I have a secret!!!!

[goldenkitty45]

Jacky, we know you love to show and are interested in breeding, but Amanda and Nial have valid points.

Be careful and don't just jump in with the first person that wants to give you a breeding cat. You need to earn the trust of more then one breeder of the breed (IMO).

I'm co-owning an Oci now but that doesn't mean I want to house a breeding cat (tho I do admit to missing kittens). I'm just happy that I have several trusted Ocicat breeders that know me now and this is the first time I'm offered to "join in" for breeding. Perhaps in the future it may work out, and I know who I can easily get a cat from who trusts me enough to work with me.

 

[goldenkitty45]

We just don't want you to get in over your head too fast and wind up having problems.

I wish you luck and its both heartache/tears and rewards/smiles. Be prepared to lose kittens and have a mind set that you cannot keep every kitten and they will be leaving your home at 3-4 months old. You only get to spoil them for a few months.

 

[missymotus]

Originally Posted by mews2much


My plan is to show a whole cat for 1 or 2 years before I breed and not rush into anything.

I would have thought that’s what you’ve been doing with all those sphynx’s, gaining knowledge and contacts, learning about exactly what your role will be in breeding them.

Not sure why you would want to show an entire for 1-2 years before thinking about breeding her. Especially if she begins at 4-5 months, and depending on how you will handle her cycles she will need to me mated before 2 years.
You should have a breeding plan before you even get the girl IMO.

I don’t expect you will follow any advice given, just as in the past (buying a show cat from someone who doesn’t show for example…..)

 

[goldenkitty45]

I showed one Cornish Rex alter for a few years and then went into breeding. I got my first breeding female at age 14 months old and she was bred by 18 months. Back then it was rare for females to even come into heat before 9 months old and she didn't cycle every month - she would stop in the fall and 1/2 the winter and not cycle till spring, so she was fine not to breed early.

You cannot hold off a female for 1 or 2 yrs and show her before you breed her. Angel was bred at 11 months old (1st time) and is due in 2 weeks. Most breeders can't keep weight on a female that cycles a lot and try to show them in top condition. So they are shown as quickly as they can and hopefully grand in about 4-5 months and then bred.

I would never show a female for 2 yrs without her being bred. There is no difference in showing an alter then showing an entire cat - other then alters get shown a lot longer and actually mature in the ring - something that rarely happens in the championship classes. You may find an occasional male that is fully developed and breeding that is over 5 yrs old and does fine. But never the girls.

 

[katkisses]

I gotta do breed guesses lol!!!

Some that you have mentioned are
Cornish
Bombay
La Perm too I think.

 

[starfish]

Originally Posted by missymotus

I would have thought thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s what youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve been doing with all those sphynxâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s, gaining knowledge and contacts, learning about exactly what your role will be in breeding them.

Not sure why you would want to show an entire for 1-2 years before thinking about breeding her. Especially if she begins at 4-5 months, and depending on how you will handle her cycles she will need to me mated before 2 years.
You should have a breeding plan before you even get the girl IMO.

I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t expect you will follow any advice given, just as in the past (buying a show cat from someone who doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t show for example…..)

That was quite rude. I can understand you expressing your opinion, but the last line was unnecessary.

 

[ferriscat]

Originally Posted by mews2much

So the best thing for me to do is to get a kitten and show for awhile and then breed her as soon as she is the right age.

Yes, that would be the ideal thing to do, with the showing ending with the cat granding. However, that is something you would want to work out with the breeder. Showing in championship is a completely different ballgame--hormones change everything! As Martice said, whole females cycle and lose condition. Intact males may call or spray or even become testy in the show ring. It is a rare cat that can run for an entire season.

I've also seen new people brought into a breed with a co-ownership/co-showing situation. The new breeder will travel to shows to assist with showing their cat as a kitten so that the kitten develops a good ring presence with the new owner and transitions to the new home comfortably. This arrangement usually continues until the kitten is adjusted, but sometimes until a particular title is reached in the adult classes. This way, the new breeder gains exposure within the established breeder's inner circle and develops a more trained eye for the breed standard. Showing alone isn't enough--it is important to be under the guidance of a mentor during this crucial time period. There is no point in a new breeder showing to gain fancy titles if they do not know what to look for in order to improve the next generation.

