"SO YOU WANT TO BECOME A BREEDER?"
Thinking of Breeding Your Pet Dog or Cat?
By: Gale Thomas-Goodman /Vagary Mews Manx
& Pamela R. Martin/Pam’s Poodle Parlor & Castle Paws Cattery & Designs
Pedigree Dog & Cat Breeding Considerations:
Breeding purebred cats or dogs is actually a byproduct of showing cats/dogs; therefore, only those exhibiting their breed of choice should be discretely reproducing. Kittens/puppies that aren't competitive in the show ring for any number of reasons, are placed as pets. A cat show/dog show is the proving ground for showing quality and improvement within a breed. Cat/Dog shows are extremely competitive. Purebreds are getting better all the time and winning is getting harder.
Showing a cat or dog takes all weekend, Saturday and Sunday -- assuming that the driving or flying to get there doesn't add more time. Showing is not cheap, there are entry fees, travel expenses, supplies and equipment.
Registration papers, whether AKC, CFA, etc, etc., indicate the animal is a purebred and are only as valid as the integrity of each and every breeder behind the pedigree. Puppy/kitty mills and backyard breeders rarely place any limitations on their registrations and may not provide any at all. And because they are not showing their offspring, they aren't able to evaluate what they are producing and most likely haven't been testing their animals for all the canine genetic and inherited diseases such as CERF for the eyes, OFA for hips and elbows thyroid and other breed specific diseases. Pedigree cats require testing as well such as for PKD, Feline Leukemia/FIV. Reputable breeders are knowledgeable and will provide this information to prospective pet buyers.
Raising pedigree cats and dogs takes hours a day, money to feed, house, register, advertise, pay for vet bills, training, conditioning etc. etc. Suitable stock for the program is a must and sometimes must be purchased. If you want to breed cats or (dogs) to make money, forget it -- it costs far more than you will ever make selling offspring.
If someone is breeding unregistered cats/dogs they are merely providing competition for other unregistered pets looking for homes (strays). If the pets are registered, but the owners aren't trying to improve the breed, but to only "reproduce" the breed -- they are hurting the breed. Anyone can put a male and female together and reproduce. That is NOT breeding and doesn't represent a true love and appreciation of any registered breed.
Thinking that you want to "raise a litter for the children??":
For the children -- A film is a safer bet, if something goes wrong, you end up scaring the kids and demonstrating the worst in birthing. Cats and dogs, like humans, can have birth defects, get sick, die etc. You could also lose the mother who is your family pet. Wasn’t this dog or cat purchased for the family as a pet/companion animal anyway?? If the answer is yes, then “breeding rights” were not purchased and the owners should never consider breeding their pet. Breeding stock is much more expensive than "pet quality" offspring and only the best specimens should be used in a breeding program. Reputable breeders are very particular about which offspring should be used for breedings. Even when using top show specimens in a breeding program, 3 out of 4 offspring will be most likely be pet quality. Breeding pet quality dogs/cats is detrimental to any breed since disregarding the breed standards will result in the animals ceasing to resemble their intended breed.
Chosen sire's must also been tested for these diseases. If not, unecessary heartache and financial burden could be placed on the new owners of the offspring produced from these parents. Not having the testing done puts owners at risk of being sued with the "puppy or kitten lemon law" should they produce develop offspring with preventable genetic disorders.
So you want your female pet to can have babies in order to experience motherhood? -- SHE doesn't care to! Animals do not experience parenthood in the same regard as people. In fact, many are NOT good mothers, which is a whole new set of problems... Spay your pet early on and she will become a wonderful pet, having babies doesn't have anything to do with it.
So all your friends can have pedigrees -- If you breed your pet, then you are now responsible for the offspring produced and if the new owner can't or doesn't want to keep them five years later. If you sell the offspring, you're responsible for health, soundness and temperament guarantees as well. These are both long term responsibilities not to be undertaken lightly. In many cases friends who admire your pedigree pet really don't want to own one themselves (even though we know they are really, really missing out...)
You also need to consider what it can cost you if things "go wrong". A caesarian can happen to pedigree pets as well as humans and you will be looking at a substantial vet bill ($500 to $700) with a possibility of losing the babies, the mother or both. Hand raising a litter is a 24 hour a day committment.
Another thing to consider is if you work, who will stay home to whelp the litter? Who will be available to clean the whelping box at least 3-4 times a day? To let "mom" out to potty herself? Who is going to feed mom 3 to 4 times a day so that she will produce enough milk to feed her young?
Additional references: Carol Harvey, Lorac Aussies
Revised 8-9-2004
Showing Registered Persian Cats As A Hobby:
By Pamela R. Martin
If you think this is the hobby for you, the first thing you will need is all the information you can get on your breed of choice and showing in general. I recommend going to several shows and talking to breeders, watching the judging and generally get acquainted with the process. Contact CFA http://www.cfainc.org/ (Cat Fanciers' Association, Manasquan, NJ) for show schedules and current copy of the showrules.
The next thing you will need is to talk to numerous breeders of your preferred breed. Most cat breeds, Persians included, have two or more groups with differing philosophies and goals. You will need to find this out and align yourself with the group you agree with. This is very important because, in the cat fancy, unlike dogs or horses, bloodlines are very proprietary. Having a cat from one specific Silver Persian breeder may mean that another breeder with a different philosophy will not want to sell you a Silver Persian or Golden cat. For example, colorbreed, non colorbred issues.
The best place to start showing is to purchase a "Premier". This is a purebred cat that has been spayed or neutered but has show quality. The division is, perhaps, even more competitive in some ways that the other two divisions, Championship (intact cats 8 mos and older) and kittens (4 to 7 months). This will give you a real feel for the sport and enable you to learn what a good representative of your chosen breed looks like. It may also allow you to change groups within your breed if you made your initial choice in error.
If, after all these steps, you really like showing and want to raise some kittens of your own, your next step is to find a reputable mentor. This is an experienced breeder/exhibitor (one that has shown and achieved titles beyond winners ribbons) who will work with you, providing you with breeding stock, answering your thousands of questions and giving solace when things go wrong. Without the help of an established breeder/exhibitorr, you would be putting yourself at a very great disadvantage.
You must also be aware that many areas have laws limiting or prohibiting breeding of cats and dogs. There are zoning laws in some areas. To avoid future problems, it's important that you know what your state and town and county have as laws and where they are "heading" (i.e.. what laws they are trying to get passed). There are also state laws pertaining to the sale of kittens to the public that you will need to find out about.
Copyright 2002 Pamela R. Martin/Castle Paws Cattery & Designs/Pam's Poodle Parlor
All rights reserved.
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