# Keeping a Stud: The Practicalities



## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Hi there, folks

Just another question to gather some information, if you all don't mind. I'm not ready to do anything yet, but need to start weighing up options and practicalities for the possibility of keeping a stud boy. At the moment, it really is no more than idle consideration, but nor will it progress to any more before I know the ins and outs.

I've obviously seen stud quarters when I've taken my girl to stud and visited other breeders. I've also read quite a bit about the work that goes into keeping one, i.e, cleaning, time etc, but wanted more information from those of you who keep studs, as for me, actual experience is far more informative than anything I can read.

I know there are some of you who have only outdoor quarters for the boys and some who allow the boys to come into the house. What are the benefits and drawbacks of your particular situation?
How much time do you spend with each boy each day?
How long would you say it takes to do a full pen clean? Do you hand wash it or power hose it?
Do you find that the boys are content with only a few girls, or did you need to look into other ways of satisfying him?
Does your boy live with a companion or do they live alone?
Do all of you who have a boy own your own house or do some of you rent? (important if the neighbours kick off, I'm thinking)
At what time of the day are your boys noisiest?
Do you provide separate queen's quarters even if it's only one of your own cats who is going in with the stud, or do you only do this if you're doing stud work for someone else?
What size of run do you use for your boy? Did you make this yourself or buy it in? Does it have any special features?
How do you heat your runs, as I know there are so many different options.
Did you need planning permission for your run?

I'm very happy for either in-forum answers or private ones as I know not everyone likes to discuss their arrangements openly.

I really would appreciate as much info as possible, and I appreciate that I've asked a lot, but this isn't something I'd even vaguely seriously consider until I had other peoples' experiennces coming out my ears, as I don't want to make any rash decisions that I might regret later.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Oo, I would like to know all that too - one day - I hope to have my own stud as well - but not yet.


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## Alaskacat (Aug 2, 2010)

I have two stud boys of different breeds. I got them both in 2010 as kittens. They lived together in my house until 6 months old, then the less dominant younger boy started spraying and the dominant boy was eyeing up the girls who all live in the house, so I moved both out to the garden in an insulated heated pen and run with safety corridor but no queens quarters. I have had no visiting queens to date.

They lived well together until they were nearly two, but the dominant boy started being aggressive so they now have seperate insulated heated and lit houses and runs with queens quarters. We pipe electric from the house to the pens using outdoor electrical stuff. They both have chicken heaters and ceramic bulbs so the whole pen is warm when it is on, I turn heater off in the day at the moment as the pens are in full sun all day and get warm but in the winter the heater was on 24 hours every day.

We didn't need planning permission but I did check with council first. The boys are both vocal breeds and are very noisy at dawn and dusk and whenever anyone is in the garden. We are in rural area and haven't had complaints yet, they are shut in the house part from about 10.30pm until 7am and it is so well insulated you can't hear anything and they don't shout as used to the routine. I did speak to the neighbours and asked them to let me know if wanted them shut in for a bit if they were eating out in day or were being disturbed by them - ie if working night shift but our neighbours are lovely and have never asked. It would not be possible to keep a stud boy if you have an issue with your neighbours as not fair to shut them in and they are very loud at times. 

I'm going to pm you the rest of the response if that's OK.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

