What It Means to be a Cat Breeder

That call started me thinking about what it means to be a cat breeder and what it has meant to me personally over the last thirty years.  And I'd like to share some of those thoughts with you.  We had bred dogs all my life and when we moved to Canada and went to our first cat show it really wasn't surprising that we bought the cat we fell in love with for breeding.  A lovely seal point Himalayan called Sar-An Chanty.  Pretty soon we were very involved in the cat fancy, breeding and showing our Himalayans and striving to produce better Himalayans. But let's step back for a moment and think about what it actually means to be a breeder.

Breeder:  I looked the term up in the dictionary as a starting point for this article.  It means someone who takes two animals and puts them together for the purpose of creating off-spring.  Well, yes we all do that but that's not what we actually mean by being a breeder -- after all, where is the attribute of breeding pedigree animals together?  Its missing altogether!  That means that Susie down the street who takes any two whole cats and puts them together in order to have kittens is actually a breeder.  So obviously I use the term "breeder" to mean a lot more than the dictionary definition.  But what?  I decided to try to create a job description for a breeder and here's what I came up:

Skills required:

• Conservator:  You are the conservator of the breed or breeds with which you choose to work.  You do not own the breed but contribute for a period of time to ensure the health and vigor of the breed so it will be preserved for all to enjoy in the future.  You will work toward a written ideal and strive to achieve perfection.  Those of us who choose to breed pedigree cats are really serving as Conservators of the various breeds.  We do not "own" a breed.  Our legacy to our breeds is to spend time ensuring the continuity of heritage, maintaining the health and viability, while striving to ensure that the examples we produce are coming closer and closer to the ideal standard.  And we measure our success by showing our cats and sharing our knowledge with others.

 
• Para-Veterinarian:  You do not require a veterinary degree however you are expected to learn some basic skills and your skills improvement plan should always include a component to continue building those skills while you are breeding.  You are required to assess medical situations and determine the appropriate action to take.  Particularly when starting you should be consulting your veterinarian regularly and you are encouraged to continue consultation with your chosen veterinary professional and to build a professional, collaborative relationship with your veterinary professional.  You will need to build skills that allow you to assess the medical situation and at times you may be called on to assist your veterinarian in medical emergencies.

 
• Cleaner:  You've heard the adage that cleanliness is next to Godliness -- and that is true for all breeders.  You will be required to keep your cattery spotless and your cats in the peak of condition at all times.  That means scrubbing cages, litter pans and food dishes at least once a day.  You will need to clean litter and bathe cats on a constant basis.  Failure to provide adequate cleanliness is grounds for immediate dismissal and may result in criminal charges.  You are an ambassador for all cat breeders and failure to provide this basic necessity brings disrepute to all breeders.

 
• Administrator:  You will need to keep records for all cats that you are safeguarding.  You will need to keep meticulous breeding records and health records.  You will also need to prepare and administer contracts for all cats you purchase or sell to new homes.  You will also need to register cats with the appropriate registering body or bodies.  In addition you will need to prepare paperwork to enter shows.  The ideal candidate will also be willing to help out at shows assisting with show administration in various capacities such as clerk, master clerk, show manager or judge.  You will also need to learn or know how to obtain and interpret rules pertaining to the travel of animals and you will need to know how to make a journey comfortable and safe for your charges.

 
• Manager:  This position lets you work in your home and so requires you to manage your total cattery in a professional manner.  You may require assistance and will need to manage any assistants to ensure their work is up to the high standards required to maintain your cattery at its maximum level of cleanliness.  You will work on your own but owe responsible behavior to the managing organization.  The ideal candidate will also be willing to assist with club and show activities which require project management for all events that promote the cat fancy to the general public.

 
• Coach:  As new people join the organization, they need help and guidance to gain on-the-job training.  You may encourage people to become involved as additional conservators and in turn you will need to help them learn how to become better conservators.  This is not about telling them what to do but about teaching them how to make better decisions for themselves as they strive for their ideal of perfection.

