Selecting a breeder
Which breed suits me?You start your search for a kitten by selecting the breed. What attracts you most in a cat? What character do you like? Pay attention to aspects such as: What are hereditary diseases in the breed? Can this cat be alone or does it need company? Is it active or calm? What kind of care does it need? It may be rather disappointing if you fall in love with a Sphinx and later find out this breed needs regular baths.
To help your search for a breed you can for example visit a cat show, read cat magazines, browse the internet and visit breeders. Keep in mind that you should visit no more than one cattery a day to prevent spreading possible diseases between catteries.
You
selected the breed. What is next?When you have fallen in love with a certain breed, you continue your search by contacting the breed association, browsing websites and visiting several breeders. Make sure you know the average price for a purebred kitten. Since cheap kittens may be bred by less respectable breeders, knowing the average price helps you with your selection.
Key in selecting a cattery is the impression you get from the breeder. Is the breeder open to questions? A good breeder will be thrilled with a prospective kitten buyer who asks a lot of questions. The more you know, the better. A good breeder will take pleasure in explaining everything you wish to know, simply because it is a signal that you are serious about buying a kitten and have given it thought.
What to check and what to ask?
Make sure the house is clean. Tomcats do have a specific smell, but the house should not smell like feces.
During your visit you should check the condition of the breeder’s cats. Do they look like they are well cared for or do they look ill? Watch how the cats behave: Are they quietly minding their own business? Are they curious enough to come and check you out? Are they staring at you from their resting place or are they even shy?
Make sure you get to see the kitten’s parents, their (original) pedigree and their test results. A good breeder is proud of his cats and their health and will be open and honest about test results (for instance HCM). By not buying kittens at breeders who do not test, you stimulate more breeders to start testing.
Ask whether you are allowed to visit the kitten a couple of times before it comes to live with you. Breeders won’t allow you to visit during the first weeks after birth (since they are still very susceptible for diseases during this period), but should encourage you to visit after this period.
Visiting your kitten will not only make the transition to your home easier for the kitten, it will also enable you to see your kitten grow. When visiting check the litter’s hygiene. Are the kittens alert? Are their eyes, noses and bottoms clean? Kittens should be healthy and social. Make sure you ask questions about how the kittens are raised. Do they grow up among the other cats? The first few weeks they can be kept in a birthening box, but from the moment they are able to walk properly they should be allowed to move freely throughout the room. This is very important for their socialisation. You should not choose a kitten that has been separated from other cats and humans for too long.
Ask the breeder if the kittens have had worm and flee treatment and when these need to be repeated. Kittens should have had all necessary vaccinations at the age of thirteen weeks so you only need to repeat these one year later.
Things to
considerMany breeders sell a purebred cat with a contract, usually with the obligation to neuter the cat. Keep in mind that some breeders won’t sell a kitten if it will be alone in its new home. Many breeders (for instance Ragdoll and Birman breeders) don’t want their kitten to be the only cat in the home. You should think about whether you want two cats. If this is the case, you can select two kittens from the same litter. Otherwise you may need to consider picking a different breed.
You should not take a kitten home before it weighs at least one kilo and is at least thirteen weeks old. Never take a sick kitten home either. A good breeder will not allow this and will keep the kitten until it has fully recovered.
Bear in mind that you will not be able to bring a kitten home within a month or so. If you want a kitten right this instant, you might pay less attention to the quality of the cattery. Therefore you should allow for waiting at least a couple of months.
Good luck choosing a breeder and finding your kitten!