Breeding is a ‘Job’, but Without Pay

Breeding cats is not just a matter of throwing down a few dishes of water and food, and then cleaning the litter boxes every so often. People often ask me "how do you keep you house so clean with this many cats?" I tell them the truth…"With hard work and elbow grease". It is a constant job that doesn’t stop all day long.

If I am not cleaning the house and the litter, I'm playing and socializing with the kittens and adults, or I am bathing a cat or two. If I’m not doing the physical work, then I am on the computer. I spend hours answering the many inquiries about kittens. Good book work is also necessary with breeding, (for tax purposes, litter registration and notes on breeding outcomes for my future references). A good breeder spends lots of time looking up information, or reading magazines on genetics, medical problems, feline housing and husbandry, to be the best breeder they can be. You need to keep abreast of everything that can and will affect your cats and cattery. I personally attend as many breeding and educational seminars as I can to keep up with the latest in feline husbandry.

Many people try to breed cats while their children are still young and at home. This is very difficult to do. Children take time, just like the cat’s do, and very often you must give up something from one or the other. As a breeder, you MUST be present when the litters are born. Sometimes a simple turning or dislodging of a foot on a baby being born can make the difference between a litter of dead kittens (and possibly MOM), to having 5 or 6 healthy, lovable babies and a mom who does well with the litter. When the due date nears, I confine the pregnant cats in an area (birthing cage) near my bed, and set my alarm for every hour to check on them. Since the litters can be born usually between 63 and 67 days, you don’t get a lot of sleep. Having to deal with children and their activities while you are not getting much sleep, sometimes takes it toll. It’s not impossible to breed cats while raising a family, but it is more difficult and should be discussed with the whole family before you start.

How to Buy Breeders