Department of Agriculture

This department will focus on breeding, genetics and general topics related to animal husbandry.

This shows one of our early litters with Marella (on the left) and her daughter Marina sharing mom duties.

There is a lot of information to be added to this site. Please check back with us frequently.

Did you know that a female cat is called a queen? That's just one of the more unusual facts you may discover in this section.

Breeding cats is a hobby. IF YOU ARE LUCKY, you can break even. For most cat breeders, this is a labor of love and we willingly invest our funds into our cats and breeding program, trying to improve, promote and enjoy our breeds.

Breeding is not for everyone. Many people think you can buy a male and a female cat, put them together and get beautiful babies to sell without any trouble. HA! While it can happen, the longer you breed and the more cats you bring together in one location, the better the chances that something will go wrong.

Here two litters born 9 days apart are pictured. Notice there is one white kitten under the black kitten's neck and another white kitten on top of him. These are moments breeders treasure.

Cats are not born knowing how to breed. Some females won't cycle. Others cycle all of the time and may have their bodies telling them (and the males) they are ready to conceive when they are less than six months old. That's not a good time for any cat to be bred. Most breeders wait until a female is AT LEAST one year old before breeding.

Some males just are not interested in the girls. Or they don't know how to breed and can't make a female pregnant. As strange as it may sound, it is usually best for either the male or female to be experienced for a successful mating.

A Mother's Love...

Some females are great mothers. They carry their litters well, have no problems with birth, clean off the babies and have plenty of milk with which to feed them. Others are not so lucky and may have to be taught their duties. Some will never have enough milk. Others may require a c-section in order to have their babies. Sometimes a mating may produce deformed kittens which have to be euthanized at birth because they can't nurse, etc.

Kittens grow at different rates. If kittens are born with major size differences within the same litter, the larger kittens may get all of the food and leave the smaller kittens hungry. That's where a breeder needs to step in and tube feed or bottle feed the babies with special formula.

Contrast In Size

Weaning can be simple or tough, depending on the litter. Some kittens regularly take to eating on their own, while others insist on nursing from mama, even when mama runs out of milk.

Many times a breeder needs to help kittens learn to use the litter box. If you give them a small litter box that's easy to jump in and out of, most kittens will use it consistently. However, some kittens decide not to use the box. Confining them in a relatively small area helps.

Notice we use plain clay litter. Kittens like to taste and lick everything. Clumping litter can ball up in their tummies or, if they touch a wet nose to the litter, can clog their nostrils and cause death. Clumping litter is NOT recommended for any kittens.

Here is Mina (black) and Sugar (white) with their littermate as they learn about litterboxes.

As kittens grow and learn to jump and play, it's time for them to learn other house rules. We recommend a sisal rope scratching post. It's simple to make and, with the help of a little catnip rubbed into the rope, attracts the active and imaginative kittens and adult cats. Since most people don't have rope furniture, the sisal rope scratching post teaches kittens to scratch a surface they won't see otherwise in a home.

Finding good homes for kittens is a commitment on the part of a breeder. Most responsible breeders will not allow kittens to leave the breeder's home until they are a minimum of 12 weeks old. Many of us prefer to wait until they are 16 weeks of age. Why? Because we want to enjoy the babies? While that's a commonly held belief on the part of the buyer, the real reason breeders keep kittens until they are four months old is to allow the kitten to develop a strong immune system through a series of vaccinations, gaining weight, and maturity.

It is our experience that kittens go through a "terrible two" type of attitude anywhere from 10-14 weeks of age. This is when they can "forget" to use the litter box, may resist eating dry food, don't want to be washed, blowdried or combed. With Persians a good attitude for grooming is especially important. As breeders, and someone used to handling kittens which may be difficult, it's much easier for us to cope with such problems and overcome those attitudes, with patience and lots of persistence. We don't give in to the kitten just because he or she is cute and we don't want to make them angry. Once they learn that grooming is fun and a necessary part of life, that attitude will carry forth into their new home.