 
• Sportsman:  Competition measures your success as a conservator of the breed and provides everyone with opportunities to see how they may want to modify their breeding programs.  As in all sports, someone comes in first and someone comes in last.  This should be considered an opportunity to learn.  Good sportsmanship is expected at all times.  All candidates must be gracious whether they come in first, last or somewhere in the middle.  Be happy for your fellow breeders when they have their moment in the sun and when it is your turn never forget how it feels when you are not at the top -- be gracious to all.  Lack of good sportsmanship is considered a major flaw because it means you may not have the ability to be objective about your program which in turn means that you may not be acting in the best interests of the breed or breeds with which you have chosen to work.  Remember that when you are competing you are not the judge and therefore you are not handling the cats -- what you see and what the judge sees or feels may be completely different.  In addition, you will need to remember that we are all human and therefore we can all simply make a mistake.  All candidates are allowed to make mistakes -- the best candidates will learn from those mistakes and use them to make a positive contribution to the breed and organization.

 
• Navigator:  As you prepare to measure your success at conserving your chosen breed(s), you will need to travel to cat shows.  These may be local or they may be far afield.  Regardless you will need to navigate from your location to the show location following a written set of instructions.  You may choose to chart your own route however you still need to arrive at the given destination at the appointed time.  Failure to do so may mean that you are penalized by missing competition rings.  The ideal candidate will have rally car team skills.  Use of seat belts is highly recommended to protect both yourself and your cats.  It is also recommended that you stay within posted speed limits to ensure that you do not acquire financial penalties and demerit points from civilian authorities.  Often the written directions you receive may not be entirely accurate or clear.  You may use other tools to assist your directions such as online direction providers.  In severe situations you may need to request assistance from the police -- occasionally the officers may elect to give you a police escort to the destination although this usually results in some embarrassment as you arrive at the show location!  However as long as you arrive on time, its a perfectly acceptable method.

 
• Negotiator:  (Desirable) If you decide to get involved in organizing events you will use your strong negotiation skills to hire halls, tables, chairs, etc.  These skills will also play a strong role as you try to attract sponsors for your event.

 
• Adventurer:  As your passion for this position carries you to new places, you will run into many adventures which will give you stories to share for many years to come.  These challenges will become some of your fondest memories.  You will need to remain undeterred by adversity -- the snowstorm that closes the highway, the directions that send you miles out of your way but show you little known areas of the country, the airline that decides your charge doesn't belong in the cabin, the cat that goes missing from your hotel room only to reappear at the banquet you are attending.  A sense of humor will help you deal with everything you encounter and your outgoing attitude will make many new friends for you.

 
• Grief Counselor:  At some point in this position you will need to talk to people who have lost a beloved companion of many years.  Many of these people are still grieving for their lost pet and you will need to provide sympathetic support to them as they work through the grieving process.  Helping them through this period and providing them with a new loving companion is one of the most rewarding aspects of this position.  Many people will want to share the stories of their beloved companions and you will make new friends by listening and enjoying the story of those cats.  This may happen on the phone or in your home but remember that it may also occur in the competitive arena.  Rather than turning away, consider helping them by letting them hold one of your cats and warm your heart in the joy that lights up their faces.

 
• Sales & Marketing:  Essential core skills. You will need to ensure that the offspring from your breeding program acquire appropriate homes.  Since you are probably not a philanthropist, you will be trying to recover your costs which means you will need to set a price and sell your kittens.  Marketing is also a key skill as you need to promote awareness of your breed and the organizations to which you belong.  As you become involved in promoting events, you marketing skills will also come into play as you try to ensure a successful event that recovers your costs.  The ideal candidate will also possess strong budgeting and accounting skills to support these activities.

 
• Researcher:  The ideal candidate will be passionate about the history of their breed and about its development.  Requires the devotion of many hours to tracing and evaluating pedigrees to determine the best way to advance the breed in accordance with the written standard.  The most successful candidates will also devote time to obtaining pictorial records in order to use them in their evaluation.  Candidates for senior positions will also be avid about the history of the cat in our society in general and devote many hours to the pursuit of that knowledge.

 
• Groomer:  Maintaining cats in the peak of condition takes a great deal of time and effort.  This aspect of the position means you will spend time evaluating various products and their effects to presenting a cat in optimal condition.  General cleanliness is a first step however ideal presentation means much more than this and requires effort on a daily basis.

