Not that it's that important if you love the breed you're breeding, but I was just wondering how well breeders/catteries have been doing since our economy started going downhill. Have you guys been affected much?
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Breeders and This Economy
- Thread starter starrdazl
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- Dec 21, 2005
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I am not actually breeding yet. I have been waiting for almost a year now for my first breeding female and there is not one in the real near future. This is because the breeder I chose to start my line with has hardly been breeding because of the economy. I have been told by a few breeders in my breed that selling kittens have been almost impossible.
This worries me for my breed since there are so few breeders to begin with. Genetic diversity is very tight already. It has definately crossed my mind about putting my breeding program on hold. I have worked so hard to get to where I am I just hate to do that.
I do wonder if this is the same for other breeds since my breed is not a popular known breed.
This worries me for my breed since there are so few breeders to begin with. Genetic diversity is very tight already. It has definately crossed my mind about putting my breeding program on hold. I have worked so hard to get to where I am I just hate to do that.
I do wonder if this is the same for other breeds since my breed is not a popular known breed.
Knock on wood....but nope, no negative effects.
We've been producing top quality kittens in every litter and have at least doubled our prices over the last 4 years and there has been no slow down in demand, in fact it has increased to the point to make it difficult for us to produce for the demand.
Weekly, we turn away potential clients. Of course some of them are looking for bargain basement prices, even though I clearly post our price for individual kittens on our site.
The Bengal, being one of the most popular breed cats, (if not number 1) in the world right now, does help our sales.
That being said, I'm certainly not a backyard breeder, and our kittens are not cheap, coming from the best of the best. Even so there still is plenty of business from the discriminating purebred pet client.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
The breeder I'm getting my next show Ocicat from has had a nice waiting list and no problems in finding homes.
No problems here but when I started my breeding programme with my partner we allowed for things like this to occur. In reality the economy shouldn't have affect breeders at the moment - it's not a hobby for the cash strapped. People are beginning to look at a Pedigree kitten as a luxury though.
The breeding and buying or selling, there should be no problems for most breeders. It is the showing that will be affected. Show entry numbers are already down and I can foresee that the number of shows also will decrease should the economy get worse.
I think show numbers are down here too, I know some breeders who have opted for fewer shows than they would have done this time last year because although it is of course important, it's a cost that can be cut by not doing it so frequently (in terms of fees and travel, and in some cases overnight stay), and unless you're looking to break records there's no harm in attending every other show instead of religiously exhibiting at every show you can get to.
I don't know whether anyones breeding schedule has changed as such, but I am aware of several people (with the help of their breeder of course) looking to rehome a cat (and devastated by it) as a result of having lost their job or home and being unable to provide the basics for their beloved cat, in circumstances not of their own making.
