Zissou'sMom said:Everyone who has a cat that is not neutered before sexual maturity and manages to get outside, who is not spayed and gets pregnant, who buys kittens from mills or pet stores (obviously excluding programs through shelters like at Petsmart etc) shares responsibility for pet overpopulation. But so do breeders as well.
I have five cats. One Feral half siamese who looks purebred...but we know better..he is neutered and 10 years old now.A rescue tabby spayed at 6 m. She went into heat twice before her spay, but we kept her in so nothing would happen. I have one "purebred" Persian who will be spayed the day she turns 6 months(the vet up here WILL NOT do a spay any younger)
Just because she is purebred, and show quality doesnt mean I need to breed her. She is a sweet little cat whom we love dearly. I have one little Long haired Scottish Fold (yes scottish folds came from a mutated gene over 100 years ago in Scotland, a barn cat) She will be bred once when she is almost 2 years old, her ancestry will be documented for over 4 generations, and she will only be bred once. I do not breed to make money, but to ensure that the fold breed continues, with a cattery line that has been around for over 40 years with NO interbreeding and no fold to fold breeding. All the babies are hand raised and loved enourmously. Yes, I hope that she has a show quality baby, but if she dsnt, I have some beautiful little children to love. She will be spayed after that litter. I have one Short Haired fold that was just mated. She will be the last Queen in a very long line of Folds. Her babies will also be loved whether they are show quality or just lovable. She will be spayed after a surviving litter. As you can see, I love all my cats equally, whether they be feral,moggy,purebred, or a stray that happens along my doorstep. I have had many many cats that came from a shelter, and also help to find homes for shelter cats.
Just because I have decided to carry on the Scottish Fold breed, does not mean that I do not care what happens to all the mixed kitties in the world. I certainly do. So there really is not RIGHT or WRONG here. As with every other situation in the world, there is always a different way of doing things. There will always be someone who is going to do it the wrong way, and make a bad name for the ones who do it right.
I really think this is a good thread. We all can learn something from everyones opinions. We, none of us, are totally right, or totally wrong. Just a difference of opinions.
I would like to say that if a breeder is making money, then that person is not breeding properly. Breeding purebred cats is a labor of love, not profit.
I am sorry if I offended anyone.