# Starting breeding in this economic climate?



## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

I am rethinking my breeding plans now due to losing Phoebe. I can't help but feel that I would be silly to start now - bearing in mind the current situation and the number of unsold kittens - particularly from new breeders who have started this year....

For those of you who do breed would you start now? and is anyone else wary of the current situation? 

I don't want to go into breeding for money but feel I would be rather irresponsible to add to the dozens of unsold kittens looking for homes when I am still young and can wait and look at breeding in the future?


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## kozykatz (May 18, 2008)

well, it can certainly be difficult to sell kittens at the moment. But then I've found it fairly difficult for the last 3 years or so to sell my Asian kittens in particular, I've often been left with them till they were 5 months or more. I have decided not to risk breeding a LaPerm litter now (helped by the fact that my girl can't seem to get pregnant anyway!) as I know of a few breeders who still have unsold "kittens" over a year old 

I would think with a very popular breed it might not be too bad, that's as long as there aren't huge numbers of breeders.

I think Selkirks seem to be fairly popular now, but I'm not sure how many breeders there are.

It's good that you're thinking things over carefully before making a decision 



Soupie said:


> I am rethinking my breeding plans now due to losing Phoebe. I can't help but feel that I would be silly to start now - bearing in mind the current situation and the number of unsold kittens - particularly from new breeders who have started this year....
> 
> For those of you who do breed would you start now? and is anyone else wary of the current situation?
> 
> I don't want to go into breeding for money but feel I would be rather irresponsible to add to the dozens of unsold kittens looking for homes when I am still young and can wait and look at breeding in the future?


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## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

KK there are lots more people breeding Selkirks now .... and quite a number of breeders still with kittens born in April and May that they haven't sold .... established breeders as well as newbies? which makes me think that Selkirks have "peaked". I know some breeders with 2 or 3 litters to sell ......

I really want to breed and have an idea of lines I want to use and type to go for but can't help but feel wary - I'd probably want to keep all the kittens anyway but if there are no potential homes there then???


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

I think it depends how many queens and litters you plan on having. One litter a year you should be able to get homes. I guess it also depends on how many contacts you have in the show / breeding world who would prehaps be able to help you place kittens in homes. 

Though prehaps it is sensible to enjoy your boys for now and maybe rethink breeding sometime in the furture. There are so many kittens for sale these days and so many breeders buying in loads of queens and studs with no experience and knocking out kittens just because. They get whatever they can and don't seem to breed kittens to the breed standard etc ... 

You've done so much for the selkirk breed and maybe if you just take some years to continue learning etc and then see what you think then. But obviously only you know what is right.

You could have yourself one litter and if you have trouble with selling kittens keep one back and show him/her if you like and have your Queen neutered. You can then have another shot when you think the time is right.

I am dumb so have no idea who Phoebe is, I'm sorry you have lost her was she a new addition?

I will be getting one more cat next year to take my number to 8 and I can't wait. Long long wait


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## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

I had thought only planned one or two queens each having one litter a year but I am seeing people only having one litter not able to home their kittens? Breeding to the standard is not an issue with me - I feel much as you do Vix about being prepared - I have done tons of research and am not about to mate anything to anything just to produce something curly - am really committed to doing it right which is why I am thinking ahead now and stewarding like a maniac! I am wary about plunging in although my mentors have been very encouraging and I have been offered other queens...

I do have plenty of contacts and before Phoebe died I had people emailing asking to be put on a list for her kittens .... This is her - she was to be my foundation queen but had an allergic reaction to her rabies vaccine and was put to sleep 










On the other hand if I get another girl we are looking end of next year/early 2010 before any kits? and girls make nice show neuters too...

It's not an easy decision


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

omg, i know who you mean now. I am so so sorry, poor girl she was beautiful.... such a shame. 

as you say if you have kittens it is a long way off so why not get yourself a girl, when the time comes if it's not right you can always have her neutered?

i got candi to breed from then had her neutered as everyone is breeding bi colours now and they are as common as muck.


