Breeding cats - what you need to know and where to start? Cat breeding Business on purebred cats

Choosing a kitten

If you are buying a kitten for breeding, you must approach the choice of a kitten completely differently than when choosing just a pet. Your pet must be healthy and you personally like it, that’s enough. A kitten for breeding is a completely different matter.

Before you buy a kitten for breeding, you should first get to know the chosen breed in as much detail as possible, carefully study the characteristics of the breed, find out the advantages and disadvantages, and most importantly, see with your own eyes as many cats of this breed as possible. Your choice should not be random, but conscious- You must understand what the breed advantages and disadvantages of the kitten you have chosen are, what grades and titles the kitten can receive at shows, and what kind of offspring will be born from this kitten when he/she becomes an adult.

KLK "Moscow" strongly recommends that both buyers and breeders enter into a written contract for the purchase and sale of a kitten, regardless of the price of the kitten and the purpose of the purchase - for breeding or as a pet. The agreement will allow you to avoid mutual claims in the future. If a kitten is purchased for breeding, a written purchase and sale agreement is required! A sample contract for the sale and purchase of a kitten is available on the Club Documents page

Registration of pedigree

A purebred kitten differs from a purebred kitten by pronounced breed characteristics and the presence of a pedigree, which certifies the origin of the kitten from purebred parents. A pedigree for a cat is like a passport for a person.

When purchasing a kitten for breeding, immediately find out how you will obtain the pedigree and how much it will cost. There are different options - some breeders order pedigrees for kittens themselves and give them to the buyer along with the kitten. Others give the buyer a metric - an analogue of a human birth certificate.

The metric must contain the following data:

Kitten's name, date of birth, gender, color;
name and contacts of the club that issued the metrics;
name, surname and contact details of the breeder who sold you the kitten;
stamp of a club or nursery.

To obtain a pedigree, the buyer must take or mail the pedigree to the cat lovers club that gave her away, and pay for the production of the pedigree.

NOTE: A pedigree only certifies the origin of a kitten from purebred parents, but is not evidence of breeding value or a permit for breeding!

Raising a kitten

If you plan to use your pet for breeding, you must create the best conditions for him.

Giving birth and feeding kittens is a serious burden on a cat’s body. It is unacceptable to feed a breeding cat with cheap food or leftovers from your table; premium food is required. Only a healthy, well-groomed cat will give birth to healthy, strong kittens.

Proper raising of a future breeding cat is no less important, because... a stud cat must be in perfect physical shape, otherwise he will have no brides.

In addition, the appearance of the animal and the condition of the coat are of great importance for victories at exhibitions.

Joining the club

Main functions of the Cat Lovers Club:

Preparation of felinological documents for club members: metrics or pedigrees for kittens of club members, nurseries for club members, title certificates for adult cats and cats of club members, etc.

Carrying out cat shows. Each club regularly holds cat shows. Any cat owner can be a participant in any club's exhibition, regardless of membership in any club.

Club members can post information on the club website - about their cattery, about kittens for sale, about cats for mating.

The club is a public non-profit organization whose activities are financed by contributions from club members. For example, in the Moscow Cultural Club, registration of a pedigree costs 1,200 rubles, a title certificate - 700 rubles, an annual fee - 500 rubles. Club members who have not paid the annual fee during the current year are considered to have terminated their membership in the club.

NOTE: The club cannot in any way influence the health and breeding potential of the animal. The club is not authorized to regulate the relationship between the buyer and the breeder in the event of illness or death of the animal, financial claims, or any other. The club also does not deal with mutual claims between two breeders in the event of mating. The club maintains only breeding documents, similar to the passport office.

In case of claims, breeders must act in accordance with the purchase and sale or breeding agreement. The club has neither the right nor the opportunity to understand the relationships of individuals who entered into these relationships without any participation of the club. If the situation cannot be resolved through negotiations, it is necessary to go to court, but this can only be done if there is a purchase and sale agreement.

Exhibitions

Most clubs belong to one of the felinological systems, but there are also independent clubs that do not obey any felinological system, but have their own rules. KLK "Moscow" belongs to the WCF system, therefore in our activities we are subject to the rules of the WCF system.

Cat shows are held to evaluate the work of breeders by independent experts. Experts evaluate cats, compare them with the standard (breed ideal), as well as with each other. Cats receive various grades and titles. Experts select the best animals that are closest to the modern type in each breed. The best cats win the main competition of the exhibition - "Best in Show", as well as in monobreed shows and WCF rings.

