should i consider buying one of those cute kittens? (pics included)

[catlover1990]

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• catlover1990
• Apr 18, 2013

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• catlover1990
• Apr 18, 2013

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• catlover1990
• Apr 18, 2013

Those are lilac british shorthair cats a breeder is presenting for sale. I am consider buying a new kitten, what do you guys think? Should i consider buying one of those kittens? Suggestions will be highly appreciated.

The breeder has a good repitition and everything, but i want to see what you guys think

 

[StefanZ]

What are your plans?  Showing on top levels, or just participating in shows, or breeding on them, or having a nice company at home when you watch tv, having the pleasure of the cat being a purebreed??

Do you want the cat as pure indoors, or in-outdoors?

Now, of course, having nice company at home you surely want whichever other purpose you have, but you surely understand what I mean.

 

[catlover1990]

I just a pure bred kitten, i have no plans to participate in shows or whatsoever, i want as pure indoors

 

[maewkaew]

 No way to answer just based on a photo and not knowing anything about the breeder,  health, are they doing a lot of inbreeding,   how well they take care of the cats, are kittens sold too young, etc     They are very cute kittens and I love lilac color cats....  but all kittens are cute.    Can you visit and see what the parents personalities are like and how they are kept?   Is there a way to find out how long the older ancestors of the kittens have lived? 

   I know you're in UAE and maybe you don't have breeders doing the same things as far as health testing that the better breeders in Europe or North America are doing   ( I think British Shorthairs are screened for HCM - heart disease =,  and tested for PKD - kidney disease.?  but Stefan may know if that is correct.)    If they ARE doing those things to avoid breeding cats with health problems,  that would be very good. 

 I think you do have some cat shows there, I think,  so if the breeder is making an effort to breed to a standard and show their cats that is good too.

 

[catsallaround]

I would worry more about the pregnant cat you have in your care.  Make sure the kittens and mom are taken care of financially, including all being spay/neutered before taking on a kitten from aother litter.  Mom may stress over having this one around. And if the new one has anything medically it will be hard for your newborn kittens to fight off these new germs.

I personally would keep 2 kittens out of the litter due from my own cat rather then buying a kitten.

 

[StefanZ]

I just a pure bred kitten, i have no plans to participate in shows or whatsoever, i want as pure indoors

Ah, so it makes it easier.  You dont need to look after if they are coming Show Champions (difficult to see on such young kittens).  You dont need to look much about lineages either, if you shall not breed on them.  You shall look some for ancestors, but most for the pleasure and fun of it, not for planning of descendants.  

You mostly looks they are healthy, and shouldnt have inherited health problems.   And of course, a decent looks, so it is visible they are purebreed.  

I will look up  and refresh my memory on tests the kidney disease PKD and heart disease HCM in brits tomorrow.

Good luck!

 

[Willowy]

Um, yeah, I wouldn't add a new kitten to the household with new babies on the way. Babies are vulnerable to all kinds of germs and even a healthy kitten will be adding new and different germs to the house. Wait until they're gone to their new homes, and see if you have to keep any of them first (it's usually VERY hard to find good homes for non-purebred kittens). And wait until every other cat in the home is spayed/neutered, to prevent hormonal problems and accidental pregnancies.

But, as a general rule, for when you are in a position to get a new cat: unless you have specific plans for the cat, you get what you like :dk:. Do you like the kittens---their personalities and looks? Do you like the breeder's ethics and practices? If the answer to those is yes, then there's your answer.

 

[callista]

That's so. I think it would be a good idea to just concentrate on your current cat and her pregnancy, and to adopt a new kitten when the current litter is older--weaned, on their own, vetted and vaccinated.

But if you are interested in these kittens, I bet the breeder can put you on a waiting list for a later litter. Depending on how many litters they have per year, you could be looking at a wait period of only a few months. That way you can adopt a new kitten when you're sure the current litter has gotten on its feet... Besides, you don't really know how many of the kittens will find homes; if you end up with five cats because you can't find good adoptive homes, it wouldn't make much sense to add another cat on top of that. I don't know whether you have experience placing kittens in your area; I think, to really know how hard it is to find them homes, a person has to have experience, because it can seem so easy to find homes; only when you look for them, people seem to lose interest... I don't know if you have the same cat overpopulation problem that we have here in the US, but here it is always a small miracle when you can find someone who wants a cat and doesn't yet have one, or has room for another.

That said, I've heard that British shorthairs are rather easy-going cats, and by all accounts make good pets even for people who would be exhausted by the antics of a more high-energy breed. That is, of course, subject to individual variation in temperament. There are some inherited health problems that have been showing up in the breed, so it's a good idea to check on the health of the cat's ancestors and ask if any genetic tests have been done.

 

[maewkaew]

I had forgotten you were expecting a litter.    Those are some cut lilac  kitties,    but your first responsibility is to the cat you have already and her kittens  and you will have your hands full with them for a while.  so it is not really the best timing to get that other kitten right now.   I think it would be best to get your cat's kittens raised, keep them at least 10 weeks so they get proper socialization with their mother and littermates, and at least will have had their first vacinations, , then get them into good homes,  before  you add another kitten from somewhere else. 

  Probably the British Shorthair breeder will have other litters in the future and you can get a kitten from a later litter.    

 

[catlover1990]

Well i think ill just wait or not consider getting a new kitten afterall, thank you everybody