I know there are some of you who have only outdoor quarters for the boys and some who allow the boys to come into the house. What are the benefits and drawbacks of your particular situation?
_My boy tends to stay in his 'outdoor' quarters BUT these are not a 4ft x 3ft hut and are equipped with a full entertainment system plus comfortable seating. It was deliberately designed to have enough space for a bedding roll so I can sleep out there if necessary. Apart from concerns over extreme weather conditions I've never had to but I wouldn't dream of leaving him out there alone if, for example, he became ill._
How much time do you spend with each boy each day?
_Too long. I clean the stud house slow time with much 'help' while secretly enjoying rubbish daytime TV. He then gets about an hour each evening as he's shut in. Again, I get to watch rubbish TV without conscience._
How long would you say it takes to do a full pen clean? Do you hand wash it or power hose it?
_Hand clean the stud house daily and power wash the run less often._
Do you find that the boys are content with only a few girls, or did you need to look into other ways of satisfying him?
_Each boy is different. Some would never be a happy stud even with a constant supply of girls. As far as I'm concerned a kitten bought as a stud should be viewed as a potential male neuter layabout until and unless it's obvious he's are going to be happy living the stud life_
Does your boy live with a companion or do they live alone?
_At the moment alone but when I bring on another boy I will neuter my existing boy and would like to see if he can then remain as a companion. Take into account it is necessary to have alternative accommodation for the companion when the active stud has a queen with him. I am not fond of the idea of constantly swapping cats in and out of the house and creating a potential upset in the equilibrium._
Do all of you who have a boy own your own house or do some of you rent? (important if the neighbours kick off, I'm thinking)
_I own._
At what time of the day are your boys noisiest?
_Difficult to say a time of day. He certainly knows when I have a queen in call though. If he were constantly noisy I would wonder if he was happy_
Do you provide separate queen's quarters even if it's only one of your own cats who is going in with the stud, or do you only do this if you're doing stud work for someone else?
_Queens quarters are a MUST. Simply throwing a queen in with a stud is a recipe for disaster._
What size of run do you use for your boy? Did you make this yourself or buy it in? Does it have any special features?
_As big as possible. Many commercially produced setups seem to have a standard minimum size of 9ft x 4ft set onto a 4ft x 3ft house. _
How do you heat your runs, as I know there are so many different options.
_I don't heat the run, I heat the house. It is about 8ft square, extremely well insulated and has thermosat controlled radator heating. Costs me a fortune and I don't begrudge a penny of it. There are much cheaper options_ 
_Did you need planning permission for your run?
No because it is basically a garden shed with a run attached which doesn't count as a permanent structure. Those living in conservation areas should check regulations carefully_


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## tellingtails (Jul 28, 2010)

My Studs and I have four two Siamese, One Blue Point named Sully, One Seal Point named Gismo, two Bengal boys One named Langley and One named Juke.

My Catteries I made myself and I am extremely proud of my achievement, they all are heated individual by two types of heating, firstly all have underfloor heating which is on 24/7 through winter, in Summer it is on timer and comes on at 5.00 Pm until 8.30am.

They all so have themostatic heating in each Cattery, which keeps the air temperature constant.

They also have two lights per Cattery, one internal and one external in the run.

I would love to take credit for this but I hired an electric firm to come and fit all the electrics and heating, in total it cost £1475 was expensive but it was defianately money well spent in my eyes as I have total peace of mind, that my Cats are fine whatever the weather throws at them.

Their runs have removeable glazing so they are good for all weather, if it is windy and rainy they can use their runs in total comfort, If it is hot and sunny it is removed to give them the benefit of the sun and fresh air. 

I also created a grooming room so I can spend loads of time out bonding with my Cats 

I do outside Stud work to keep my boys happy, but I am really strict the Queens have to be tested the morning of arrival by my Vet to ensure they are 100% healthy and virus free, the owner has to meet this cost of this in advance, they also get a copy of the test results. Our Stud service is fully insured for both liability and health.

Having studs can be incrediably noisy, so yu either have to be in the middle of nowhere or have to have tolerant neighbours, I consulted my local planning department and they send a planning officer out to have a look at what I was intending to do, they said it was fine no planning required, they gave me a letter to confirm for future reference.

Cleaning I like havoc do this by hand, and my day starts at 5.30am and my cleaning routine takes approxiamately 3 Hours.

My whole day is dedicated to my Cats and Kittens and I have built my business around this fact to allow me to spend my whole day devoted to them


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

Would add, people aways do tend to think in terms of a stud house with a rectanglar run coming straight out from it but there's nothing magic about this arrangement. The outdoor space could wrap around the stud house if this suits your space better. There's no crime in being imaginative. The only limitation is the depth of your pockets and it is worth making sure you get it right first time. It will only cost you more in the long run if you don't work out what's right for you and your situation and from the start. 

Tellingtails is absolutely right that a qualified electrician is a major part of your expense even if you do the rest of the work yourself. It isn't worth taking any risks in this area.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Thank you all so much for the responses so far. They're very, very informative

Alaskacat, of course you're welcome to PM me the rest of the response. Actually, scrub that. I think I've just got it by email!

So none of you regularly bring the boys indoors, do you? Do you know of anyone who does? I'd ideally like to do this, but only if Stud Pants are good enough, and only if it's possible without throwing the girls or the boy off too much by the moving around.

