~Testimonials~
HELLO, IM WRITING THE TESTIMONIAL TO TALK ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE WITH LYKOI_VA AND MELISSA IN GETTING OUR FIRST LYKOI KITTEN. SPOILER ALERT, IT WAS FANTASTIC! MY WIFE AND I LIVE THE MILITARY LIFE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WITH AN 8-YEAR OLD SAVANNAH CAT (HIISI) AND A 120-LB IW/GSD/GIANT MALAMUTE DOG (PEARL). OUR DOG ADORES OUR SAVANNAH, AND WHILE THERE IS NO FEAR OR AGGRESSION FROM EITHER OF THEM, OUR CAT IS A BIT ALOOF, AND VERY AWARE OF THEIR SIZE DIFFERENCE. WHILE THINKING OF A POSSIBLE THIRD PET, WE DECIDED THAT A KITTEN THAT COULD GROW UP WITH OUR DOG AND BE AN ACCEPTABLE PLAYMATE FOR OUR CAT, WOULD IN TURN BE THE BEST ADDITION. WE’VE SEEN PHOTOS OF LYKOI CATS AND HAVE BEEN IN LOVE WITH THE BREED SINCE THE MOMENT WE DISCOVERED THEM. IT DOESN’T HURT THAT OUR DOG EVEN HAS A SIMILAR LOOK. (I THINK SHE IS VERY CONFUSED, SHE DIDN’T REMEMBER GIVING BIRTH TO THIS STRANGE LOOKING PUPPY!) THE LYKOI PERSONALITY SEEMED PERFECT AS WELL. WE ARE ACTIVE AND LIKE TO TRAVEL, BUT LIVE A VERY LAID BACK LIFE AT HOME. A CAT THAT LIKES TO CUDDLE, SHOWS DOG-LIKE TRAITS, AND CAN GO ON COFFEE DATES WITH US? SOUNDS PERFECT!
FINDING A BREEDER AT FIRST WAS A BIT STRESSFUL. WE KNEW THAT THE BREED WASN’T BRAND NEW, BUT ALSO WASN’T TERRIBLY COMMON. WE WERE ALSO AFRAID OF SCAMS AND FRAUDULENT BREEDERS (HAVING PURCHASED A SAVANNAH CAT, WE HAD GOTTEN A GLIMPSE INTO BOTH BAD AND GOOD BREEDERS.) SO WE BEGAN WITH THE GOOGLE MACHINE, LOOKED FOR WEBSITES THAT WERE BOTH PROFESSIONAL LOOKING AND INFORMATIVE, AND CHECKED TO SEE IF THEY HAD A FACEBOOK PAGE AND WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY INTERACTION THEY HAD. WE ALSO HAD A BRIEF CHAT WITH BRITTNEY GOBBLE, THE ORIGINAL LYKOI BREEDER/FOUNDER. ONCE WE BEGAN COMMUNICATING WITH LYKOI BREEDERS, WE WERE STRUCK BY THE VARIETY OF RESPONSES (OR LACK THEREOF) FROM THEM. MANY NEVER EVEN RESPONDED TO MY EMAILS. SOME WERE PROMPT IN COMMUNICATING BUT DIDN’T HAVE ANY AVAILABLE NOW NOR IN THE NEAR FUTURE (UNDERSTANDABLE AS THE HOLIDAYS WERE APPROACHING!) AND THEN THERE WERE A COUPLE THAT WERE JUST ODD AND MADE US FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. MELISSA WITH LYKOI-VA RESPONDED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY TO OUR EMAIL, AND WAS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. SHE WAS PATIENT, THOROUGH IN ANSWERING ALL OUR QUESTIONS, AND WITH HER OWN QUESTIONS IT WAS CLEAR SHE CARED DEEPLY ABOUT WHERE THESE KITTENS WENT. SHE WAS ALSO VERY PROMPT IN ALL HER COMMUNICATION, AND THAT REALLY MADE US FEEL SO MUCH MORE AT EASE WITH HER. I DON’T THINK MORE THAN 48 HOURS WENT BY WITHOUT GETTING AT LEAST ONE PHOTO OR VIDEO, AND OFTEN WE RECEIVED A WONDERFUL BATCH! IT WAS REALLY NICE TO HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION CONTINUE, TO SEE HOW THE KITTEN WAS GROWING AND INTERACTING, AND WE COULD TELL HE WAS BEING RAISED IN A HAPPY, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT.
