Melinda Gaines has been a freelance writer since 2006, working online for Yellow Pages and other websites. Her areas of expertise include business, beauty, fashion and sports. Gaines attended the University of Houston, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Administration. Learn about local laws and the lease when renting space. Some cities only allow a certain number of pets per household. If you`re renting, check with your landlord or read your rental terms to see if there`s anything stopping you from raising or keeping more than a certain number of animals. It`s important to always look for factual information when looking for how to start reproducing. Use facts to make informed decisions. Every state has animal husbandry regulations. The table below lists the U.S. state and limit on the number of kittens that can be sold in a calendar year to be considered „home breeders.” Anything beyond what is listed here will classify you as a pet dealer. When it comes to raising cats for profit, many articles you find online will tell you that you can hardly be a cat breeder. While this may be true for some, it`s not true for everyone.
Analyze your financial situation. Starting a cat breeding business requires a significant initial investment. If you use too much credit, you may end up in debt that you can`t afford. Veterinary bills for breeders often cost hundreds of dollars, and pet insurance doesn`t always cover breed-related veterinary bills. Most cat breeders consider their business more of a hobby and want to contribute to their chosen breed by producing healthy, good-tempered kittens. Starting in 2018, the IRS will no longer allow you to deduct expenses for „hobby” income. I think this rule alone will prompt a small kennel to rethink how it classifies itself as a hobby or business. With a breeding of 6 adults and a few litters per year, my feed and bedding costs are $800 per month ALONE. This does not include toys, veterinary bills, scratching griffets, cultivation or electricity. Build professional relationships with veterinarians in your area.
No matter what type of cattery you open, it`s likely that you`ll find yourself in a situation where one of the cats you`re raising or keeping is sick or injured. At the very least, have a list of numbers and addresses for the veterinarians closest to your cattery so you can consult them if necessary. If you`re thinking about starting a breeding breed but don`t know where to start, this podcast episode will point your mind in the right direction. The temperament of your kittens will certainly be passed on to their babies, mainly by the queen. They want to choose social and friendly cats so that they pass on this temperament to their babies. Not all kittens have a good temperament. The goal should therefore be to produce kittens that have a great temperament and are a pleasure to be there for the rest of their lives. It is important to start your breeding with a solid base of cheerful kittens. Buy a queen (female for breeding) from a reputable breeder. The cat you choose for your first queen should be an example of the best traits of the breed. Research his family tree and make sure he doesn`t have a history of hereditary diseases.
Ask other trusted breeders to evaluate the cat before buying it. Make sure the cat has papers and is registered as a certified member of its breed with the Cat Fanciers` Association. Download the free Kindle app and instantly read Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer, no Kindle device required. No matter what you hear from breeders, you should never feel bad about being an ethical and responsible breeder of purebred cats. Learn more about becoming a cat breeder. For some reason, they try to make you feel bad if you don`t break even or go bankrupt because of breeding cats. This is a completely absurd way of thinking. It can take a year to three years to recoup the money you spent setting up your farm. Be prepared to support cats and provide them with the care they need until you start producing kittens. Starting a cat breeding business takes a lot of time, money and preparation. Many cat breeders don`t make a profit, and some fail to break even after the cost of medical bills, food, and other supplies. According to interviews with cat breeders in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Europe and Australia, Barbara C.
For an article published in 1997 in a 1997 issue of Cats magazine, only 12% of breeders included in the study said they regularly break even or make money. Question: How do you distinguish between a business and a hobby? How to Become a Cat Breeder is an article that sets out some initial expectations about your first steps when you want to start with the cat breeder. Now that we`ve covered the facts about what classifies an amateur producer versus a commercial producer with the IRS, let`s look at this from a local jurisdiction`s perspective. If you plan to rent premises for your business, it is recommended to obtain all the necessary documents from the relevant services before bringing the cats. It is mandatory that you inform your landlord of your business before anything else. There are definitely a few basics about cat breeding that everyone should know before venturing into the cat breeder. Housing, health, genetics, how to choose your cats, how to read pedigrees, facts about females in the heat, estrus cycles, cat mating, pregnancies, gestation periods, the birth of kittens, breeding and littering kittens and caring for sick kittens. Learn as much as you can about the breed you want to work with for your cat breeding business. Make sure you know the ideal physical characteristics of the breed and any possible health problems associated with the breed. Talk to other producers for information and advice. You should show your cats to other breeders to show your seriousness towards the company. The next step is to make sure you have the right place to run this business.
You need to know how much space is needed for breeding cats and their litter box. A separate room in your home could be a great place for cats and their kittens. The average start-up cost of legitimate reproduction is estimated to be between $10,000 and $20,000. On average, monthly kennel costs range from $500 to $1,000. This discrepancy depends on how many cats you have in your breeding program. When I started thinking about a cattery, I had a visit from a very experienced 25-year-old breeder with whom I had made friends at the cat show. She came to see where I wanted to let my stallion live. On the way back to her car, she asked me, „What are the goals of your breeding?” I found the most ridiculous answer of my life.