 
• Nutritionist:  To ensure the optimum health of your charges, you will need to determine their diets and monitor them regularly.  No cat should be fat and no cat should be thin.  You will need to monitor diet daily and to adjust accordingly for each individual charge.

Hmmmm! Seems to me the dictionary definition of a breeder is missing a lot of critical information!  Maybe that's why we seek to qualify what we mean by 'breeder' with adjectives like 'good', 'bad', 'ethical', 'responsible', 'backyard' and 'kitten mill'.  These terms are often used however maybe we don't always stop to think about what we mean by them.  They are all terms we use to try and differentiate ourselves from other breeders who don't seem to live up to our criteria.

Good Breeder/Ethical Breeder:  Someone who breeds cats and shares the same set of values that we do.
Bad Breeder:  Someone who breeds cats but does not share the same set of values that we do.  Often reflected by the sale of poor or indifferent examples of the breed which may also be unhealthy.  Generally does not care about the home their cat goes to.
Backyard Breeder:  Someone who breeds cats often hoping to make a little extra income.  Generally does not attend cat shows but may do so in order to promote the sales of the kittens they are producing. Often doesn't know enough to care about the home their cat goes to.
Kitten Mill: Someone who produces cats with the sole goal of making money.  Generally produces a large number of kittens and does not care to all about the home the kitten is going to.  Often uses pet stores as a channel for selling their cats.

Sometimes it is important to remember that a backyard breeder or a bad breeder may be so through ignorance.  It is not necessarily that they don't care but that they don't know that the things they should care about.  Sometimes talking with these people and bringing them into the cat fancy can help change them into a good breeder who makes a positive contribution to the cat fancy.  Other times a bad breeder might be so because they ran into trouble and didn't feel there was anyone they could turn to for help.  They may share the same passion and not realized the amount of work involved.  They may acquire too many cats too quickly and become overwhelmed.  These are not bad people but people who let circumstances get beyond their control -- a helping hand may be all they need.  However if they persist in their actions and turn a blind eye to their situation, action must be taken to ensure that they don't endanger the preservation of the many wonderful breeds we have.

So, why am I still breeding cats after 30 years?  The job description said you needed to have a passion for the breed or breeds with which you choose to work.  That passion has sustained me in the cat fancy for thirty years and as I said it has proved to be a very rewarding opportunity.  It gave me a hobby which I shared with my parents building a close and lasting relationship between us.  It gave me my first steps into an adult world -- I'll never forget the day I got my driver's license and my parents agreed to let me go to an away show on my own.  Or the day when the cat club let me make the crowns and capes for the King and Queen of Household Pets -- and later entrusted me as entry clerk. A non-cat breeding friend went with me to that first show alone but her parents were very nervous about whether they trusted her in such a venture.  The trust my parents showed in me has provided me with a confidence that has lasted a lifetime.  Researching breeds, history, nutrition and health care information has opened my mind to areas I would have known nothing about were it not for my cats -- it opened a world of geography and history and science for me.  It has provided me with another passion -- finding and collecting antique books mainly on cats but also other areas as my search provided new insights.  I have learned new skills like HTML formatting which can be used in my everyday job.  I have the joy of watching my cats and their interactions every day and share that joy with my partner.  No matter where I go in the world I can find new friends who share my passion.  I have traveled to new places for cat shows and discovered things I may never have encountered without my cats.  Every show I fly to introduces me to new people who are curious about the cat traveling with me so I have had some wonderful conversations with some very interesting people.    The skills that help me be a breeder have also helped me in my job -- and I am a better employee because of them.  I'm passionate about my regular job because it lets me indulge my hobby and because I want the flexibility to enjoy traveling to cat shows.  The newborn kitten, especially one that I bring back from the brink of death, that I hold in my hands marvelling at its perfection is all the reward I need.  The brightly colored ribbons that adorn my cage attest to my vision as a conservator -- and the ones on the cages of friends I have advised attest to my success at helping others achieve their visions and bring a glow of pride. And the joy and excitement of people who take one of my kittens to their hearts brings a warmth to mine.  These are the things that matter in life and are the reasons why I am still breeding cats thrity years later. Yes, it is hard work but the rewards it has given me are immense and immeasurable -- I can only hope that the next thirty yeears will give me as much as the first 30 years!