THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF RESPONSIBLE CAT OWNERSHIP
1. Your cats/kittens should be fed with adequate balanced diet.
2. Your cats/kittens should be supplied with clean, fresh water all the time.
3. Your cats/kittens should be provided with a cozy dry sleeping area.
4. Your cats/kittens should be provided with regular exercise and allow regular family contact.
5. Your cats/kittens should have an up to date vaccinations, regular worm control & control of fleas and ticks.
6. Your cats/kittens should have an identification tag on an elasticized collar. Permanent identification increases the chance of recovery if the pet is lost.
7. Your cats/kittens must be kept indoor at all times, especially at night.
8. Your cats/kittens should be provided with love and care.
9. Cats/kittens that are not used for breeding should be spayed/neutered.
10. Ensure that all your cats/kittens adequately cared for during holidays, preferably at a reputable boarding cattery/vets/cat-sitters.
10 REASONS NOT TO BUY CATS / KITTENS FROM A PETSHOP
1. Health - That adorable cat/kitten in the pet store is hard to resist, but you may be paying a lot of money for a kitten that you know very little about. Pet stores generally rely on impulse buys to sell their product. There is a good chance that the pet store kitten will develop a health problem sometime in its life that may cost you a lot of money. It is very unlikely that the parents were screened for genetic diseases that can be passed to their offspring.
2. The Myth about Cat Club Certificates - Most pet shops would like you to believe that if a cat/kitten is registered, this guarantees they will be healthy and a good example of the breed.
3. The Pet Shop Guarantee - Many pet stores provide a form of guarantee for people buying cats/kittens from them, but their guarantees may be as bad as none at all. A not-so-uncommon scenario goes something like this: after your family has become attached to your adorable new kitten you find out it is sick. It will cost you several hundred dollars to treat, so you take the kitten back to the store to receive your guarantee. What they will most likely offer to do is trade kitten - take away your beloved pet and replace it with a new kitten, not necessarily a healthier one, either. They will most likely euthanize the kitten you brought back, because this is cheaper for the store. The other tactic that some stores use is to tell you your kitten will grow out of the problem - until their guarantee has expired. Do you want to take this risk?
4. What Will The Kitten Look Like When It Is Full-Grown? You may have seen specimens of the breed that you are buying, but this does not guarantee that this cats/kitten fit the breed standard. You do not know if the parents fit the standard either and cannot see the faults that each parent has.
5. What Do They Know About The Breed? Employees of pet stores generally know very little about the cats/kittens that are in the store. They can probably tell you a little bit about the breed and then point you to a rack of generic cat books. What do you do after you bring the kitten home, only to find that this breed is not the right one for you and your family? Good breeders are full of information about the breed that you are considering. They should be able to tell you the general temperament aspects of the breed and help you predict whether this breed will fit into your lifestyle.
6. Housebreaking and training problems - This kitten that you are buying from a pet store has most likely spent much of its life in a cage. Due to the conditions that kittens were kept in at pet stores, they have been forced to eliminate in the same area that they sleep and eat. A Reputable breeder would have trained the kitten. So by the time the kitten are ready to go to their new homes they will be well on their way to being house trained.
7. How About Socialization? Your pet store kitten may well have never been in a house before. If this is the case then everything will be new and scary for them. The doorbell, vacuum cleaner, and children playing are all new sensations that can be terrifying to an unsocialized kitten. Good breeders will expose their kittens to many situations so that they are used to them by the time that they go to their new homes.
8. Pedigree Worth? The pet shop owner can only tell you that this cat/kitten is pedigree but wont be able to prove it. Worse is they are telling that this kitten is purebred but its actually just a domestic cat.
9. Do You Want To Support Kitten Mills/Backyard Breeders? 99.9% all kittens that are in pet stores come from kitten mills/Backyard breeders. These operations are exactly what the name implies. Most mass-produce kittens with money as the prime motive. Their breeding cats are often kept in very poor conditions and are sometimes malnourished. The cats are almost never tested for genetic diseases and may not receive vaccinations. Females are generally bred every heat cycle until they are worn out and then they are often sentenced to death. The horror of kitten mills is encouraged every time a kitten is bought from a pet store. How do you know that they come from one of these places? The main reason is that almost no responsible breeders will sell to pet stores. Good breeders what to make sure that their kittens go to good homes and are well cared for. They want to be actively involved in screening the home that they go to.
10. After The Cat/Kitten Goes Home? Once you take the kitten home from the pet store they do not generally care what happens to it. Responsible breeders are more than people who sell kittens; they will also be good friends to you and your kittens. They care what happens to their kittens once they are sold. Almost all good breeders sell on spay/neuter contracts or limited registration. This practice enables breeders to keep cats that are not breeding quality out of the breeding population. Most reputable breeders care about each of their kittens’ futures and will be concerned about their welfare. They care not only about their own cats, but also the impact their cats will make on the breed as a whole.
