HELP FOR NEW OWNERS and NEW BREEDERS
BY SYLVIA  HAUSER

To all new people getting into the cat fancy, especially those who love their babies enough to want to go through the traumas of having the patter of more tiny feet!

It is hard enough to worry about your loved and cherished pets during pregnancy and going through the birth of their new children, which I have now played midwife for well over 30 yrs. 

Once our new children arrive, mum should deal with the day to day chores, however is is usual to keep a close eye on the progression of the kittens. 

To all prospective owners: When you are looking for a new kitten makes sure you visit the breeder’s premises; Do not buy a kitten over the ‘phone! Your new kitten should come with all its paperwork, Pedigree/Registration and Vaccination Certificate. 

Also the new baby should be at least 12 weeks of age. NEVER take a kitten before it has had a full course of vaccinations, the first vaccination is given at 9 weeks and the 2nd dose at 12 weeks, so a kitten younger than 12 weeks will probably not be fully covered/vaccinated.

I will NOT sell kittens to people I feel will not make them happy, I want my babies to be loved and cherished and treated as part of your family. I often say to prospective owners with young children, if the kitten bites or scratches your child, reprimand the child, NOT the kitten, if they are not happy with this, I will not allow my kittens to go to them. My babies are not spiteful or vicious and we all know that some children do not understand as they are too young to realise if they poke the poor kittens eyes out, pull it along by the tail etc., etc., it will hurt the kitten very much.  I have bred only with cats who have a gentle and loving temperament, as temperament is genetically inherited, so Sharue babies are famous all over the world for their wonderful nature.  Only if they are hurt or ill-treated, will fear make them eventually fight back - is that not normal ?

Also, when looking for a new feline child try to go to a “closed household” this is preferable and there are many breeders out there who for clean health reasons are, like my cattery, “closed”, we have our own male(s) and female(s), so a prospective purchaser can view all the cats, Mum, Dad, Aunts, Uncles and Grannies - the lot! (Be wary if you are just shown a few kittens “produced” from another room for you to see)  

Also, if a breeder tells you the kitten you are purchasing is show quality, and if it is eligible to be shown under FIFe (Felis Britannica in England) or GCCF rules, you are then told you cannot show it, of course you need to know why!

I once had a "breeder" in Berkshire (England) who wanted to buy a 6 week old unvaccinated kitten from me, she had SEVERAL litters of kittens at the time that she admitted were ill! But still wanted to take my un-protected tiny baby into a home full of problems. (No of course I did not allow her to have the kitten)

It seems this person has as many as 7 or more litters of kittens at a time!
A Cat Lover ? I THINK NOT .......

I would also suggest caution, ESPECIALLY if you are looking for a kitten with the intent of BREEDING OR SHOW POTENTIAL. Most certainly if you are offered a kitten free of charge or on some sort of barter basis (even if you are already a breeder!!!) – be careful, due to my trusting nature I, and many other breeders have been hoodwinked by some of these people. For obvious legal reasons they cannot be named.

When you visit my home and cattery you will meet ALL of my cats, indoors; upstairs, downstairs and in the luxury heated cattery outside, where my lovely stud boys reside, you get free cuddles, lots of purrs and even a cup of tea!

I also have some veterinary experience, so will gladly give any support I can to anyone needing help or advice. (e.g. what you need, what you don't and when to panic etc.)

 

BREEDING FROM YOUR FEMALE (QUEEN)

If you wish to buy a kitten with a view to breeding, you must go to a reputable breeder, who is a current member of a cat club, I would personally recommend "The Aristocats Club", where I am a committee member. Also the kitten must be on the “active” register, under no circumstances buy a kitten for breeding without the relevant registration document / signed pedigree, which should be checked carefully.

When your female (Queen") is ready for mating, at about 12 months of age, it is always best again to try to find a boy from a limited stud, or go back to the breeder of your queen if she has other un-related males.  This you should check out many months in advance, visit the premises of the proposed stud cat, meet the boy in his stud quarters which should be clean, and see his temperament, as the temperament of kittens is genetically inherited from the sire.  It is also very important that you check any "terms and conditions" that may or may not be required by the owner of the male you wish to use for the mating. 

I have heard from so many breeders that the mating terms and conditions required by the stud owner are only given to them after the mating has taken place and are written on the mating certificate given to them when they collect their female!  This appears to be very commonplace in England.  Many breeders are unable to sell their babies because the stud owner does not want the pedigree lines to go to other breeders, however, legally YOU MUST BE TOLD IN ADVANCE. So I would suggest to take a friend along.

Check with the breeder of the female kitten you purchase, if there are any conditions for any kittens you may produce from this queen later, also later, those imposed by the owner of the stud cat, so as aforementioned legally you cannot be held to "ransom" by these breeders!  (who wish to hold the monopoly in the cat fancy - yes of course "competition brings the worst out in people" - and I suspect this will never change!) SO BE CAREFUL.

You must test your queen before she can be mated, most importantly you must also check the test certificates of the male cat you wish to use on arrival with your girl, especially if the stud owner takes queens from other breeders for mating,. you must ensure they also have had a very recent negative test, at least for FeLV, FIV and FIP, there are also many other tests available for Chlymidia, Herpes and Cat Flu etc., but these are just a few of the problems which can cause many serious illness' and possibly death of the kittens.

There are many types of illness that can be passed from cat to cat, especially when subjected to a different environment and immunities, the initial stress caused by the blood testing, (also possible eye and throat swabs), the journey from your home when you travel to the stud premises, and meeting a new cat is very high, this can also cause your queen to have lower immunity to any low grade "bugs" which just may be on the  premises, so be very careful with your girl, you want to take her home in the same healthy condition as when she arrived!

In order to register your kittens after birth you must send the "Mating Certificate" with the registration applicationform, to the club you wish to register the kittens with.

I am, and always have been a "non-political" breeder and have been happy to sell kittens for breeding to loving homes worldwide for over 30 years, providing I am happy with conditions in which my cats will live and be bred from,  especially if I allow kittens to go for breeding outside the UK, without all the aforementioned monopoly conditions, which I am happy to leave up to the new owner to decide. I find it funny that  many of these "political breeders" in England will take the Sharue cats and the Sharue bloodlines that may become available!


I am pleased to give any help and advice to anyone wishing to buy a kitten or if you need help or support with any cat problems they may have. I will also try to put them in touch with a reputable breeder in their area. However, the CAT WORLD Magazine in England is a very good source to find kittens.
There are links on my site to cat clubs and associations, and you can email them directly from there, they will try to help and give advice on most matters.


My telephone numbers are 0208 845 2137 or mobile 07989 189 888.( 10am to 7pm), or you can send me a fax to 0208 797 4737 anytime.

Good Luck and kind regards, Sylvia Hauser,
Sharue Siamese, London, England.