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## kozykatz (May 18, 2008)

That's awful about Phoebe - presumably she was being imported then, if she needed a rabies vaccination? I've never heard of this happening to an adult 



Soupie said:


> I had thought only planned one or two queens each having one litter a year but I am seeing people only having one litter not able to home their kittens? Breeding to the standard is not an issue with me - I have done tons of research and am not about to mate anything to anything just to produce something curly - am really committed to doing it right which is why I am thinking ahead now? I do have plenty of contacts and before Phoebe died I had people emailing asking to be put on a list for her kittens .... This is her - she was to be my foundation queen but had an allergic reaction to her rabies vaccine and was put to sleep
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

KK yes she was - she wasn't an adult - jab is given at about 16 weeks for kittens intending to be exported? vet said it was rare but not unheard of 

Gutted - you might recognise her from the seminar literature?


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## Leah100 (Aug 17, 2008)

She was absolutely breathtaking, how heartbreaking for you 

I think if you were staring with one queen, it would be a fair old time before you have kittens to sell anyway, and although the economic predictions are a bit dire, things could have improved in the New Year? If they do pass on these interest rate cuts that will give a lot of people a bit of disposable income back?


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## bee112 (Apr 12, 2008)

OMG Phoebe was gorgeous.. I'm so sorry you lost her :frown5:


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## Selk67U2 (May 5, 2008)

*OMG! i'm so sorry about Pheobe, she was a gorgeous girl.
I can understand how you feel. I had 1 litter last year and sold all of them within weeks of being born. This year have on had 1 litter(different Queen) and still have a kitten left who is now coming up 7 months. I wanted to breed from my white girl, to which I had already had enquiries about white kittens,not that they are guaranteed to be white, but because of not selling this last kitten I won't bring anymore into the world. As for starting as a newbie, I don't know wether I would to be honest.*


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## Saynamore (Feb 28, 2008)

That is one stunning cat, so sorry for your loss 

I would have thought it is a good time to BUY good quality kittens with show/breed potential if you are just starting out breeding. After all, if you think about it, its going to be another 12-18 months at least before your new kittens are going to produce your first breeding litter  and during that time you can always try your hand at showing to see how your kits are looking/turning out and to gain that extra experience.

So I certainly wouldnt put this current climate down as a time to not start out breeding.


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## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

Unfortunately not many like her come along! I am on some waiting lists but most Selkirks won't breed now until March time - they pack up for the winter with great regularity


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## Jen26 (Apr 22, 2008)

Iam so sorry about phoebe, Iam only on litter three up to yet ive had no problems selling them, i have found certain colours more popular than others though. 

I think there are still alot of people, especially those wanting pets that dont know what a selkirk is. If you want i can put a link to your site on my web to help spread the word abit


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## Leah100 (Aug 17, 2008)

Soupie said:


> Unfortunately not many like her come along! I am on some waiting lists but most Selkirks won't breed now until March time - they pack up for the winter with great regularity


That's a blessing! My girl is on her third full call and her babies haven't even gone to their homes yet  
You will be glad of that Winter Break when the right girlie for you comes along.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

I am a new breeder - tentatively starting out - my queen (a birman) has just been mated (we are waiting to see if she pinks) and the kits should be due 4th Jan. I too wondered about the economic climate. Luckily i have two breeders i am getting great advice from (the stud's owner and my queen's breeder). I have had loads of tentative enquiries before I even mated her, but we shall see, tentative enquiries can very easily melt away. As my lass took so long to come into season i have definately missed out on one sale as the woman got another cat. Still we shall see.


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## Biawhiska (Mar 28, 2008)

I say a house full of neuters is the way to go  the more the merrier... no noisy calling, no spraying, no worrying about what can go wrong....:yesnod: Just spend a small fortune showing yer neuters I say.


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

Soupie said:


> I am rethinking my breeding plans now due to losing Phoebe. I can't help but feel that I would be silly to start now - bearing in mind the current situation and the number of unsold kittens - particularly from new breeders who have started this year....
> 
> For those of you who do breed would you start now? and is anyone else wary of the current situation?
> 
> I don't want to go into breeding for money but feel I would be rather irresponsible to add to the dozens of unsold kittens looking for homes when I am still young and can wait and look at breeding in the future?


