# age to retire queens/studs



## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

just wondering what age breeders retire their queens and studs. i retire my queens at 4 years old but have been told this is possibly too young, they dont have kittens until they are one and half or 2 as i like them to be a good size before breeding. now studboys i have no idea on, my boy is 4yrs old and i know boys can be used much longer. any thoughts please.


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## louise cat crazy lady (Feb 1, 2011)

I am not a breeder, but the breeder i got my boys from lets her cats have 3 litters before they get neutered. As someone who bought kittens it made me feel good to know that mummy cat was not just pumping out kittens.


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## louise cat crazy lady (Feb 1, 2011)

oh and they have 1 litter a year. so that would make them 4ish i guess


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

I was intending to let Coda have 3 litters (possibly four IF I need that girl to replace her and haven't had it at hat point) - so she would be about 3 and 1/2 - 4 and 1/2 years old. I feel that's enough. And then if she needs to be re-homed she will still be young enough to adjust easily. Studs are different - COda's stud is about 8 I think.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

louise cat crazy lady said:


> I am not a breeder, but the breeder i got my boys from lets her cats have 3 litters before they get neutered. As someone who bought kittens it made me feel good to know that mummy cat was not just pumping out kittens.


That's right - they aren't just kitten machines and deserve a life after kittens. Calling takes it out of them, having kittens takes it out of them it can't be fun to go on having litter after litter. So three litters (four at a real push)


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

i agree with these posts. i only have one litter a year with my girls, as i see it although they are purchased active they are my pets first and any kittens born is an added enjoyment. even if my girl didnt have kittens she would still be my much loved pet. i cant rehome my retired queens as i just love them too much and would miss them but i do understand you cant always keep them all. it was mainly the stud i was worried about, hes 4 now and i was going to retire him at 5 and keep as a pet. im lucky he doesnt spray and the girls dont come into season in the winter months so he can come indoors for some pampering. i have a week old blue tabby boy so keeping a close watch as he maybe my next stud.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

My purchased girls are contracted to be retired no later than 5 years old. Some boys are sold on the same contract, my boy doesn't have an age just that he's not to be onsold entire. 

I've only retired one girl so far, she was 3. Looking to retire another later this year if I get a nice girl from her, she will be just under 3 as well. I do rehome the retired girls, I can't keep my program growing if I keep everything. 
My girls are usually bred around 12 months old.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

I have three litters from a queen. I know people do keep studs going for many years but I try to work it so they retire at around 4 years old. That's effectively 3 'working' years for a cat and I reckon they deserve a long 'retirement'. It doesn't always work out exactly as I wouldn't retire a boy without having a replacement in the wings so it takes a fair bit of advance planning


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

thankyou havoc, this was also my thinking. i have a blue tabby boy only a week old so wont know for sure if hes suitable to replace my stud as yet. the plan is he will be as hes from champion lines (mum having 17 champions alone), but you never know. if he is my boy will retire at 5yrs old.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

As long as you know what the lines can produce then look for the right temperament in a boy. I don't mean a nice nature though that is very important of course, you need a boy who will be happy as a stud. There's no point picking the best looker if he'd never be happy in his work. I know it seems strange but if I had two boys under consideration I'd pick temperament over looks every time. You know the genes are in there for the looks in his offspring whereas an unhappy cat is never OK


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## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

Lottie had 3 litters before being speyed and retired. She always put her all into her litters and had big healthy kittens - she had 18 kittens in 3 litters and I felt that was plenty. I had to rehome her as she was very dominant and couldn't cope with other cats after being speyed - she is now a single cat, totally spoiled rotten with the parents of one of my friends.

I personally feel 3 litters or by age 5 if fewer than 3 litters. I have seen people keep girls going longer but the later litters have been smaller and more sickly ...

Stud boys are another thing - in BSH it seems commong to keep boys working all their life and they seem happy, healthy and fulfilled. For me personally I will neuteer Softee once his son Bob is working and I have seen what he produces.... I'm fortunate Softee is so chilled and lives happily in a gang with 4 neuters and now his son and my new boy. He doesn't fret or pine for girls so I can play it by ear


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