Litter box lapses are very important to detect and correct immediately. Confining them in a small area or even caging for a few days at times when kittens are most likely needing to use their box are two methods of correcting such behaviour. Again, an inexperienced person, or someone who doesn't have a firm will can allow those mistakes to multiply and create a cat who never sees the need to use the box.

Here is Les Yeux, a male Chartreux who now lives in Winnipeg. He's 18 months old and an excellent example of the wonderful loving pets we produce.

The advent of early spay and neuter has added another reason to keep kittens a little longer. We have just started neutering and spaying pets prior to them leaving our home. So, when you get a Capitolcat bred pet, you won't have to worry about a female going through heat cycles or accidental pregnancy. Your male won't spray. Instead, you've got a pet that's ready to make you the star in their life.

Once the kitten is fully immunized and mature enough to handle a new family, it's a pleasure for us to see the happy faces of both kitten and people as they leave for their new home. Because we guarantee health and attitude, we want to make sure they are started off right.

So You Want To Breed Cats.....

The decision to become a breeder should not be made lightly. You are dealing with living creatures who need attention, care and a lot of hard work. A good breeder doesn't let all of their cats, both male and female run together at all times and hope they can guess which cat sired each litter. Neither does a good breeder lock their cats in a cage with no attention and to exercise.

A good breeder spends time with their cats...all of their cats, including those who may be living in a cattery. Many of us have specially designed facilities for our stud cats or female who spray. They are designed to be easily cleaned, well ventilated and to provide toys and other stimulas for the cats who live there. Perhaps the cats wear stud pants and come out to visit the family for exercise and attention. Or, the cats might be rotated with part of them caged and part of them running an exercise area for a portion of the day, then the cats switch places. Regardless of the circumstances, the breeding cats should be as well cared for as the pets. A good breeder spends time loving, grooming, and playing with those cats. In return, the cats repay with love and devotion.

Many people jump into breeding because "they only want one litter for the kids to see kittens being born" or they want some extra cash. Neither is a good reason. Often, a queen will go off to be by herself to have kittens or may have them in the middle of the night when kids are asleep or during the day when they are at school. A queen may have problems and require a cesearan section or have sickly kittens that die.

The breeders who are most successful take the time to do their homework. They study the breeds and breed standards. They learn about feline health and care. They understand this is an emotional and financial commitment to the cats and their breeding program.

If you're thinking about breeding, here are some questions to help you honestly decide if you are ready to become a breeder:

• Have you ever had a cat? - Don't laugh. Many people decide to breed before they have ever lived with a cat.
• Have you ever known any breeders?
• Have you ever been in a cattery?
• Have you studied the breeds? Do you have a favorite?
• Have you ever been to a cat show to see the breeds in person?
• What characteristics are you looking for in a breed? If you have selected a breed, what characteristics attracted you to the breed?
• What characteristics are you going to emphasize in your breeding program?

Plan Of Action:

• How do you plan to start your breeding program?
• Where do you want to be in 2 years? In 5 years?
• How will you find homes for kittens?
• If you can't find homes for kittens, what will you do?
• How long do you plan to breed an adult cat?
• How often do you plan to breed a female?
• When you decide you no longer wish to breed an adult cat, will you keep the cat or find it a new home? How will you find it a new home?
• What is the largest number of cats you wish to have in your breeding program? In your home?
• How will you house your cats? How will you handle odor, spraying cats, etc.?
• How do the other people in your home feel about breeding cats? Will they be a help or a hindrance?
• What city ordinances exist concerning breeding cats? The number of cats allowed? Will you be legal?
• If you rent your home, are animals allowed? What happens if your cats destroy carpet, etc.?

