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The best pet care & training books, videos & amp training products - Thu, 04 Mar 2010
crCross Keys Books - Providing pet owners with the best pet care & training books, videos & training products

LAPEYROUSE HIMALAYANS & PERSIANS - Tue, 02 Mar 2010

Beautiful HIMALAYANS and PERSIANS from prestigious titled show pedigrees. PKD negative. Please visit website for photos and information. Thank you.

Eden-Lea Ragdoll Cats and Kittens - Fri, 05 Feb 2010
Eden-Lea is a small in-home breeder of Ragdoll Cats in the traditional colours and patterns. Our gorgeous Ragdoll kittens are reared holistically, for natural health. And for this reason, we prefer people to please visit our website for information prior to any enquiry. Kittens are born and raised inside our home. We breed for health and temperament first and foremost. Gold Coast, Queensland.

Cats in the Meadow Boarding - Sat, 30 Jan 2010

We are a small cat boarding kennel with only five spaces. Each kennel has a window and an enclosed outdoor porch - if your kitty is not an outdoor purrson, the window has views of the property, trees and birds to keep occupied.

Pandora\'s Pet Palace - Fri, 29 Jan 2010

Shop cat supplies at Pandora\'s Pet Palace. We have cat toys, cat beds, cat furniture, cat grooming and dental care items, and much more.

Pawz For Purrrz - Sun, 24 Jan 2010
We are a small cattery specializing in himalayan kittens. Our kittens are raised along with our kids ages 1,2, 6, and 7. All of our kittens are super sweet great with kids and other animals, they love attention. Our kittens are never caged. Our babies are TCA and CFA registered and each have thier first shots and are wormed. They come with a health guarantee and we offer the watch your baby grow program free to new kitten parents.

Things You Should Know Before Becoming a Cat Breeder

You love your purebred kitty, and you know other people would as well. She’s got beautiful fur, clear eyes, an ideal disposition, and maybe she’s even won a show or two.   But before you begin imagining the adorable kittens you could breed and sell, it’s important to learn about the reality of becoming a cat breeder.

You Won’t Get Rich Breeding Cats

Becoming a cat breeder is more of a hobby than a smart career move. Because of the expenses required to keep up a cattery, all of the money you make from the sale of a litter of adorable kittens is likely to be taken up in medical bills, food, supplies, and other cat breeding costs.   Unfortunately, you may have noticed that this list of expenses does not include the cat breeder’s salary.

In fact, most breeders never break even.   You should never consider breeding a reliable income to survive on. You can theoretically support your cats and cat show activities by selling kittens, but don’t count on it. That’s why most breeders are hobbyists. And what an expensive hobby it is!

Become an Expert on Your Chosen Breed

You may know a lot about your cat:   her likes, dislikes, her favorite toys.   However, knowing the traits, potential health issues and temperament of your breed as a whole is very important toward becoming a reputable breeder with lots of knowledge.

It is important that you learn as much as you possibly can about your chosen breed before you think about opening your cattery. You need to be able to know about how to select foundation cats for your breed, paying special attention to bone structure, coat, and genetic history.   You need to be knowledgeable about the bloodlines you are looking at or hoping to use. Contacting many breeders and asking to talk about the breed, breeding in general and any tips or help they may offer will serve you well in establishing credibility and a useful network of people you can rely on for help and advice in the years to come.

A common suggestion for those interested in becoming a cat breeder is to actually purchase an altered cat and show him/her. This is for experience and to get a ‘taste’ of what it is like to be in the show halls, to prepare and groom your cat and see if you like it or if it’s something you want to do.

When it comes time to purchase a cat for breeding, don’t expect to just get any cat from any breeder.   No one wants to sell a whole (unaltered) cat to an unknown person who has not even shown a cat before. It’s quite difficult to find a breeder willing to mentor new people and help them learn how to do things right, let alone give them tips and support. It’s very important to talk to people who are already well established, reputable breeders for your chosen breed. Let them know you want to learn, ask questions, a lot of them. And be open minded about showing a premier (altered) cat before starting to breed. It really is in your best interest.