In addition, experts note the shortcomings of each cat so that this is taken into account in breeding. It is at the exhibition that the quality of the cat is confirmed, its compliance with the standard and level of breeding.

You can start your career from childhood - exhibit a cat and especially a female cat in the kitten class (3-6 months), then in the junior class (6-10 months), and from 10 months in the open class.

Exhibition assessments in the kitten and junior classes are necessary for a preliminary assessment of the animal - you can see the prospects of your pet and decide whether to continue the competitive epic or quit the race. In addition, the kitten gets used to the exhibition atmosphere and acquires a calm “show” temperament. To obtain high titles and win competitions, the animal’s calm disposition and resistance to stress are a necessary condition.

Matings

After your cat reaches 12 months of age and receives a positive assessment from an expert, you can breed your pet. To find a future partner, exhibitions are very important - at the exhibition you can see “live” the cat you are interested in, and perhaps his kittens, meet the owners, find out the mating conditions. For a cat, an exhibition is a great opportunity to advertise itself, hand out business cards with a phone number and website address.

Usually matings are paid, and therefore it is recommended to conclude a mating agreement before mating in order to avoid mutual claims in the future. A sample mating agreement is available on the Club Documents page.

Birth of kittens

Pregnancy in cats lasts on average 65 days, counting from the first day of mating. In some cats, the gestation period can range from 58 to 70 days.

Typically, cat birth occurs without problems, but sometimes there are exceptions to this rule. Therefore, in the week when the cat is due to give birth, you will be required to provide 24-hour attention to her. Someone should always be nearby - it is better not to take risks and not leave the cat alone during childbirth. Some cats, especially young and inexperienced ones, do not know what to do with their kittens. Your absence during birth may cost you the life of your entire litter. Often a kitten is born “with a shirt on”, and if an inexperienced cat does not lick it, it will suffocate. A nearby owner can solve this problem in a few seconds.

The mother cat provides full care for the kittens until approximately 3 weeks of age. Kittens should be kept in a warm and dry place. Starting from 3 weeks, you need to start feeding them and putting out a tray, which will require additional care from you. But when the kittens start walking, you should communicate with them more so that the kittens get used to people, adapt to the world around them and become real pets.

Kittens - litter activation

When the kittens are two months old, they can be registered in the club and felinological documents are issued for them - activated.

After the birth of kittens in your home and the activation of your first litter, you become not just a cat owner, but also a breeder. If a cat lives in your house, then you are its owner, the owner of this cat at the moment. In this case, the breeder of your cat is the person in whose house she was born. If your cat has given birth to kittens, you are the breeder for these kittens, and their owners are usually other people.

Even if the new owner of your kitten assures that he is not interested in breeding and is buying the kitten as a pet, nevertheless give him the certificate with the contacts of the breeder and the club. Time passes and circumstances change. A kitten may change owners... It happens that a magnificent cat (cat) grows up and the whole family dreams of breeding, participating in exhibitions, but the problem arises: “where is our pedigree?” Track the fate of your litter for at least a year.

Sincere wishes - health, success, well-being - to the owners and breeders, and to our furry pets!

Males reach sexual maturity at the age of 8 months. During this period, uncastrated cats try to leave the house, scream heart-rendingly, urinate everywhere, leaving “marks” of their presence, carry out sexual “attacks” on inanimate objects (woolen items, fur toys, sofa pillows, etc.), become pugnacious , careless.

When a cat in heat appears within reach of his sense of smell, the cat becomes indomitable excitement, which sometimes makes it difficult, if not impossible, to keep him in the house. The first mating of a cat is best done with a cat that has already given birth. At first, breeding cats are used for mating 1-2 times a month, and later - up to 2 times a week.

Cats usually become sexually mature at 5-9 months of age. They have an obsessive desire to attract attention, the cat rubs against people and various objects more often than usual, lies on its back, trembles with excitement, meows loudly, asks to be free, loses its appetite, and leaves “urine marks” everywhere.

