breaking even, breeding cats

swate

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Everyone I talk to tells me that breeding cat is a loosing prop. Is there a way to atleast break even, my kids and wife would like to show and breed cats but I dont want to loose my life savings doing it either...I have already spent alot of money adding a room to the house (for the cats)

With breeders selling cats for $700-$1500 a piece how are they loosing money, does everyone of there cats need a c-section?

I would be really happy to just break even....
 

scamperfarms

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Great link. The upfront money on the cats may seem like a good amount. been when you factor in all that goes into. it is tough to break even. thats why breeders do it for the love of the breed, not the money.
 

goldenkitty45

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The only ones that make any money are thos backyard breeders who cut corners - feed cheap food, don't vet, certainly don't do genetic testing, etc.

By the time you put out money for quality breeding cats, the showing of these cats to prove they are good enough for breeding and they will contribute positively to the breed, the vet care, the food, etc. you are VERY lucky to break even.

We used the cattery for a few years for taxes - and we never made a profit. I believe that if you don't make a profit in 5 yrs, the IRS says its not a business its a hobby and if you keep trying to take off for taxes - they WILL come after you!
 

epona

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Breeding cats is a hobby, and as with most hobbies, costs money. I believe that a lot of the cost goes on the highest quality kitten food for the mother and kittens from before pregnancy to the time they go to their new homes at 13-20 weeks old, stud fees (or separate 'kitty-condos' for stud males if you have one yourself), vaccinations, neutering or spaying the kittens before they leave, vet visits for pregnant queens, vet visits for the kittens, worming, flea treatment, bedding, safe crates for the queens to have their kittens in, show fees, transport to shows... then what if something goes wrong and you have to handfeed every 2 hours for weeks on end with expensive KMR getting no sleep, and the time spent handling and socialising them, extra litter and litter trays, loads of work there etc etc etc and then ON TOP of all that there is always the risk of a complication that will require emergency surgery, often out of hours which incurs additional costs.

Cat breeding is a hobby not a job or a money making scheme. No-one makes money out of doing it. It is pursued by people who love what they do for the advancement of the breed they are interested in.
 

abymummy

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Now consider the fact that those of us in Asia MUST import our foundation cats (well at least the rare breeds or very top show quality)...and then factor in the fact that 90% of the shows are OUTSIDE of our own country!

I started off in the red 3 years ago, and will still be in the red for many, many years to come!

Unethical breeders can make money from breeding cats but us moral ones...if I break even in the next 10 years, I'd consider myself blessed!
 

sharky

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Please dont breed if your trying to make money ..
 

urbantigers

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Originally Posted by Epona

Breeding cats is a hobby, and as with most hobbies, costs money. I believe that a lot of the cost goes on the highest quality kitten food for the mother and kittens from before pregnancy to the time they go to their new homes at 13-20 weeks old, stud fees (or separate 'kitty-condos' for stud males if you have one yourself), vaccinations, neutering or spaying the kittens before they leave, vet visits for pregnant queens, vet visits for the kittens, worming, flea treatment, bedding, safe crates for the queens to have their kittens in, show fees, transport to shows... then what if something goes wrong and you have to handfeed every 2 hours for weeks on end with expensive KMR getting no sleep, and the time spent handling and socialising them, extra litter and litter trays, loads of work there etc etc etc and then ON TOP of all that there is always the risk of a complication that will require emergency surgery, often out of hours which incurs additional costs.
plus the fact that a litter of kittens can be destructive and cause damage to your home. Then there's the possiblility of having to take unpaid leave from work to be home with the kittens.... and so on!

I can't afford to be a breeder just yet.
 

kai bengals

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I think is theoretically possible to break even or perhaps be slightly in the black if you stay very small. Say one breeding male and 3 females, then selling every single kitten, from every litter, so you don't grow.

Then you have to factor in the luck part. You'll need that luck to ensure none of your breeding stock becomes ill and none of your litters suffer any illnesses, as some problems can wipe out every cent you made off the kitten sales, because all that money will be going to your Vet.

So, say that all works out and you never keep a kitten back, then you have to ask yourself, why are you breeding cats? As a public service to provide a certain breed of cat to buyers, while you get nothing in return except your hard work? And, yes it's very hard work raising kittens and running a breeding program.

For me and for most breeders, first it's for the love of the breed and with that comes wanting to do more for the breed, accomplish something in that process. Improve upon the breed population, by putting better cats out there, be they pets or as breeder cats in other programs. Second it's the enjoyment of providing great kittens to new homes where the people truly enjoy and treasure the animal that is entrusted to them. Third, it's try to earn back a portion of the funds being spent, so that the work we love to do can be continued without becoming such a financial burden that it no longer makes sense to go on.

