I have a few questions related to stud cats:

Do all breeders with stud cats have an agreement/contract for the queen owner to sign?

Is that agreement signed when dropping off the girl or when collecting?

Do you have a separate area for the visiting queen?

Do you provide the food for the visiting queen or does the queen's owner provide that?

Do you spend time in with them?

Do your cats (other than studs) live in the house or outside pens?

Hope you don't mind

Hi Lollo,

There is no definative answer I am afraid as every breeder has their own way of doing things,

Obviously there is guidelines to follow from the Governing body of which they operate, but with regards to individual routines, and protocols etc every breeder is different.

I can tell you how I personally manage my Studs and breeding, but this may differ alot from breeder to breeder.

Firstly yes I do have a contract for the owners of Queens to sign it has a gaurantee of a free return should the Queen not fall pregnant, It also has clauses like if she falls pregnant but fails to carry full term or aborts pregnancy etc this is still classed as a viable and successful mating.
My contracts are more about the service we are providing. However I do know of breeders having clauses that prevent Males being put on Active or entering certain shows etc, I have never had clauses like this.

Also when the Queen comes to visit I have a second contract the owner must sign and that is our Insurance and Health Care, the Queen is signed over to our custody and is held on Our Professional Healthcare policy for the duration of her stay, which makes it Our responsibility for her health and well being not the owner, this covers the owner for any Health or Accidental Injuries as a result of mating or staying with us, there is criteria required on our behalf i.e 24hr tested females with a headed letter from Vet prior to arrival with Stud, full vaccination records up to date, proof of worming and flea control, only Active registered Queens, and also Microchipped.

Your Stud fee with me includes, all your Cats food, treats, grooming etc, she has her own accomadation and when she is ready your chosen Stud is introduced to her cattery undersupervision just incase the meeting turns nasty, however this is extremely rare as the males/ Chosen males Cattery is alongside the queens, so the queen has got used to the male and is 9 times out of ten very receptive to him finally being allowed in her Cattery, we provide proof of mating in the form of a Video of the Mating, we have a Camera streaming 24 Hours a day, so the matings are all captured. We also offer a mentoring service to first time breeders, which is included in the stud fee.

We have an in depth Chat with the owners of the Queen and try our upmost to stick to their routine, so if she gets fed at a certain time, or likes to play with certain toys like dangle toys etc, we try to make their stay as normal as possible and we interact with them alot from grooming to simple cuddles. We also send the owner Daily updates. We also ask the owners which brand of litter their Cat uses and which style of litter tray and get the same, and what brand of food they have and get the same. It is all included in the price.

Hope this answers some of your questions.

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http://www.funkyfurballs.co.uk

Due to past experience these are my answers:

1 & 2. I didn't but if I ever allow a queen into stud again I will email the agreement in advance and then it will be signed upon the queen being dropped off and the stud fee paid.

3. Yes - I would not allow a queen to mix with my own cats except the stud when mating due to the risk of infection and stressing out all cats concerned. In fact I don't know anyone who would allow a visiting queen to mix freely with their cats .... asking for trouble.

4. If a stud fee is paid then I would provide food but if I were doing it as a favour to a friend I would expect a contribution towards boarding costs. If a special diet is required then I would expect that to be provided although I do have a wide range of foods in.

5. Yes they are given the same love, attention and care as my own cats including grooming, bathing, nails clipping, ears and eyes cleaning.

6. In the house but the neuters go out in the runs during the day.

I would expect to sign an agreement and pay before leaving a queen. No agreement = don't use that stud. I would expect to see his pedigree before bringing a cat to him and I would expect the stud owner to want to see my queen's pedigree first, as some matings are not acceptable under the relevent GCCF breed policy. There is also the question of both parties being happy the cats are not too closely related.

Most studs in the UK live out in a stud house - heated indoor area, and an outside run - with a separate small compartment for the queen. I would be horrified if my cat mixed with any cat other than the stud.

I would expect my cat to be fed unless she is on something rather special, but a lot of queens don't eat much when in call. If she had to stay beyond the usual 4 days or so I would offer boarding fees if not asked for them.

