Introduction
Cat breeding can potentially be a profitable business if done correctly, but it also involves significant startup and ongoing costs. There is a growing market for purebred cats, especially rare breeds, but cat breeding is not a simple path to riches. It requires extensive knowledge, experience, dedication, and investment to establish a reputable breeding program and consistently produce high-quality, healthy kittens that buyers are willing to pay premium prices for.
Many cat breeders view cat breeding more as a hobby or passion than a money-making venture. While profits are possible for reputable breeders who carefully manage their program, there are risks and expenses at every step. Most cat breeders reinvest much of their potential profits into improving their program. Overall, cat breeding can be a fulfilling endeavor for breed enthusiasts focused on improving cat breeds, but it is often not highly lucrative.
Startup Costs
Getting started as a cat breeder requires significant upfront investment. According to Cat Breeder Sensei, the cost to start a small cattery ranges from $10,000 – $20,000 depending on the breed. This includes expenses like purchasing a breeding pair, cages and enclosures, veterinary care, and registration fees.
High quality breeding cats can cost $1,000 – $4,000 per kitten. Pedigreed cats from championship bloodlines are the most expensive. For example, a Persian or Himalayan show kitten often costs $3,000 – $4,000. Cages, enclosures and other equipment will likely cost another $2,500 – $5,000 depending on the size of the cattery (https://catbreedersensei.com/what-are-the-expenses-to-run-a-cattery/).
Veterinary care is another major startup expense, including vaccinations, deworming, registration microchips, health screening tests, and emergency care fund. Breeders must also pay registration fees to cat associations like TICA and CFA, which can be $50+ per kitten (http://www.furryacres.com/cost_of_breeding_cats.htm).
Breed Selection
Choosing the right cat breed is crucial for a profitable cattery business. Some of the most popular breeds like the Bengal, Maine Coon, and Ragdoll are in high demand and can command premium prices. Specialty breeds like the Savannah, Sphynx, and Persian are among the most expensive cat breeds in the world, with some kittens selling for thousands of dollars.
Key traits to research include temperament, grooming needs, health issues, litter size, and whether the breed is recognized by major cat registries. Breeds that are in high demand, command premium prices, have large litters, and are relatively healthy and easy to care for will yield the highest potential profit.
It’s also important to have a passion for the breeds you choose to focus on, as you’ll be working closely with them daily. Partnering with an experienced mentor breeder can help guide you in selecting the right breeds for both profit and personal fulfillment.
Facilities
When starting a cat breeding business, you’ll need to invest in proper facilities to house the cats. While you can start small, cat breeders must follow certain guidelines and regulations for housing. According to the State of Connecticut, cat breeding facilities must provide structurally sound enclosures that meet minimum space requirements. The USDA’s Animal Welfare Act sets forth regulations on indoor and outdoor housing facilities, primary enclosures, sanitation, ventilation, shelter from extremes of weather and temperature, and more.
Many cat breeders utilize catteries, which are dedicated cat breeding and boarding facilities. Catteries should consist of clean, dry enclosures with adequate space for sleeping, exercising, and eliminating. The facilities must also have proper temperature control, ventilation, lighting, and pest control. Zoning laws for catteries vary by municipality, so breeders should research local regulations. Proper nutrition and veterinary care must also be provided. Responsible breeders make substantial investments in their facilities to ensure high standards of health and welfare.
Breeding Program
When developing a breeding program, it’s important to select cats carefully for health and temperament. Reputable breeders screen breeding cats for genetic diseases common to the breed through organizations like the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Some recommended health tests include testing for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, progressive retinal atrophy, polycystic kidney disease, and hip dysplasia.
To maintain genetic diversity, avoid repeatedly breeding closely related cats. Track pedigrees back at least 4 generations and select unrelated or distantly-related breeding pairs. Rotate male studs used for breeding to introduce new genetics. Responsible breeding limits a female to no more than 3 litters in 2 years with rests between breeding cycles (EU Cat Breeding Guidelines).
A comprehensive breeding program carefully selects cats for health, conformation, and temperament to better the breed and provide healthy, well-socialized kittens.
Birthing and Care
Proper care during pregnancy and birth is crucial for the health of the mother cat and kittens. According to Heart and Paw, providing good nutrition, a safe space, hydration, and reducing stress are important during pregnancy (source). As the pregnancy progresses, feed the expecting mother cat high-quality kitten food to provide extra nutrition and calories for the kittens. Prepare a quiet, comfortable nesting area for birthing, lined with towels or blankets. The area should be in a low-traffic area of the house.
Signs that birth is approaching include nesting behaviors, decrease in appetite, and discharge from the vulva. Be prepared to assist if the mother cat struggles during the birthing process. Once kittens are born, make sure each one is breathing and the mother licks them clean. Weigh kittens daily to ensure they are gaining weight. According to Viera Vet, kittens should gain around 4 oz per week (source). Keep kittens warm and nurse frequently on the mother’s milk. Consult your veterinarian if you have any concerns about the mother or kittens’ health.