The frequency of estrus in cats of different breeds is different, depending on the time of year, living conditions and keeping of the animal. Felinologists usually believe that estrus occurs in January-February for a few days, and then in June-July for a longer time. However, cat owners know that this statement cannot be considered indisputable. Estrus can last from 3 days (if the cat is nearby) to 2 weeks. During the first heat, a cat usually accepts a male cat reluctantly. The reproductive period of cats is quite long. There are cases where cats gave birth to offspring at the age of 20.

In cats, like in other animals, sexual behavior is regulated by hormonal status and is characterized by cyclicity. The period of sexual passivity (anaestrus) lasts about 4 months and is associated with the length of daylight hours (less than 12-14 hours per day). In houses with artificial lighting, this period is shortened.

Typically, 2-3 periods of sexual activity occur during the year. In proestrus - the stage of preparation for mating - the cat becomes affectionate, but restless and does not show readiness to mate. Her vulva swells, but there is no discharge. After 1-3 days, the estrus phase begins - preparation for mating. The animal purrs, meows, sometimes screams heart-rendingly, and rolls on the floor. When stroking, the cat assumes a position of readiness for mating, moves its tail to the side, presses against the floor, stepping with its pelvic limbs. At this time, she loses her appetite, leaves marks everywhere, and tries to run away from home.

The period of estrus (hunting) can be quite long, and with “nymphomania” it becomes continuous. The smell of heat attracts the attention of nearby cats, who organize “cat concerts” and fight among themselves.

With free mating, the cat has the opportunity to choose a partner. For targeted breeding, you should use the services of cat lovers clubs. It is important to avoid inbreeding - closely related mating.

Linear breeding allows you to consolidate desirable qualities in the offspring. Mating of unrelated individuals makes it possible to introduce new characteristics and properties into the breed. Breeders believe that it is more correct to bring the female to the male’s house, but not to mate them on the first day. The third day of estrus is the best for conception. Usually two “matings” (matings) are practiced. During mating, the female squats excitedly, lowers her head and raises her pelvis, moving her tail to the side. The male bites the female by the scruff of the neck and climbs on her from behind, first with his pectoral and then pelvic limbs.

The animals squat on their hind legs, after which coitus occurs. The cat's pelvic limbs again rest on the floor, and the female moves towards the male to ensure the necessary contact. In this case, the female may feel tired, irritated and sometimes seeks to get rid of the male. Copulation lasts only a few seconds. The cat's penis, unlike other animals, is covered with sharp bristles that appear at the age of 3.5 months, if the cat has not been castrated. When the cat withdraws his penis at the end of coitus, the bristles apparently cause pain to the female, since she screams loudly and often attacks the male. Then she rolls over onto her back. This cat position is believed to promote fertilization. At this time, animals must be isolated from contact with other cats to prevent outbred kittens from appearing.

Ovulation, if mating was successful, occurs after 1-1.5 days. Within 1-2 days after this, signs of estrus disappear; If there was no mating, estrus lasts 10-12 days. After estrus, a period of “quiet” begins - di-estrus, and after 7-12 days signs of pro-estrus - the beginning of a new cycle - reappear. Thus, sexual cycles are repeated after about 21 days, and the older the cat, the shorter they are. In 10-12% of cats, especially Siamese, di-estrus may be completely absent, and within 6-10 weeks “passion” appears, they scream invitingly and show readiness for mating (“nymphomania”), which often bothers their owners. Males do not have distinct mating seasons, and they are ready to mate throughout the year, although they are more active in the spring.

The most fruitful and favorable age for breeding is a cat under 8 years of age, since then the gestation period begins to shorten and the risk of embryo death increases. White blue-eyed cats are usually deaf and therefore bad mothers, since they simply do not hear the calling cries of their pets. Cats have a reputation as unimportant fathers: only occasionally showing care for their offspring, more often they do not pay any attention to the kittens, and cats rarely allow babies near their fathers, since cats can kill the cubs. Dead kittens are usually eaten by their own parents (cannibalism).

At the age of 1 month, cats begin to stop the kittens' attempts to suckle, pressing their nipples to the floor or turning away. At 3 weeks of age, kittens try to lap up milk from their mother's bowl and gradually become accustomed to eating other foods, including solids.

Without compromising their health, cats can give birth twice a year. The first signs of pregnancy in cats appear after 3 weeks: the nipples become more pink and begin to swell after a week.

