Wednesday, July 29, 2009

How hard would it be to breed and sell toygers?

And are they pretty popular? In demand? Special care?
Answers:
Cat breeding from what i understand isn't all flowers and sunshine. It entails quite a few nasty realities you may not be prepared for. Take a few minutes and think about the following :

1) If you're in it to make money, be aware of the costs of running a cattery. There are costs ranging from initial startup fees, to equipment fees such as heating pads, to basic fees such as food and litter, all the way to expensive vetrinary costs. If you're a breeder, you definately will have alot of vet visits. Be aware that cat breeding is not a money making operation, no matter what the breed or how large or small scale you're operating on. You will always LOSE money. It may look like you're making money when you look at kitten sale, but all that kitten sale money gets eaten up by the costs of running the business.

2) Breeds have 'breed standards', that is : what a kitten or cat needs to look like. Not all kittens or cats you breed will come out conforming to these standards. Breeding is not a 'perfect' art, you will not get cookie cutter animals. What will you do? Keep a kitten you can't find a home for because they don't meet breed standards? How many kittens can you keep like that? Give them away to homes that may not be able to handle that breeds unique temperment?

3) Illness, sickness, death. Not spaying a female, and allowing her to have multiple litters of kittens is just plain unhealthy for the cat. Illnesses can spread among multiple cat households like you wouldn't believe, as well. How will you deal with cat death and illness, especially if it's from desicions you as a cat owner have made? Will you not become attached to your cats? Part of what makes a cattery a desireable place to buy kittens from is personable kittens who have been well socialized. How will you socialize with your cats without becoming attached.

Think carefully. I'm personally anti-breeding. It's not profitable, for humans or for cats. Maybe some people are able to make tough desicions easier then i am. The only way i can see to make a profit off a cattery would be at the expense of the cats, and your own heart.
Please specify.What is a toyger for those of us who have no idea.
You read about it in Life magazine, didn't you? From what I've read, the person developing the breed does not have it perfected yet. Since it is not perfected yet, it hasn't been submitted to any registries for approval, which takes several years. Many people think it wouldn't be worth much until it can be registered as a purebred. There are several registries, though, and some will accept breeds that others don't. But I think you're seeing $$ only. If you're breeding cats and doing it right, it is very difficult to make any money. People with the thought of $$ in the forefront are doomed to failure, as are the breeds they are trying to cash in on. So give it a few years and then do an Internet search to see where they are with the breed. It takes many generations to get what you want if you have something specific in mind. Here's another thing to think about. Just because you may have the money, doesn't mean the developer would sell you one (or two).
The woman developing the breed is the only one who can currently decide who gets to breed them. She technically "owns" the breed right now as no Toygers are being sold unfixed.

Also, so far she has only chosen ESTABLISHED Bengal breeders to further enhance this breed as it is nowhere near where she wants it to be.

Are they popular? No, not yet. At at $4000.00 per cat currently for cast off cats she doesn't want to use for her breeding program, it will be years before they are popular.

In Demand? Nope. Not yet. Maybe in 15 years when her breeding program is established.

Special Care? No not particularly... however the breed is nowhere near completion so in time that could prove differently. Because the breed is so new you don't know what issues health wise this breed could devolope later on.

So how hard would it be? Pretty much impossible at this point since you would have to be hand picked by the founder of the breed to continue working towards her vision of the final "version" of the breed.

This isn't a back yoard breeder thing. Breeding a new breed is ROCKET SCIENCE... and a huge money maker. I'm sure that the founder will be protecting her new breed by only selling spayed and neutered pets for a VERY long time to come. ;-)

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