THE CONTRACT WAS EASY ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND, AND MAKING PAYMENTS WAS VERY CONVENIENT. BEING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY IN CALIFORNIA, I REALLY APPRECIATED HOW MUCH EFFORT WAS PUT INTO COORDINATING FLIGHTS THAT WERE BOTH CONVENIENT FOR OUR SCHEDULE AND WOULD BE THE LEAST STRESSFUL FOR THE LITTLE GUY. EVEN WITH UNEXPECTED AND UNAVOIDABLE AIRLINE ISSUES THE COMMUNICATION WAS VERY PROMPT, AND SOON WE WERE AT THE AIRPORT WAITING FOR OUE NEWEST FAMILY MEMBER. WE KNEW HE WAS ARRIVING WITH A BLANKET THAT HAD HIS MOM’S AND LITTER MATES SMELL, FOOD, TOYS, AND MEDICAL DOCUMENTS, AND WE HAD A SEPERATE ROOM ALL SET UP FOR HIM. WHEN WE BROUGHT OUR SAVANNAH HOME, HE WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE DRIVE AND THE CHANGE AND WAS QUITE LOUD ABOUT IT, SO WE DID NOT HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS FIRST INTERACTION. I FEEL SO SILLY WRITING THIS, BECAUSE OUR EXPECTATIONS COULDN’T HAVE BEEN FURTHER FROM REALITY!
ONCE HE ARRIVED IN HIS AIRLINE CARRIER, WE BROUGHT HIM BACK TO THE CAR, WHERE WE HAD A LITTER BOX WAITING. WE BROUGHT HIM OUT OF THE CARRIER AND FELL IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN. HE WAS GORGEOUS! CLEAN, HEALTHY, AND DIDN’T SEEM TO BE OVERLY FAZED BY HIS CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT, HE HAPPILY CHIRPED AT US AND BEGAN EXPLORING THE CAR AND THESE NEW HUMANS. HE WENT INTO THE LITTER BOX ON HIS OWN, AND CONFIDENTLY WENT ABOUT CLIMBING ALL OVER US, SNIFFING AND ROLLING AROUND WITH A NON-STOP PURR, OCCASIONALLY STOPPING TO ROLL AROUND ON OUR LAPS FOR BELLY RUB BREAKS. ON THE DRIVE BACK HE MOSTLY NAPPED ON MY WIFE’S LAP. ONCE HOME HE ACTED LIKE THE WHOLE SCENERIO WAS TOTALLY NORMAL, AND BEGAN EXPLORING HIS ROOM WITH A CONFIDENT LITTLE SWAGGER!WE COULDN’T BELIEVE HOW EASY THAT DRIVE HAD BEEN, AND HIS PERSONALITY JUST CONTINUES TO AMAZE US. HE WAS BOLD, CURIOUS, AFFECTIONATE, AND JUST INNATELY HAPPY. WE NAMED HIM “DIESEL”, AN APT NAME FOR SUCH A FEARLESS AND CONFIDENT EXPLORER.