The average length of pregnancy in a cat is about 9 weeks +4 days, although a pregnancy duration of 58-72 days is normal. However, kittens born a week early rarely survive. In the first 3 weeks after fertilization (conception), the cat becomes less active, eats less, and sometimes vomits. After 4-5 weeks, the embryos can be felt through the abdominal wall. At the 6th week, the abdomen noticeably increases in size and becomes rounded. At the 7th week, you can detect the fetal head and its movements. The cat becomes restless and looks for a place to build a nest.

In the last week, the mammary glands swell, the nipples become enlarged, a whitish discharge appears from the vulva, after which childbirth occurs. The cat loses its appetite, fawns over its owners, licks its belly and vulva, and sometimes vomits. With the onset of labor pains, the cat digs into the nest and “improves” it. Discharge appears from the nipples. This period lasts 12-24 hours. The cat lies on its stomach, amniotic fluid begins to be released (when the membranes rupture), then the head appears, and the kitten completely emerges from the birth canal within 15 minutes. If head extraction is delayed, obstetric care should be considered. The muzzle and front paws move outward during contractions, and there should be no reverse movements. As soon as the kitten is born, the cat ruptures the amniotic sac with its teeth, if it did not rupture during childbirth.

If for some reason the cat does not do this, you must urgently help her, otherwise the kitten will suffocate. The umbilical cord does not break during childbirth, so the cat bites it no later than 15 minutes after the birth of the kitten, after licking it. If the umbilical cord does not break, you need to cut it at a distance of 2-4 cm from the cat’s belly, after first pulling it from the side of the kitten’s belly. The afterbirth should come out with or after the kitten. The number of placenta should correspond to the number of newborn kittens, since retained placenta can cause complications. The cat usually eats the afterbirth, but you should not let it eat more than 1-2 afterbirths, as this can cause diarrhea and vomiting. Each subsequent kitten is usually born within 10-15 minutes (no later than 2 hours). The average duration of labor is 2-6 hours, sometimes more; extremely rarely, labor can last up to 1-1.5 days.

After giving birth, the cat needs rest. She must be provided with food, drink and everything necessary so that she does not have to leave her cubs for a long time. Usually cats bring from 4-6 to 10 kittens or more. If the cat is not able to fully feed the entire litter, you need to decide how many kittens to leave for rearing without compromising their health.

Newborn kittens do not see or hear for about 10 days, but they have a good sense of smell and touch, which is necessary when searching for the mother's nipple. The average weight of a kitten is about 85 g (57-115 g), and the average length is 10-12 cm. On the 4th day, kittens are able to massage the cat’s belly with their paws, stimulating milk production. By the end of the 1st week of life, kittens' eyes open and their weight doubles. By the end of the 1st month, kittens begin to play, sit and move confidently. Their blue eyes persist until 3 months of age. At one month of age, teeth begin to erupt. Until 1.5 months, the kittens do not leave the nest, “fighting” and playing become their constant occupation.

If necessary, the cat carries the kittens, taking each one by the scruff of the neck with its teeth. At the same time, she draws attention not to the very fact of the kitten’s disappearance from the nest, but to its plaintive meow. Wild cats often change their nesting sites to protect themselves and their offspring from enemies. Later, the cat begins to take the kittens out of the nest to teach them the rules of behavior and hygiene. At 6-8 weeks of age, kittens become playful and easily get used to communicating with humans. At this time, you can take the kitten by the scruff of the neck with one hand, but support the tummy with the other so as not to cause resistance on its part.

During the first weeks, kittens gain weight rapidly. By 3 weeks of age (2 weeks after their eyes open), kittens begin to see. At the age of 1 month, kittens begin to grow baby teeth. From now on, they can be given a little minced meat and accustomed to a meat diet. At the same time, overeating should not be allowed; the food should be fresh and there should be plenty of water. After 2 months, the kittens’ vision is completely stabilized.

White cats are often deaf; this genetic defect is inherited, with the exception of cats that have Siamese or Burmese blood; Blue-eyed cats also tend to be deaf. A white cat with one blue eye is usually deaf in one ear (not necessarily on the same side). Completely deaf cats are extremely cautious.

Five-month-old kittens begin to “mark” their territory. By this time, their milk teeth are replaced by permanent ones. At the age of six months they are already completely independent from their mother. It is best to adopt a kitten at around 8 weeks of age. Kittens older than 12 weeks of age, especially if they have previously received little attention, usually shy away from people and have a more difficult time getting used to a new environment. By 7-8 weeks of age, kittens typically have 14 baby teeth on the upper jaw and 12 on the lower jaw. Their weight reaches 700-800 g.

