs split between families).
Extended boarding available at $20/day after 14 weeks.

Important Details

Flexibility & Protection:

Deposits are transferable between litters.
You may switch within your litter anytime, as long as kittens are still available.
If you switch to a different litter, upgrades do not transfer.
Protection policy: If you’re bumped from one litter per queen by Early Selection families, we’ll grant you a free Litter Hold for next time.

Website Updates:

At birth: kittens posted as “Pending waitlist selections.”
After Early Selection: remaining kittens updated to “Available for Early Selection.”
After 8 weeks: any kittens still unchosen updated to “Available.”

How Families Are Placed into Litters

When a new litter is born, families are added to that litter’s queue in this order:

Litter Hold families (first into the litter, but order still depends on deposit and upgrades).
Early Selection families (Priority first, then others).
Regular Selection families (added at 8 weeks if kittens are still available).

✨ Important: Litter Hold only guarantees a spot in the litter—it does not change who chooses first once you’re in.

Example: If there are 6 kittens in a litter and 2 Litter Hold families, that leaves 4 spots to be filled by other families.
For selections, all families are arranged by payment order:
Early + Priority first, then Early only, then Regular (at 8 weeks).

NOTE: No One Waits Forever

We don’t want families stuck on the waitlist indefinitely. If you are bumped from one litter per queen by Early Selection families, we’ll grant you Litter Hold at no charge.

FAQ

What if I’m not ready when it’s my turn?
You can pass, or use Decision Hold to temporarily reserve kittens while you decide.

Can my deposit transfer to another litter?
Yes, deposits are transferable.

What if I change my mind after choosing?
You can switch to another available kitten or a future litter. (Upgrades don’t transfer, since they’ve already affected other families.)

Do I have to choose upgrades?
No. Some families stay at base pricing—it may just take longer to find a litter with kittens available for you.

More FAQ on our FAQ page

Questions? We’re here to help by phone, text, or email.
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