Persian Cat Breeders
«Hobby vs. Commercial or Wholesale Persian Cat Breeders»
Persian cat breeders, Persian catteries, cat breeders in general, and commercial Persian cat breeders come in many different sizes and with many different philosophies about why they are breeding. The only thing they all have in common is that they breed Persian cats.
• What is a commercial or wholesale Persian cat breeder?• Is there a difference between someone who breeds their Persian cats as a hobby and someone who breeds as many cats as they can, as often as they can?
Commercial and Wholesale Persian Cat Breeders —
Commercial breeders have a building (or buildings) that house many cats — more cats than could comfortably be kept in one’s home. The cats kept by commercial breeders are usually kept in individual cages for their entire lives. These cats exist for the sole purpose of reproducing. Once they can no longer reproduce they are disposed of. These cats are usually unsocialized and would probably never make a loving and social house cat. For all intents and purposes, these cats are wild.
A commercial breeder may or may not be licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture («USDA») which inspects and licenses commercial breeders that produce or transfer ownership of a certain number of kittens or dogs on a yearly basis. Being licensed by the USDA is not a seal of approval of a healthy, socialized, pedigreed Persian kitten.
A commercial breeder sells their kittens to either a wholesaler or to a pet shop (which is basically a wholesaler). These kittens are sold all at once as an entire litter or in large batches to the wholesalers and pet shops. A commercial breeder usually does not sell their kittens to private individuals looking for a family pet. The pet shops then
A commercial breeder never knows the final destination of their kittens. They never meet the people who get one of their kittens to find out if it is a suitable home for a Persian cat. A commercial breeder never gets pictures of their kittens or letters from the «proud owners» of their kittens. A commercial breeder never provides any written or genetic health guarantee for their kittens. A commercial breeder does not research or much care about their Persian cats’ pedigree, they do not screen or test for known health problems in the Persian breed (i.e., PKD).
A commercial breeders’ sole purpose in breeding Persian cats is as an income producing endeavor. Hobby Persian Cat Breeders — Persian cat breeders who are hobby breeders or catteries are those individuals who have devoted their time, financial resources, their homes, and have sacrificed time spent with their family and children for their love and devotion of the Persian cat through showing their cats, educating the public, researching pedigrees, and much more. The hours spent bathing, grooming, traveling, packing their and their cats’ belongings and grooming supplies, in order to attend cat shows whether locally or on a national scale are incalculable and not recouped through the breeding of their cats.
Hobby breeders are usually people who are active or members in a cat registry (such as the Cat Fanciers Association), may be members of a local cat club, and may show their Persian cats. A hobby breeder is one who takes the time to educate themselves and to share their knowledge with others about Persian cats. A hobby breeder tests/screens their cats for known health problems in Persians (i.e., polycystic kidney disease — PKD).
A hobby breeder may or may not be licensed by the USDA depending on how many litters or transfers of individual kittens are done in a single year.
A hobby breeder does not plan a breeding based on the goal of selling the kittens. A hobby breeder plans a breeding on many reasons, here are a just a few: continuing their line, to eradicate a genetic problem, to improve on a fault — but most importantly they always keep an eye on «the betterment of the breed». They cannot achieve these goals without knowing their cats, the Persian breed standard, their cat’s pedigree, and the health or genetic problems in their cat or its’ ancestors.
A hobby breeder spends many hours educating themselves about Persian cats, pedigrees, the Persian cat breed standard, answering questions from people interested in Persians, and mentoring new Persian cat enthusiasts. They spend enormous amounts of money on purchasing the finest quality Persian cats they can, cat toys, food, vitamin/mineral supplements, crates, grooming products, vaccinations, veterinarian bills and other medical treatments, having their cats DNA tested for PKD, and much more.
A hobby breeder does not breed their Persian cats for the purpose of producing income. Most hobby breeders are lucky to break even on their costs of producing healthy,
How To Select A Responsible Persian Cat Breeder
It is estimated that over 50% of kittens (and puppies) raised in the U.S. are raised by people who NEVER have another litter. Few of these people are well informed, prepared for the experience, and do a good job. These people do not usually stand behind their kittens and very few are equipped to take adequate care of all the kittens until they can be placed in good homes, regardless of how long that takes. A large percentage of those kittens are raised by people that raise and sell many litters and have many breeds, or they sell to retailers and pet stores for resale.
This leaves a relatively small percentage of kittens that are being raised by experienced people who are dedicated to one or two breeds and raising kittens for reasons other than maximum profit. However, not all of these breeders are knowledgeable and conscientious.
How Do You Recognize a Reputable Breeder?
When you call a reputable breeder to inquire about a kitten, they will interview you whether that be by interview or by the breeder asking you to fill out an application or questionnaire. They will also use a written contract that clearly sets forth their guarantee, their responsibility, and your responsibility for the kitten. They will not sell you a kitten simply because you want one and have the money to pay for one. They want to know that you can house and raise their kitten appropriately and that their kitten will have one permanent home for his entire lifetime. They will have a no questions asked return policy if for any reason you are unable to keep the kitten. This policy is sometimes referred to as a First Right of Refusal. That policy will be clearly stated in their contract.
You will talk to and buy the kitten from the breeder who raised the litter and owns the mother («dam»). Reputable breeders don’t trust other people to screen buyers for them and would never offer a kitten as a prize, place it for sale on
The kittens will not have been prematurely separated from their mother and littermates, most should remain with its littermates and mother until about 10 weeks of age. A reputable breeder will not allow their kittens to go to their new homes until they have reached an age that is considered optimal for that breed. In the Persian breed that means after the age of 12 weeks.
As stated above, a reputable breeder will have a written contract — no agreements will be made without it being in writing. A reputable breeder will be there to help and advise you throughout the life of the kitten. As stated above, many breeders will ask you to bring the kitten (or cat) back to them at any age if for any reason you can’t keep it. That will be clearly stated in their contract with you.
In all likelihood, you will be encouraged to take a kitten with a spay/neuter agreement. The breeding of cats is a responsibility that should not be entered into lightly. The prevention of
Many breeders will withhold the CFA or TICA registration paperwork until the breeder receives written confirmation that the kitten has been spayed/neutered. However, if the registration paperwork is withheld, the breeder should furnish you with the registered names and numbers of the sire and dam, birth date of the litter and, the name, address and phone number of breeder. If the breeder takes part in the early spay/neuter program, they should provide you with the CFA or TICA registration paperwork when you pick up your kitten and execute the contract
