Learn About Cat Breeding
There are many reasons why someone may want to become a cat breeder. Some of the key motivations include a love of cats, wanting to contribute to the preservation of specific breeds, enjoyment in raising kittens, producing show cats, or bringing new pedigreed kittens into the world. However, breeding cats also comes with major responsibilities and challenges. Reputable breeders aim to improve the breed and ensure the health and welfare of their cats and kittens.
Some of the key responsibilities of cat breeding include providing excellent prenatal, birthing and postnatal care for the mother cat and kittens, socializing kittens, and carefully screening potential owners. Breeders must also follow applicable laws and regulations, which can vary by locality. There are costs associated with proper housing, veterinary care, registration, showing, and other aspects of responsible breeding. It can take many years to establish a quality breeding program and reputation.
Breeders need to be prepared for issues like birthing complications, sick kittens, and cats or kittens dying. Having a mentor can help new breeders learn best practices. There are also ethical considerations around breeding frequency, inbreeding, and contributing to cat overpopulation. Overall, breeding cats is a serious long-term commitment that must be undertaken with care and responsibility.
Choose a Cat Breed
When deciding which cat breed to focus your breeding program on, it’s important to research and understand the traits and temperaments of the most popular breeds. Some of the most popular cat breeds in the US include Maine Coons, Persians, Ragdolls, and Sphynx according to pet insurance providers.
The Maine Coon is one of the largest domesticated breeds and is known for its friendly, playful personality. Persians are recognized for their long, flowing coats and docile temperaments. Ragdolls tend to be relaxed, laidback, and enjoy being held. The hairless Sphynx breed needs special care and maintenance for their skin but bonds closely with their human families.
While those are some of the most common pedigreed cat breeds, potential breeders may also want to explore developing breeding programs for rarer breeds like the Norwegian Forest Cat, Turkish Angora, or Havana Brown. Researching breed standards and unique characteristics will help determine if there is demand for particular rare breeds in your geographic area.
Regardless of the breed chosen, responsible breeders make health and temperament top priorities. Breeding cats should be screened for genetic diseases common in the breed. Kittens should be well socialized and cared for to promote good temperaments before being adopted into forever homes.
Acquire Founder Breeding Cats
When starting a cattery, you’ll need to acquire founder breeding cats of the breed you want to focus on. There are a few options for sourcing cats:
- Purchase directly from an established breeder. Reputable breeders will screen for health and only allow breeding of cats meeting breed standards. Expect to pay $1000 or more per cat from a quality breeder. Always ask for registration paperwork and health screening records (Source).
- Adopt retired breeding cats from shelters or rescues. Some may come with registration papers. Health screening is still important.
- Purchase from auctions and shows. Do your research as some sellers may cut corners. Look for TICA registration and vet records (Source).
All breeding cats should undergo genetic and health screening, including tests for hereditary diseases common in the breed. Costs can range from $500-1000+ per cat. Proper health clearances are crucial for ethical breeding (Source).
Breeding Facilities and Supplies
Proper housing and facilities are crucial for breeding healthy, happy kittens. Responsible breeders invest in high-quality supplies and adequate space to meet their cats’ needs.
Cats must be housed in structurally sound, well-maintained facilities that meet minimum space requirements as outlined by the USDA. For example, each adult cat requires at least 3 feet of headroom and floorspace of at least 7 square feet (Connecticut General Assembly). Proper ventilation, lighting, and temperature control are also essential.
In terms of supplies, cats need appropriate housing, bedding, litter boxes, food and water bowls, toys, scratching posts, and grooming tools. Stainless steel, ceramic, or glass items are ideal for easy cleaning and sanitation. Litter boxes should be kept extremely clean. High-quality, protein-rich cat food supports health and kitten growth.
Acquiring proper breeding facilities and supplies requires a significant upfront investment. Costs quickly add up for housing units, vet bills, registration, food, litter, and other expenses. One estimate puts startup costs for a small-scale cattery around $10,000 (BusinessGuru). However, the payoff of healthy, pedigreed kittens can make cat breeding a profitable endeavor.
Breeding and Birthing Process
The cat breeding and birthing process begins with mating. Female cats (queens) go into heat and release hormones signaling they are ready to mate. This occurs several times a year beginning around 6 months of age. When a queen is receptive, she will allow a male stud to mount and intromit his penis for copulation. Mating induces ovulation in the queen and fertilization occurs in the oviducts. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pregnancy-and-parturition-in-cats
Pregnancy lasts approximately 63-65 days. During this time, care should be taken not to expose the pregnant queen to illness or stress. Her nutritional needs increase and she should be fed a high quality diet with increased calories and protein. Regular vet checkups monitor the health and progress of the pregnancy. As birth approaches, a nesting box is provided and the queen’s nipples enlarge. https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/reproductive/cat-pregnancy-and-kittens-complete-guide
When labor begins, contractions push the kittens through the birth canal. Kittens are born every 15-60 minutes. The queen bites open the sac and severs the umbilical cord. She licks the kitten to stimulate breathing and clean it. Kittens nurse soon after birth. The queen continues laboring until all kittens are delivered, which may total 2-8 kittens. After birth is complete, the placentas are expelled. The queen and kittens should be monitored closely for any postnatal complications. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/breeding-and-queening-cats
Caring for Kittens
Caring for newborn kittens requires round-the-clock attention. Kittens need to be fed every 2-3 hours starting from birth up until 3-4 weeks of age. For bottle-fed kittens, milk replacers like PetAg KMR provide complete nutrition. Follow preparation instructions carefully and warm bottles to around 100°F before feeding. Kittens should be burped after eating. As they grow, kittens can be weaned onto wet food starting around 3-4 weeks old.
