This article is for those who are choosing a kitten. At purchasing a kitten the breeder would suggest you signing the contract of selling the animal. Apart from the conditions of nursing the animal and the payment details, this contract defines the class of the kitten - the pet, the breed or the show. The show-class is well known to everyone and satisfies the customer; however, there is much doubt with the pet-class. In our country there is a vicious opinion, that pet is a breeding waster, second-best animal with defects and health problems. Even experienced breeders sometimes say: “Well, half of the set are pets”. It seems that everyone has forgotten the meaning of the word “pet”. This animal is loved, tender, pretty, BUT not for the breeding. Why are not the 100 % of kittens involved in the breeding?

The reason is that phelinologist doesn’t “multiply” cats for selling. Each nursery has its own breeding program, intended to get beautiful healthy competitive animals with the interesting gene pool. For these purposes the breeder selects several kittens from the set, and the rest please their new hosts as pets. Who is going into the breeding?

Kittens of interesting breeding lines, animals of unusual and rare color and with special breed signs, which a breeder would like to assign in offspring. It is clear, that it doesn’t include the whole set of kittens; nobody wants to replicate the breed. Often a breeder sells such kittens on the condition of the first mating under his own control, as he knows well, which partner is needed for a particular animal. There might be situations when the breeder could get a rare animal – for example, from far away or after mating with the especially precious breeder. In such cases, the breeder tries not to spread rare animals, but work with them alone for several years. This is not a reason to get offended, indeed all breeders want to have some exclusive in their nurseries. Out of such set the breeder would leave one or two animals, and the rest (beautiful and rare!) would be sold as the pet-class on the condition of castration and sterilization.
The conditions of selling are written in the contract. If a kitten is sold as the pet-class, a customer usually doesn’t get the ancestry documents before castration (sterilization) of the animal. Sometimes the ancestry might be given, but only marked as “without the right of breeding”. In many nurseries kittens are sold after 4 months, already sterilized. It is often written in the contract, that “the customer is obliged not to use the animal in breeding”; breaking this paragraph leads to a fine.

Of course, an unfaithful customer may mate an animal without any documents. However, according to the long-term experience of breeders, nothing good comes out of these mating. The first set of these kittens in the age of one and a half months is spread among friends and relatives. After that the host runs into rejoicing: having played with kittens, “pleased” the cat, handed kittens without expanses on food, vaccines and nursing, they are awaiting for getting rich on the next set. However, the practice shows that selling kittens without documents, advertising and club support is difficult. Kittens stay till 5-6 months, the expanses on nursing become higher than the selling price; moreover, growing male kittens begin trying to mate with their mother and sisters. After that, kittens are usually sold very cheaply, which leads to just blame from serious breeders, as such situation depreciate their long-term and uneasy work on breeding animals of high quality.

Every breeder wants a potential customer to estimate his capability and to choose a kitten correctly. Breeding is complicated laborious work, which demands full commitment. The breeder selects the definite type of host for breeding kittens; he must be a responsible, hard-working, interested man with enough free time, who is ready to gain new knowledge and, of course, without financial problems. That’s the reason why the price of the breeding kitten might be twice higher than the price of the pet. Abroad there is no practice of selling breeding kittens to new-beginners. The hosts of kittens start their way in phelinology with castrates and only being assured of the hobby, they can purchase the animal of breed-class. It is very reasonable; that’s the way how come-and-go people who have decided to start breeding because of whim or in order to grow rich.

By the way, the myth of great profitableness of cat breeding is not more than just a myth; at least, during the first several years of the existence of any nursery. Kittens do not grow like roadside plants, and breeding animals are not equal with country cats, which care for their kittens till 4-5 months without human intervention. Breeding cats requires huge financial expenses, sleepless nights, full loss of personal freedom during nursing the kittens, as well as exhibitions, veterinarian’s visits, cat’s mewing during estrus, strong smell of breeding cats’ marks and tons of other problems. Home cats, especially of the Eastern group, mature by the age of 6 months and regularly mew loudly any time of the day. And the quantity of problems with growing kittens is the topic for a separate article. Therefore, weigh your abilities – whether you need all these difficulties, or whether you just want to enjoy your friendship with a lovely and faithful creature. If you are an amateur, don’t be afraid to get a kitten of pet-class, this will save your money, nerves and time for your work and rest.