Starting a Cattery
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How To Buy Breeders
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If You Make the Decision
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When Many people who have visited me, and seen the darling kittens running around my house, have expressed an interest in breeding Ragdolls. They see a family home that is neat and clean, and doesn’t smell like cats. They assume that breeding cats is an easy part time job that anyone can do. They also know what I charge for my kittens, and think there must be money to be made by doing this.

While I love what I do, I always tell people the truth about breeding. It is an expensive hobby that takes lots of time and work. There is NO money in breeding cats. That is the real truth about breeding cats the correct way, and for the right reasons.

Breeding animals should never be taken lightly. It is a big responsibility to take on. You are dealing with something that is alive, has feelings and you have to deal with problems just like raising children. You are also dealing with people who buy these kittens from you. You must have a good working relationship with people, and be able to pick the best homes for your kittens. You must be prepared to have almost an open house most weekends so people can visit you to see their kittens, or just to see a Ragdoll in person, so they know this is the kind of cat they want.

Every breeder should stand behind the kittens they produce, so you want to make sure they are the healthiest and strongest kittens you can breed. Sometimes this will mean that you must pet out, or alter a favorite cat because a problem is discovered in the lines. That way people don’t have to go through the heartbreak of losing a very much loved pet, too early. EVERY breeder should only be breeding Ragdolls for the purpose of preserving the breed of cat they are working with. They should always be striving to better the line of cats they are working with, by weeding out any health problems, preserving the temperament of the Ragdoll, and breeding towards the ideal Ragdoll standard at all times.

The proof of a breeder doing this is in the happy pet owners and in the show hall. While breeding for pets is very rewarding, a breeder who does not ever show his/her cats, or does not at least have someone else showing their lines, is not serious about breeding. Unless they show their cats occasionally, they can’t possibly know if they are breeding to the standard of the Ragdoll. It is very easy to get "cattery blindness" and not recognize that your cats are beginning to move away from the standards in looks, size and temperament.

There are too many cats in shelters and humane societies around the world, for adoption now. A breeder who breeds just for pets does the animal world a disservice. The ONLY excuse to breed Ragdolls is to create or preserve something that CAN’T be found in a shelter.

Many of us breeders get calls from people who are interested only in having one litter "so the kids can experience the miracle of birth". This is a poor reason for breeding. There are many pregnant cats in shelters that you can arrange to foster until the kittens are old enough to go to their homes (after being altered so there are no more unwanted litters). This would be just as good of an experience for your children as buying a pair of cats to breed.

Starting a Cattery