Why Choose a Breed?
The pedigree/registered cat is infinitely more predictable as to size, characteristics, temperament, and coat than its crossbred or alleged purebred relatives.
The purebred or crossbred cat is a gamble as to how it will turn out or what diseases it carries that you don’t know about. When you purchase from a backyard breeder you have nothing to say that the paperwork you are viewing is for the animal they are showing you, nor that the kittens from the Queen you are seeing have been fathered by the stud portrayed on the papers. Only a Registered Cat Breeder can guarantee in writing the parentage of the kitten and the health status. Backyard breeders blatantly show you up front how deceptive they are by breeding with cats
“sold to them as pets” as these cats are not suitable for breeding. This practice also shows you that they are in it only for the money and not the welfare of the cat or the breed.
As a cat is a living creature, there is no guarantee, with either a purebred or a crossbred cat, that the cat will be disease free for its entire life as this is affected by diet, housing, exposure to other animals and situations. Buying a pedigree purebred cat from a Registered Breeder who tests for hereditary diseases like feline aids, leukaemia, Chlamydia, cat flu and herpes virus, is however your best chance of getting a healthy cat. Backyard breeders will generally just take 2 cats and breed them without any thought of testing first.
When you purchase from a backyard breeder you are dealing with a person who has lied to the breeder about there intentions to breed. This is why good registered breeders now de-sex all kittens/cats purchased as PETS prior to leaving to go to there new homes.
That beautiful girl kitten that was purchased as a pet by them then runs around the neighbourhood contracting diseases and eventually falls pregnant. These thoughtless owners then put there alleged “beloved pet” at risk of death by breeding with it. There excuse is that they “just want to have one litter for the kids to share the experience with them.”
Do you think they are going to pay $2000 for an after – hours C-Section? The answer is NO!!!
They then sell you a kitten that they allege has been wormed, vaccinated etc…for half the price, not disclosing that it has a heart murmur, aids, F.I.P., that it is a carrier of cat flu, Chlamydia or herpes virus, and will make your other cat for whom you are purchasing a playmate/companion for, sick or worse die.
By purchasing from a backyard or unregistered breeder you are supporting the spread of disease and ultimately bringing about the end of this beautiful breed. This has been proven by the influx of backyard breeders breeding with cat flu & herpes virus carriers.
Purchases visit the backyard breeder, handle there cats, and then go directly to a registered breeder with the same footwear, clothing, and diseases attached to them. They then want to handle the registered breeders kittens and cats and so spread the disease through the decent registered breeders cattery, forcing them to close down and put to death there contaminated and sick cats and kittens. Years of meticulous breeding, care and time dies with these cats along with the lines that can no longer be obtained. Thus we have only a small number of linea available to breed the British Shorthair Cats with here in Australia that have no genetic faults. And so the price goes up. Bringing in new lines from overseas is risky and expensive.
Breeders don’t have $20,000 to spend to bring in a cat that after months and months of quarantine may not breed or may need to be put down because of disease it brought with it. If they do succeed you can then expect the price of your kitten to go up to $3000 each or more. Just look at the effect the horse flu on the country and its breeders, the racing industry etc…
In the past 5 years a lot of registered breeders have had to go out of breeding due to the devastating loses to Pedigree/Registered Cat lines and Cats through cat flu, herpes virus and other diseases brought in to there catteries by unsuspecting purchasers.
Please note: Before visiting any registered cat breeder always make sure your shoes are clean, your clothes are freshly laundered, your hands have been thoroughly washed and you are not wearing any perfume or aftershave. Visit them first, before seeing anyone else so you don’t bring disease into there cattery. Don’t be offended when some breeders will not allow you to handle there animals prior to purchase as they love them and don’t want to take a chance with diseases.
This article written by “I Dream Of Russian Cats”