I would expect the stud owner to spend time with them - after all they have to see at least one mating, and they need to be there to start with to make sure nothing unfortunate happens. Girls have been known to attack boys and do serious damage. Some stud owners I know only do supervised matings, others let the queen & stud run once they are happy the cats have settled with each other.

Most breeders I know keep their queens and neuters in the house, sometimes with an outside run, though I know one woman who keeps the queens in small groups in big versions of cattery pens and brings them into the house for kittening and kitten rearing. I guess if she has social problems with them all togeather, or is concerned at limiting the spread of any infection (she shows) then she has a point. She works at home and spends time with all of her cats every day.

I would also expect to have to have the 24-hour tests, and for my queen to come back with a copy of his pedigree, a mating certificate and expected kitten date, and there is also the certificate of entirity the GCCF requires.

Also see:
the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy
Keeping a stud cat

Finally, if you only have one or two queens it's probably better not to keep a stud as he may well be frustrated with 'work' a couple of times a year at best from your cats and maybe a few outside queens.

The question regarding a separate area was meant to mean in the stud quarters... i would never expect a queen to mingle with all the cats the stud owner has.

Does the queen go right into the stud quaters or does she have her own area?

I ask these questions really to get an idea what would be considered the norm. I realise everywhere and everyone is different.

Thank you for those that have replied.

She should have her own area though some stud owners let them mix freely after the first mating.

Do we take it you are thinking of getting a stud?

I personally would not allow the queen access to any other Cats other than the Stud that the owner had picked for the Mating. I personally do not think it is beneficial for her to have contact with any other Cat, Male or Female, As far as I am concerned the Queen would be there to mate, not socialise and make friends, In my experience allowing the Queen to roam free with other Cats, the negative vastly out weighs the positive, so can not understand why anyone would. All my Studs have regular walks on leads. To keep them in Peak condition and I do not let them associate with females except for mating purposes.

The visiting Queen has her own Quarters that have been cleaned and sanatised prior to her arrival, she has new food bowls that are discarded after she has been returned to her owner, along with the litter tray, I do give the owners the option to take them home with them if they wish free of charge.

The queen stays in her Cattery for the full duration of her stay, the stud is introduced to her cattery, never the other way around. I find it is less stressful this way.

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http://www.funkyfurballs.co.uk

No i'm not thinking of getting a stud.

I have to take my girl to stud. The first time she went to the breeder who bred my girl (and my mentor). Everything was easy and she went through things with me blah blah blah. That stud has now been neutered. And i can't use her new stud as he is the equivolent to my girl (brother but different litter).

I just want to explain about me asking if the queen would have her own quarters/room. I never expect or would wish ehr to socialise with ANY other cat, just teh stud. I just wanetd to know if she will go straight into his area or if there is a separate one for her.

It really depends on the breeder/owner of the Stud, whether she goes straight in or has separate quarters, it depends on them and their sytem/routine/facilities etc

And of course it also is your choice, you can of course express your concerns and wishes, after all you are paying for the service of the Stud, and if you are not 100% happy with their terms/facilities/routine etc you can simply walk away and chose another Stud.

My advice to you is to make yourself a list of questions and concerns before you go to visit the Stud owner, so you do not forget anything in the visit, it is so easy to get side tracked by talking about their Cats, your Cats, previous litters etc. Also ask to see Photos of previous litters that their Stud has helped produce, most good Stud owners will not only provide you with Photos but can also put you in touch with previous Queens owners. Unless they are un-proven Studs, but that is not a bad thing as somebody has to go first, however most owners of Studs prove them on their own females first, if he is un-proven you do however want a mating gaurantee, so if it is not sucessful you get a revisit free of charge as a bare minimum gaurantee.

You also need to discuss responsabilities during the courtship, is it their responsability if the queen is injured, or becomes ill, do they have adequate health cover or funds incase this happens(you obviously can not ask them to prove their finances but you can ask for a written gaurantee that they will pay for any issues should they arise), It is not common for the female to get hurt, however it is a possibility after all we are dealing with Pets that have very sharp claws and teeth ha ha

It is best to discuss all this in advance. Rather than the day you drop of your Queen that way you know where you stand. Better to be safe than sorry later

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http://www.funkyfurballs.co.uk