If a cat immediately after giving birth refuses to give birth or shows aggressiveness, it is necessary to place the kittens with another nursing cat, after rubbing them with her milk or urine, so that the cat accepts the newborns as her own. If there is no such cat, artificial feeding is used, protecting the kittens from the cold. On the first day, kittens are kept at a temperature of 32°C, for the next 4-5 days - at 29°C, and at 2 weeks of age - at 2°C.

As kittens age, they become more resistant to temperature fluctuations. In addition to warmth, kittens need rest. Their bedding is systematically changed. Normal growth is monitored by regular weighing. In the early period of postnatal life, kittens are fed from a nipple with a small hole to ensure normal swallowing of food and to prevent possible complications (food entering the respiratory tract). As a temporary measure, you can let the kitten suck on the tip of a napkin soaked in milk, or feed it from a pipette. Cow's milk and baby food are not the best food for these kittens, as cat milk contains more protein. Closer to cat milk is a mixture consisting of 2 tablespoons of concentrated milk, 2 tablespoons of boiled water and 1/4 teaspoon of Glucose.

The temperature of the food and water should be within 38" C. If the kitten does not show interest in this food, you need to carefully moisten its face with food. If the kitten's feces are more liquid than usual, you should reduce the water diet. Rinsing the eyes with weak tea prevents the possibility the appearance of conjunctivitis.

Remember: affectionate treatment of kittens shapes their future character.

By 8-9 weeks of age, kittens become increasingly independent and begin to annoy their mother. It is better not to place all the kittens at once. As a rule, mothers calmly part with their family, but sometimes they get very worried and look for the missing kitten until they are convinced that it has completely disappeared.

New owners of kittens should be told about their early childhood, about the habits formed and instilled by the mother cat in order to facilitate their adaptation to a new life; inform about the carried out therapeutic and preventive vaccinations and treatments.

Before you start breeding cats and become a breeder, you should decide on the choice of a suitable breed. Each of them has its own individual characteristics and care requirements. Raising a pet that meets all the parameters is not an easy task. It is necessary to ensure that the cat has an attractive appearance, better than that of its competitors. The pet must be strong, healthy, and have a calm disposition. The business idea of ​​cat breeding has its pros and cons.

Where to start breeding cats?

The very first advice on breeding cats for the purpose of subsequent sales of offspring would be a comprehensive study of the issue. It is more practical to plan everything in advance and prepare the site for future business. Assess the pros and cons, costs and time to achieve payback.

Based on the advice of leading breeders, the primary thing is to determine the size of the nursery based on financial capabilities. By type, nurseries are conventionally divided into large ones with several pairs of sires and different breeds, or small ones consisting of only one cat. Take courses in felinology, veterinary medicine, or ensure constant contact with a professional felinologist and veterinarian.

The business of breeding purebred animals has its own characteristics, pros, cons, and pitfalls.

Pros:

• combines positive communication with pets and financial profit;
• possibility of stable profit.

Minuses:

• many competitors;
• impressive costs for the purchase and equipment of everything necessary, this includes monitoring pets at the veterinarian, the cost of vaccinations and vaccinations;
• It is necessary to wait a long time before the animal matures, raising a kitten.

Underwater rocks:

• a hidden defect or deficiency cannot be immediately detected by visually examining the animal;
• neither the breeder nor the club assumes or compensates for hidden defects;
• for reasons beyond anyone’s control as a result of death during childbirth, or death due to a mismatch in the blood types of mom and dad, or similar factors, you can lose the animal and have to start over;
• inability to find out the characteristic features, presence of rare diseases, allergies in the breed;
• It takes a long time to understand the characteristics in order to determine the breed suitable for breeding.

Unique and consistently popular are:

• Scottish Folds, or Scottish Folds;
• British Shorthair;
• Russian blue;
• Canadian Sphynxes;
• Siamese oriental.

If you don’t have experience, you shouldn’t risk buying more exclusive breeds. The costs for them will be more impressive.

Complete information about the breed will help with some important nuances:

• Find out what and how to feed is preferable.
• Basics of proper coat care and nail trimming.
• Timing of vaccinations and vaccinations.
• Ways to identify defects.

Animals with defects are not suitable for breeding.