SINCE WE BROUGHT HIM HOME, EVERYDAY HAS BEEN AN ADVENTURE! WHILE HE’S AS HIGH ENERGY AS ANY KITTEN WOULD BE, HE ALSO QUICKLY TRANSITIONS INTO A CUDDLER, AND WILL SPEND HOURSON OUR LAPS JUST NAPPING AND PURRING. WHEN WE BROUGHT HIM TO THE VET FOR HIS CHECK-UP AND LAST SHOTS, HE WAS A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY AND I’M PRETTY SURE WE HAD EVERYONE WORKING THERE COME INTO THE ROOM TO FAWN AND LOVE ON HIM! HE’S VERY INQUISITIVE BUT NOT DESTRUCTIVE. DESPITE MOLTING HE’S BEEN VERY CLEAN, AND WE HAVEN’T HAD ANY “DIGESTION” ISSUES OR ACCIDENTS. HE LOVES TO EAT AND DOESN’T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS REMINDING US THAT IT’S TIME TO EAT! HE’S ALSO BEEN VERY CONFIDENT AND CURIOUS WITH OUR SAVANNAH, AND WHILE CAUTIOUS AROUND OUR GIANT DOG, UNDERSTANDS THAT SHE’S PART OF THE FAMILY AND WILL CHECK HER OUT FROM A RESPECTABLE DISTANCE RATHER THAN RUN AWAY. WE’VE TAKEN HIM ON A “WALK” IN A KITTEN STROLLER AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING HIM ON COFFEE DATES!
COMPARED TO OUR SAVANNAH EXPERIENCE, WE’VE REALLY APPRECIATED HOW SOCIAL AND AFFECTIONATE HE IS. HE’S SUCH A LITTLE CHARMER, AND HE KNOWS IT! WE LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND IT’S CLEAR HE WAS MEANT TO BE IN OUR LIVES. MELISSA HAS BEEN AMAZING AND HAVE KEPT UP ALL COMMUNICATION WITH US EVEN AFTER WE PICKED HIM UP. ITS CLEAR THAT MELISSA TRULY CARES ABOUT AND FOR HER CATS PROPERLY AND WE WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING A lYKOI KITTEN FROM HER ANYDAY! AS IM TYPING THIS, IM JUST COUNTING DOWN THE MINUTES TILL I GET TO COME HOME TO THIS ADORABLE LITTLE WOLF CAT!
NATE CLEARY
I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH MELISSA RYAN, OWNER OF LYKOI_VA CATTERY. I ADOPTED ONE OF THE FOSTERED FUR BABIES (DSH) AND SHE GAVE ME THE EXACT TIME AND ATTENTION THAT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT SHE GIVES TO HER LYKOI KITTY PARENTS. SHE VETTED ME AS A POTENTIAL KITTY MOMMA(FOR BLACK BEAUTY); SHE PROMPTLY ANSWERED ALL OF MY QUESTIONS; AND, BEFORE PICKUP, SHE ENSURED THAT OUR YOUNG CAT WAS SPAYED, CHIPPED, AND UP TO DATE ON ALL HER SHOTS. THE KITTEN (NOW NAMED NIA) IS WELL ADJUSTED, HEALTHY, ADVENTUROUS, AND WAS AT EASE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WITH THE OTHER TWO CATS IN OUR HOUSEHOLD. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND LYKOI_VA CATTERY AND MELISSA RYAN! ~ STEPH B.