In addition to feeding, kittens need socialization from 2-7 weeks old. Gently handle them frequently, exposing them to human interaction, sounds, and environments. Get them used to being picked up, petted, having nails trimmed, teeth and ears checked. This early handling helps kittens become well-adjusted and friendly.
Veterinary care is critical. Kittens should see a vet 24-48 hours after birth for an initial checkup. They’ll need a series of vaccinations starting around 6-8 weeks old, spay/neuter around 12 weeks, and ongoing veterinary care. Watch for any signs of illness and seek prompt treatment as kittens are vulnerable. Common issues include respiratory infections, diarrhea, fleas, worms, and more.
Weaning kittens typically begins around 3-4 weeks old. Slowly introduce wet food, mixing it with formula at first, and letting kittens sample. Increase wet food and decrease formula over 2-4 weeks until fully weaned onto solid foods by around 8 weeks old.
Finding Homes for Kittens
Finding the right homes is crucial for any cat breeder. You want to ensure your kittens go to caring owners who will give them a loving home for life. Here are some key considerations when finding homes:
Screening potential owners is important to assess if they will properly care for the kitten. Ask questions about their experience with cats, home environment, lifestyle and ability to cover costs of ownership. Request vet references and do follow up checks. Meet the potential owners in-person at your cattery if possible.
Have buyers sign a contract covering things like spay/neuter requirements, health guarantees, and standards of care. This protects the kittens and helps ensure responsible breeding. See sample contracts here: https://catbreedersensei.com/selling-kittens-with-breeding-rights/.
Set fair pricing in line with market rates for your breed, factoring in pedigree and quality. Offer payment plans if needed, but be wary of very low offers. Market and advertise litters ethically. Consider selling with breeding rights to qualified buyers, but with a stringent contract.
Finding great homes is the most rewarding part of breeding. Take your time, screen thoroughly, use contracts, and price fairly.
Maintaining The Cattery
Maintaining a clean, healthy, and comfortable environment in your cattery is crucial for your cats’ wellbeing and your reputation as a breeder. Daily cleaning and disinfecting should be a top priority to prevent the spread of diseases like panleukopenia and calicivirus. Cages, litter boxes, and food and water bowls must be thoroughly scrubbed, disinfected, rinsed, and allowed to dry each day according to guidelines. Floors should be swept and mopped with a pet-safe disinfectant. Airflow should be adequate and any odors mitigated.
Disease prevention involves keeping your cattery clean as described above, as well as implementing protocols like quarantining new cats, requiring health checks before admitting cats, and scheduling regular vet exams. Work closely with your vet to create a health plan covering vaccinations, parasite control, and testing for illnesses like FIV. Limiting visitors and disinfecting hands/clothes also helps stop illness spreading.
Ongoing costs of maintaining a cattery include food, litter, cleaning supplies, vet bills, repairs, utilities, insurance, and registration fees. Budget for emergency costs too like medical treatment or backup generators per guidelines. To cover these expenses long-term, build up savings and be conservative when estimating potential breeding income.
Establishing a Reputation
To establish yourself as a reputable cat breeder, it’s important to get involved with cat breeding clubs and shows. According to the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), joining a cat club helps breeders network, promote their cattery, and showcase their cats at shows (https://catbreedersensei.com/is-breeding-cats-a-hobby-or-a-business/). Attending cat shows allows breeders to exhibit their cats and network with judges and other breeders. Winning titles and awards at shows helps build the reputation of a cattery.
Having an attractive, informative website and active social media presence is also key for promoting a cat breeding business these days. The website should provide details about your cattery, breeding philosophy, available kittens, and how to contact you. Social media allows you to share photos and updates about litters, engage with potential kitten buyers, and get your cattery name out there.
Positive reviews and word-of-mouth referrals help demonstrate that you are an ethical, responsible breeder that produces healthy, well-socialized kittens. Satisfied clients will help spread the word about your cattery both online and through their personal networks. Being open and responsive to client inquiries and feedback shows you stand behind your kittens and breeding program.
Breeding Ethics and Responsibilities
Responsible and ethical cat breeding requires breeders to prioritize cat health, welfare, and appropriate homes above profits. Some key ethical practices include:
Health testing – Reputable breeders will screen breeding cats for genetic diseases common in the breed, like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Maine Coons, using tests like echocardiograms and DNA panels. Kittens should also be vet checked before going to new homes.
No overbreeding – Cat breeding organizations like TICA recommend breeders limit a female cat’s litters to no more than 2-3 per year, with rest periods in between, to protect cat health. Avoid continuously breeding cats.
Lifelong breeder support – Responsible breeders commit to taking back or rehoming any cat they’ve bred, at any age, if an owner can no longer care for them. Avoid abandoning bred cats to shelters.
Humane treatment – All cats must be provided with proper food, clean water, shelter, socialization, veterinary care, and affection. Any cruel practices like ear cropping or tail docking should be avoided.
Following breeding ethics preserves cat welfare and health while producing happy, well-socialized kittens adopted into good homes. Reputable breeders make cats their top priority, not profits.