ABOUT US
OUR STORY
Hey Friend! I’m glad you’re here. My name is Roxy and my hubby is Jason. Together, we created Ethereal Persians. Neither of us grew up planning to breed persian cats. We simply allowed our passion to guide us and paid close attention to detail. Now, we proudly produce exceptional persian kittens for the most fanatic persian lovers.
About Us
Our family is comprised of my hubby – Jason, our son – Julian, our german shepherd – Mishka, and plenty of beloved kitties. Our home is not large but it is very homey. In 2010, Jason and I began a romantic relationship. In 2012, we purchased our first home. In 2015, we began breeding persian cats.
Breeding is more than a job and more than a career – it is a lifestyle.
Ethereal Persians Cattery operates in Sarasota, FL within our home. It is not a 9-5 job; it is an all day, every day choice. We choose to breed persian cats because their presence is profoundly therapeutic to our souls and the impact we have on families through our kittens is pawsitively life-altering. Here, cats grace us with their therapeutic presence and we return the favor by making sure they remain safe, happy, and healthy.
Roxy: The Crazy Cat Lady
A lot of “About Me” pages share how they wanted to be a _________ since they were young. That’s not my story. I imagined I’d be a surgeon for large predatory cats in the Africa, not a a midwife to tiny fluffy felines in my own home.
My story starts in 2015. I had completed my bachelors in biology and planned to pursue a doctorate in veterinary medicine. I visited the Veterinary College at the University of Florida where my first dream shattered. I was quoted 42k a year to attend. I could not afford tuition, let alone moving expenses. So instead I focused on serving the animals closest to me – dogs and cats. I offered dog sitting services, becoming a pet photographer and eventually a vet tech at a local veterinary hospital. Most importantly, I focused on my deep fascination with breeding and the intricacies it entailed.
One of the first things I did after collage was purchase a persian cat for breeding. In December of 2015 I purchased my first persian cat for breeding – Milo – a white stud with copper eyes. In 2016 I purchased my first persian female for breeding – Shaila – a blue smoke white copper eyes. It didn’t take long for me to purchase several more breeders; 3 in 2017. By 2018, I had several litters on the ground and had overcome many milestones and officially felt like a crazy cat lady.
Before becoming a full-time cat breeder Roxy was a:
- Student at the University of South Florida
- Veterinary Technician
- Dog Sitter
- Photographer; families, weddings and pets
Looking back at it now, becoming a breeder was a quick choice. The startup cost was attainable, I had the space required and I felt empowered with knowledge. I gathered skills and income as a photographer and dog sitter to purchase my first persians and to grow my cattery. Also, my hubby helped tremendously by keeping us financially afloat while I pursued new passions. Shortly after producing my first litters, I became a veterinary technician to advance my understanding of veterinary medicine; encouraged by heartbreaking medical crises with young kittens.
At my busiest point, I was a breeder, a vet tech, a professional photographer and a dogsitter. Juggling all of that and doing it all well was practically impossible. In 2017, I quit dog sitting. In 2019, I quit offering professional photography services. In 2021, I quit my job as a veterinary technician. I have since devoted my entire life to breeding cats. In 2022, my hubby quit his job as a mail man to best support our growing cattery.
Today, I am a midwife, nutritionist, groomer, photographer, videographer, animal trainer and CEO of Ethereal Persians; in addition to my personal roles as devoted mother, wife, daughter and friend to those closest to me. My beloved partner, Jason, is an equal partner with complimentary roles. Over time, we have added team members such as pet nannies, groomers, nutritionists, website designers, and maids to keep up with our workload and to offer the best experience to our beloved owners.
Breeding has become a way of life for us. Our priority is first and foremost making sure that each kitten is happy, healthy and that the owners that entrust us do so confidently and are matched appropriately. We are unapologetic in our choice to breed and our goal has always been to lead by example. We cut no corners and we hope you see that, embrace it and support us.
If you are here in support, thank you. I hope you find useful content on my site or your next kitten in our hands.
Our Timeline
We were coworkers at Ace Hardware
In Sarasota . . . and Julian - Jasons Son, was 2 when we started cohabiting.
It felt like a dream come true! We welcomed our first two Persians, Milo - a white, and Shaila - a blue smoke.
We were enamored with persians that did not tear.
This was a nightmare season in our life. Disease management become a challenge.
We wouldn't be breeding today if we hadn't switched from feeding feed-grade kibble and canned food to human-grade raw food; health problems significantly decreased.
The secret to breeding healthy extremes that do not tear or have breathing problems was elusive at this time.
Cats of this color division are rare. Acquiring our first for breeding - a silver - took us 2 years!
