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Thinking of entering cat show - Page 2

post #31 of 41
1/14/11 at 6:35pm
I understand it seems like you are being argued with on every point when your initial question was simply to ask about showing in the HHP category.

Try it out and see how it goes.

When I said 'change your mind' I just meant to talk to contemporary Persian breeders and find out from them how they feel about the breed and where it is going.

We are breeders and we are in it for the cats, for the cat fancy, and certainly not for profit. It is a hobby and it is expensive, no matter how many kittens I sell (and I place an average of three a year) I won't even break even with my expenses.
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post #32 of 41
1/14/11 at 6:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Homemommy View Post
and you and I both know that NO ONE is selling show quality kittens for $400, like what was referenced in your article.

So..as the other person wrote: Not every thing you read on the internet is true.
Just FYI - I sell my kittens for $800, but I spay/neuter before they leave my home, plus two vet checks with vaccines and deworming, plus registration with CFA/TICA. So, $400 is pretty close to the mark. I have never had more then 2 kittens for sale in one litter though, so my 'profit' is even less.
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post #33 of 41
1/14/11 at 7:15pm
I bred both Russian Blues and Cornish Rex and at the time I only sold them for about $400 - and not ONE year did I make a profit. Yes the article is old (stated in there the date) but the costs have gone up.

You may believe that breeders make money, but believe me (and the others) - we DON'T. Currently I'm not breeding anything but I still show my Ocicats - and am spending a few hundred on EVERY show I go to - and I will get NOTHING in return to cover those costs.

I show because I love the breed and the fun - not for making money since I'm not making any money. Each show cost me over $300. And I go to 7-10 shows a year. If I was into breeding Ocicats, there is no way to make any money by the time you put out for showing, breeding, food, shots, neuter/spay and emergency care.

If you use my $300 x 10 (shows) - that's $3,000 just on show expenses. Say I had ONE female with a litter of 4 kittens and sold each one for $800 - that is $3,200 I'd be getting - notice $3,000 of that went to show expenses alone..........the remaining $200 would not even cover the cost of spay/neuter, shots, food, etc. - so my one litter of kittens didn't give me a profit at all.

The ONLY breeders that make money are the backyard breeders who cut corners and don't show and then charge you $500 for a pet quality kitten with maybe one or two sets of shots and not neutered/spayed.
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post #34 of 41
1/14/11 at 7:18pm
Quote:
I posted that because you said there is no such thing as Persians with long faces.
PLEASE see below. I don't know where I stated there was no such thing as a Persian with a long face. I did say there is no such thing as a doll face, in my opinion, it's all just marketing hype. However, there are definitely Persians with long noses/faces - and I call them as such.
Quote:

Personally I feel that when breeders who are breeding Long nosed Persians (IMO there is no such thing as a Doll Face) that they use the excuse they have better breathing to try and sell them


Quote:
Originally Posted by Homemommy View Post
The fact is, some breeders breed to get those extreme flat faces and that CAN come with health problems, such as breathing and respiratory problems. I never said you or any other poster here breeds for that purpose, just that some people do.
Any cat/human/dog can have breathing and respiratory issues.


The main thing here is that you are happy with your babies and it sure would be fun to try and show them. I think you would be better off putting them in the Domestic section, IMO.
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post #35 of 41
1/14/11 at 9:07pm
Thread Starter 
I feel like everyone who posted feels they have to defend their position. I have not accused anyone on here of breeding for unscrupulous reasons. I am sure you all have the best in mind when breeding your cats.

But don't make people like me, who can't afford "show" kittens, feel like they went to some sleazy place to buy kittens when we should be buying "quality" kittens.

At the end of the day, purebreed or "muts", they all need good homes and I am providing my home and will do the best I can for them, as do you.

I don't think there is anything left to say, and while I was very excited about the show, I now am wondering if this is what I can expect from breeders at the cat show. I don't know if that is the place for me.

