Why Buy From a Breeder?

Buying from a professional breeder can be a great way to adopt

Is it better to Adopt or Shop? It depends on what you are looking for in a pet! Good breeders are careful with selecting healthy cats to breed & they operate under ethical guidelines, they do their best to breed out genetic illnesses (by testing for known genetic issues associated with the particular breed prior to breeding), they breed in a “contained” & intentional way, they have done extensive research on proper care. Good breeders know more about reproductive health in animals than most veterinarians do, since they work directly with the reproductive cycle of cats, labor and birth. They are also familiar with what vaccines are needed and the appropriate amount of cats to safely home in any given area (over-crowding & unsanitary conditions are a red flag).

When you select a particular breed that you like, you may select the breed for several reasons. Maybe you have cat allergies and have never been able to have a cat before. The Siberian cat is a low allergen breed that many people with cat allergies can comfortably live with. Or maybe you want a dog that is low allergen - with hair not fur - and you would like to adopt a poodle. Or maybe you have children and other animals and you want a cat breed that has a good record with small people and other pets. Whatever your reason for wanting a specific breed, it is okay! What is important to recognize is how to select a professional breeder - and choose what is best for you and your family.

Additional benefits of buying a specific breed

Adopting from a rescue is a wonderful option that works well for some individuals. However, some individuals and families know what qualities they are looking for in a pet. Buying a specific breed animal can give predictable results in personality and health. Also, the benefits of breeding are often ignored (improving and maintaining certain lineages of cats); an understanding about what makes a good breeder is overlooked (there is shame around buying from breeders and shame only promotes bad practices); bad breeding practices start happening because of the cultural lack of knowledge about how to be a good breeder. Stigmatization helps no one. Transparency and good ethics is a better, win-win approach for everyone; this type of approach allows for the honest sharing of information and promotes a culture where better breeding practices are promoted & expected. And adoptive parents can find a pet that will truly work for their lifestyle and needs.

Professional breeders operate under excellent guidelines & offer healthy, happy, beautiful pets

The professional breeding community has begun to build a body of knowledge around animal reproduction and genetics. Organizations such as Paw Peds offers breeders extensive online training courses to help establish safe breeding practices and put in place emergency protocols. Pedigree organizations such as CFA and TICA set ethical cattery guidelines for breeders to follow to guide safe breeding practices. There are also select few veterinarians that have indeed extended their basic training to include reproductive health of animals; many of these special veterinarians are also breeders themselves and realize the critical need for this education and service.

There should be no fight against adopting from an animal shelter vs buying from a professional breeder. There can be more than one good way to adopt a pet. It is important for individuals to feel safe when they express their desire to have a particular breed of animal. It is important for individuals to have access to knowledge about how to find a professional breeder that upholds safety and ethical standards for the breed they work with. It is also important for breeders to be given support from the veterinary community about how to care for reproductive cycles.