Health:

While you expect your breeding stock to be healthy, you are likely to make more trips to the vet than the average cat owner because you are dealing with hormones, probably a higher total number of cats than the average cat owner, kittens with special problems, etc. Give some consideration to these questions:

• Do you have time to take your cat to the vet as needed during normal vet hours?
• Does your vet like to work with breeders? (Many don't.) If not, do you have a local vet available who will work with you?
• Are you able to give supportive nursing care if needed for a sick animal? If not, will someone in your family take over, or will you be able to board the cat at the vet's?
• Are you capable of giving liquid medication? Pills? Injections? Can you follow the vet's instructions completely and on time or are you likely to forget to give the medication?
• How observant are you? Are you likely to spot a health problem before it becomes a major problem?
• How much research are you willing to do? Will you read technical publications with new vet information or rely solely on your vet? (A responsible breeder studies on their own, especially with problems specific to your breed.)
• How do you handle emergency situations? If confronted with a bleeding animal, would you panic, or can you administer first aid?
• Do you have a cage or very small room in which to confine an ill cat if you need to separate it from the other cats for medical reasons?
• Have you ever had to make the decision to euthanise a cat? If not, do you feel you could make that decision? Would you find it harder to make that decision for a kitten?

Caring For A Pregnant Female And Kittens:

• How will you handle births? Arte you able to take time off from work when mama cat is due? Will a competent friend or family member be available? Can you check on mama during the day or have someone else checking for you?
• Have you ever watched anything born? If mama is in trouble, will you have a good sense that she needs help?
• How will you feel if you have deformed or stillborn kittens? (It happens to the best of breeders...sometimes the breeding doesn't "click" or there are birth defects.)
• If mama doesn't have milk, are you prepared to feed the kittens formula? (For the first few days this means feeding every two hours (and making the kittens go potty). After that, you'll need to feed every four hours for several weeks.)
• Have you ever had to feed tiny babies and be solely responsible for them?
• How will you wean kittens and train them to use the litter box? (While mama cat sometimes does this, you may have to help. Again, you'll probably have to feed several tims a day.)
• How will you handle vaccinations?
• If kittens are ill and need specialized medical care, how far are you willing to go to save the kittens?

Our Recommendations:

If you have answered the above questions and think you are ready to start breeding, here are a few recommendations:

• Select a breed. Research the breeds. Then go to a couple of shows and meet the cats. Find a breed which fits you, your family and your lifestyle.

• Find a breeder with whom you can work. This person can serve as a mentor and help you through the basics of breeding. Shows are a great place to see who lives in your area...or fairly close to you. Talk with other exhibitors and ask them who they consider good breeders in the area.

  It should be noted that having a breeder nearby can be a great asset when you need a referral to a vet, need a feeding tube on a weekend, etc. The breeder does not have to have your chosen breed. If you can find a friendly breeder nearby, that person could serve as a mentor to get you started. However, you will need to find a mentor who works with your breed to answer breed specific questions as well.

• Buy a cat of your chosen breed to show in the alter (neuter/spay) class. If you haven't lived with the breed before, an alter is a great way to experience the breed. Learn what it's like to live with the breed. Learn the breed standard and what each characteristic means. Learn what common defects might be found in that breed.

  Showing an alter gives you vital experience in learning the breed. It usually also opens doors to breeders. If you show a good quality alter that is healthy, with good personality and groomed well, it makes a breeder more willing to talk with you about the breed and about selling you a female.

• Start slow. The breeders who jump in too quickly often get burned and jump right back out. The vast majority of cat breeders quit in less than five years. If you keep your numbers down and learn as you go, you're less likely to make major mistakes that would cause you to quit.

• Buy only from breeder(s) who are willing to answer questions, explain things thoroughly and give you time. Too many breeders forget what it was like to start out. However, don't waste their time asking the same time over and over. Pick up some books, research on the Internet and try to learn on your own as well. Be courteous to your breeder/mentor and only ask again if you need clarification.

• For your first breeding cat, try to buy an experienced female. Try to find the best quality cat that you can afford, but, in any case, it should not have any major defects. If the cat has a major fault for the breed, wait until you find one that doesn't. This is the start of your breeding program and finding the right cat is important.

