# "must-haves" in a breeders



## ShellyBear (May 24, 2004)

I will be looking for a breeder in the next couple months for a Rag Doll kitten. This will be my first time "Buying" a kitten. I normaly find them under logs, in boxes, cars and any where else they have been dumped. :lol: What should I look for in a breeded?


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## Sol (Feb 20, 2003)

When buying a purebred kitten it's easy to get ripped off. Make sure that the breeder is registred within some kind of cat organisation (CA, CFA, TICA, FIFé etc) and when you know where the breeder is registred, check the organisations breeding policy and check if the breeder follows it.

A purebred kitten should be fully vaccinated against distemper and cat flu. The pedigree should follow the kitten, if the breeder of some reason can't give you the pedigree you should demand a note from his or hers cat organisation that confirms that the kitten is registred or that the registration is being processed.

The kitten should also be followed with a health certificate and it should be at least 12 weeks old. And of course it should be well socialized.

And one other thing that I personally think is very important (I'm a breeder and I buy cats which makes a buyer to) is the chemistry. If the breeder and you don't get along, choose another breeder. There are so many things that can happen when you've picked up the kitten. And there sometimes pops up questions that one want's answers to so chemistry is important.

Good luck with finding a kitten!


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## Payge (May 12, 2004)

References are always good, some breeders are more than happy to trot out with letters from previous buyers stating how happy they are, and give you their phone number so you can contact them. Use all your senses at the breeders(well...I wouldnt expect you to taste the kitten...or the breeder rofl), including your 6th sense! Does it smell like feces/urine? Does it look clean? Do all the cats seem healthy and happy and friendly? Do the cats and kittens coats look and feel shiny and healthy? Are the cats caged or are they treated as family pets and loved? Are the kittens well socialised? Do you get the feeling somthing is "off" about the place? Does the breeder actually CARE about where their kittens are going? Do they interview you as much as you do them? Many good breeders will offer health guaruntee's, you usually have to take them to the vet within a certain amount of time of picking it up though. How old does the breeder let her kittens go at? Anything under 12 weeks could be iffy, they need that time to socialise with their littermates and mother. Ask what vet they use, contact them and ask the vets honest opinion on the breeder. Ask the breeder to explain what to look for in a good quality Ragdoll, do research prior to make sure they know what they are talking about. Ask if they are in favor of declawing, if so i'd reccomend getting the heck out of there and finding a new breeder with a heart and brain. You may also end up waiting months for your kitten, be prepared for putting a deposit on an upcoming litter than waiting 3 months after its born to pick it up.

I know this sounds like a lot, but when you consider you are going to be shelling out tons of money and twenty years with this cat it makes sense to get it right. Expect to pay a lot for the kitten, and count on paying even more for their shots/neutering/spaying (We bought Envy from a breeder, her shots/vet visits alone cost us almost an extra $300 the first few weeks, and her spay will be even more)

And last but not least...Good luck on finding your new furrbaby! Be sure to keep us updated and post pics as soon as you get him/her!!


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## Sol (Feb 20, 2003)

CMRH&R said:


> Make VERY sure you look at the linage of a kitten... Make sure it is NOT IN or LINE bred! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ icky icky icky!


I'm in no way pro inbreeding but the fact that a cat is inbred doesn't automatically make it sick or weak. If it's a result from healthy lines the kittens will most likely be healthy. It also depends on how much inbreeding we are talking about. If we're talking about 1-5 % inbreeding it's nothing to worry about but if it's over 6,25 % and the cat is inbred for many generations it's another thing.


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

Many people, as myself beleive (in my case use to beleive) that inbreeding created sick animals.
Sol has alrdy given stats, but I just wanted to add in breeding doubles on on STRENGTHS and WEAKNESSES. If there is an ailment in a breed or its blood line in-breeding brings it to the surface more, as with strengths.


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## Sol (Feb 20, 2003)

Theoretically you can inbreed all you want without ever raising sick or weak animals, as long as the breeding stock doesn't carry any defects, which of course is practically impossible :wink: The gentically perfect cat doesn't exist... to our knowledge at least.


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