That's true, I didn't think of it that way.
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breaking even, breeding cats
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Susan,
Just a point of inquiry...what breed of kitten did you buy and with which registry? Since you put your location in NY is does make more sense to show in the US then in Europe no matter how far "behind" they are in your breed. If you are talking CFA, you cannot transfer points for Division wins to Regional Wins. Unless you are talking about just a quick grand (which is of course accepted anywhere) and even then, I assure you, it still wont be easy unless your cat/kitten is what I call a 90% cat of it's standards.
Just IMO...
You need to keep in mind that even in catteries with strict breeding programs things can and will go wrong. That generally means high Veterinary expenses and if your vet has never been involve with breeding or breeders they may not be practiced in what to look for. Most Vets today see more dogs then cats and of those just about all are neutered pets.
Read this kitten diary as an example of what can go wrong.http://www.blackandtansiamese.com/maeve's_murphy_litter.htm
Read this kitten diary as an example of what can go wrong.http://www.blackandtansiamese.com/maeve's_murphy_litter.htm
Okay well... I suppose tax wise I might not break even as receipts will show a loss I'm sure ... BUT... I might be weird but I don't have lots of cats so feeding them is part of the love of them... I feed my children and they are my children too so I don't even consider in my head, the feed part of it. Anything OTHER than feed, I consider an expense. *shrugs*
If I was in this strictly to make a profit and be greedy and didn't care about the cats... yep I bet I could show a profit.
If I was in this strictly to make a profit and be greedy and didn't care about the cats... yep I bet I could show a profit.
I always heard that backyard breeders are bad guys.
but the profesional breeders breed for specific qualities, then sell the offspring that aren't "show quality" as pets.
so, either way kittens are produced, then sold.
I don't understand the real difference.
especially when shelters are overrun with kittens.
Maybe I'm just lacking knowledge of the situation, but that's what it looks like to me.
but the profesional breeders breed for specific qualities, then sell the offspring that aren't "show quality" as pets.
so, either way kittens are produced, then sold.
I don't understand the real difference.
especially when shelters are overrun with kittens.
Maybe I'm just lacking knowledge of the situation, but that's what it looks like to me.
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Examples.. I am sure the breeders will come and help
BYB #1( ave joe)
has a female kitty that is cute and they want duplicates... well say this kitty is a mix breed ,.... so they find a friend who has a male cat and they breed ... they get a lovely litter of kitten s but it was a hard birth since the cute kitty needed a c section due to being too small... two kitties are stillborn and the other 5 Mommy kitty doesnt nurse ... So they have to bottle feed the kittys and then give them away to friends or a pet shop...
BYB #2
This is a person that get two purebreeds lablelled "pet" quality and breeds them... Pet quality is not bad just not to standard ... But these two were not genetic tested or evan checked by a vet prior too the breeding...
Good breeder
Does genteic testing on the cats they intend to breed .. To ensure that common issues in the breed are nt likely to come up... They have a reason to breed and that is to improve on it ... they could be going for a show type perfect or better temperments ... they ensure all pet quality and many shows are "fixed" before going to new homes or they make sure the kitties are done by the new parents...They give all the shots needed for the first few months ... they give what they have researched and tried "best food" to the breeder s and the kittens ... Often they show there cats to ensure the cats are to std for the breed and only breed the cats that get championchips ... They are there if there is a problem with the new kitty be it behavioral physical ... are willing to take a kitten or cat back if the new owner cant care for it ... Often they check references before placing a kitten or a cat ... Retired breeder s are matched with new forever homes
See the differences ??
BYB 3 - Most common
The Av Joe - looks around and sees that one particular breed is popular currently... He buys 1 male and maybe 3 females of pet quality, and when the females are of age (ie. in heat, irrespective of age) mates them. Lucky for him, the breeding is successful, and the delivery is safe, mother feeds and cares for kittens. Kittens sold at 4-6 weeks either to a prospective buyer or pet shops without being vaccinated or dewormed. Kittens also not properly weaned. Same mother goes into heat 8 weeks after delivery and is AGAIN mated. Meanwhile, females 2 & 3 are also successfully mated and scenario above is repeated again and again. BYB makes money and thinks hmmmm, what if I feed poor quality food? What if I don't vaccinate yearly or even every 2 years??? I can probably save more money and make more money! Meanwhile, all queens are being successfully bred ( or not, but who cares) at least 3-4 times a year....
Sounds familiar?
The Av Joe - looks around and sees that one particular breed is popular currently... He buys 1 male and maybe 3 females of pet quality, and when the females are of age (ie. in heat, irrespective of age) mates them. Lucky for him, the breeding is successful, and the delivery is safe, mother feeds and cares for kittens. Kittens sold at 4-6 weeks either to a prospective buyer or pet shops without being vaccinated or dewormed. Kittens also not properly weaned. Same mother goes into heat 8 weeks after delivery and is AGAIN mated. Meanwhile, females 2 & 3 are also successfully mated and scenario above is repeated again and again. BYB makes money and thinks hmmmm, what if I feed poor quality food? What if I don't vaccinate yearly or even every 2 years??? I can probably save more money and make more money! Meanwhile, all queens are being successfully bred ( or not, but who cares) at least 3-4 times a year....
Sounds familiar?
The difference is that 'professional' breeders will carefully select individuals to breed from with respect to type and health and will produce healthy, well socialised kittens that go to their new homes at about 12-13 weeks fully vaccinated, healthy, registered and papered, litter trained and treated for worms and fleas. They will go with a contract stipulating they are neutered by a certain age (or may be neutered before going to their new homes) and the contract will generally also request that the kitten be returned to the breeder should the new owner be unable to care for it for any reason. There is nothing wrong with pet quality. Not every cat will be suitable for showing. Most breeders will stay in touch with people who buy their kittens and follow their progress.
Backyard breeders do few or none of these things and are primarily concerned with making money. They will often sell sickly kittens at too young an age and quite often so called pure bred kittens will have no registration papers, or the "breeder" will promise to forward them at a later date but never does (often they don't have any as the parents are not cats for which they had breeding rights).
I agree, cats, and kids, are both living and require you to take care of them. they cost more then what you get out of them if you donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t count the love.
Then someone like me will come along and report you. and if enough people report and it is investigated, you can be shut down, and charged 20000 dollars. I reported along with other people, this woman http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...89424-sun.html
she had the most BEAUTIFUL breed, it was sad that they were all put down. But bad breeders are just sick. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m so glad so many of you donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t do it for money and sound like you do it for love.
that is why it is so important to keep your cats healthy so you do not get reported for selling sickly cats. And cats that are sick need to be taken out of the breeding program as fast as possible so it doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t spread and the rest need to be checked. Once it spreads and many cats are infected, the worst thing to do is continue breeding and separate the cats, you have to shut down completely, it takes one year for disease to leave the environment it could be anywhere in your home, then you can start again with healthy cats when its completely gone. It was so sad that in this house EVERY CAT was sick and she didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t even know it because she only separated the sick ones thinking it did not spread.
I think if you are only into breeding for the money, that you need to find a different pastime. Breeding, at least responsible breeding, is done to better the breed, not to make money.
make money?? breeding??? those shouldn't even be used in the same sentence! It would be nice....but not likely . . . .
That depends largely on the pathogene. Far from all pathogenes are so hardy they can survive outside the cat for a year.
Of course correct disease management is very important if the cattery is struck by disease, but there are different treatments and quarantine requirements depending on what pathogenen you're dealing with.
