Cat breeding might be something you think you could do either as a hobby or a business. You love your cat, you love kittens, cats get pregnant easily and you can sell those kittens for some serious dollars. What could be easier.
Well to begin with, you will need a pure bred kitten if you don't already own one. This will require researching the different breeds and choosing which type you want to breed from. Study the genetics of breeding by reading specialised magazines and/or talking to cat clubs. Then you will need to research the different breeders, choose one and book a female kitten from the next litter.
You should not select your kitten until it is at least three months old as you will need to assess its personality and the marking or colours of its coat. You will want a kitten that is calm, responsive and has an outgoing nature. Watch how she interacts with her siblings and the environment she is coming from. You will want detailed information about the pedigree and breeding records of the queen. If the queen has a history of miscarriages or stillborn kittens, your kitten will undoubtedly inherit some of those characteristics. The owner will also be assessing you as a possible owner for the kitten and may even want references from your vet. It is essential you have a good relationship with your vet as you may need to call him during an emergency.
You will need a room for breeding in, as well as an outdoor run so your cat can get enough exercise and fresh air.
Once all this has been achieved and you have brought your pedigree kitten home, you will need to make sure she is registered and micro-chipped. She will need to be exercised and played with to keep her in top physical condition, and she must develop a strong bond with you so she can be confident you will be there when needed.
It is best to wait until the kitten is around 12 months before putting her to stud to minimise the risk of problems at birth. You will need to investigate stud cats that you want your cat to mate with. The person you purchased your kitten from is a good person to contact about this as they will be aware of genetically compatible toms. You will also find that some breed clubs will publish a stud list of proven males. You will want to visit various breeders to check the conditions your cat will be kept in during the mating. Some breeders require the queen to be brought to the tom, others will do it the other way around. There is paperwork to be gone through including the pedigree, registration, certificates of up to date vaccinations and current health certificates to show there are no infectious diseases. You will probably have to have your cat's nails clipped before mating. Make sure that the conditions and fees are agreed upon before mating. This needs to include another free mating if the queen should not become pregnant.
If the tom is to be brought to you, you must thoroughly disinfect the stud run and queen's quarters. The queen's quarters will allow the stud to 'talk' to her without actual contact. This means they are able to get used to each other before mating.
Before you start to breed from her, you will need to feed her a specialised diet over a period of a few weeks as recommended by the breeder. This is to get the body into top condition. You must make sure there are no fleas or other parasites, internally or externally.
During the actual breeding process, you may be required to be present to ensure all is well with your cat. Breeding is a noisy and violent looking process. The penis of the tom has barbs on it and this causes the queen to scream as he withdraws. As soon as the male withdraws, the female turns on him, biting and clawing. All this can be very distressing for you, so you need to be prepared. For your cat's first mating, it is best to go with an experienced older tom.
I haven't kept a running total of costs yet but you will be running at around a thousand dollars or so. The costs haven't finished yet as there is still the pregnancy, birth and care of the kittens to be taken care of. Look for the next article in this series: Cat Breeding - Pregnancy and Birth.
Kathy Robinson has been writing articles on cat problems and the care of cats on her website http://www.CatProblemsResolved.com for a number of years. Why not download your free copy of The Joy of Owning and Caring for a Cat when you sign up for her free Cat Care Newsletter at http://www.catproblemsresolved.com/660.
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