Cat Breeding Basics

Cat breeding is an expensive undertaking both as far as the money it costs and the time it takes. It's important to realize that cat breeding is serious business and cannot be done well without a lot of effort.

The first thing you need to do if you want to get into cat breeding is learn everything you can find about your chosen breed. Research the breed, it's origin, it's history, and it's Cat Fancier Association breed standard.

Becoming a cat breeder is a huge commitment. Cat breeding is not easy. Make sure you are ready to make this huge commitment before you take the cat breeding plunge!

Health is the most important consideration when selecting cats for breeding. You also must consider coat color and pattern. It's important to have a thorough knowledge of your breed so you know exactly what you are looking for.

Breeding a male and female cat usually produces kittens in about 65 days. But it is not that unusual for cat pregnancies so don't necessarily be concerned if the pregnancy goes past 65 days.

It's very important that the mother cat is fed very well during her pregnancy. Of course you want to be consulting with your veterinarian during this very important time. Some feel it is a good idea to restrict the movement of the mother during her pregnancy not only to lower the chance of injury but also to get the mother cat used to her more sedentary lifestyle she'll be living once her kittens are born.

After the kittens are born be sure that they are gaining weight. You should be able to see the kittens gaining weight. If they are not gaining weight there is something wrong. You should know ahead of time how to tube feed a kitten and you should have that equipment available in case something is going wrong. The problem will most likely correct itself in a few days but if it does not you may need veterinarian assistance.

Weigh your kittens every day at the same time. Do not weight them in the morning one day and in the evening the next. Pick one time like 10 AM and weigh them at that one time every day to be sure you are getting an accurate reading. Little or no weight gain one day to the next is a sign of a problem. Kittens should be gaining weight every day!

After the 3rd week kitten food should be made available. Sometimes kittens ages 3 and 4 weeks will become curious about their mother's food and may try to eat it themselves.

Handle your kittens from an early age so they become more socialized. This will make them better pets and also better show cats.

No kittens should leave your home prior to 12 weeks. They should never leave your home before inoculations are complete.

Hopefully you've got some better idea about cat breeding basics from this article and you have a clear idea of whether you want to become a cat breeder and if you do, you should have some basic cat breeding knowledge now.


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Matthew Yoho
myCatWearsClothes.com

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