What do you think of Cat Breeders?

karenbi

sandy71 wrote: »

The owners wanted a black cat so replaced him. :mad:
.

I can't believe someone would let a cat go because it was the wrong colour. Only one of my two pedigree cats is show quality but I think they are both perfect. I also don't take deposits on kittens until their 6 week vet check and I would never let a cat go if it had health problems (good breeders keep kitten untils 15 weeks or more, this means you miss out on the tiny kitten stage but it's much more responsible). Although they can develop health problems over the years, just as a rescue moggie can.

sandy71

karenbi wrote: »

I can't believe someone would let a cat go because it was the wrong colour. Only one of my two pedigree cats is show quality but I think they are both perfect. I also don't take deposits on kittens until their 6 week vet check and I would never let a cat go if it had health problems (good breeders keep kitten untils 15 weeks or more, this means you miss out on the tiny kitten stage but it's much more responsible). Although they can develop health problems over the years, just as a rescue moggie can.

The silly thing is he is a really dark charcoal colour and looks stunning. I must say though I would never show either of them, I think they are too lazy anyway
I missed the kitten stage, one was a year old and the other was 8 when we got them, I was quite relieved actually.

Fire_Fox

karenbi wrote: »

I have just started hobby cat breeding and have come across lots of different people in the cat world- most of them really lovely and helpful. Some of them have big operations with outdoor pens etc, others have several different breeds of cats and dogs in their programme. I am determined to be extremely ethical but wondered what everyone else thought about cat breeders? Do you think it's ethical to breed cats when they are so many need homes? What about breeders who don't register animals and sell them without papers?

xxx

To date all my cats have been adult rescues, a conscious choice. There is a part of me which would love a rosetted Bengal and I may in the distant future look to take on an ex-breeding adult.

I think the entire concept of treating an animal as a commodity has ethical issues: I'd therefore like to see everyone who sells an animal, whether pedigree or otherwise, forced to register with a professional body. No reputable breeder should object, but rather welcome professionalising the entire industry and working towards eliminating backstreet breeders.

I'd also like to see the veterinary profession taking more of an active role in encouraging neutering at an early stage, many do but I'd like to see it as 'national policy'. I envisage much as GPs (should) offer support for smoking cessation as routine, and letters are sent out for regular smear testing. There needs to be no doubt that vets encourage this, rather than the 'let them have one litter' attitude.

foreign_correspondent

karenbi wrote: »

I can't believe someone would let a cat go because it was the wrong colour. Only one of my two pedigree cats is show quality but I think they are both perfect.

I don't know much about the specifics of cat breeding, but in dog breeding, an often cited reason for breeding is to further the blood lines of animals that have particularly good record at shows, and/or because they are exceptional examples of the breed... I would have thought this would be similar in cats? If so, why would you breed a cat that is not show quality?

sandy71

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I don't know much about the specifics of cat breeding, but in dog breeding, an often cited reason for breeding is to further the blood lines of animals that have particularly good record at shows, and/or because they are exceptional examples of the breed... I would have thought this would be similar in cats? If so, why would you breed a cat that is not show quality?

I may be wrong but I think it's hard to tell whether the kittens will be show quality. Both parents might be but the kittens might not be and vice versa.

foreign_correspondent

sandy71 wrote: »

I may be wrong but I think it's hard to tell whether the kittens will be show quality. Both parents might be but the kittens might not be and vice versa.

No, I realise that - looking at my post, I can see my wording was not particularly clear though!! - What I am asking is 'why would you choose to breed from a pedigree female cat that is not show quality?' - what is the reasoning or justification?

karenbi wrote: »

My two girls will have only one litter a year and only three litters in total.

karenbi wrote: »

Only one of my two pedigree cats is show quality but I think they are both perfect.

Fire_Fox

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

No, I realise that - looking at my post, I can see my wording was not particularly clear though!! - What I am asking is 'why would you choose to breed from a pedigree female cat that is not show quality?' - what is the reasoning or justification?

Presumably financial!

foreign_correspondent

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Presumably financial!

You old cynic, Fire Fox!! :whistle:

lostinrates

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

No, I realise that - looking at my post, I can see my wording was not particularly clear though!! - What I am asking is 'why would you choose to breed from a pedigree female cat that is not show quality?' - what is the reasoning or justification?

Actually, though we often talk about pet and show quality, a lot of people talk about pet, breeding and show quality. Ideally the the latter two are crossover. But, say for example, you had an exceptionally healthy female animal, sound and from a healthy line, but, her eyes were an unfavoured shade....so she'd never win at a show, probably be consistantly 3rd or fourth. Her health and genetic variance make her a valuable contribution to the breed, more than an unhealthy animal with the right colour eyes, IYSWIM. A show animal should be both healthy and as close to aesthetically perfect (but as we know health problems slip through: judges jusge the outside). A breeding animals MUST be fully healthy, and very close to type, but might not be show ring close to type.

re moggies v pedigress...I've only had one moggy, and she was absolutely adorable, no doubt, and I loved her as absolutely as our other cats. There are particular triats in our siamese I particularly appreciate...and mine are siamese but not extreme typey siams, so looks isn't it for me, not like tht in anycase.

Edit: an example would be in our dog breed almost all lines have a link to a partcular dog who was widely considered top of his breed. He won everywhere and everything, and was glorious and perfect....till he dveloped cancer before he was 6. This was...an oddity, his parents were in fine health as were his other relatives, dying I think of heart and old age in most cases I know of. Anyway, EVERYbody sent a girl-dog to him, all lines go back to him, and many other dogs didn't d=stand a chance in the ring compared to him: he was exemplary of how he should look. His legacy is sad: a horrific trail of cancer riddles its way through the breed. As he was so very, very good, one in a lifetime close to standard, a lot of people didn't show the dogs that would normally have been second, third fourth, because the ones who would normally be good enought o win were coming in those places, and the other ''show quality'' just...were often used to service really great !!!!!es to add their own stamp on to them. Those stay at home dogs have actually provided much of the little vigour left in a breed that almost all dogs alive now link to in some way.

karenbi

sleepymy wrote: »

How much ethics can be involved in treating a living creature as a commodity?

I suppose that most animals are treated as commodities- whether it's a dairy cow, a horse or a fish from a pet shop. You could argue that human beings in today's society are treated as commodities- spending most of their working hours doing soul destroying jobs, for little remuneration, respect or appreciation. Many people have little or no control over their lives, they are unable to alter their circumstances. When I think of handing my kitten, loved and played with 'till 15 weeks, to a family I've got to know and like, who can't wait to get their new baby home- it doesn't seem as bad somehow.