29/05/2020
Borrowed this for the Russian Breed group South Africa.
The same applies to my breed the Burmese
29thMay 2020
HOW MUCH FOR A KITTEN???
Let me say a few words to you, yes you, the person who writes an email or WhatsApp, or message, or simply ask the price of a kitten. The person who calls and after hearing a price surprisedly states: "I can buy a cheaper cat elsewhere". I also address you; the person who does not care about papers because I want "just a pet”.
No cat is “just a pet”. No kitten is worth less than the other, all kittens are given the same amount of love, care, and attention throughout the time they are with their Breeder.
Behind every pure-bred cat is a BREEDER. I am using capital letters to differentiate a Breeder from a pet factory or mill. A responsible, reputable and ethical Breeder does not breed cats without papers, or pedigree certificates. These registration papers/pedigree certificates protect the integrity of the breed, and are records of lineage, that document bloodline, history and heritage. It also allows a Breeder or Pet Owner, to research any possible health issues present in the lineage. When you tell a Breeder, you don’t care about papers, what you really telling them is, you couldn’t care less about the health of the cat, you just want the cheapest thing you can find! It is your right to buy a kitten from whomever, but when you choose to buy a cat from a responsible, reputable and ethical Breeder, this Breeder is responsible for the health of every cat; Queen’s and Studs owned by them and every cat they have sold in their lifetime.
This Breeder will skip holidays, will only sleep a few hours a night, when the time comes for a Queen to go into labour to safely delivery her kittens. Most of the Breeder’s personal house space, has been turned into space for their cats. The truly passionate Breeder who loves what they breed, puts their whole heart and soul into it. Not only in kittens that are sold, but also in each Pet Owner who owns a piece of their extended family. This does not take into account any kitten/cat who might get sick or need extra help to thrive. Breeders worry about their babies after they leave and will take a kitten/cat back without question.
A Breeder will get their hands dirty, often covered in everything accompanied with birthing, kitten weaning, and litterbox training. Because that is what life is about……… In the middle of birth, and death, is life. The wheel that keeps turning. A breeder will do tests, echoes, x-rays, analysis, emergency c sections, vaccinations, sterilisations, deworm, microchip, register cats and litters, and have them evaluated by specialists.
Last, but by no means least, a breeder CHOOSES the family lucky enough to have one of their kittens. Yes, you read that right. A true breeder chooses who they sell to because they are not making money off the sale. There is not compensation that can offset the investment a Breeder has made so they need to be confident it is the right fit.
Many times, saying more no’s than yes…. A good Breeder will have different criteria for those wanting to carry on their bloodline, why? Because breeding is not a responsibility to ever be taken lightly, it is a lifestyle choice, set aside for ONLY the few devoted people willing to sacrifice.
Because a cat is never “just a pet” it is a Breeder’s legacy, a little boy’s best friend, a little girls protector, an elderly persons therapy, a member of the family, someone’s whole world!!!!!!! A Breeder CANNOT and WILL NOT compromise on that.
So, do you still want to know “HOW MUCH FOR A KITTEN”? They are what the Breeder says they are worth. (Priceless little beings). Sweat, blood, love, soul, and tears have gone into breeding that litter of kittens. Have respect for the work a Breeder does, DO NOT haggle and bargain on their kittens, these are little lives that Breeders hold near and dear to their heart’s, kittens are not shelf merchandise that can be bargained for.
The Russian Cat Interest Group of South Africa (RCIG) and our Breeders stand together on this topic, trying to haggle the price of a kitten down, no matter the breed or pedigree of a cat, is unethical and disrespectful, any person found doing so will not be sold a Russian Kitten.
The price of a kitten is in the end at the Breeder’s discretion, if two, or more kittens go to the same home, at any one time.
The above article was not written by me. Although I added some of my own lines and I borrowed some from a fellow breeder, Fathima Hoosen.
Witten in part by: Sr. Eduardo Loredo Muller and translated into English by Angel Sophia Nogga.