10 TIPS ON HOW TO RECOGNIZE A KITTEN MILL / BACKYARD BREEDER / UNETHICAL BREEDER
When you talk to people about their kitties there are a few warning signs when you are dealing with a disreputable, unethical, or irresponsible breeder:
1. The “breeder” is more interested in the price your paying rather than the welfare of the animal.
2. The “breeder” lacks knowledge about the breed.
3. The “breeder” shows ignorance or denial of genetic defects in the breed.
4. The “breeder” doesn’t let you observe the kitten or adults, or let you see the cattery.
5. The “breeder” has no vaccination records.
6. The “breeder” is not a member of the respective cat club.
7. The cats are not socialized.
8. The “breeder” has too many cats more that they can take care of properly.
9. The “breeder” doesn’t care about the welfare of her cat/kittens.
10. The “breeder” locks the cats and kittens in small cages.
10 COMMANDMENTS OF A REPUTABLE BREEDER
1. A Reputable Breeder places cats/kittens by contract.
2. A Reputable Breeder places cats/kittens with a health guarantee.
3. A Reputable Breeder insists and contracts the return of a cat/kitten should the purchaser be unable to keep the cat/kitten.
4. A Reputable Breeder carefully interviews prospective owners and has specific requirements that are to be met i.e; cat/kitten is to be altered by 8m old if the breeder is not already practicing early altering, cat/kitten is not allowed to roam outdoors, etc.
5. A Reputable Breeder is willing and able to educate the novice. He/she happily answers any/all questions regarding the breed and his/her breeding program.
6. A Reputable Breeder insists on being informed of any health, genetic, or behavioral problems the cat/kitten may develop in its lifetime.
7. A Reputable Breeder does not have more cats/kittens then he/she is able to keep clean, healthy and well socialized.
8. A Reputable Breeder spends individual time with each of his cats/kittens.
9. A Reputable Breeder is very concerned with excellent temperament in his/her cats/kittens as well as excellent health.
10. A Reputable Breeder makes him/herself available for advice and help to other breeders, and throughout the life of the cats/kittens he/she has placed.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REPUTABLE BREEDER AND A “KITTEN PRODUCER”Depends on the concern and the responsibility the person shows towards his/her breed, breeding program, fellow breeders, and his/her individual charges; cats/kittens and purchasers thereof.
1. The Reputable Breeder spends large amounts of time and money on that which he/she believes to be for the best interest of the breed, the cats and those directly and indirectly affected by his/her actions.
2. The Reputable Breeder sees his/her breeding program as an unfinished work, a creative masterpiece that drives him/her towards excellence and perfection. Whereas, the “kitten producer” is motivated by profit. While the “kitten producer” is happy to sell quantity to whomever; dealers, brokers, … the reputable breeder insists on individual contact with each prospective owner and will only place a kitten after careful and thorough screening.
Direct contact is necessary in order to insure a mutual compatibility between the would be purchaser, the cat/kitten and him/herself. Because of this great concern on the part of the reputable breeder, he/she will help the novice purchaser select the cat/kitten that is compatible with their lifestyle, personality and expectations, even if it means talking them out of a cat/kitten. Screening is necessary to ensure a successful placement and this is foremost with the reputable breeder.
3. The Reputable Breeder is concerned with pedigrees and the breed standard is of utmost importance to his goal for excellence and the betterment of the breed. Because of the goal of betterment in mind, NEVER would this breeder think to breed without knowing the pedigree or without holding the papers qualifying the dam and the sire as breeder quality. A reputable breeder will own the right to breed, the papers proving such and will have the pedigree of his/her cats as well. This breeder is willing and able to educate and be educated, has a willingness to answer questions correctly and cares about the concerns of the potential new owner. He/she will allow visits to see the mother and if available, the father, and kittens in their environment when it is feasibly safe to do so. The “kitten producer” may offer seemingly good reasons to meet in places with available kittens other then the raised environment.
4. The Reputable Breeder insists on contracts and requires that the cat/kitten be returned to him/her if for any reason the purchaser is unable to keep the pet. It is this breeder who shows responsibility to the breed, and the cats/kittens they have “created” for the lifetime of this pet. Health records, pedigrees and care information are a source of great pride to the breeder that is reputable as well as a sanitary, clean, healthy and happy environment.
5. The Reputable Breeder is excited at the prospect of furthering his/her education through breed clubs, cat shows, and seminars and will take advantage of available resources. This reputable breeder tends to live around their cats/kittens. Every opportunity to participate in activities with other reputable breeders ensuring them that their breeding program compares to others within their breed group is looked upon favorably by this reputable breeder.
6. The Reputable Breeder realistically understands that sometimes things go wrong but, he/she maintains a responsibility to the situation, if it is within his/her power, they do what is needed to rectify a problem fairly. The reputable breeder does not abandon a situation.
FOR MORE INFO, pls email me at horatio168@gmail.com