From the moment I inquired about a kitten, and through every question, Melissa has been beyond knowledgable about her Lykoi breed. She has also been VERY fast to respond to my every email. Those 2 things I could NOT find in any other Lykoi Breeder. Melissa has also been very patient and understanding of me being very weary of Breeders. I’m a new cat mom and have been interested in the Lykoi for quite some time now. Atreyukatz/Melissa made everything from the whole customs shipping issue to making sure ALL my 2 kittens paperwork was perfect for me and my vet to understand. Melissa is very organized, I liked that. Than my 2 sibling kittens arrived here in Brazil and I was just so elated that they were not even traumatized by shipping. They were both super loving and affectionate. I couldnt have asked for anything more perfect than these 2 kittens are. And they adapted to my home in no time at all. So if anyone is ever even thinking of getting a Lykoi, I would reccommend Melissa from Atreyukatz in a heartbeat! I love my 2 wolfies and I’m so glad I went to her! Sami-Brazil
Melissa Ryan from Atreyukatz Cattery is an outstanding cat breeder. See I knew I’d never be able to afford a Full Lykoi. Melissa does amazing outcrossing and she had some gorgeous F1 Lykoi Tabbies that were available. Well, I fell in love with this one particular baby girl. She’s a blue spotty tabby F1 Lykoi. And I named her Nevaeh. She is a absolute pleasure to own. I can’t even explain to you just how social and loving she is. I was weary, but she’s absolutely perfect! Melissa puts so much thought into her pet parents from the kitten kits they leave with to the organized health record folders. Even the microchip registration is already paid for, Melissa just thinks of everything. I truly appreciate that in her as a cat breeder. I could go on and on, but I don’t want to make this too long. If you DONT choose to get a Lykoi from Melissa, it’s truly your loss. Her kittens and cats are amazingly social and loving. I couldn’t have asked for a better kitten. I can’t wait to add a Devon to my home so my Lykoi girly will have some awesome playmates. I will be definetly coming back to Melissa for a Devon Rex kitten very soon! I’m looking forward to it….Thank you again Melissa. Cassi-PA
Melissa’s kittens are just perfect! My Rougarou is healthy, beautiful, sweet, bold and playful, socialized and even tempered, and not at all fearful or skittish. She’s settled in nicely with a grumpy senior cat and a very excitable bull terrier, LOL. She obviously got a lot of tender loving care from Melissa and had a happy home with her and her other cats and kittens. Plus, while your eagerly awaiting your kitten, Melissa keeps up constant communication and provides lots of pictures.(And they are so creative!) She is also always available to answer any questions or concerns. I highly recommend her cattery-2 thumbs up! A thrilled new wolfie momma. Tara-Alaska
Although we were a little hesistant at first to give Atreyukatz Cattery a try because we had never done something like this before and this breeder seemed to be just starting out, we did some research and communicated for a bit with Melissa and other Lykoi owners before ultimately deciding to give her a shot! I have to say, we are so glad we did! We are forever grateful for our warm, gentle, and loving addition to our family. The process of picking, picking up(we decided to make the road trip, which was fun in itself) and bringing home our F1 Lykoi was a great one. Working with Melissa was really easy and she was very quick to get back to us with any answers we may have had, and we had alot of questions. We would get frequent updates, photos, and videos as the little guy was growing. You can tell that Melissa puts alot of love into her business and in how she treats her cats. She is very thorough and ultimately wants to make sure these animals are going to loving homes. When we picked up our love bug, he was not only healthy and excited for his journey, he came to us with extra food for the road, and a few of his favorite toys, and all his Vet Health Record paperwork. You could tell he was well taken care of and loved. We recommend Atreyukatz to anyone who is interested in adding a Lykoi or F1 Lykoi into their family! Our cat, now named Neville Longbottom, is wicked smart, playful, loves hanging out with our other 2 cats and is also a huge cuddle bug. Not to mention he is the first cat in history that will allow us to brush his teeth and clip his nails without much fuss at all. Seriously a GREAT cat! Kristen and Hannah- NH
I looked for breeders everywhere for a beautiful Devon Rex kitten. All the other breeders either didn’t call or email me back, or they just didn’t have any kittens at the moment. I contacted Melissa at Atreyukatz, and was delighted to hear that she was having Devon Kittens very soon. I hopped on her waitlist and than I waited for that Birth Announcement email. My baby boy was born in less than 30 days and I finally got to see pictures of him. He is gorgeous and Melissa’s process as a cat breeder was so perfect. It was done very effiently as well. The day finally came that I got to bring my stunning boy home, and he was PERFECT in every way. He was beautiful, healthy, and I got all the records from when he was born. I even got the collar he had on when he was first born. Melissa truly thinks of everything for her pet parents! I also appreciated that Melissa was backed up as a USDA Licensed Cat Breeder. That truly made me feel safe with her. If your thinking of getting a Lykoi or Devon Rex, Atreyukatz is truly the best way to go. I loved working with Melissa so much. I will be getting another Devon baby very soon! Thank you again Atreyukatz Cattery. Erin- MA