# What age do u all breed your queens till ?



## Kelly35 (Sep 16, 2012)

I've seen a few adverts for the sale of breeding queens and the ages go from 2-6 so was just wondering what age do you all stop breeding your queens


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

With me it all depends on the queen, if her first litter she wasnt a very good mum then i would spay but if all is well with litters i retire mine at 4yrs old.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

All done on an individual basis - but I wouldn't be happy breeding them after that age of 5. ANd would prefer to neuter at 4.


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## pipje (Jun 29, 2011)

I think it depends on the cat. I have seen some older queens (even 8 years old!) and they looked in great condition. Anyway for BSHs, with the recently discovered prevalence of HCM, getting kittens from older queens is preferable (doesn't have to be 8 years old of course, I'd say testing negative at 5 years and up would be quite safe already).


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

My purchased girls are all contracted to be retired by age 5. So far I've retired at 3-4, but would do earlier depending on circumstances, if I've got a girl to go on with from her or she's not cut out to be a breeder.

I can't see any reason for a girl to still be breeding at 8 years old, if she's not produced anything worth keeping in that time then she shouldn't be used for breeding.


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## sharonbee (Aug 3, 2011)

I prefer to spay mine around four or no older than five if she is making a really good mum and fit enough to breed from.
We spayed Mia at 3 years old as she didn't do too well on her third litter and rejected them at three weeks, it wasn't until a couple of months later that the vet found a very aggressive form of cancer and we had to say goodbye, this must have been the reason why she felt she couldn't cope with her babies but it didn't show at that time or even when she was spayed.
It all depends on the queen really and how well they do and how healthy they are but definitely no older than five and then I think it would be before they reached their fifth birthday but in their fifth year.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

spotty cats said:


> My purchased girls are all contracted to be retired by age 5. So far I've retired at 3-4, but would do earlier depending on circumstances, if I've got a girl to go on with from her or she's not cut out to be a breeder.
> 
> I can't see any reason for a girl to still be breeding at 8 years old, if she's not produced anything worth keeping in that time then she shouldn't be used for breeding.


This I agree with - they aren't breeding machines to just keep churning out babies. 3 or 4 litters is plenty. Then spay and allow a life of luxury.


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## ChinaBlue (Feb 3, 2008)

I had mine spayed no later than 5 and my last girl at 3. They are all still with me.


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## Kelly35 (Sep 16, 2012)

Totally agree spid there were adverts for queens for sale 2of the queens were5yrs and the other queen was 3yrs so i thought i wud ask the breeding gods what they thought


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

Individual circumstances but I retired one girl at 2 and have just retired Mai Tai at 4 1/2. I wouldn't keep breeding beyond 5.
I wouldn't sell on an entire queen that I no longer wanted to breed from either. Rosie who I retired at 2 was spayed before she left


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## NewbieChan (Jun 25, 2013)

Thanks for this thread -I have one Queen currently who is still young, under 2 years old and the breeder I got her from just tried to sell me one of her queens who is 4 years old in order for me to have a greater chance of experiencing a litter as my queen is having trouble getting pregnant. But now that I read these posts I feel like I was being taken advantage of, trying to sell a cat she didnt want anymore to someone who didn't know any better  so thanks all! x (still learning)


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

I wonder why your queen is having problems getting pregnant? So far as what age to breed to I feel there isn't one single answer. 

If the queen is in good condition, is a good mother, is producing good quality healthy kittens, isn't showing signs of declining fertility I'd be happy to keep breeding her. Neutering her and using one of her daughters as a breeding queen means either rehoming her or increasing the number of cats one has, and neither of those might be paletable. But that's a lot of 'ifs' and AFAIK all queens have diminishing fertility with age.

There are several reasons I wouldn't go for the older girl. First and foremost is that is can be much harder to settle an adult (especially an entire) into a new home. Also, she will be nearer the end of her reproductive life (litter size diminishing) and if she is closely related to your girl with the problems I'd be avoiding that incase there is a genetic reason for her low fertility.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

lymorelynn said:


> I wouldn't sell on an entire queen that I no longer wanted to breed from either. Rosie who I retired at 2 was spayed before she left


I dislike girls being onsold, my cats (boys and girls) are contracted that they cannot leave me entire - which I wouldn't anyway

Many bybs pass entire cats around, they like an instant set up, no waiting for cats to mature


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## chloe1975 (Mar 17, 2013)

It depends on the cat so I don't have a set age. All our girls stay within our family once neutered as I see them as part of our family


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

Regarding buying older breeding girls,our betty boop was almost 3 when she came to me I had the choice of her or a kitten on the breeders advise she said as I was new to breeding I would possibly be better with a proven girl who was known to have uncomplicated births rather than buying the kitten which would have been anyones guess if id encounter problem during birth or not.

I had 2 litters with this girl a litter of 6 then a singleton,i then spayed her and she was rehomed to a lovely woman who lost her 15year old brit,i still get updates for her too.

So luna was one of the kittens I kept out of betty who currently has a litter herself and also gypsy is out of betty who is still not of breeding age yet.

Oh and also tassy came to me also proven but I did give breeder my word if ever I parted with her she would be spayed first,good idea to keep to you word in the breeding world as it is a small world and you don't wont to burn your bridges.