Given this is how you feel at the moment Soupie,then in a word no if i were you i'd wait a little while and then see how you feel,am also really sorry for the passing of your beloved lady


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

Soupie said:


> This is her - she was to be my foundation queen but had an allergic reaction to her rabies vaccine and was put to sleep


How dreadful! I am sorry. She was beautiful too.

Liz


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## Cerridwen (Jul 26, 2008)

Since I run a very small cattery I don't really care much about the general economic situation. I only take one litter at a time and if I can't get all kittens sold, I hold off with the next litter until I've managed to sell them all. No biggy.

This is the only way I can run my cattery, no matter the economic situation so not much changes now.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

im sorry to hear about your beautiful girl she was stunning, R I P little phoebe,xx


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

What a stunning cat your Phoebe was. I'm so sorry that you lost her. 
I have just bought a Siamese kitten on the active reg. in the hope of breeding her but there do seem to be an awful lot of kittens on pet websites still for sale, some even from when I was looking for a kitten and I had her booked from when she was 4 weeks old. I know it will be a while yet before I get to the breeding stage and I am hoping that things might have picked up by then. Fingers crossed anyway. ( I don't think my husband would let me keep all the kittens anyway ... but maybe the odd one .. or two)


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## Rraa (Apr 15, 2008)

Soupie, so sorry to read of the loss of your sweet girl Phoebe! what a stunning girl she was - such a dreadful shame. 

Only you can be the right person to decide on whether to start out breeding now or wait a bit. It was heartening to read that you do have contacts, have been reading up and also stewarding so it seems you know what you are talking about and have given it some careful thought. :thumbup: 

All I can post here is that my thoughts are with you and I wish you joy and success in your endeavours. Let's hope the time will be right for you soon.


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## abbscats (Nov 8, 2008)

Hi, I am also new to breeding and been doing lots of research about it for some time now. Now feeling ready and armed to breed my girl I too feel worried about finding home for my babies due to the lack of money about now. Big dilema, perhaps I am best to wait?


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## Saikou (Apr 2, 2008)

I don't think you should breed in any economic climate if you are not prepared or able to keep an entire litter for some reason. You should never bank on every kitten going, and if you have to do that then you shouldn't be having that litter jmho.


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## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

abbscats said:


> Hi, I am also new to breeding and been doing lots of research about it for some time now. Now feeling ready and armed to breed my girl I too feel worried about finding home for my babies due to the lack of money about now. Big dilema, perhaps I am best to wait?


hi and welcome, may i ask what breed your queen is,..


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## Xiaoli (Aug 10, 2008)

Helloooooooooooo Soupie

I don't think you are mad getting a breeding queen just now, as it won't be for a while that she will be old enough to have babies anyway. But I certainly wouldn't breed a litter right now. I too know far too many breeders with litters born way back that they have still got - oddly they are continuing with their plans too.

I have put my breeding plans back until there is "light at the end of the tunnel". I don't think people have the money to spend on such "luxuries" as kittens, when the price of "essentials" is sky high!


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## abbscats (Nov 8, 2008)

Thanks for all your views - I have a british shorthair queen and a devon rex. There are so many bsh around at the moment dont think i will be breeding her for a while yet.


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## abbscats (Nov 8, 2008)

Jen26 - what colours in the bsh do you find most popular / less popular. Would appreciate your veiws on this ! Does anyone else who has bsh find there are less popular colours?? Does anyone else have devon rex's?


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## Cerridwen (Jul 26, 2008)

abbscats said:


> Jen26 - what colours in the bsh do you find most popular / less popular. Would appreciate your veiws on this ! Does anyone else who has bsh find there are less popular colours?? Does anyone else have devon rex's?


I breed Devon Rex.


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## abbscats (Nov 8, 2008)

Hi, do you have any problems finding homes for your babies? Do you show?


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## Cerridwen (Jul 26, 2008)

abbscats said:


> Hi, do you have any problems finding homes for your babies? Do you show?


I live in Sweden so I'm not sure we have the same market here. Usually there are no problems for Devon Rex breeders here to find homes for their kittens. This year I've only had one litter and it resulted in only one kitten, a kitten I'm keeping, but it doesn't seem like other breeders have any problems selling their kittens.

I do show some. I don't have a show cat right now, but I do show when I have something to show.


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