Sales and Marketing
When it comes to pricing purebred kittens, there are many factors to consider including the breed, pedigree, rarity, demand, coat color, conformation, and other attributes. Some popular breeds like Siamese and Ragdolls can sell for $800 to $1,200 on average. More rare breeds like the Savannah can cost $1,000 to $20,000 depending on how many generations removed they are from the wild Serval ancestor.
Breeders typically advertise litters through platforms like social media, pet classified ads, their own websites, and word of mouth referrals. It’s important to network within the cat community by attending shows and joining breed-specific groups and clubs. This helps generate leads and find the right homes for kittens.
When advertising a litter, be sure to highlight health testing of the parents, vaccination records, pedigree information, and early socialization practices. Provide lots of photos and videos of the kittens interacting. Screen potential buyers thoroughly by getting vet references and asking lots of questions to ensure the kittens are going to good homes.
Breeding quality kittens takes a lot of time, effort and care. By investing in healthy, well-socialized kittens and marketing them strategically, cat breeders can often recoup their costs and potentially turn a respectable profit.
Expenses
Breeding cats can incur a number of expenses. According to the ASPCA, the average cost of owning a cat is around $53 per month, adding up to over $600 per year (ASPCA). This covers expenses like food, litter, vet bills, toys, and other supplies.
Food costs will depend on the number of breeding cats you have, but expect to spend at least $200-300 per year feeding a single cat quality food (Rover). Litter costs may be $150-250 per year. Routine vet visits will likely cost $85-130 per cat annually for checkups, vaccines, and preventative care. Emergency vet visits can be much higher.
You’ll also need to factor in supplies like litter boxes, toys, beds, scratching posts, grooming tools, and more. These can easily total $150+ per cat per year. Staffing or hiring help for cleaning, feeding, socializing kittens, etc. will add to costs as well.
Breeding and birthing kittens brings additional one-time expenses like birthing supplies, vaccines, deworming, registration paperwork, and more. Overall, expect to spend $1500+ per year caring for and breeding a single cat.
Profit Potential
Breeding cats can be a lucrative business with the potential for high profits, but there are also risks and challenges involved. According to sources, the average annual salary for a cat breeder ranges from around $19,000 to $165,000, with most earning around $25-$40 per hour or $40,000 per year. However, profits depend heavily on your business model, cat breed, facilities, experience, and marketing.
Factors like an economic recession or new legislation can impact demand and pricing. Popular purebred breeds tend to command higher prices, sometimes over $1,500 per kitten, but also have higher expenses for breeding stock and health testing. Crossbreed or “designer” cats like Bengal crosses are also very profitable. Operating a kitten mill focused only on volume risks oversupplying the market and lower sales. To maximize income, a quality breeding program producing healthy, socialized kittens with long waitlists is ideal.
Significant startup investments and ongoing costs like animal care, health insurance, workers’ compensation, housing, food, advertising, etc. must be accounted for. Breeding cats is not a get rich quick scheme – it requires extensive knowledge, quality animals, facilities, staffing, years of reputation building through shows and networking, and meeting high ethical standards. Done properly as a business with due diligence, cat breeding can be a very lucrative endeavor.
Getting Started
For those aspiring to become cat breeders, here are some tips to help you get started:
First, make sure you have the time and resources to dedicate to a breeding program. Breeding cats requires a significant time investment on a daily basis to care for the cats and kittens. It’s important to have a separate space in your home devoted to housing, feeding, and caring for the cats. This could be a spare bedroom, basement or garage converted into a cattery.
Do your research to decide which cat breed you want to focus on, factoring in health, temperament, appearance and demand. Purchase a breeding queen from a reputable breeder of that breed. Make sure any stud cats you use also come from responsible breeders with health tested lines. Many breeders will allow you to send your queen to them for breeding services.
Invest in proper breeding, birthing and weaning supplies and educate yourself on feline reproduction and health. Be prepared for middle of the night births and round the clock kitten care. An emergency vet fund is a must in case any birthing complications arise.
Once the kittens reach the appropriate age, they will need to be vaccinated, dewormed, microchipped and registered with a cat registry like TICA. Quality healthcare and socialization will help produce happy, well-adjusted kittens that meet breed standards.
Marketing and advertising are crucial for finding good homes for kittens and establishing a reputation. Create a website, social media pages and online listings to showcase available kittens. Reach out to local vets, groomers, and pet stores to spread the word once you have litters available. Screen potential buyers thoroughly.
While cat breeding can be rewarding, it requires much preparation, patience and dedication. Do your due diligence before taking the plunge into this competitive business.