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## Kelly35 (Sep 16, 2012)

we love bsh's said:


> Regarding buying older breeding girls,our betty boop was almost 3 when she came to me I had the choice of her or a kitten on the breeders advise she said as I was new to breeding I would possibly be better with a proven girl who was known to have uncomplicated births rather than buying the kitten which would have been anyones guess if id encounter problem during birth or not.
> 
> I had 2 litters with this girl a litter of 6 then a singleton,i then spayed her and she was rehomed to a lovely woman who lost her 15year old brit,i still get updates for her too.
> 
> ...


Totally agree with ya I would hate to think of one of my girls being used like a breeding machine by sombody that i sold them on to with promises to spay if they ever re sold her as they are first and for most my babies xx I'm kinda going with the idea if I ever sold one of mine on I think I would spay her first unless she's going to somebody I totally trust xx


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

Kelly35 said:


> Totally agree with ya I would hate to think of /si6one of my girls being used like a breeding machine by sombody that i sold them on to with promises to spay if they ever re sold her as they are first and for most my babies xx I'm kinda going with the idea if I ever sold one of mine on I think I would spay her first unless she's going to somebody I totally trust xx


I agree I would consider selling a proven girl if the situation arose and she had more to give to the breed but I wouldn't even entertain nobody without a prefix and id prefer them to have a website,a good decent website not something just threw together ie 1 page etc.That narrows things down somewhat and cuts out the bkb's.Then there would be the questions.


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## Kelly35 (Sep 16, 2012)

we love bsh's said:


> I agree I would consider selling a proven girl if the situation arose and she had more to give to the breed but I wouldn't even entertain nobody without a prefix and id prefer them to have a website,a good decent website not something just threw together ie 1 page etc.That narrows things down somewhat and cuts out the bkb's.Then there would be the questions.


Oh yes plenty questions  I would have to be 1000% sure before I agreed to sell a queen I've had one of my queens spayed as I didn't feel she was right to breed with but low and behold she's now looking excellent in fact it learnt me a good and proper lesson ( never spay to early unless there are medical reasons ) but things carn't be changed now she's still my baby xx


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

Kelly35 said:


> Oh yes plenty questions  I would have to be 1000% sure before I agreed to sell a queen I've had one of my queens spayed as I didn't feel she was right to breed with but low and behold she's now looking excellent in fact it learnt me a good and proper lesson ( never spay to early unless there are medical reasons ) but things carn't be changed now she's still my baby xx


Cosmill was about to do the exact same thing,although she discussed it here and her cat was put on ovarid (sp) last I heard was the cat is looking good so yes always worth waiting a while.Although spaying could also be the reason your girl is looking sound now.Breeding eh!


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## Kelly35 (Sep 16, 2012)

we love bsh's said:


> Cosmill was about to do the exact same thing,although she discussed it here and her cat was put on ovarid (sp) last I heard was the cat is looking good so yes always worth waiting a while.Although spaying could also be the reason your girl is looking sound now.Breeding eh!


Well yes that's totally right its one of them things in never going to know but she does seem alot happier now she's been spayed xx


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

Kelly35 said:


> Well yes that's totally right its one of them things in never going to know but she does seem alot happier now she's been spayed xx


That's good.

Are you any closer to your prefix then since we last chatted?


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## Kelly35 (Sep 16, 2012)

Yeah closer lol but not there yet


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

Kelly35 said:


> Yeah closer lol but not there yet


That good to hear,i take it its the breed club rule,been a member for so long before they will sign?


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Each litter is different, a girl can have an easy birth one time and a c-section the next so there's really nothing to the excuse of buying a proven girl.

You get what you get, there are no guarantees in breeding.


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## Kelly35 (Sep 16, 2012)

we love bsh's said:


> That good to hear,i take it its the breed club rule,been a member before they will sign?


Yeah u hit the nail on the head


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## Kelly35 (Sep 16, 2012)

spotty cats said:


> Each litter is different, a girl can have an easy birth one time and a c-section the next so there's really nothing to the excuse of buying a proven girl.
> 
> You get what you get, there are no guarantees in breeding.
> 
> This so true spotty cats xx


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## sharon_gurney (Jan 27, 2010)

I spayed one of my girls at 3yrs she was a good mum and produced nice pet quality kittens, however now im well and truly into the showing she just wasn't producing the type of kitten that is required on the show bench. So Ive had her spayed and now she she is my little shadow and cant imagine parting with her.


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## Cosmills (Oct 3, 2012)

we love bsh's said:


> Cosmill was about to do the exact same thing,although she discussed it here and her cat was put on ovarid (sp) last I heard was the cat is looking good so yes always worth waiting a while.Although spaying could also be the reason your girl is looking sound now.Breeding eh!


Thought my ears were burning lol ... Yes without the forum ruby would have been spayed months ago ... Pleased I didn't , I don't like putting drugs into her but felt it was my only option, if I wanted to breed from her , Things are looking good for her , I will look at her in a few months and see where we go from there ..


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## Kelly35 (Sep 16, 2012)

Cosmills said:


> Thought my ears were burning lol ... Yes without the forum ruby would have been spayed months ago ... Pleased I didn't , I don't like putting drugs into her but felt it was my only option, if I wanted to breed from her , Things are looking good for her , I will look at her in a few months and see where we go from there ..


It was a hard decision to make too have my girl spayed but i thought it was in her best interests as i didn't want her keep coming into call if i wasn't going to breed with i felt it wasn't fair on her but she's more than doubled in size and filled out lovely i its one of them things in never going to know if she would of grew that big any way or she's put the weight on due to being spayed xx


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