Thanks for the helpful responses.
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post #36 of 41
1/14/11 at 11:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Homemommy View Post

But don't make people like me, who can't afford "show" kittens, feel like they went to some sleazy place to buy kittens when we should be buying "quality" kittens.
I, and the majority of breeders I know charge the same for a pet or show neuter. Also everyone can afford a purebred, it just might take some a little longer to save up than others

I'm sorry if you've been put off showing, breeders are passionate about what they do. And providing a good home doesn't stop irresponsible people from breeding.
Often BYB's don't do the required testing such as PKD for Persians

As to the argument on costs being for "setting up", breeders have to bring in new lines, it's not just buy 2 cats and your done. For many, cats need to be imported from overseas too costing around $8,000 - do that 8 times and see how much 'profit' there is
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post #37 of 41
1/15/11 at 5:31am
At shows you show your cat - go and have fun. But when it comes to breeding, the worse thing you can do is talk about breeders who are backyard breeders and defend what they do.

I help out anyone showing cats - even if its against my own cats eventually. But reputable breeders work hard to educate the public in good and bad breeders and we kinda get upset about how someone approaches or critisizes things.

Learn from others - so you don't make mistakes and you in turn can help others. If the person you got your kittens from shows and tests their cats for PKD and other genetic problems that's great. If they don't then you know you didn't do your homework.

You talk about affording.........well if you research before, you save money to buy from a good breeder or you risk spending a LOT more in medical bills buying from a poor breeder with cheaper kittens.

We all work hard to produce QUALITY kittens that are healthy and will make good pets.
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post #38 of 41
1/15/11 at 7:50am
Thread Starter 
First, let me say I started this thread to ask a few simple questions on the basics of showing cats. It quickly evolved into whether or not I made a good decision in buying my kittens. I NEVER ONCE criticized anyone's breeding program on here, yet you all took the liberty at every turn to criticize me and my kittens. So...let's be REAL CLEAR on who criticized who, golden45.

As my user name says, I am a stay at home mom. We make alot of sacrifices to ensure I can be the one who raises my children, instead of a stranger at a daycare. So..the option of spending thousands of dollars on show kittens is not financially responsible for us, nor is it being a good steward of what God has given us. You may look down on me for that, but know I do not look down on you for making whatever financial decisions that are best for you.

I have been emailing back and forth with the entry clerk for the March show, and she sent me some info from CFA on "newbee"s. It had alot of good basic info on starting out showing cats, and also some articles on good and bad behavior by breeders and owner's of cats that sometimes arises at cat shows, I now know what the articles were talking about.

I wish you all well with your breeding programs and with your cats.

With that, I'm out. I do not wish to discuss this further.
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post #39 of 41
1/15/11 at 11:14am
NO one said if your kittens were show quality - we told you they were pet quality and it was fine to show them in the household pet classes. YOU were the one to ask about differences in show and pet quality. Then YOU chose to defend your breeder and talk about how breeders make money, etc.

This is a breeding section, but its also a show section to help others show their cats and get them ready.

I wish you luck at the show and hope your kittens bring home a few ribbons you can put on the wall.
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post #40 of 41
1/15/11 at 6:49pm
I wasn't sure if your question was answered, but no it would not look stupid to enter a Persian-type cat in HHP category. I've seen many cats in HHP in CFA and TICA that were obviously purebreds, and I've never heard anyone complain about it. In HHP they're all equal, it's not about matching up to any breed standard or whether or not they belong to any breed.
I showed my CFA Maine Coon in HHP classes as a kitten; because she is polydactyl she cannot be shown as a Maine Coon in CFA.

I would say go for it! If you need any help or have questions about entering or showing in HHP post a message and I'm sure people would help you, this board was a lot of help for me when I started showing in HHP.
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post #41 of 41
1/17/11 at 5:30am
IMO and this is really IMO, if you are unsure of the breed standard do NOT show in the pedigree classes. 3 DQs in a CFA show will make the cat unshowable in ANY class in CFA in the future. Not worth it. Truly.

If you do want to show your cats a few basic rules :

1. Cat should be bathed and groomed to the best of your ability. There are lots of posts here in the Breeders Corner to help you with that.

2. Cats should be able to react to a teaser toy of some sort, be it a feather a tassle type, anything really.

And lastly, have a look at this link, it should help you greatly!
http://www.cfanewbee.org/

GOOD LUCK!
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