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Kitten
Costs Explained! *
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I have included this page as I would
like potential owners and people who are
considering a kitten for breeding, to
read and be fully aware of the downfalls
as well as the undoubted pleasure that
cat breeding can bring.
I
would also like to point out that this
does NOT cover your initial outlay for
breeding stock, pens, all kittening
equipment, travelling expenses viewing
potential purchases, bedding, litter
trays,etc etc - the list is
ENDLESS!! (and never seems to stop
either!!!).
Cost
of Breeding
FOR
EVERY LITTER: Pre-mating vet check
up, worming & vaccination booster
FeLV/FIV testing. Travel taking queen to
stud (return fare). Travel collecting
queen from stud (return fare). Stud Fee.
Premium food & conditioners for
queen during pregnancy. Possible
complications at birth, e.g. caesarean,
uterine inertia, hysteria, milk failure,
damaged/malformed kitten/s. Kitten milk
replacer for weak kittens/hand-rearing.
Common kitten ailments, e.g. sticky
eyes, stomach upsets (the latter can
spread to all your cats and be very
pernicious as well as surprisingly
expensive to eradicate). Purchase and
preparation of weaning foods for kittens
at 3-5 weeks. Extra, premium, food for
queen during lactation (she will eat as
much as 3 or 4 adult cats for more than
a month). Extra cat litter (all that
extra food has to go somewhere!) Feeding
kittens from weaning-13 weeks (at 13
weeks, 4 kittens eat about as much as 4
adult cats). Even more extra cat litter
for kittens (trays twice a day from 6-13
weeks). Extra cleaning - the household,
not just the trays! Washing of bedding.
Breakages,
e.g. ornaments, house-plants, torn
curtains, upholstery (all too common
with kittens). Having 5, 6 or more
little monsters under your feet &
ripping through your home for 2 months.
.Toys for kittens. Advertising.
Registration. Vaccination. Insurance.
Microchipping. Worming every 2 weeks. 9
and 12-wk vet check. Keeping off-colour
or small kittens for longer time Keeping
kitten/s to honour new owners' vacations
etc. Cancellations. Refunds & taking
kittens back if new owner changes mind.
Re-advertising cancelled or returned
kittens. Extra heating costs for kittens
in cold weather. Giving away or selling
for less to special friends and
relatives
Not
being able to go on holiday or stay over
for a night anywhere. Being available
for phone calls, visitors and enquirers
Time spent handling, socialising &
playing with kittens (every day).
Staying in for a week when your queen is
due to give birth, and possibly
assisting during the birth. Hours spent
feeding and toileting weak kittens.
Sleepless
nights and frayed nerves while queen is
calling (every month or less between
litters) Annual subscriptions to cat
associations & registering bodies
Subscriptions to cat magazines. Books
.Time off work for birthing and when
cats are sick Annual vaccinations,
testing & health checks for breeding
queen & your other cats. Equipment,
e.g. litter trays, carriers, cages,
bowls, beds, blankets, heat pads,
scratching posts, cat trees
ALL
THIS IF YOU OWN JUST ONE BREEDING QUEEN!
and of course, that queen might have
only one kitten in her litter.
If
you also own a stud cat: Stud house and
run, & its annual maintenance.
Regular FeLV/FIV testing. Advertising
stud services. Responsibility of
handling other people's queens
(insurance too) Being available at very
short notice for stud services Extra
time for "loving" a stud cat
kept outside.
If
you go to cat shows: Subscriptions to
more cat clubs. Travel to meetings &
symposiums. Travel to shows as visitor.
Show catalogues & door entry fees
Entry fees for shows when exhibiting.
Travelling to & from shows (can be
very long distances). Hotel
accommodation. Grooming and conditioning
products. Time off work to attend shows.
Show cages, drapes & furnishings.
Extra time for training & handling
show cats. Extra veterinary checkups
before shows.
________________________________________________________________________________
Contact
me on (01905) 456526 or e-mail me
at
karen@windymeadowbritish.com
________________________________________________________________________________
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