Hidden defects are considered defects and are not allowed for breeding:

• Curvature of the tail is sometimes invisible visually, if it is only slightly expressed. It is more noticeable if the tail is curved in the form of a crease or hook.
• Defective color - presence of medallions.

You can insure yourself by stipulating a warranty period in the contract to identify possible defects. Next follow the organizational stages, which can be roughly divided into paperwork and the purchase of all necessary equipment for equipping the nursery.

Important Steps

It is necessary to prepare documents and go through a number of important steps:

• Join the club and register as a breeder.
• Reserve a pre-selected kitten.
• Check the presence of all relevant documents (passport, birth certificate, pedigree, including age-appropriate vaccination records).
• Conclude an agreement, obtain veterinary and other documents for the animal.
• Be sure to participate in exhibitions. Assessment is a necessary condition for obtaining an animal's permission for breeding.
• Find a suitable partner for mating through your club in advance.
• Carry out prophylaxis with anthelmintic drugs before mating.
• Make sure your partner is healthy.
• Experienced breeders can help you draw up a competent mating agreement. The contract will help to avoid many possible unpleasant situations associated with paying for mating services, or guaranteeing a free re-mating in case of failure (mating without pregnancy).
• Provide good paid advertising with high-quality photographs and text through clubs, newspapers, and websites. You can get it for free through your family, friends, familiar breeders, neighbors, acquaintances and colleagues.
• Prepare all the documents necessary for subsequent sale (passport, pedigree, veterinary passport, etc.), if you need to brand or chip your pet.

An important stage is organizing the place of residence of the future manufacturer. It all depends on the available space and the planned number of pets, meaning whether it will be one mother with offspring or several pairs. For several animals, separate enclosures are needed, separated by opaque walls.

Equipment and costs

The best option is considered to be the presence of premises in a cottage, your own home. In the city, an area consisting of two or three vacant rooms. There should be a separate enclosure for kittens, preferably with partial or full partitions and windows. The premises should be as comfortable as possible for both adult animals and young animals, equipped with heating and ventilation that provides warmth, and good lighting. The floor of the premises should be convenient for cleaning.

Inventory necessary for the full development and residence of the animal:

• litter tray (preferably with a grill);
• toilet filler: wood, corn, clumping, zeolite, mineral or silica gel;
• dishes for food and water;
• a carrier (in the form of a cage or a carrier-bag);
• a house (preferably in combination with shelves or ladders) or a bed;
• scratching post;
• hanging and small toys such as balls, mice, fish;
• grooming combs and lint brush;
• nail clippers, guillotines or electric nail clippers;
• shampoos suitable for the pet’s breed;
• rugs

The approximate amount for keeping one (medium breed) adult for food, litter and veterinary services will cost five thousand rubles. For a more complete picture of the financial side, experienced breeders recommend familiarizing yourself with the approximate cost amounts. They include the approximate cost of materials and maintenance (based on 15 animals, including offspring):

• paperwork – 15,000;
• equipment for the enclosure – 150,000;
• technical equipment and inventory - 128 thousand rubles;
• purchase of animals – 600 rubles;
• other expenses - 47 tr.

In total, you can start a business with at least 940 thousand rubles.

As for the annual maintenance of a cat breeding business, the list of expenses will consist of the following items:

• utility bills - 72 tr.;
• maintenance of the animal parent fund - 1.2 million rubles;
• taxes – 135 thousand rubles;
• other (unplanned) costs – 198 thousand rubles.

Annual costs will be about 1.605 million rubles. If we talk about profit, then each of the 15 cats will bring an average of 4 kittens per year. By selling them for 40 thousand rubles, you manage to get 2.4 million rubles. The profit will be equal to 795 tr.

Breeding cats is a real lifestyle. It is difficult to deal with cats without loving and knowing this animal, and direct passion for this issue entails appearance at exhibitions, participation in clubs where the breeding of cats is actually controlled.

It should be remembered that breeding expensive cats with a pedigree at the household level without the control of the relevant organizations will not work, which is why we talk about lifestyle. It is necessary not only to buy a kitten with a good pedigree and, after 12 months, to bring together an adult cat with a male cat, it is important to participate in exhibitions, draw up contracts, undergo examinations and, finally, activate or register kittens. That is it's a troublesome and complicated business, but exciting. Breeding kittens brings a lot of pleasure and a lot of positive emotions, and sometimes good profits.