  Here's where working with a good breeder can pay off. Perhaps that person has a cat who has produced nice stuff for them, but they are trying to reduce numbers and want to spay her. Ask if you can buy her with the agreement to use her for only 1-2 more litters, then you'll spay her. If possible, negotiate a stud service at the same time.

• If you get good quality female kittens from the breeding, keep one to start off your breeding program.

• Don't buy a stud until you'd had at least one litter and are absolutely certain that you want to do this.

• Make all of your initial deals in cash. It's a lot cheaper on the surface to promise a kitten back or make other "trade" arrangements, but you don't know what will happen. If you deal in cash, with contracts, you protect both yourself and the breeder(s) with whom your are working. When cash changes hands, get a receipt...even a torn sheet of paper with the date, the names, the amount and reason for the transaction is fine. Just get the receipt.

  Warning. If you decide to make your deals in trades, etc. make sure the contract spells out what happens if no kittens survive, mom becomes ill, etc. And be forewarned this method may actually cost you a lot more in the future.

• Don't sell any breeding cats out of your first litter. This is your reputation on the line, so take the safe route and pet them out, unless you find someone who wants to show an alter. Only sell a show cat from the first litter if you have other breeders of that breed (preferably the same breeders where you got your stock and who know the bloodlines and how they develop) tell you the kittens have show potential. The only possibility for selling breeding cats in the initial litter should be if one of the breeders of your foundation stock wants a kitten.

  You will learn a great deal about selling kittens and how to gauge the intent of kitten buyers with your first litter. By selling the kittens as pets, you protect yourself from the extra hassle of trying to sell breeding stock based on your limited knowledge of the breed and the bloodlines. No matter how much you learn in advance, you will continue to learn. Again, start slowly.

  When you start to consider selling breeding stock, it should only be when one of the parents of the litter is your breeding. That gives you more ownership in the lines going into the kitten. Again, this is a guideline, based on our experience. It's very easy to say these are nice kittens and can go into breeding homes. Suitable breeding homes are not that easy to find. Being picky will get you much farther in the long term.

• If selling as pets or alters, either have the kitten neutered or spayed before the buyer picks it up, or hang onto the registration papers until you receive a certificate from the buyer's vet that the kitten was neutered or spayed. If you send the registration papers with the kitten, even with the "must be altered" section checked, that sometimes gets changed and the person starts breeding. Save the hassle and speuter before they leave your home.

• Give your cat the best possible food and vet care. The best food will help prevent extra vet costs, but don't skimp there when necessary.

• Have an emergency fund. You never know when you will be hit with an URI (upper respiratory infection), ringworm, fleas, etc. The unexpected can and will happen. You'll probably need to treat all of the animals in the house and this can get expensive very rapidly, especially if you have a couple of litters of kittens in the house. Accidents happen as well that may demand emergency surgery. If you don't have a contingency fund, you probably shouldn't be breeding animals.

• Find a good vet. A good vet who is used to dealing with breeders and multiple cat households is a must. Find someone willing to work with you to provide care. Find someone who is willing to explain the disease or problem and treatment options. A good vet has decent emergency access.

  This can't be emphasized enough. There are many, many wonderful vets in the world and a whole lot of vets who do not want to do anything more than routine spay, neuter and vaccinations. Find a vet who likes a challenge. Find a vet with an appreciation for purebred animals. Find a vet with whom you are comfortable and feel you can communicate.

• If you don't understand or think you might not have the information correct, ask again. Vets and breeders, like all people, are not perfect. When a vet tells you give 1/2 pill twice a day and you've been giving one pill twice a day previously, ask. Perhaps the instruction were written wrong, or there is a reason for a change in medication.

• Keep on learning. It's amazing how much information (and misinformation) is available. Breeders make judgment based on their knowledge and experience. Some breeders learn from their experience and others are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over. Sift through the information and see what makes sense.

  If you have questions, email us.

  

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