Be Prepared to Devote a Lot of Time and Money

In order to be a first-rate cat breeder, you need to devote yourself full time to your cattery. Daily tasks such as cleaning, grooming and feeding will be not just an option, but mandatory in maintaining healthy cats and a healthy environment for your cats. In addition, you will need to consider that it will be quite likely you won’t be able to take vacations or make long-range plans. Sudden health issues, having pregnant cats or very young kittens, will likely derail any plans you will be able to make.

The expense of breeding cats is also a limiting factor for many people.  You will have the initial investment of purchasing cats with breeding rights and of setting up a proper cattery space.  Then there will be numerous health care expenses for your cats. An emergency C-section, for instance, can cost in the neighborhood of $1500+.   There are also expenses related to proper food, grooming, and general care.

Prepare Yourself for the Emotional Toll

While the time and money requirements are significant, many cat breeders find they are unable to handle the emotional toll. You must be prepared to see your cat die due to complications with giving birth or some other related concern. Kittens also frequently die or are born dead. Unfortunately, these are common issues to any cattery.

Another emotional hardship associated with breeding cats is figuring out what to do with the kittens you are unable to sell. You must be prepared to keep these kittens yourself or find homes for them.

An Expensive Hobby

In essence, cat breeding makes a rewarding, though very expensive, hobby.   It is not a good source of income, nor is it easy work.   Becoming a cat breeder consumes a great deal of time and money and is unlikely to provide any kind of return on investment for several years, if ever.

However, that said, the joys and rewards are many. Enjoying your gorgeous show cats every day, sharing them with others and the pride of having a winning cat at the cat shows (with pretty ribbons!) is something that simply can’t be explained without experiencing it for yourself.

The Progression of Work-Related Insanity

Phase 1

You are listening to Stevie Wonder.
(Your first day at work and all is fine and great)

Phase 2

You are listening to HOUSE music.
(After a while you are so busy that you are not sure if you coming or going anymore)

Phase 3

You are listening to Metal.
(This is what you feel like at month end)

Phase 4

You are listening to Hip Hop.
(You become bloated due to stress, feel sluggish and suffer from constipation)

Phase 5

You are listening to GANGSTA RAP.
(After more time passes, your eyes start to twitch, you forget what a ‘good hair day’ feels like as you just fall out of bed and load up on caffeine.

And Finally

Phase 6

You are listening to Techno (on Ecstasy)
The truth – (how all employees end up eventually…. ha ha ha)

Puppy Training

Puppy training is something all new puppy owners must take on. Even after house training your new puppy, it is wise to go futher with some obedience lessons to ensure your puppy becomes a well socialize, well mannered adult dog.

Daily walks and/or play sessions are essential to helping your new puppy to learn what is and is not acceptable in human terms. It’s really important that you socialize your dog with other dogs as well as with humans. For a properly socialized dog to learn how to behave with other dogs, you can make play dates with other dogs and their owners. A few places you can go online to meet other dog owners looking for play dates for their dogs are:

• Zootoo.com – personal blog, classifieds, play date section
• PawSpot.com – play date section, dog friendly parks, message boards
• PlayDateBuddy.com – arrange play dates for your dog (paid membership required)

A puppy training class or course is another great option for making sure your puppy grows up to be a well mannered dog. A professional dog trainer can target your puppy’s specific needs. Perhaps your puppy is jumping up, not coming when called, a bit too aggressive during play or maybe your new puppy has seperation anxiety when you leave the house. All of these issues, and other common ones, can easily be addressed with puppy training from a professional trainer.

Bark Busters is a company that provides professional dog training in your home. A Bark Buster trainer is mobile and can have a session or class in your home, or at a location you choose. Bark Busters has trainers world-wide and it is quite likely there is one in your area. When looking for a professional dog obedience school, consider Bark Busters.

Images courtesy Flickr

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