Cat Breeding - queens and kings - the male - part one

Part One- the most important - your male - aka the stud :-)

Most people start out backwards when they start a breeding program. They purchase a female first, and they believe they will be able to borrow a male when the queen comes into heat.

This is very far from the truth. See, cat people, unlike dog people, do not share their male cats. Cats are more likely to pick up and spread germs than dogs, especially Persians. Therefore, before thinking about becoming a breeder, consider the following:

1. Are you prepare to own a whole male?
2.  Where will you house your whole male?
3. How many kitties do you really wish to own?

First, in order to breed, you might as well come to the realization that you will have to buy yourself a male. Please keep in mind that this male may need his own living quarters in order to not breed queens when queens are already with babies and too soon after birthing, weaning, etc. And... I ask the last question because you will need aprox 3 to 4 females per whole male.

So now you get the picture; you need a male and you need to know he might require his own room or portion of the house as his very own. Please do not even consider becoming a breeder if you plan to stick this male in your garage or basement to be forgotten and live alone. And never house a male in a crate! This is totally unfair and unethical!!

Always do your homework and buy from breeders with ethics! There are many reason why you need to buy from a reputable breeder and not just because they are well known. Please check their value system before believing they are ethical and good. Recently I discovered a well-known breeder purchased one of my males through what is called a back door, meaning they bought the male from another breeder and not from myself. See, I would not have approved this breeder as a home for one of my precious babies. Anyhow, today, my male lives in a dog crate in the garage. This is not fair!

When buying your male, always buy directly from the breeder who bred the male, either as a kitten or as an adult cat.

See in the cat world, we consider it very unethical to buy and sell cats not bred by the breeder.

Next, look for a good male that can offer the most for your program. Ok ...I brought up the word program. What is a program??

• A breeding program is not all about making kittens.
• A breeding program is not about making money.
• A breeding program is NOT about trophies!

A breeding program is selecting a breed and working within the breed to improve the genetics, personality, and all while improving type. A breeding program is understanding your breed inside and out, and learning your own lines as you start, working them through and reproducing so when you add in new lineage, you are prepared for improving what you are working with and not creating any new genetic issues.

So why do you need to purchase the male first? Simple! Your male will take longer to develop, mature and get his hormones. He needs to be ready to breed when the queens are ready. Otherwise, by the time the male matures and has live sperm, your queen may have had several cycles, developed cystic ovaries and/or a pyo and now may never be able to reproduce for you.

Continue to part 2- more about the selection of your queens! I hope this article is helpful advice for you. :-)

An Anna Tip: cat tips are found all throughout our site: "Generally speaking, cats do not typically care for hooded boxes."