We decided to add this page to our site, so people can both get an idea of our setup and meet some of our other four-legged friends with whom we share our lives! Nestled in the Appalachian mountains of SWVA, our property spans over 100 acres. In additional to our kennel, we also operate Nesbit Heritage Farm, home to AHCA registered Highland cattle, ABWPA registered British White cattle, AKKPS registered Kune Kune pigs, and NKA registered Kiko goats... Not to mention TICA/CFA registered hypoallergenic Siberian cats, who are raised under the Sombra prefix, imported directly from Russia! We hope you enjoy your virtual visit!
Pictured above are various pictures from around the property. Sunrises and sunsets are equally breathtaking here, but my favorite thing is probably the mist that settles in the mountains.
We built our dream kennel facility in 2023 - there are actually 2 seperate buildings; one for adults and the other for puppies. The adult building is 40x60 and has 24 indoor/outdoor kennel runs, while the puppy building is 25x20 and has 5 indoor/outdoor runs. Both buildings have climate control and we also have a grooming area with a professional dog tub, washer/dryer, hot water, wifi etc. Each building has it's own outdoor play area, equipped with pools, agility equipment, and other toys to keep everyone entertained! We also have multiple cameras set up, so we can keep an eye on puppies anytime we're not with them. For the first few weeks, someone is with them around the clock.
As long as weather cooperates, our puppies have daily outdoor playtime. We try to keep them mentally stimulated by providing a variety of toys for them to explore. It's amazing to see how quickly they figure out how to go through tunnels, climb a ramp, etc! We also rotate toys daily so they don't get bored.
As you can see, we have a variety of livestock here on the farm. We welcomed our first Highland calf (a heifer!) this past fall and hope to have piglets soon! The donkeys are great guardians. Whenever they see people they honk like crazy, thinking it's feeding time! Kune Kunes are incredibly friendly pigs and are very quick learners. They can learn many basic obedience commands similar to dogs and will do just about anything for a treat. Feel free to give our Farm a follow on Facebook under "Nesbit Heritage Farm."
While researching cats online, I happened upon Siberians, which are a forest cat (similar to the Maine Coon). I've always been allergic to cats, but Siberians are known to have lower levels of FELD-1, which is the protein in the saliva that people typically react to. We found a local breeder and brought home two kittens and the rest has been history! My sister, Tristan, and I decided to form our own cattery, under the name Sombra. Above are some of our personal cats, or our bred by kittens. You can read more about them at Sombra Siberians!