After looking after your pregnant queen for nine or so weeks and having been on hand to make sure the birth went without problems, you are ready to move onto the next step in learning to breed cats.
You now have these adorable little kittens, all fluffy and helpless. You will bond with these kittens as only the hardest heart wouldn’t. This is good as you need to socialise these kittens with people. Your vet is your newest best friend as you have him check the kittens for deformities or any other problems. He will be required to confirm the pedigree papers stating that these kittens are the offspring of your queen. He will vaccinate and give booster shots. He will also make sure there are no worms, and provide documentation.
As the kittens grow and start to eat solid food, be prepared to purchase the highest quality kitten food. You want these kittens to be as healthy as they can. Their whole environment must be kept meticulously clean. If there is any lack of hygiene, there is a risk of disease and infections.
Remember, you will be feeding and keeping these kittens until they are past the normal ‘leave home by’ date. Most breeders will not allow their kittens to leave before they are three months old. Remember how old your kitten was when you got it?
You will need to think about advertising that you have kittens for sale. You will want to do more than put up a notice at your local mall. Advertising in specialised breeding journals or newspapers doesn’t come cheaply. You will need to decide on a price and draw up a contract of sale. These will include the date of birth and a physical description of each kitten. The pedigree papers need to be completed.
You will need to register the kittens with the appropriate cat register. You will need to provide a guarantee of health and that the kitten maine coon kittens for sale is free of physical or congenital defects. Your new best friend the vet will need to provide this guarantee, stating that he has examined the kitten and found it to be in perfect health. You will need registration papers for each kitten which will allow the buyer to register the kitten in their name.
You will need to decide on a contract of sale. What you will and won’t allow the purchaser to do. This can include a neutering clause, breeding requirements, a clause preventing resale of the kitten and one forbidding declawing it. You may also want to include something to prevent the kitten from being allowed to roam outdoors where it is at risk of injury or disease. You will also be expected to provide information on diet and health care needs specific to your kittens or that particular breed.
You will then need to carefully check each prospective buyer to make sure you are willing for one of your kittens to go to them. This can include everything you went through when you were purchasing your kitten so it helps if you have kept notes.
Then the day (or days) finally arrives, the exchange of cash, papers and kitten. It will feel as though you are selling your own children. You have cared for these kittens since inception. You have watched them grow in utero, been present at their birth and have cared for and played with them daily since then. You have spent countless dollars to get to this point. Then once the kittens are gone and your cat has stopped pining for them, you will need to make the decision. Will you do it again? Has it been worth it? Financially or emotionally? Only you can make that decision.