Kittenmills/backyard breeding

Every year all over the world thousands and thousands cats get born in conditions that re not for their best. They are born in kittenmills, for a mommy that has only one purpose in her life - to produce more and more kittens until she drops dead. These kittens are often taken away from their mom too soon and sold to people who do not know or care.
You can make the difference and help to put an end to kittenmills. Even one right choice - to not support them and to make people aware of them - can make big differences.

Below is a fictional story of the life in the kittenmills.

 

In a place that exists everywhere, a litten kitten looks out from the holes of her cage. She is still young, only 5 weeks old, but she has known hunger, thirst and pain and loss. Her mommy is not with her anymore, she was taken away week ago. Now she was waiting to make another litter of kittens to this world. Kittens that are ripped away from her side too early, just to be sold to new homes. Until that one day, that she cannot do it anymore, she is discarded and killed, as she cannot make more money to be humans.

This is kittenmill. Place where thousands and thousands of kittens are born every year. Only to earn some cash to their owners pocket. They are not vaccinated, dewormed, or fed properly.

 

Every day some people come there, to buy a kitten for themselves. Some know, that these kittens come from bad place, but still, support the kittenmill and buy the cat from mercy. Thinking, they can save the little soul. Unfortunately good deed will just save one, and make room for another litter to be born.

Sometimes, the kitten is already too sick, and after franctic efforts to save its life, it dies.

 

If you ever hear of kittenmills, please contact the animal rescue/police near your area. They will investigate, and hopefully be able to shut it down. Do not take animal just because you feel sorry for it. This just gives cash for the person responsible, and makes just more space to make more kittens. Rules of commerce are in value : If there is demand, there are sellers. If there is no demand, there is no sellers.

 

Backyard breeders are another story. I think all of us has seen advertisements of cheap, unregistered breedcats. Many think, they do not need registration papers for the cat... and if the cat is cheaper than registered... why not? Have you asked yourself, why is the kitten not registered? The cost is very small. Was it born to parents who are not eligible for breeding? Was it born to a cat that already had too frequent litters? Or is the parents even the breed they are said to be?

Popular catbreeds are often massproduced, and there can be even serious underlying genetic diseases that are passed on generation after generation as the parents are not examined. By selecting a responsible breeder, you, as a future catowner can make a choice of not supporting kittenmills/backyard breeding.

 

Few things to keep in mind when you are looking for a breedcat :

- Is the breeder registered FIFe/CFA/TICA (etc) breeder?

- When you go to see the kittens, are you allowed to see the other cats of the breeder as well and the mommy?

- Is the cat registered?

- Will the kitten be given to new home no earlier than age of 12 weeks?

- Will the kitten be vaccinated, chipped and dewormed?

If you answer NO to any of those, turn around and look for another breeder.