Tellingtails, would you mind awfully sending me a PM? My software won't let me initiate, but I'd dearly love to ask you some questions about the logistics of running a cattery, ones not really answered in the recent thread that you did for someone else.

Thanks again to you all. I look forward to reading more!


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## Crushmer (Nov 14, 2011)

carly87 said:


> So none of you regularly bring the boys indoors, do you? Do you know of anyone who does?


My boy stays inside 
He wears stud pants during the day and sleeps in his own pen inside the house at night, sometimes I'll let him sleep with us 
When a female is in heat and I do not want them to mate, I keep them in separate rooms just to be safe. 
We have a schedule, in the morning and evening I take off his pants and tell him to pee in his litterbox and after he has done his business I put his pants back on. I also replace his pant liners during the day as he sprays.
This all would not have been possible for me if I weren't home all day.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> So none of you regularly bring the boys indoors, do you?


Mine doesn't as a rule for a number of reasons and none of them are to do with him being able to get at my girls when I don't want him to. I do have a happy dynamic in the house and an occasional intrusion from an entire male isn't going to help maintain that. As stated, instead I and other members of my family live a great deal of our lives with him in an environment we chose to make comfortable for us all.

Much more important though is that he is available to outside girls. I wouldn't bring him in for a fortnight after a girl has been with him in case there could be anything brewing. I have the same rule for a minimum time between visiting queens for the same reason. I believe it is kinder for him to have our routine sticking to his own quarters with plenty of company than to allow him in the house regularly and then not for 2-3 weeks at a time because of my caution over infection control.

editing to add: this is exactly what I mean by looking at how YOU will work and what suits YOU. No two experienced stud owners are going to give you the same answers exactly because different things work for different situations.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

This is exactly why I'm asking questions on as many forums as possible. I need as many varying experiences as I can get so that I have more of a basis for an informed decision about whether to have a boy or not. If not, my breeding programme will suffer, but if I do it and I'm not happy or he's not happy, then that's just as bad. I'm in a real dilemma. I work full time, so need to work out a way where he can have lots of time with me without depriving the indoor cats of the same thing. I know it's going to be a megga juggling act which is why I'm being so careful before I decide one way or the other.

Crushmer, how often do you need to change his panty liners? Is he a long hair or a short hair? Are the stud pants effective at stopping him mating, or do they just contain his spraying? Do you find that he ever gets urine burns? This is something which concerns me about using the pants long-term. I worry about burning, staining, all sorts if the pants are left on too long.


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## Crushmer (Nov 14, 2011)

carly87 said:


> Crushmer, how often do you need to change his panty liners? Is he a long hair or a short hair? Are the stud pants effective at stopping him mating, or do they just contain his spraying? Do you find that he ever gets urine burns? This is something which concerns me about using the pants long-term. I worry about burning, staining, all sorts if the pants are left on too long.


It all depends how many times he sprays in a day, some days once, other days twice and some days not at all...
He has short hair.
He is unable to mate with them on, but I am not 100% positive that he will not be able to get the pants of when a female is in heat, that's why I keep them in separate rooms when a female is in heat just to be safe. 
No urine burns or staining, as I change the liners as soon as I smell that he has sprayed, it is never "dirty" for too long.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

So perhaps I need to give him a run and put him out when I'm at work, but could potentially bring him in to be with us as a family in the evenings. That way, he wouldn't be in pants all the time, and I'd be able to change him as soon as I smelled the wee. Just wondering more about big wees now. Do you reckon the pants would contain them? How did you get your boy to go in the tray on command?


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## Crushmer (Nov 14, 2011)

carly87 said:


> So perhaps I need to give him a run and put him out when I'm at work, but could potentially bring him in to be with us as a family in the evenings. That way, he wouldn't be in pants all the time, and I'd be able to change him as soon as I smelled the wee. Just wondering more about big wees now. Do you reckon the pants would contain them? How did you get your boy to go in the tray on command?


Yes you will have to put him in a run wen you are at work..
Whether it's going to contain the big wees depends on the type of liner. I use woman's sanitary pads and tried quite a few before I finally found one that can contain a big wee.
I noticed that he only went for a wee in the morning and evening, so I would take his pants of and stand with him at the litterbox repeating "pee in your litterbox" and if he wanted to walk away I would pick him up and place him at the litterbox, not allowing him to leave until he peed... He is a clever boy, so didn't take him long to get the hang of it.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Oh boy. There's so so much to think about. I'm just so worried that I do it and it all goes wrong...


