Millers vs BYB

[susi794]

Thanks for sharing about your breeder--I know you believe in her since you do repeat business with her.

Reputable is-- as reputable DOES!!!!! I'm glad yours is. One of mine has been. (Love ya, Kerry!) She has been a joy--I couldn't ask for anyone kinder or more willing to be there when I need her.

 

[Mews2much]

Kerry is nice.
Do you know anyone that has a calico kitten or any calicos due?
Wrinkles breeder is looking for a calico to add to her breeding program.

 

[havingalook]

Suzi, I would class you as a 'hobby breeder' that's what I class myself as too. We still have things to learn but we don't claim to know everything about the breed either and our cats are first and foremost members of the family. My cats are my family and they may be born in closets/ laundry room/ under the bed/ wherever mamma wants them, but parents are known, they are vetted, they are loved.

Puppy/kitten mills to me: Animals kept in poor condition, some kept in cages so they can maximize 'production'/ space. Priority is $$$, babies are constantly available, history/ parentage not always known. Mills are all about the $$$ and nothing about the animals.

BYB to me: Again priority is the $$$. I see BYB's as people who will breed their dog/ cat with whoever is available so that they can make some money on the litter. Their animal is a pet, unlike Mills.

Hobby Breeder to me: Has a love of the breed. Breeds to the best of their ability. Doesn't necessarily have the time or desire to show, yet does want to do the breed justice by breeding the best type/ healthiest etc that they can.

Reputable breeder? Showing and huge contracts have nothing to do with this, as far as I'm concerned. Honesty and welfare of their animals, (both their adults and finding appropriate homes for their babies) is priority. Ribbons and fancy words don't pay vet bills if a so called reputable/ show breeder is nothing more than a mill in disguise.

 

[Melonie]

My cat I got from a "reputable" breeder is very unhealthy, my cat I got from a "BYB" who had one male and one female cat is healthy as a horse!

I have gotten a dog from a "BYB" that was very unhealthy, and a dog from a "reputable" breeder that was healthy.

I must be a BYB because I let my shelties have a litter of puppies once. OOPS.

I think that as long as the animals are healthy, who cares. I could care less if my sphynx have papers or not as I do not intend to show or breed. Same for any other animal. My one cat with papers is the sick one! I got Ben off craigslist from someone who couldn't keep him. I have no idea who his breeder is.

I honestly am thankful for the "BYB" because it allowed me to get a breed of animal I wanted at a fraction of the cost. At the time I would not have been able to afford a sphynx.

As long as your animals are happy and healthy breed away. I could care less.

 

[Mews2much]

It is ok my Coco and Meeko had kittens once and I got blasted by some jerks for it in msn groups.
Coco could not be altered because she had many problems and Meeko could not be altered at that time because of her heart murmur ect.
I did not live in a place that accepted cats at the time and I was told the male at my dads house was altered.
Well he wasnt and Coco got preg at age 10 and Meeko was 2.
What made me so was I had Coco all those years and never let her get preg.
I had a ultrasound done on Coco and the vet said she would have 3 kittens.
We were moving August 1rst so Coco goes in labor and has kittens between 2 and 6 am.
Everything is fine we think.
Well at 9pm she pushes twice and there is a dead deformed kitten.
1 minute later another dead kitten is born.
The deformed one had a broken paw and a deformed paw.
On Sept 22nd my Meeko goes in labor and has Yoshi the next day around 8:30 am.
I missed him being born by 30 minutes because I had opened at work and was off at 9 am.
I feel something hard in Meeko and think there is a kitten stuck in her.
So we go to the vet and it turns out to be constipation.
I was very picky who I allowed to have the kittens.
I kept Meekos son and Cocos girl.
My sister has Cocos son Midnight.
He will be 8 in Aug.
Coco was a very good mom and nursed Yoshi also.
Meeko did not want to nurse Yoshi at first.
I had to push her.
The next time I will have kittens is when I breed in the future.
I have taken care of many other kittens also and bottle fed them trying to save them.

 

[GobsGobblins]

It is sad to say there are actually breeders I am familiar with and think that HCM is a "sphynx cat disease" that only the Sphynx contracts, or that they can scan their cat's yearly HCM free and believe their kittens can not get HCM, or even worse the "new" sales pitch "5 year guarentee HCM free". thats a good one. Sorry it just makes me laugh sometimes! there so silly!

Hi! I don't really post here often... But I wanted to add my two cents . I do HCM scan my cats yearly and they do get regular Vet checks (they get checked all the time since my hubby is a vet! LOL!). I also know that HCM can show up at any time in ones lines. For me, it is about that extra little bit of peace of mind... but it still does not stop me from worring! I like knowing that my kittens leave my home that I have done everything possible to make that kitten a strong, healthy, genetically sound cat....but I can't guarantee that it will not get HCM. I do guarantee to replace it if develops a genetic disease in the first several years of life.

I know several breeder who have the 5 year guarantee... and it does not guarantee the cat will not get HCM. It guarantees that the breeder will replace it. Of course we may be reading different contracts! You are right though.... no one can guarantee a cat will not develop HCM. Sad that so many cats must go through this disease (not just the Sphynx breed).