So, that brings me back to the theory of breaking even. You will not break even if you breed properly. Improving upon the breed and producing great cats, requires you to keep kittens back that look better than their parents. It often requires you to bring in new lines, show your cats and title them, feed them the very best foods, Vet them regularly. The list of "must do's" is very long and they all seem to cost money.

Beginning a breeding program is nothing to be taken lightly. People who would like to start one up, should know from the get go, that it's a lose money proposition and they need to be prepared financially to take on what amounts to a very expensive hobby.
 

goldenkitty45

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Very well put Nial.

And you know you will find a better kitten in one of those litters that you just HAVE to keep and show yourself
 
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swate

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so I would assume if you had some quality breeding stock, you would at some point have some quality show cats?
 

goldenkitty45

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well its a lot easier to start with a show cat and breed them then to have a breeidng cat and expect to get show out of him/her.
 

bella's_mum

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Breeding sounds very expensive and exhausting to me, thank goodness Bella got Neutered no chance of any accidents. I have had Bella 6 months and have spent £250 on vet's fee's, I would not like to add on the cost of food, litter and toys, the thought of how much it would cost to take a cat through pregnancy, birth and the early stages of kittenhood makes me feel quite faint. You are better men than me !
 

abymummy

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

well its a lot easier to start with a show cat and breed them then to have a breeding cat and expect to get show out of him/her.
I have to agree with GK on this. It's much easier if you start with top show/breeder cats with impeccable lines then starting from scratch. It's also more costly. Of course, you could start with breeder cats with excellent lines and work from there. Slightly less costly. It all depends on the cats you have chosen to breed and show. In Asia, most good, reputable breeders would start from top show/breeders, show the cats and then concentrate on producing quality cats.

It all depends on your pocket and what look/type you are trying to achieve.
 

susannyc

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Most serious breeders lose money big time - it is really a very expensive hobby. We just purchased a show kitten for around 2K. Getting him set up to show will be another several hundred (and what happens if he refuses to show). I will not breed him unless I get a CH on him. Then there are the cat shows. There is a lot of traveling, hotel rooms, flights etc. They are a bit behind in his breed in Europe (and though the quick trips to France will be nice) so I am thinking of showing him off there. More paperwork. Then I have to convince another serious breeder to sell my a show quality female because I will not engage in backyard breeding (probably another 2-3K). So my lay out will be close to 8K before I see a single kitten and that is if he agrees to be shown (you never know). No sale of kittens will ever bring me close to break even. I think people love their breeds, treat the shows as part social events, and really care about them.

My grandfather showed COllies. He even had two tht were Best of Breed for the entire USA. Those two dogs became real money makers but he lost a tom of money for 20 years. After my parents had children my father stopped breeding because they couldn't afford it anymore. Don't become a backyard breeder - it isn't worth it and it ruins breeds.
 

jonesie

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When I started breeding Devon Rex 3 years ago it turned out like this:

Cost to buy breeding quality female $1,200 (and that was a good deal)
Stud fees $500
Vet fees for initial checkup & vaccinations $100
Total cost $1,800

Proceeds from sale of kittens $2,000

As it turned out, the female did not do well being a mom and we decided it would be better to have her spayed $250 (we placed her with a friend of ours who really liked her ... of course, we couldn't charge her anything).

We kept a really nice looking kitten from the litter as future queen - it turned out that she had a congenital heart defect and had to be put down after $1,200 of vet fees.

At the end of the day, not only did we not break even, but we also did not have a cat to continue our breeding program.
AND it was extremely upsetting when I decided to put her to sleep.

Ok ... I'm back into breeding now, because I find Devon Rex addictive ... I've learned a very big lesson though ...

P.S. as noted above, once you start breeding, you'll get lots of friends and family wanting a deal
 

jonesie

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So true ... I did not mention the cost of litter & food. And I tell you, a pregnant cat will eat a LOT
Since our Jonesie has food allergies, he is on an expensive veterinary diet. Guess what ... the other cats have decided that they like expensive food too.

It really has to be a labour of love. No, you don't have to loose your shirt doing it, but also don't expect to make money, if you do, it's a nice bonus.
 

goldenkitty45

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In a way true - but the extra food is basically kitten food that you normally would not be feeding to adult cats - so it is an extra expense for a litter of kittens
 
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