Question For Professional Ethical Experienced Breeders

[silent meowlook]

Hi.
How are your breeding male cats kept?

A friend of mine has been pet sitting for a Bengal breeder. The breeding Tom is kept alone all the time. He has a Catio for daytime and an area in the garage at night, but he doesn’t get any attention or socializing other than the transfer from locations twice a day. He cries all the time and seems very unhappy.

While I understand he can’t be with the female cats when they have litters, I just think this isolation unless breeding isn’t very fair to him.

I do believe this is more of a backyard breeder situation, as the cats are not what I would think breeders would want to breed. So, just wondering how everyone keeps their cats.

 

[StefanZ]

I agree with your thoughts.
Having the stud away from females AND from the flat for itself, is common. If nothing else, they tend to spray. and bengals are renown to spray. So although its possible to have stud pants - many do have the stud for itself separated from the big family. But in such case, they usually have a companion cat with the stud. A friendly neuter, or a spayed female. IF the two are pals, it works out nicely.
And or, make sure the stud can visit the home several hours each day, in his stud pants, and socialize, be petted, etc.


We ourself had our boys as family cats... (yeah, its necessary with a good enzyme cleaner - mishaps do occur, even if our boys were all well behaving)
Wwe werent breeders, our studs were hire swords for the Russian blue community in Sweden, Norway and Finland. They usually come to us, owner took in on a hotell nearby, the wife was with our stud - a day or a week or everything inbetween. Till we witnessed several succesful matings, to be on the safe side.
We also tried a couple of time missus took the stud to a hotell, and they mated in a neutral place. An inexperienced stud prefers to mate in a safe milieu, ie at home. An experienced stud and good courtier doesnt bother as much. (of course, necessary the hotell allows cats - some hotell do, some not)


Ps. The stud, if friends with the mother, isnt NOT a threat to the kittens. He will even often co-parent. Even if he isnt the biological father.
Also, the self fact he mated with them momma, will cause he will tend not to harm the kittens.

Toms harming kittens - read - killing kittens, isnt not a empty legend: it does happens, but its typically new toms to the area, toms whom wish to create a new revire for themselves.

The problem is, however; cats arent protected by nursing, unlike humans whom are somewhat protected.
So having a fully fertile tom nearby gives a risk for a new pregnancy just a couple of weeks after delivery...

That is why we usually recommend to separate tom / stud from momma - even if they are good friends.


But it happens some breeders allows the stud to be with the females the whole time.. If its the same breed, a misshap litter isnt the whole world. They will be anyway registered as pedigree cats. So SUCH ooops litter, although not optimal, is no economic catastrophe.
This isnt as stupid as its sounds; cats whom live together, tend to not ignite on each other.
In such cases, if you will use your tom as the stud, the trick is to have an especial mating room. so the cats recognize its something especial going on, they are supposed to do something extra.