Finding The Right Cat Breeder:
2 Questions You Must Ask (Part 2)

By Teri Champigny

If you desire to purchase a new kitten from a breeder then don't be shy about interviewing that person and asking a lot of questions.  He or she should be more than happy to offer as much assistance as possible so that you feel comfortable with purchasing and raising the cats this breeder is producing. 

Below are a couple of questions you will want to consider asking the breeder before making your decision:

1. A very basic (yet important) question is to find out just how long this breeder has been breeding cats.  Ask them how many breeds they have. Find out if they practice showing their cats.  If they choose not to show, then ask them why not.  Your goal here with these basic questions is to make sure that you have found a breeder that has been doing this for a long enough time to ensure that they know what it is they're doing.

If a breeder concentrates on only one or two breeds at one time, then this is a good sign.  You want to stay away from breeders that have too many particular breeds going on at one time.  Practicing this type of breeding does not ensure that they are looking closely after their breeds in the way of avoiding defects. 

2. Another item that you would want to ask about is to find out just how large their breeding practices are.  Do they have a very large operation? Or is it small? You are basically trying to avoid someone that is not overwhelmed and stressed by trying to breed too many cats at one time.  These types of people generally are attracted to mass production and making money. So in this case, less is more.  The less breeds someone is practicing with them the more attention they are giving the bloodline.

Giving the proper care and the much needed socialization of kittens is important, and someone who is not stocked with the appropriate time to provide these items cannot be expected to produce quality animals for the price they are charging.  If possible, ask to get a tour of their breeding operation and take a look behind the scenes.  It is obvious here that if the person is a reputable breeder and has nothing to hide then he or she will be more than willing to accommodate your requests.