Things to consider before breeding your cat

Your cat is awesome and the thought of it having a litter of cute little kittens is puurfectly exciting but hang on…there are a few things to consider before breeding your cat.

21 Mar 2016 By Leanne Philpott Comments

It’s not uncommon to want a litter of kittens from your cat but this doesn’t happen overnight, breeding cats takes time and effort—not to mention money—and so there are many factors to think about. Start by asking yourself a few basic cat-breeding questions.

  • Why do I want to breed cats?
  • Do I have room for a litter of kittens? (If you live in an apartment I’m guessing no!)
  • How will I go about finding homes for the kittens?
  • Is my cat healthy enough to have kittens? (Consider the likes of hereditary disease and even cat flu)
  • Do I know enough about breeding cats?
  • Do I have the time required to look after and care for kittens? (If you have a full-time job this is very unlikely)
  • How will my (human) family feel about the idea to breed?

Still set on breeding your cat? Great, but before you start there are just a couple more things to think about.

Cat breeding know-how

Breeding cats is not for complete novices; it takes a little bit of kitty know-how. How will you find the best stud for your glamour-puss? Do you even know what qualities to look for in a stud?

You will also need to know what to feed your cat—and not just during the pregnancy but for the rest of the time too. Female cats (queens) need a top-notch diet to produce the best kittens on the block!

Brushing up on the ins and outs of a cat birth is a must. After all you’ll need to know how to cut the umbilical cord, what to do in the case of an emergency, and the essential supplies needed.

Big responsibility

Breeding cats puts you in charge and once the litter arrives it’s not just one cool cat you need to care for, it’s a bundle of fur balls. Yes, it’ll be fun but you’ll also need a large serve of patience.

You need to be organised and plan for every eventuality; what happens if you can’t find homes for one or some of the kittens?

Kitty cash

Kittens may be little but they can require big spend. Yes there’s food, but there’s also other pet supplies and the cost to vaccinate and de-worm them.

Even so, cat breeding can be very rewarding. If you decide you do want to breed your cat just make sure you’re armed with knowledge and you know what to do in the worst-case scenario.

21 Mar 2016 By Leanne Philpott Comments

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