Whatever breed you choose, it has to be the most important breed in the world to you. My mentor once told me that it has to be your bread and water. . . because this hobby is far too frustrating at times and the heartbreaks can be enough to make a person turn tail and run. The only way to succeed is to not be able to imagine your life without your breed.

Finally, I would not recommend choosing a new or developing breed unless you absolutely cannot live without promoting that breed. It is very, very frustrating to be in a position where judges cannot or will not reward your cats. All developing breeds encounter opposition before they are accepted. How many shows are you willing to go to where judges will not give your cats a second glance, much less a final? I think that new breeders must experience some amount of success in order to want to continue, and the patent form of success is through showing to achieve titles.

Please consider what we have to say carefully. Breeders here are taking the time to give you advice because we all want to see you succeed in this hobby. There are many breeders out there who take advantage new people. Nobody wants to see that happen to you.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Just as a side note. I'm STILL learning about Oci's and genetics. I have two very knowledgable breeders of Oci's that are great with genetics and I'm learning new things about how it works.

One very interesting thing I did learn is that what we call "Red" Aby - the tipping is actually cinnamon and not chocolate on the cat. Which is where our cinnamon Ocicat came from

Jacky, study study study the breed you want to work with - know the standard by heart and know how to tell good from bad on any of the breed - literetely pick the cat apart (ears, head, profile, body, etc.). This is the only way you will learn what you need to improve the breed you choose.

 

[maewkaew]

Originally Posted by FerrisCat

Whatever breed you choose, it has to be the most important breed in the world to you. My mentor once told me that it has to be your bread and water. . . because this hobby is far too frustrating at times and the heartbreaks can be enough to make a person turn tail and run. The only way to succeed is to not be able to imagine your life without your breed.

Finally, I would not recommend choosing a new or developing breed unless you absolutely cannot live without promoting that breed. It is very, very frustrating to be in a position where judges cannot or will not reward your cats. All developing breeds encounter opposition before they are accepted. How many shows are you willing to go to where judges will not give your cats a second glance, much less a final? I think that new breeders must experience some amount of success in order to want to continue, and the patent form of success is through showing to achieve titles.

That sounds like some great advice about "it should be your bread and water . I am not sure whether I will ever be a breeder myself, but I would think anyone going to go into breeding should be very passionate about that breed and its preservation and health and quality. or else you won't stick around enough to really make a contribution. And you should have spent a lot of time learning genetic issues or health issues that apply to cats in general and to your breed in particular and should know its history and know the standard backward and forward and how to assess cats by it ( and kittens! that is what I have been recently asking some breeders about is how do they look at kittens and decide which ones to keep to show and breed.)

I am right now just showing an alter -- and it's a breed in its first year in Championship classes in TICA - so I guess I'm in the category of those who "can't live without promoting that breed." (Well I could live but it is very important to me to help promote it by showing a good example. )

 

[sohni]

Advice given here can sound preachy I guess, but it's most certainly not meant to hurt. We can't always be excited about what new alter cat a person is getting, when we also know that the person's long term goal is to breed. Breeding equals more cats in your household AND it also means the potential for unexpected additions. If, for example, you sell three kittens and keep one for yourself.. you have to remember that any of those kittens may come back to you. It is your responsibility as a breeder to ensure forever homes are in place and to take back cats at any age if their new homes are not working out. Ensuring that your space is not overcrowded, and that you have back-up plans for emergencies is important.

I think any of us who do breed understand that there is a finite amount of space in our houses for cats to live happily together. Cats also can live to 15 years and above, so they will continue to add up during your breeding career.

Finally, The Breeders Corner is a place for breeders to offer advice and share their own experiences. Some people here have an amazing amount of knowledge to offer and it has been a great source of information for myself. It's understandable to post your excitement about choosing a new cat and sharing your future plans, but don't write off the responsoes as being rude just because you don't like hearing what is being said. What I am reading is to maybe take a step back and evaluate your goals for a bit.

 

[wellingtoncats]

Jacky

I know you love your babies but I wish I had been given some of this advice about keeping pets when I first started breeding. Keeping pets really limits the amount of breeding girls you can have - I only have two pets at the moment (neuter & spay), versus four breeding cats (currently) but I know that 3 pets would be my absolute limit. Cannot wait to see what your new baby is though

 

[cococat]

Everyone has different limits for sure for a multitude of different reasons be it rescuing, fostering, showing, breeding, or just personal pets. My household cat limit is 1, although I love kitties and really like many different breeds.