good breeders?

I am very good at telling a good dog breeder from a bad one but have never done this with cat breeders. I am not getting a cat, I'm just seeing if I can tell the difference. So I'll put up some breeders (all Siamese since i love them) and you tell me if they are good. If not tell me why.

1. the only thing I see wrong is no mention of health screenings but i don't know if cats get screenings like dogs do. http://www.koblizeksiamese.com/

2. Once again I don't see specific health screening and I also see that they say they have several litters a year which is a big no-no in the dog breeding world http://mywebpages.comcast.net/blueisles/home.html

3. Also has several litters and no mention of health screening http://www.thaifong.ca/home.htm

4. No health screenings specified. http://www.blue-gem.com/index.htm


Now when I say no health screenings I'm looking for a Association that screens for this stuff. With dogs you look for OFA and CERF health screenings. Many of these Cat breeders say their cats are Feline AIDS negative and Feline Leukemia negative but i assume there should be more. Blue Isles says this " Blue Isles kittens are guaranteed to be feline leukemia and feline AIDS negative. They are also guaranteed against any congenital conditions or illnesses." but I don't know if that is enough to prove he has had the cats screened for genetic disorders.

So please teach me

It's not possible to discern if a breeder is good or bad from a website. It's really a process. Website overview first, then e-mail and phone calls, then a visit to the cattery. Finally, request references from past buyers and follow through and contact them.

I don't explain everything we test for and every little detail on my website. It's not there for that. I'm happy to discuss those things in depth with clients in person or on the phone.

It should always be "buyer beware" and "buyer be aware", of what to ask. Breeders aren't required to give information, but a good one will divulge everything if the client is aware enough to ask the right questions. Afterall a good breeder has nothing to hide.

As Nial said, you can't always go be websites, better to discuss more in emails/person (if you can), phone, etc.

Out of the 4 I like the 2nd one the best. When I evaluate cats/breeder these are the things I look for:

1. How many cats and what is the quality. Is pretty easy in any of the associations (CFA, TICA, ACFA) to get a championship on the cat (some colors may be more popular and take awhile, but over all you can get a championship in one show). GRAND championship is a lot harder. I like to see the cats and the background with several grand champions and champions in the first 3-4 generations. To many untitled cats make me pass them by. I feel that they are not breeding for improvement of the cat if they can't be bothered to get their cats titled. If you don't have the money/time to do so, then WHY are you into breeding your cats?????

2. How consistent is your type/cats? You have to know the standard and know what is winning and breed to the standard - again it goes back to number 1.

3. How many queens and studs? Like the one cattery has one stud and a few queens - they might breed the queens around the same time and have 1-2 litters to pick from for future show prospects. If they have a lot of cats, I may question it. However, some catterys have top quality males and females and do more breeding so you have to weigh everything when considering who to buy from.

4. How often are the queens bred? If one queen is having more then one or two litters a year (depending on a few factors), then they are overbreeding and not one I want to buy from.

5. If you get to visit, how clean is the cattery, cats, and what are the cat's attitudes? Are they all caged or do they have rooms to run in. While studs more/less have to be caged, is the cage or room big enough to keep them healthy and happy.

As far as testing, FELV and FIP are the main ones to be tested - there are a few other genetic problems now in persians, maine coons that have surfaced recently. Siamese are at risk for cardiomyophy and should be tested - oriental/siamese/rex are also at risk cause its basically an "oriental" type of cat.

When looking to buy, you need to have a health guarentee on the kittens too. There are many factors that are used in evaluating whether or not its a good breeder.

When we went to Iowa, it was a 4 hour drive there and a 4 hour drive back. So I couldnt go vist the cattery and come back later. Wen I got there the kittens were underfoot and ours had a green ribben around his neck. the females had gone into heat again so were locked downstairs, and the coupe was very friendy and nice, they had a rescued cat with them, a neutered stray non purebred. Which I thought was sweet.


However they didnt worm the kitten or socalize him propery, Our kitten was fighting being picked up and handled though got along well with people . The poop was big and stinky I changed to a better diet.

( By females I mean the breeding queens)

Things I would look for in a good breeder are genetic health testing like in the Somali the parents should be tested for PK Deficiency, titles on their cats, early spay/neuter, and micro chipping would be a bonus. I would also like to visit the cattery looking at the numbers of cats, how well they are socialized, and cleanseliness. Also I would want a contract with a health guarantee. A note I wanted to add is cats need to be bred more often than dogs. So having 2 litters a year is normal but more than that would cause concern.

I agree with all the above. A breeder does not have to say on the website which cats have been tested, but when you are actually interested in buying and you bring that up they should have proof that the adult cats have been tested, because they can pass anything to the kittens. And one breeder who is a member of this site has it in the contract that you are required to test the kitten with in 48 hours after buying the cat. That way they know that kittens are healthy too. And if something should come back you can get a refund or a new cat.

Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

It's not possible to discern if a breeder is good or bad from a website. It's really a process. Website overview first, then e-mail and phone calls, then a visit to the cattery. Finally, request references from past buyers and follow through and contact them.

I don't explain everything we test for and every little detail on my website. It's not there for that. I'm happy to discuss those things in depth with clients in person or on the phone.

It should always be "buyer beware" and "buyer be aware", of what to ask. Breeders aren't required to give information, but a good one will divulge everything if the client is aware enough to ask the right questions. Afterall a good breeder has nothing to hide.

Click to expand...

Very well said!