How to Know a Breeder

[admin]

I would like to share my story about how I found my Ragdoll, Solo. I too was looking and looking and sending emails to breeder after breeder trying to find "the one". It was a long search and fell heavy on my heart because nothing felt "right". At the time I was working at Petsmart as a dog trainer.

One day I got into a conversation about Ragdolls with a customer, and she turned out to be a breeder! She didn't have any kittens coming up soon but she had a partner she worked closely with and referred me to her. Turns out this referral breeder lived in the same city as me, and only a 10 minute drive away from my house. Talk about a sign.

After going to her house and talking and looking at health documentation and seeing he healthy happy kittens and adults, I felt at ease and really wanted a kitten from THIS breeder.

As the litter grew older, I started asking questions like "which kitten is the calmest, which purrs the most," etc. And she recommended Solo to me. The first time I went back with the thought in mind "this kitten could be the one", we picked him up and he flopped over on his back and fell asleep purring in our hands. Yeah he was our boy!

Moral of the story? Wait until it feels right.

Great story, Alisha!!! And very good advice...

 

[Dantes]

lol I will wait :D

 

[Trish Allearz]

And you are right- Kelly- sometimes, breeders do a delicate dance between trying to make everyone happy and trying not to screw themselves out of a placement. I've held back mostly F2s for people who were 'sure' they were going to send in a deposit in a few days and then the few days drags on- and life happens- and THEN I finally get a 'Well this and this happened, so I can't have a new kitten at this time...' Which means- I missed out on that time advertising and I missed out on potential homes. It's hard- for me- to find that comfortable balance between protecting my time and ensuring I don't hurt GOOD potential homes by placing kittens they were interested in because someone else suddenly pops up. Not sure if that made much sense writing it out, but I know the other breeders know what I'm saying. LOL.

 

[admin]

makes sense to me and I have heard it before from many breeders...

 

[Lori Greer]

Better to go with recommendations than complaints. I have a Yelp posting but there is one fake complaint that was thankfully removed but is still viewable. I like to buy from smaller catteries where the there are not a zillion cats and a zillion kittens personally. Did you ask this breeder how many cats they have and how much time is spent with kittens? Unless they have hired staff, many multiple litters won't get the attention that one with fewer litters and honestly, a hired staff will never care for them like the breeder does. They just don't have the investment. My kittens are family. They are in my house. They have names and my kids give them nicknames etc. Not everyone will agree with me but this is my opinion and it will effect from who and where I buy. I would rather one steller recommendation from someone I know and respect that many from strangers.

Interesting.... How would a buyer possibly know how much attention kittens get or anything about the care the adults receive based solely on how many cats a breeder has? I obviously have more cats than some and less than others, but it is NOT the same for me as other breeders since my husband and I do this together. He is home full-time with them and spends 75% of his day caring for adults and our kittens. This doesn't include the time I spend with them either. Our children and grown so the cats are the center of our daily lives. No one but the two of us raise our kittens and we wouldn't have it any other way either.

While I'm not suggesting large is always good, since you are saying smaller programs are the best based on your opinion of commercial breeders I am confused by your statement. You recently purchased your F1 from someone I would consider a larger breeder.

Why would you say that pet buyers should only buy from small programs like yours, but it's OK for you and other breeders to purchase your breeding animals from whomever has the nicest cats?

BTW, the nastiest kittens I have ever purchased came from two different breeders - who both only owned ONE QUEEN. The numbers argument is not valid unless you are simply trying to trash other breeders.

 

[Kronos]

I got my Kronos from a large scale breeder, and they always answer every email and every phone call, yes even the ones that are not in regards to purchasing. My breeder has answered all my questions about my kittens pedigree, his parents, how their facilities work, and more. They helped decided which kitten would be best suited for me and my lifestyle and other pets, and the entire process was smooth. Overall I am very happy with how everything turned out! Kronos came to me wonderfully socialized and bomb proof. He is confident and happy!

I am sure however that "nasty" kittens can crop up here and there from large and small breeders. The only thing I worry about is, can you care for the amount of cats you have? Does each kitten produced get enough time spent with him/her? I can easily say that Kronos must have had loads of attention as a kitten because he loves people. He does not hide when company comes over, but befriends everyone.

 

[Lori Greer]

"I am sure however that "nasty" kittens can crop up here and there from large and small breeders. The only thing I worry about is, can you care for the amount of cats you have? Does each kitten produced get enough time spent with him/her? "

Alisha I agree. Breeders should be focused on quality, health, temperament, care and well being of the cats we have been blessed to own and have in our care. They should also be ethical in their dealing with customers and use good judgement in selecting homes for their kittens. Period.

I'm glad you had a good experience.

 

[Trish Allearz]

Well, I can tell you- I can't mentally or emotionally handle a large cattery. LOL. BUT I have kids underfoot (or sleeping on my arm as is the case) and won't trade in quality for quantity. BUT for those without littles in the home, I could definitely see more kitties!

 

[Lori Greer]

Well, I can tell you- I can't mentally or emotionally handle a large cattery. LOL. BUT I have kids underfoot (or sleeping on my arm as is the case) and won't trade in quality for quantity. BUT for those without littles in the home, I could definitely see more kitties!

That does make a huge difference. These are our babies now... we are past the age of having any more
2-foots.

 

[Trish Allearz]

Hahaha- I'm not sure who destroys more in my home- the 2 legged kids or the furry ones!