ABOUT PEDIGREE CAT BREEDERS

As you shop for that perfect kitten, Persian or otherwise, you are going to run across countless websites.  How do you possibly choose?  Are there any guidelines?  Opinions on this vary wildly depending who you talk to and/or who's article you read.  I'd love to give you an 'unbiased' opinion, but of course that's not possible.

First let me tell you what kind of breeder I consider myself to be.  This is my hobby.  I'm semi-retired due to medical issues and have time to dedicated myself to my cats with my whole heart -- and that's pretty much what I do.  I am considered a "newbie" because, as of January 2008, I will have only been breeding for two and a half years as measured from the birth of my first litter, though I purchased a breeding kitten a year earlier than that.  In general, a breeder is not considered particularly experienced until they've been breeding for about five years. Also, it so happens that five years is about the average life span of a typical breeding 'career.'  This can be due to a number of reasons.  Some breeders go into this enterprise with unrealistic expectations that don't pan out or, like me, they know that they will never be able to part with their breeding cats, so when the breeding cats retire, so does the breeder.  If all goes well, my breeding career may last as long as 8 - 10 years.  Time will tell.  However, new though I may be, I've lived and breathed feline health, nutrition, and husbandry for the past 4 years as well as had cats for over 50 years.  Each small kitten born here is a miracle on four tiny paws and I consider it my utter responsibility to see that each kitten goes to a loving forever home.  Never doubt that you are APPLYING for acceptance as a future caretaker of the kitten you adopt from me.  Reports from the lucky people who now have my kittens bear out that I am not over-rating their sweetness and beauty.  I follow as many of them as possible as they mature and venture out into life.

If you wander around the Internet for a while checking out cattery websites, you will notice several terms bandied about: "backyard breeder," "kitty mill," "show breeder."  What do all of these terms mean and what kind of pit-falls can you fall into in your search for a "reputable"  breeder?

Backyard breeder - many show breeders will classify this type of breeder as one who does not show their cats, and is not "in it" for the "betterment of the breed."  By this definition, I am a backyard breeder.   I preserve the doll-faced Persians while competitive show breeders usually push for the extreme faced Persians.  Second, I do not show my cats.  Of course I do not agree with this definition.  But I have been contacted by people I WOULD consider "backyard breeders."  They may have a small number of cats which they raise lovingly underfoot, but they are not CFA registered, they may or many not have pedigreed cats and IF they do have pedigreed cats, they may or may not have legitimate breeding rights to those cats, in which case, the kittens cannot be registered.   They may also be cross-breeding between two breeds.   In addition, they may not be particularly well informed in regards to feline husbandry or health issues, and therefore not of much use to their cats or their clients in times of need.  Then there are the even less desirable breeders who are keeping a lot of cats in  questionable conditions.

Kitty Mills - I've recently become fascinated with this subject and have been conducting quite a bit of research on it -- surfing the Internet to see if I can 'spot' which are "kitty mills."  I've also read some seriously disturbing and eye opening articles on the subject -- and God forbid, I ever become a victim of any of these people.  There are a couple of very prominent websites on the Internet which I won't name, but you can spot them by the sheer number of kittens they have available year around, by the hard sell wording and hype on their websites.  I can see why it would be very easy to fall for one of these mills.  It would be like going into a kitty shopping mall, choose your color, and walk out with a kitten under your arm -- instant gratification.   The write-up on these websites and the cute kitten pictures are extremely enticing.  Some of these kittens might even have legitimate pedigrees, but many may not.   Some cats and kittens are fraudulently registered, some are not born on the  premises, but procured under false pretenses from other unsuspecting breeders.  They often charge very high prices as well as claiming new and unique breeds.

SO, some guidelines:

1. If you want a show cat or want to breed show cats, it's important that you get some good advice and mentoring from a reputable breeder who shows his or her cats and knows the ropes.  I can't advise you on how to find such a breeder, but there are many out there and you can usually get a feel for them by the care with which they present themselves and their cats on their websites and in person.

2. Never buy from a Pet store -- you are asking for health issues and supporting kitty mills.

3. A large number of cats does not necessarily a Kitty Mill Make, however, check them out carefully if there seems to be a large selection of kittens and/or breeds to choose from.  Visit the cattery, and expect a thorough tour.  You can possibly expect the males and maybe females with kittens to be in large enclosures or cages.  As much as I personally could not make myself go this route, with a larger breeding operation, some segregation is necessary.  The cages for the males should be the large, walk-in style.  Females awaiting birth or with nursing kittens should be in temporary confinement.  The premises should be spotless with no odor.  The breeder should be forthcoming,  knowledgeable, and willing to answer all of your questions.

4. If your objective is a pedigreed kitten, the parents should be registered cats and the breeder should be able to produce copies of their pedigrees for you to see.

5. Persian parent cats should be DNA tested for PKD or the off-spring of PKD negative parents.

6. The breeder should sell only with a contract that states certain health guarantees.  This can vary, but it's fairly standard to have at least a 1 year guarantee against fatal hereditary conditions and a time frame from 3 - 5 days in which you can have the kitten examined by your veterinarian to determine the kitten's health at the time of adoption.  You will also be asked to agree to certain things such as no declawing, keeping the cat safe indoors, spay/neutering, etc.

7. Expect the breeder to ask you a lot of questions about your family situation, life-style etc. and be suspicious if they don't.

8. Go with your gut feeling in regards to the breeder's honesty, willingness to help your kitten get started well, and to answer all of your questions no matter how small.