My SIL and her husband adopted a one year old ragdoll. He is absolutly gorgeous wonderful etc. Luckily, he is also already neutered. Let me start off with saying, they absolutly love him. He stays inside all the time, gets plenty of love affection toys etc. But ever since they brought him home, all my SIL talks about is a) how great he is because he is full blooded ragdoll with papers and b) how she can't wait until she can afford two ragdoll kittens to raise and breed for extra income. I don't think she is thinking things through. I keep telling her I think it's more complicated then just picking up two kittens and eventually letting thm breed but it doesn't affect her. She already has so called strays living on her porch (a mama cat that keeps getting preggo, she's pg with her 3rd litter right ow since they found her already pregnant in April!). I've been telling her to get mama cat fixed or give her to a rescue or somethng but she's like "she's not my cat so why should I go out my way to get her fixed, I don't have that kind of money!" I'm like "then stop feeding her!! SHE thinks she's your cat!" Basically, she's hardly a good cat owner and now she wants to breed just for $$. Anybody have good things to tell her or show her to convince her its not a good idea??
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Convincing Not to Breed
- Thread starter 4blueyes
- Start Date
Let me begin with a disclaimer that I know nothing about breeding, but maybe if you put them in touch with a breeder they will be disuaded by the amount of work and money required. Most businesses take a few years to start turning a profit, and with cats I would imagine the demand is highest for kittens. If they don't have a client list or a lot of advertising they could be sitting on "inventory" for too long and find it more difficult. Do you think they would be rushing into this if it were any other kind of business? Some people aren't cut out for running their own business or don't realize what's involved.
I hope that the owner of this site does not mind me posting a link, I'm sure she won't as it's for education purposes!
This is a UK breeder who costed out breeding one litter of kittens (I believe there were 4 in this litter), from conception to adoption. This should put anyone off, if they think that they can make money from it. It is all in GBP, but to convert to USD you pretty much need to double the amounts shown. The costs won't be that different in actual terms, but it's worth noting that pedigree kittens are more expensive here (the Siamese kittens from this litter were priced at the equivalent of $900, which is about the going rate here) so financial loss for a breeder in the US may actually be greater, especially once you've added in the cost of paediatric spay/neuter for each of the kittens.
Cost of breeding
This is a UK breeder who costed out breeding one litter of kittens (I believe there were 4 in this litter), from conception to adoption. This should put anyone off, if they think that they can make money from it. It is all in GBP, but to convert to USD you pretty much need to double the amounts shown. The costs won't be that different in actual terms, but it's worth noting that pedigree kittens are more expensive here (the Siamese kittens from this litter were priced at the equivalent of $900, which is about the going rate here) so financial loss for a breeder in the US may actually be greater, especially once you've added in the cost of paediatric spay/neuter for each of the kittens.
Cost of breeding
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In stead of telling her she shouldn't breed, that may just want to do it more you can tell her That before she does she should do a lot of research, talk with other breeders about raising kittens, all the heartbreak when you loose a whole litter and the mother plus the costs for emergancy vets, ect. Tell her you will go to some cat shows with her so she can meet breeders see what the standards are and how much work and money is involved, they will let her know she won't be making any house payments with breeding and for a while it costs more the you make. It is a very expensive "hobby" Then let her her decide, with a little discouraging from you then she might think twice. I think she will find it is more work then it is worth if you are planning to make money, instead of doing it for the love of the breed.
Where to start????
1. Good breeders do not make money from breeding. If you are out to make money, then you are a backyard breeder with little concern about the cats/breed.
2. Only breed if you can afford to breed - that means having money for initial breeding cats (which can cost over $1,000), food, litter, vet (and emergency money for complications in breeding - like c-sections), show expenses.
3. Only breed to IMPROVE the breed - not to just make cute kittens for pets. A breeder strives to produce the best examples. There will be pet quality kittens in each litter, but the majority should be good enough to show and grand. If not, you are not doing things right.
4. Only breed after you've proven yourself in the show ring with an altered cat. You need to network with other breeders and most will not hand over breeding cats to a novice person.
5. Only breed if you have a contract and have money to spay and neuter kittens before they leave your house - and keep the kittens for a minimum of 10-12 weeks - ideal is 12-16 as they should be neutered/spayed by 4 months old.
6. Only breed if you have homes lined up for your kittens (waiting list).
7. Only breed if you are willing to take back any cat/kitten you sell if the owner cannot keep them.
If you cannot do the above, you should not be breeding!
1. Good breeders do not make money from breeding. If you are out to make money, then you are a backyard breeder with little concern about the cats/breed.
2. Only breed if you can afford to breed - that means having money for initial breeding cats (which can cost over $1,000), food, litter, vet (and emergency money for complications in breeding - like c-sections), show expenses.
