Bringing a new kitten/cat involves a long-term commitment of energy, time and money. Purchasing a kitten from a knowledgeable breeder is a step in getting off to the best possible start. When choosing a breed no cat is ′ just a pet.
A knowledgeable breeder
When you buy a kitten from a knowledgeable breeder, the breeder to guarantees that your kitten is in good health but suggest that one has his/her own veterinarian examine your kitten within 48hrs of purchase to confirm its good health. It will be required to have your kitten spayed or neutered at a proper age unless kitten is purchased with breeding rights. A sales agreement will be done to outline the conditions of releasing the kitten to ones care. Finally, a knowledgeable breeder will ’be intensely interested in the welfare of the kitten and encourages a call whenever the new owner has questions or concerns about the kitten.
Get to know if a kitten is healthy
Ask for permission to handle the kitten. It should have a clean coat, bright, clear eyes, a good muscle tone and body structure . The kitten should not be sneezing and the eyes should be free of discharge and its ears should be clean and pink inside. There should be no bald patches or signs of dry, flaky skin.
A well socialized kitten
Play with the kitten using a toy such as a cat feather/teaser. After a period of normal caution, the kitten will relax and become active, playful and friendly, many perfectly friendly kittens would play since they have lots of energy to release!
When can one take the kitten?
Most knowledgeable breeders allow their kittens to go to their new homes at least at 12 weeks of age which is considered to be an ideal age to make the transition to a new home. At 12-14weeks, a kitten is weaned, litter trained, has been vaccinated twice and dewormed. Don’t worry there’s still lovable and plenty of comical kittenhood to go!
When will one receive the kitten’s document/papers?
When one gets his/her kitten, one will also receive its vaccination and health record together with a written sales agreement. After having the kitten altered, the new owner sends the breeder a veterinarian’s certificate of spaying neutering or, the breeder will then send the pedigree for the kitten.
A reputable breeder will not breed cats without documents, which does not protect the integrity of the breed. The registry (documents) are lineage records that document the bloodline and allow to investigate potential health issues in the lineage. When one tells a breeder that he/is are not interested in the documents, one is really telling them that he/she does not care less about the kitten’s health, but only the cheapest one can find!
When bringing the new kitten/cat home
When you bringing the new kitten home, one should make sure to follow the breeder’s instructions carefully. One should take into consideration that a transition to a new home can be very stressful for any cat/kitten. Changes in water, food, litter and the overall environment can cause stress and minor affliction even in healthy cats.
Why does the breeder ask questions?
Don’t be offended if the breeder asks questions. When the breeder askes questions they are simply trying to determine whether their kitten will have the forever loving and caring home they would want for it. A breeder strives to find the best possible home for each kitten. The truly passionate breeder who loves what he/she breeds puts all his/her heart and soul into it, not only with the kittens being sold, but also with every new owner who has a piece of their heart and is now a member of their extended family. Breeders care for their kitties even after they are gone.
Why buy from a knowledgeable breeder?
While no one can guarantee that the kitten will never have a medical problem, a knowledgeable breeder’s commitment to ethical and responsible breeding increases the chances of getting a healthy kitten.
What about the cats in shelters?
A knowledgeable and professional breeder is very aware of of unwanted cats and kittens, and they breed for strict quality, temperament and good health rather than quantity.
Please, one can’t counterbalance the cost of the kitten by having ‘just one litter’. The cost involved with even one litter can be many hundreds. A breeder will get his hands dirty, because that is what life consists of. In the midst of birth and death, is life. The wheel that keeps rolling. A breeder performs tests, x-rays, analyses, emergency operations, vaccinations, family trees, healing and microchips for all kitties and has them evaluated by specialists. Responsibility is never to be taken lightly. Cat welfare begins with a responsible and controlled breeding program!
How does one decide on a breed?
By visiting a cat show one can always take the opportunity to talk to breeders and owners of various breeds, making sure to find out how much grooming the invidual breed requires and whether the breed have any special needs or characteristics. Research on internet, communicating with cat clubs are other good sources of information. If one has note decided on a breed, or if the expense of a pedigreed kitten is beyond one’s current budget;
Please consider adopting a cat or kitten from a shelter. There are many lovely and loving cats in need of good homes.