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Anyone ever buy a cat from a breeder? | by esbita | 2005-02-08 09:01:05 |
| Some things to consider |
by mother.nature |
2005-02-08 09:35:03 |
Have your mom check Cats magazine and CatFancy magazine. Both of them have pretty extensive breeder listings. Mid Michigan Cat Fanciers Association might be a good bet, I think they have breeeders from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois as well as Michigan. When you find one, consider these points:
1. Visit the cattery. You may not be able to see everything, as some breeders try to limit exposure of some of their cats to visitors for (sometimes perceived) disease control.
2. Get references - ask for names and contact information of people who have purchased kittens from them. Check and see that they haven't had any unusual problems.
3. See how the breeder interacts with and handles the cats and kittens. The kittens should be well socialized. Personally, I think kittens should stay with their mother until 8 weeks of age, but many people want to place them by 6 weeks. If the kittens are kept almost exclusively in cages, they may have problems adapting to living in a whole house. Not that they can't learn to enjoy it, but you might have to spend the time adapting them to it.
4. What is the breeder doing in terms of Feline Leukemia virus, Feline Immunodeficiency virus and Feline Infectious Peritonitis virus? They should have tested all the adult cats for FeLV and FIV. Any FIP testing is worthless as of this date - the FIP virus is a mutant form of a relatively innocuous intestinal corona virus and the 2 viruses crossreact on every test available. So check and see if they have had any FIP problems.
5. Kitten health - should have had a visit to a veterinarian and deworming and first vaccination (Panleukopenia, Rhino and Calici viruses minimum) at least. First vaccine no earlier than 6 weeks (kitten's immune system won't really respond to anything before then) and no closer than 2 weeks apart (any closer scheduling causes interference between the 2 vaccines), generally every 3 to 4 weeks to 4 months of age. Rabies after 3 months of age. FeLV vaccine for indoor cats optional, but not a bad idea (Murphy's Law....)
6. Checking out kittens - look for one that is bright, alert and active. One that is playing with its littermates, but also wants to be held and cuddled. Haircoat should be sleek and shiny, no bald spots or irritated areas. Eyes and ears clean, no sneezing or goopy discharges. No potbellies, major limb deformities. Be cautious if it is the 'runt' of the litter, especially if it is male. Some females are normall small, but it just might indicate a hidden health problem. It's not uncommon for people to fall prey to the 'oh, the poor thing, I have to rescue it' syndrome. That is not always a bad thing, but realize what you are getting into if you do so....
Good luck, and have fun finding your dream Abbysinian.
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[ Reply ] |
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And | by Lis77 | 2005-02-08 09:45:17 |
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