I had to choose between bottle feeding my kittens or going to work. I chose my cats. It was a bitter-sweet time but one of the best decisions I ever made.
He became 100% dedicated to our cattery. His help has been priceless!
This allows us to produce blue-eyed silvers, goldens & Blue-Goldens. Ultra rare kitties for you!
Our Timeline
Jason & I Met
We were coworkers at ACE Hardware.
We Purchased Our First Home
In Sarasota . . . and Julian, Jasons son, was 2 when we started cohabiting.
We Created Ethereal Persians
It felt like a dream come true! We welcomed our first two persian cats, Milo and Shaila.
We Focused on Breeding Doll Face Persians
We were enamored with persians that did not tear.
We Almost Closed the Cattery Due to Ringworm
This was a nightmare season in our life. Disease management became a challenge.
We Started Shipping Kittens & Began Raw Feeding
We wouldn't be breeding today if we hadn't switched from feeding feed-grade kibble and canned food to human grade raw food. Health problems significantly decreased.
We Began Breeding Extreme Faced Persians
The secret to breeding healthy extremes that do not tear or have breathing problems was elusive at this time.
We decided to specialize in Silver, Golden & Blue-Golden Persians
Cats of this color division are relatively rare. Acquiring our first silver persian for breeding took us 2 years!
Roxy quit working as a vet-tech.
I had to choose between bottle feeding my kittens or going to work. I chose my cats. It was a bitter-sweet time but one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Jason quit working as a mailman.
He became 100% dedicated to our cattery. His help has been priceless!
We addded color-points to our breeding program.
This allows us produce blue-eyed silver, goldens and blue-goldens. Ultra-rare kitties for you!
A Tribute To Jason: The Kerosene To My Fire
This section is dedicated to my best friend, my confidant, my partner – Jason Geers. His support has been invaluable in my life and in the growth of Ethereal Persians.
Back in 2015 I imagined I could run Ethereal Persians all by myself. That was naive. There were moments of exhaustion, depression and financial crisis that I could not overcome on my own. Jason helped me overcome incredible challenges and over time it became apparent that running a cattery was a 2 person job (or more; at least for us). In 2022, our cattery became financially sustainable (not lucrative). In response, Jason gave up his career (and income) as a mailman to help grow our dream cattery.
You may recognize his hand in our cat photos or his voice in the background of our videos. What is not as obvious is his role behind the scene. He medicates, feeds and takes care of all physical and many online kitty chores when I am sick, overwhelmed or unable to for any reason. He also specializes in things I don’t, like website management. Jasons encourages me like no ne else can. He is the glue that keeps me together and the kerosene to my fire!
The Healer In Me
A large part of who I am as a breeder was influenced by my experience as a veterinary technician. The clinic is where I witnessed first hand the grave impact disease has on pets and pet owners. That’s where I cultivated my fundamental beliefs about disease management and where I learned to build and present treatment plans, aid in surgeries, perform dental cleanings, medicate and confidently restrain dogs and cats. I gained invaluable clinical experience and learned conventional veterinary medicine and pathology at an accelerated rate. My appreciation and understanding of veterinary medicine grew tremendously as a vet tech.
Now a days, I learn from reading research articles, listening to podcasts from holistic veterinarians and conversing with fellow breeders. I used to practice conventional medicine; now I practice holistic medicine. My goal is to increase both the health span and life span of our cats while providing a service to you – a cat – and having the knowledge to guide you when needed.
Our Company Values
Our values as a company reflect our core values as individuals.
Health is second to none. Without good health, heartbreak ensues.
We encourage personalities that are affection seeking, confident, and tolerant by focusing on social stimuli and lots of gentle handling.
We pledge to always be transparent and forthcoming with information, especially health and behavioral concerns, so that you can make a well informed decision.
Perfection is a matter of perspective and perspective is subjective. Because of that, every pet is perfectly imperfect.
We seek to continuously grow and share our knowledge, especially in our understanding of nutrition, disease management, vaccinations, and behavior modification techniques.
Understand and master light to present our cats as true-to-life as possible in photo and video content.
Unlike products, animals require a level of compassion that extends far beyond a sale. We make ourselves available for questions and support indefinitely after every sale and accept returns at any age and for any reason.
Why We Breed
We’re often asked what motivated us to continue breeding. Here are our top 4 reasons:
The impact our sweet kittens have on our happiness and that of their new parents
The ability of our cattery to be financially sustainable
The loving friendships we craft with our Ethereal families and followers
Our ability, tailored over years, to produce exceptional persian kittens with sound temperaments and robust health.
Our story may have started with me but it grew to include you and many others. If we have pawsitively touched your life please leave us a review to let us and other know.
