Well, I should first start off and say our breeders are our pets first and foremost. I have retired 3 queens, after a short breeding life, and placed them with families who adopted one of their kittens. All of my girls have the run of the house, and our loved by us, until we find the best home for them.
I work with other registered breeders, who are registered with breed association that have a code of ethics for breeders to stand by, (more annual costs to be a member). I don't think you realize when people go to a breeders website, and see the prices, that even you, yourself are expensive, they see money, they don't see vet bills and health tests ran. Now out of those, (lets say)...10 people who contacted me, and wanted to have just one litter, lets say 1, was willing to do what I feel is ethical in breeding. If I was to take that person and allow them to breed one of our offspring, that offspring being my responsibility, so being their full mentor, should also be my responsibility. A special contract would need to be wrote up, to ensure the spaying of the cat after the kittens were weaned. I just wrote a little more and erased it, as there were to many "what ifs" I could go into. If a person wants one litter, why shouldn't they go to a shelter to help out? Why should we not spay our female at 12 weeks of age, and know that she won't have mammary or uterine cancer or infection?
Here is my largest "what if", so I did find one person who did live close, had the same ethics in breeding as I do. It took me almost 2 full years of research about breeding before I ever even got my first breeder pair, how in the world will this person contacting me know what all issues could up. Even experienced breeders can
I have taken on a someone as a mentor just recently, and when a quality male comes available, that will compliment her program, she will get a male, however I spoke with her for over 6 months, got to know her and I do believe that in several months, when her time comes she will be a wonderful asset to our chosen breed.
You are correct in saying that experienced breeders should mentor other newer breeders, however, not to someone who just wants to experience the birth of kittens, as they can do that from a shelter. Breeding should be a passion of that breed, to want to produce healthy offspring, who live long happy lives for people that can spoil them.
Of course, I can't better the breed all by myself, and would never claim to even have full credit on my own offspring, I give credit to the breeders before me that were registered, spent time and money on health tests, and have shown their cats to be quality.
I also have to mention, that another large reason I don't feel comfortable with "one litter", is I doubt they will want to have a registered cattery, and when one is looking at pedigrees, it is nice to know the cattery prefix, so one can easier identify the breeder of the cat, in case questions arise. If I just sold a kitten unaltered, unless I co-owned the cat, the kitten would not have a cattery name before it.
My 2 boys have a large room with toys and 2, 6 and 7 foot cat trees, to play on, with daily socialization. They only come in contact with our females when we want to purposely breed a pair.
I am a closed cattery, meaning I don't offer stud service, or want one of my females in another cattery setting, that also is for health reasons.
I also know it would be nice for every breeder to test their cats, it isn't mandatory, and making it a city requirement would be close to impossible. We can't our cities to govern breeding of animals too closely, so to have them monitor testing of animals is really pushing it.
I also rescue, within my breed and out. I also take in all the neighbors or stray cats, that they leave outdoors, and get them altered at our expense. I don't just care about purebred cats, but all cats, and I do believe that all kittens and puppies, that are not going to be used in a quality breeding program, should be spayed and neutered prior to placement. I can say where each one of my offspring is, and I know that if an ad pops up in my newspaper saying "Purebred kittens for $200 without papers", I can say without a doubt it isn't from one of the babies I produced. I do give papers on all of our kittens, but I do mark them not for breeding, and at times not for showing, if the white isn't right.
We have a difference of opinion, it happens, you have your beliefs and I have mine. We both want what is best for all cats, and that we agree on.