3. Only breed to IMPROVE the breed - not to just make cute kittens for pets. A breeder strives to produce the best examples. There will be pet quality kittens in each litter, but the majority should be good enough to show and grand. If not, you are not doing things right.
4. Only breed after you've proven yourself in the show ring with an altered cat. You need to network with other breeders and most will not hand over breeding cats to a novice person.
5. Only breed if you have a contract and have money to spay and neuter kittens before they leave your house - and keep the kittens for a minimum of 10-12 weeks - ideal is 12-16 as they should be neutered/spayed by 4 months old.
6. Only breed if you have homes lined up for your kittens (waiting list).
7. Only breed if you are willing to take back any cat/kitten you sell if the owner cannot keep them.
If you cannot do the above, you should not be breeding!
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I would tell her to talk with the breeder she got her ragdoll from about showing him in the alter class. If he is not show quality then I would suggest her next kitten she acquires is show quality. The only way to learn the standard of your chosen breed is to show in the alter class first. Otherwise she will have no clue what to strive for in her breeding program and she will producing low quality pet cats. And that is a backyard breeder.
I would not discourage her either. Instead I would help her learn how to go about breeding the responsible way. You never know her interest and knowledge could grow and just maybe she will become a good responsible breeder.
I would not discourage her either. Instead I would help her learn how to go about breeding the responsible way. You never know her interest and knowledge could grow and just maybe she will become a good responsible breeder.
As already mentoned I think you may be more successful trying to help her educate herself about breeding. It's an extremely expensive hobby but it's very hard for someone who hasn't done the research to understand that. If you don't breed and don't know much about breeding it's hard to know of all expenses. You see the sum the kittens are sold for and you understand they eat, they need litter, maybe some toys, they get vaccinated and a health check by a vet.
You don't see the costs for disease screening (in Sweden Ragdoll's have their kidneys screened for CIN and they're hearts for HCM, these are more or less yearly tests that need to be done), blood typing (important for many breeds, the Ragdoll is one breed that should be blood typed), showing, extra costs for keeping a stud (maybe a stud house, destroyed furniture etc.), if not keeping a stud she'll need to pay someone to get her female mated...
There are so many "hidden costs"...
You don't see the costs for disease screening (in Sweden Ragdoll's have their kidneys screened for CIN and they're hearts for HCM, these are more or less yearly tests that need to be done), blood typing (important for many breeds, the Ragdoll is one breed that should be blood typed), showing, extra costs for keeping a stud (maybe a stud house, destroyed furniture etc.), if not keeping a stud she'll need to pay someone to get her female mated...
There are so many "hidden costs"...
Got that right on the "hidden costs" - by the time you add them all up, you are lucky if you make $50! Seriously. I thought at one time (before breeding) that breeders made money..........wishful thinking
What you need to do is put on paper the following costs:
Initial cost of breeding cat (a good one will be $1,000 or more)
Cost of feeding for one month (kitten food) for 6 kittens (make it a larger amount) (times that by 4)
Cost of a series of shots till kittens are 16 weeks old (purebreds are sold no younger then 12 weeks old)
Cost of spaying and neutering each kitten
Cost of the stud fee (unless you have your own male)
Cost of pre-screening your breeding cats for genetic problems
Now tack on how much it would cost IF you need a c-section. And add in cost of kitten milk/formula if you have to bottle feed.
You can tack on $500-$1,000 for showing the cats as you should not breed them till they get at least a championship, preferably Grand champion with takes longer and more money.
Then after adding this up - add another 25% for things I might have missed
What you need to do is put on paper the following costs:
Initial cost of breeding cat (a good one will be $1,000 or more)
Cost of feeding for one month (kitten food) for 6 kittens (make it a larger amount) (times that by 4)
Cost of a series of shots till kittens are 16 weeks old (purebreds are sold no younger then 12 weeks old)
Cost of spaying and neutering each kitten
Cost of the stud fee (unless you have your own male)
Cost of pre-screening your breeding cats for genetic problems
Now tack on how much it would cost IF you need a c-section. And add in cost of kitten milk/formula if you have to bottle feed.
You can tack on $500-$1,000 for showing the cats as you should not breed them till they get at least a championship, preferably Grand champion with takes longer and more money.
Then after adding this up - add another 25% for things I might have missed
Sadly since her first reason for breeding is to make money, it sounds like she would probably take short cuts to avoid spending much money on the kittens just to put more money in her pocket. In other words, she wants to be a byb. Some people have no right to be pet owners.
I would ask her what her first reason for breeding is. What's her second reason. If it's only about money and profit, then she won't hear a thing you tell her. Many people look at animals as being 'just an animal'.
I hope you can get through to her, for the sake of future cats.
I would ask her what her first reason for breeding is. What's her second reason. If it's only about money and profit, then she won't hear a thing you tell her. Many people look at animals as being 'just an animal'.
I hope you can get through to her, for the sake of future cats.
