Kittens and breeding, litters,heats cycles?cat breeders?

Question

I have two Siamese kittens from different litters (from different states NOT related) One male seal and one female. I want to eventually breed them for at least one litter of kittens before neutering them, maybe more the one litter and recoup some of the $600 I spent for the two cats.I got the cats because I like male cats and my siamese recently died of old age and Ive been devastated to say the least, but after seeing how similar they are in appearance but one is snowshoe(thats why i got her she looks just like my baby who died recently)The male is registered purebred the female is a Seal/Snowshoe but not registered. Any knowledge of will I be able to register their kittens with only a male with papers and cycles how many litters a year do cats have? What age do you need to wait until cat is ready, when is females first heat and tips for keeping male away from female during first heat when I assume she will too young.Thanks..

Answer 1

It is good you came to ask before you entered into the world of breeding.

You will not recoup any of the money you paid for them, in fact you will make a loss. Breeding is a hobby not a business. Set up costs alone will cost you more than you paid and a c-section should your cat require it (which they tend to more-so in purebreds than barn cats) will cost you about $1000. In an emergency in the middle of the night, then you can triple that amount. You may lose Mom and kittens during the birth, you need to be prepared to accept that loss.

Factor in the cost of feeding the kittens, vaccinations, worming and emergency vet care should one get scratched by the other or someone accidentally steps on a paw, and you're really out of pocket, you could have bought another cat!! Consider that you may not be able to sell the kittens. Siamese snowshoe isn't a breed, it's a mixed breed! There are plenty in shelters that can be bought with all vet work done for about $100, spayed, wormed and neutered. The cat is either snowshoe or siamese, not both!

You can only register kittens if both parents are purebred pedigreed and registered (ie: have papers and their lines documented).

You can not guarantee they are not related unless they have their pedigrees, even though they're from other states.

You should research the breeds and genetic faults and have them DNA tested for those before starting.

A female should not be bred until the age of 1, however, sometimes she will call several times before that and this puts her at risk of pyometra. Siamese are especially prone to this problem and just one call can do it. If she is neutered before first call, her chances of mammary cancer are virtually nil. If she goes through one call, her chance of mammary cancer is increased by 300%.

Now to your male, if you use him for breeding just once, he's going to spray, you will never get him out of that habit, stud cats mark urine all over the place. He will be more prone to prostate problems and even after neutering, he won't stop calling for females, he will still want to mate, only he can't make babies. The only way to keep him away from her is to crate one of them or confine one to seperate rooms but this is no guarantee.

Calling and birthing is stressful for cats and lowers their immunity to diseases.

Learn about Siamese genetics and if you're serious about breeding, then I recommend you find someone who is a registered breeder with a reputable club such as CFA who can mentor you and learn about the siamese and breeding. Any Joe can create a registering database, it means nothing. Only reputable ones with good ethics are worth the trouble. Then get a female who is registered pedigreed purebreed of good type and who can correct any faults the female may have in breed type. They may be both healthy having a dominant gene that counters a recessive gene but breed them together, the two genes are passed onto the kittens and the kittens can inherit the genetic defects. If you sell the kittens and it is proven they have inherited a genetic disease, you can be held liable and sued.

As I've said, stud males are hard to keep, they are loud as well.

You will also need to have them tested for FIV and FeLv to ensure they don't transmit it to each other and or pass it on to the kittens.

Cats can have many litters a year, some cats are able to conceive again within 48 hours of giving birth. You don't want this to happen.

Should there be a problem during birth, the queen could get ill and she may reject the babies. You will need to do around the clock feeds every two hours, weighing twice a day and stimulating toileting, you may need to ensure their temperature is correct which can be impossible to do. Handraising kittens is difficult and hard work and they rarely make it through the first week.

I have been there and done that and trust me, it's not as easy as you think. Cats give birth everyday but in the wild, nature controls it, they won't mate with a relative but in domestic situations if it's there, they'll take it. They usually also mate with more than one male and only the fittest healthiest sperm make it through, you choose the mate, you're changing the way nature does it, there's no guarantee you'll have healthy kittens.

Cat breeders do so for show purposes, they don't breed a cat to get into showing, they show cats and get into breeding to breed the best show kitten.

Visit some shows, talk to exhibitors and breeders and learn about the whole deal.

My cat is so cute, I want some more just like her. Once again, your cat may be cute but think about the thousands of other cute cats who are desperate for a home in the shelters.

My sister, friend, mother wants a cat just like mine. See above.

I want to recoup the money I paid for my cat in the first place. This is a common reason for people to breed their purebred cat (or dog). In actual fact, it often turns out an expensive practice. Breeding comes with a lot of uncertainties, including risks to the mother during birth & unexpected veterinary bills. If she has difficulty delivering her babies she will in all likelihood require a caesarean section. You will also have to find a male for her to mate with, and once again, both queen & stud should be screened prior to mating. To not properly screen is dangerous & irresponsible. Add to that the cost of vaccinating, worming, microchipping, food & sundry veterinary expenses & you will be lucky if you break even.

Answer 2

In order to register the kittens, both parents need to be registered. If you're hoping to recoup some of the money you spent for the cats, I don't think it will work. Selling kittens for very much money might only work if you had papers for them and if you are in a very large metropolitan area.

I'd forget about breeding them and get them fixed before they reach sexual maturity. That way they won't develop objectionable habits. Keep them as your beloved pets and don't let them go through the hassle. There are lots of things that can go wrong.

Breeding cats is not easy or cheap. It can be heartbreaking. Don't get me wrong, kittens are wonderful, but if you can't register them you won't get much money for them if you do sell them. Cats are like real estate -- only worth what you're willing to pay.

Here are a couple of things you can do: See if you can find a breeder of Siamese cats in your area. They might be able to give you some advice. Check the CFA website: www.cfainc.org for links that might help. Get a book about the Siamese specifically and get a book about cat health. I'd recommend "Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" by Carlson and Giffin.

Answer 3

I am not a breeder but I do rescue cats and I know how expensive it can get. Breeding to recoup your money will not work. It is expensive to breed...vet care, meds, vaccinations, papers, etc...
If you don't know what your doing you will end up with a lot of problems and the cats will do most of the suffering. But your pocketbook will do alot of suffering too.
Breeders have to deal with terrible fatal illnesses like FIP or distemper, please reconsider for the health of your beloved pet. If you love your cat then give it a good life without breeding it. It will be much healthier and happier.

Answer 4

my advice... DONT BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!! there are so many out there that are being killed in shelters already.. just go get them fixed and all your questions will be answered.

if u dont believe me about all the animals beign born and killed please read and search these..

http://www.animalsheltering.org/resource_library/magazine_articles/jul_aug_1996/dont_breed_annie.pdf

http://search.petfinder.com/search/search.cgi?action=1&pet.Breed=Siamese&pet.Animal=Cat&exact=1&preview=1 (thats only in California)