Reason for breeding cats

Before taking such a serious step, you need to understand the reason why you should breed kittens. If it's just about money, then in reality everything is not as profitable as it seems. One breeder out of twenty actually makes a good profit from kittens, the rest spend more. It is important to be able to choose a breed, find out the demand for it, find regular customers or a circle of people who will help with the sale. You literally have to live with cats, know everything about them, where to save money, where to spend money, how to simplify this or that task, and, most importantly, know people, namely cat clubs and be a member of these clubs.

Choice of animal

First, you should buy a kitten, preferably a cat, although you can also buy a cat, here again everything depends on personal preferences and employment. The owner of the cat is involved in the birth, kittens, registering them, and so on, and the owner of the cat rather acts as an observer. On the other hand, participation in exhibitions is mandatory for both parents of future offspring, that is, all responsibility cannot be avoided; it is necessary to move around in this world so that it brings profit and pleasure.

Some breeders do it much simpler and more cunningly, they buy both a male and a male cat, two kittens, which they take to shows together and breed. This saves time searching for a suitable partner, and if both animals win medals, insignia, and honor, then their kittens will be in great demand. So this option is worth thinking about. Many American and European breeders do just that. This requires a lot of money for maintenance, but it gives the desired fruits and results.

When purchasing, it is important that the kitten is purebred, with an excellent pedigree, which can be checked at the appropriate club. The breeder who sells it will tell you all the necessary information, show the pet’s parents and give all the necessary documents (passport, birth certificate), and also draw up a sales agreement. It is important that you have all the documents and that they are correct, otherwise at this initial stage you can ruin the entire future case. The lack of even one vaccination or document will negate all cat breeding; the club simply will not give official permission, and this is tantamount to the future sale of kittens on the market without a pedigree.

Health

Immediately after purchasing a kitten, you must take it to the veterinarian, clarify the date of the next one, if it is necessary and what else is needed, perhaps some scheduled pills, injections that have not yet been given. It is also important to examine the kitten, and eventually the cat, for the presence of congenital pathologies, genetic defects or infections, viruses that can be transmitted to the next generation. , then breeding becomes impossible, so as not to spoil future kittens with diseases.

It is advisable for the cat to have a permanent veterinarian who knows about all its habits, characteristics, past illnesses and even injections. This will make it much easier to communicate with him as needed, and eventually invite him to the birth, which is very desirable, especially if it is the first. In this case, different cats have their own perception of the process - this is a dangerous matter that requires the presence of a specialist nearby.

Participation in exhibitions

In clubs and at exhibitions, the breed standard is determined, whether the animal corresponds to it, how pure the breed is, without impurities, how obedient the animal is and how bright a representative of its kind it is. This is important, even very important, and with constant participation in exhibitions, privileges appear, useful contacts are made, and the issue of breeding cats and obtaining permission to do so is simplified. Membership in clubs is not necessary, but desirable; it allows you to attend closed exhibitions, receive any useful instructions, information that, one way or another, helps in breeding cats and caring for them.

Studying the issue

Knowledge of the issue is not the least important. A felinologist diploma can be obtained in three private lessons, but without knowledge the breeding process will become much more complicated, and without knowing the breed and its characteristics, even banal animal care can become torture, not even breeding. For this reason, before breeding or after purchasing a kitten, you need to study this issue, study the breed, how to breed, what features it has, and so on, brushing aside this important point can also cause harm to future offspring through your own ignorance.

Mating

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Mating in cats can only occur after 12 months through 2 heats. And in cats after 14 months. To bring a male cat together for mating, you must have permission from the club. It is requested in advance and, if there is no partner for the cat, one is found through the same club. In this case, animals must present passports, show the presence of all vaccinations, and the absence of diseases in order to avoid problems with childbirth and kittens. The owners draw up an agreement, and the mating takes place under full control on both sides, especially if a new breed is being bred.

Kittens

The birth and care of kittens falls on the shoulders of the cat's owners, but this process is controlled by the cat's owners, and sometimes by the club. After birth, kittens are activated or registered in a club or system to receive a metric, which is eventually exchanged for a pedigree. The selling price is set by the cat's owner depending on the demand for the breed. Before the sale, at least one vaccination is done and with a passport, birth certificate and contract, after 3 months the kittens can be sold.