What makes a "good" breeder?

The cat fancy is not made up of one kind of person. People who breed cats come from all walks of life, all financial situations, in all sizes, races and languages. Some are small breeders with just a few cats running around their home, while others are larger breeders with special facilities to house a number of breeding cats. The personalities vary just as much as the cat breeds so there is no "typical" type of person that breeds cats. They come into cat breeding from not only different backgrounds, but with different experiences, motivations and expectations. So what makes a "good" breeder.

If you show your cats, you might say that those who show their cats and strive to improve their respective breeds are the "good" breeders. Others might say that those who have genuine personal concern for their cats, regardless of cattery size are the "good" ones. Is it those with the best cats, and who decides *that* standard? Maybe it is the breeder who always has healthy friendly cats regardless of quality.

I would think there would be just as many different answers as there are breeders, so I'll give you my opinion. A "good" cat breeder is one that has genuine concern for the welfare of their cats and their breed(s) and does whatever they need to do to uphold the standards of both. Caring is not enough if you breed friendly cats, but the quality or health is not there. Health is not enough if your cats are not socialized well enough for their personality needs.

A "good" breeder is one who strives to improve and protect their breed(s) in all aspects. Whether they show or not, they keep up with what is happening with their breed in type (knowing their standard), health (what are the issues and does it involve culling cats from the breeding program regardless of how they meet the standard), temperament (both hereditary and socialization related) and general welfare (which involves customer care, helping cats in need, and mentoring other breeders).

All breeders will face health issues. What differentiates a "good" breeder from a poor one is how they handle the situation. A "good" breeder must have the time (and find the resources) to deal with overwhelming cattery related health issues. There is no way to avoid health issues, whether they be upper respiratory infections, parasites, fungas, FIP, as well as things like coccidia, giardia, and streptococcis. If you breed cats long enough you will eventually get everything, regardless of stringent care, cleaning and screening of new cats. You just can't test for everything so things will show up. Not all at one time, but you WILL get everything. What consistutes a "good" breeder is how you deal with the problem. A "good" breeder will not only tackle the problem, but will do so in a way that they clear the problem from their cattery. If it is an issue such as chlamydia, coccidia, giardia, etc., they will treat ALL cats at one time and treat the environment at the same time. They will admit the problem to those who have their kittens and assist in alleviating and being responsible for those problems. As soon as they are aware of the problem they will not allow kittens or cats to leave their premises until the problem is fully rectified. This can be an overwhelming chore if you have many cats and a full time job and a houseful of reserved kittens, which is why a "good" breeder does not have so many cats that they can't tackle (both in time and finances) a major catastrophic health issue in the cattery. If you have so many cats that should they all get sick (or have ringworm or whatever) at one time, you will be completely overwhelmed with stress and time constraints that you can not keep and treat them all, then you have TOO many cats.

Health issues also include trying to eliminate hereditary and congenital defects in your cats, whether it is something like patella luxation, HCM, PKD, etc. Truthfully facing these issues and culling those cats that express or produce those problems is being a "good" breeder. Blindly ignoring major health issues and remaining in a state of denial is not being a "good" breeder. The problems will come back to bite you later, so you might as well face them now. Honestly cull those cats from your program even if they are your best cats in the way of type, coat, etc. Depending on the problem, culling may take a generation, such as the HCM issue. When I used to breed dogs, a wise person once said to me that "you have to work with what you've got". What he meant was that it is better to breed your own known stock to purposely eliminate a problem, than to scrap what you have and start over because you will just be getting someone else's problem that they have not yet worked on or discovered.

Good breeders are responsible for the welfare of the cats they produce, for LIFE! This doesn't necessarily mean taking back every cat that someone can't keep, but it does mean taking the time to help those people either to correct the problem (meaning you have done/are willing to do the research into the behavioral or health issue) and you are willing to help in re-homing that cat (using your website or other advertising services or passing along potential kitten customers that may be better suited to an adult cat), or you are willing to take back a cat (and have the facilities to do so) in extreme situations, to either treat, put in the effort to correct the behavior, or euthanise. This includes cats sold as breeders who don't work out for some reason. Don't make your customers have to euthanise a cat unless it is a humane emergency health situation.

"Good" breeders are quite willing to say no to someone they know is not suited to their breed. I have heard of people who let a kitten go because, quite honestly, they needed the money, but they knew it was not the right environment for that kitten. These "hoping for the best" situations usually come back to bite you too, so it saves you money (mostly in time and aggravation), to say no. Spending a bit of time talking to prospective owners is the best way to feel out if the kitten and family are actually suited to each other. Asking questions such as (in my breed the Bengal), "is it going to bother you to have the cat on the kitchen counter?". You can keep them off when you are there, but that just makes it more fascinating when you are not. A fastidious homemaker with a house full of Royal Doultan may not be the best choice for a Bengal even if they can afford the best one. If you really listen, people will tell you the truth about themselves. You might have to read between the lines, but their expectations and tolerances will reveal themselves if you listen. What is their history with cats? What happened to their last cat? Do they really have the time (and/or the money) for proper grooming for your breed? A "good" breeder finds the resources to pay for the upkeep of their cats so they don't have to depend on the sale of the kittens to pay for the cats. We would *like* our cats to pay for themselves, but we shouldn't *need* them to, or we end up compromising our values.

This also includes selling cats as breeders. Unless you are willing to take the time and trouble to mentor a new breeder (and be prepared for them NOT to take your advice), don't sell breeding cats to those who are not already breeding cats. The chances of them wanting you to re-purchase the cats in a year or so (or they will just sell them to someone else to get their money back), is probably about 95%. If you are prepared to mentor, and prepared to buy back your cats, then go ahead, but don't try to mentor too many new breeders at one time.

Good breeders deal well with other breeders, and put in some time to educate and help (whether mentoring another breeder, helping a new exhibitor at a show, being involved in a Rescue Group, or in your breed or cat association). They also deal well with customers, whether at a show or in their home. You'd be surprised how a rude attitude from one person can slander a breed. Protecting the reputation of your breed includes making a good impression, not only on your own behalf, but also on the behalf of others. It is all making a contribution to your breed.

I'm sure there will be other opinions as to what constitutes a "good" breeder, and I welcome your comments.

Tracey