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## lisa306 (Oct 3, 2010)

Hi Carly,
As you know I have Lenny, he is so good, I couldn't ask for a better boy, he does not spray nor did his father, Lenny's breeder said it can run in the family. Hoping he will stay like this. 
I have a run and a house for him which he loves to be in, but i bring him in the house, in the evening, some times he sits at the door waiting to go back to his house. other times he is happy in the house with us.
He doesn't moan or call for girls much, only now and then he has a howl.
Of course the litter tray does smell when he has used it but can easily be scooped.
So he is in the house alot, sleeps on my bed. More of a pet than a stud, but does what he has too. lol
If you want to have a chat about anything else I'll inbox you my number.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

Nobody ever gets it all perfect and we all know of improvements we would make 'next time'

My OH doesn't know it yet but I have plans for a new stud enclosure with the stud house being one of those beautiful garden chalets complete with pretty veranda. He's going to go up the wall when he realises he's got to go through the whole process of insulating, boarding out and tiling again. He'll calm down though and realise he's not doing all the work when I offer to do the hanging baskets myself


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## lisajjl1 (Jun 23, 2010)

Just wanted to share my experience having owned my first stud cat after twenty years of using other peoples studs. My boy came to me as a proven stud last summer aged around 15 months.

Firstly any book on the subject will tell you its hard work - this is an understatement, I expected hard work but now completely take my hat off to anyone with more than one stud boy and when I think back to visiting others studs I had no idea of the time and effort they were putting in to keep their boys as beautifully as they did and as content.

My first surprise was that although I expected spraying I didnt realise that this could involve soaking everything inside the house - think blankets, bed, dried food, water dish, scratching post and toys on a daily basis - trial and error I found vet bed easiest to wash and dry and the washer was on non stop. Someone advised me to clean less frequently in case this was stimulating the need for my boy to leave his scent but I ended up with a house floor with complete stagnating pools in the corners and if anything the spraying increased.

On the noise level my boy was Siamese so very loud - my neighbours are great but to maintain our good relationship I locked the house catflap from around 8pm when I know my neighbours toddler goes to bed, brought him in or went outside with him until he went to bed and then opened him up again for free access to his outdoor run at 7am - house is heated and insulated and lined out with moppable and cleanable walls and floor. We situated the house about 4m from our kitchen French Doors so we could see him all the time and he could see what was going on. If allowed access into run after dark he would yowl incessantly, during the day not so bad but still very loud and if a girl calling in the house he would call back with gusto.

He had access into the house but only under close supervision - I attempted to introduce a friend for him as I had a neutered boy when he first came but my stud boy saw my neuter as a potential love interest so that didnt work. My girls would not accept my stud boy in the house at all and had to be put in a seperate room room when he came in. Each and all of them would growl and hiss and chase him out of the house so my stud was completely dependant on me for company.

I work from home so am at home each and every day so could spend time throughout the day keeping him company - since Christmas I felt he was getting increasingly unhappy, my three girls were on a rest between litters and as time went on it became obvious he was getting really stressed and unhappy, he lost weight and started pacing his run back and forth which was really worrying....he was neutered last week at just over 2 years old as I felt he needed to have more company, human and feline, and all the benefits of a pet home. 

Dont want this to seem like a really negative post, just realistic to my own experience, I think some boys take to the life and some dont - I have an up and coming 9 month old boy who I hope will be happier as a stud, he seems to have a much more placid nature and is much more relaxed with being outside.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> Dont want this to seem like a really negative post, just realistic to my own experience,


It is realistic. There are no guarantees. If there's anything in your post that I'd say made your first experience more difficult for you than it it might have been it was taking on a grown boy from elsewhere. I know that must sound the wrong way round but in my experience you need to have a clear plan of action and start getting them used to the stud life from a fairly young age. It's easier to see if they are going to settle to it if you can start introducing them to their stud quarters young. It's probably easier to work in a companion before the potential stud is sexually mature. I can quite imagine my boy wouldn't take too well to being moved, he's definitely king of his own domain but typically all mouth and trousers.


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