I think this is very common and is not necessarily any sign of dishonesty on the part of the buyer. Buyers regard breeders as people who breed regualrly and (as they think!) for a profit. They simply do not consider one or two litters from one pet girl to be breeding. I think all of us can help with this by 1. making it clear in our adverts that "non-active register" means "no kittens, ever" and 2. giving people the benefit of the doubt when they don't seem to understand this.

Liz

I'd agree with this. There are plenty of buyers who will say something like 'I'd like to breed one day'. Wasn't that all of us at one time? Doesn't mean they intend to start a kitten farm with your kitten as the foundation queen. I've recently helped someone find a suitable girl for breeding. They had a pet kitten from me some time ago (which they had neutered) and have never wavered from the desire to breed. I delight in those who are open and honest and can be helped into doing it the right way.

that's very true, and those were (more or less) my exact words when I bought my first BSH girl. The breeder was fantastic, all she asked (demanded) was that she mentor me through selection of stud, pre-mating testing, registering of kittens etc. I knew if I did breed with her, it would have been one litter then neuter. It was never ever my intention to become a breeder. I have just always toyed with the "one litter of my very own" idea. (I never went thorugh with it, had her neutered at +- 9mnths)

But I can also see how worrying it must be for some breeders when some people express a desire to breed, because some people really are not well enough prepared (or prepared to learn) to be respnsible breeders. So I will admit, those types would panic me. Not every newbie... but some definitely!

lol so true!!


The lady that came the other day said that she would 'like to get some kittens from her' the girl cat, I said that she isnt for breeding and to be neutered as she is pet quality, explined it to her health tests finding studs, and she said that she didnt realise or understand how it works and she then didnt want to do it lol!!

__________________