Copied And Shared from Long Time Persian Breeder Carissa Altschul
Some advice for new breeders:
1) Be Persistent - breeders often have "real" jobs on top of their breeding. They are often very busy. Sometimes emails/voicemails get lost or buried. The breeder isn't likely to have the time to remember to go through old emails, but you can make the effort to keep in contact. Not every day! Once a week or two, send an email out to them.
2) Be Polite - the best breeders will have more inquiries than they have kittens. Potential buyers who are rude will quickly be ignored/discarded. Breeders do talk to each other, so expect that if you are very rude to a breeder, they are going to share the experience with other breeders.
3) Be Realistic - if you are a new breeder, you simply are not going to be offered a top show cat as your first breeding cat. Breeders want their top show cats in the hands of someone who will truly show the cat to its full potential. A new breeder/exhibitor simply doesn't have the experience do to so. Top breeders didn't get where they are by getting top cats - everyone had to start with less-than-top-show to learn the ropes, including grooming, breeding philosophies, and just plain experience. Accepting breeder quality cats from top lines will get you farther in the long run than "show quality" from un-proven/non-showing lines. Breeder quality cats can often still be shown - you can still get great experience with them. Some often go on to become Grands!
4) Be Patient - show quality kittens are not born in every litter. The best breeders will not sell kittens for show purposes until the kittens are at least 12 weeks old, if not older. Do not be sold on a kitten at 2 weeks! When it comes time for you to show, remember, results are not instantaneous. Patience can bring you valuable learning experiences you will carry throughout your time in this hobby.
5) Be Prepared - both financially, structurally, and mentally. Study books on cat breeding. Have an area in your house prepared for a stud male, show cats, and breeding moms. You can't let them all run your house and expect good results. Show quality cats are not cheap, neither is showing. This is a hobby that requires a heavy investment in both time and money. To be a reputable breeder, you must be prepared to invest ample amounts of both. Additionally, it can place a heavy toll on you mentally. With the joys of raising animal comes also the grief of losing them.
6) Be Invested - in the history, present, and future of your chosen breed. Before you ever purchase your first cat, ask yourself - why do I want to do this? If it's not for the betterment of the breed, you might want to consider a different hobby. Are you going to invest in new breeders down the line when you have established yourself? If not, then perhaps you aren't as committed as you think. Being a breeder isn't about making kittens to sell, it's about preserving the breed for future generations, which includes allowing good quality kittens to be bought by other breeders when you have produced some you do not need for your own breeding program.
7) Be committed - being a breeder means a tremendous commitment of your time and resources. Every day, you have to be committed to caring for you cats, even days when you are busy with what seems like endless others chores, you still have to care for your cats. Even days when you are sick, you still have to care for your cats. Even when you are feeling like your breeding program is a failure - you still have to care for your cats. You will be exhausted and still, there will be a cat that needs your care, your time, your attention. This isn't a "I'll do it when I feel like hobby" - it's a "I will do this each and every day" hobby.
Some advice for experienced breeders:
1) Be involved - in cat clubs, in your association, in breed clubs. After you have some experience under your belt, it's time to push your involvement into other areas beyond your breeding program. Cat shows don't happen on their own - it takes the involvement of local breeders to get these shows put together and organized. The rules and regulations of an association are developed, modified, and changed by the breeders in the association. If you take an active role, you can really take ownership of the future of your hobby.
2) Be an advocate - of your breed and your hobby. There are those outside of our hobby who seek to end it. Those who believe that all breeders are "bad." Advocate for the development and preservation of purebred animals to the public. Talk to spectators about why your breed is special and deserves protection and a future. Advocate for your breed within your association. Advocate for new breeders when they are feeling alone. Remember that you were once new and probably you didn't get where you were today without others advocating for you.
3) Be friendly - not as easy as it sounds! If you spend any time in any hobby, there will of course be personalities that conflict. But that doesn't have to escalate to outright personal battles. Avoid confrontation where possible, and be professional in discussions with opposing viewpoints. Be friendly to those who you do not know. Spectators are a window to the public - be friendly with them and hopefully they will pass on to others their good experiences.
4) Be Generous - with your time, your knowledge, and the lines you have been entrusted with. Nobody "owns" a breeding line - it is carefully crafted with the attention of numerous breeders, each passing on to the next. Knowledge is also passed one from one breeder to the next, refined, learned from, and created again. Share your time, knowledge, and lines with other breeders and watch your breed and the fancy thrive and grow!
5) Be Gracious - in victory, defeat, and in conversations. Newer exhibitors look to those who are winning to see what behaviors are accepted and which are not. Set the tone in the show halls and online by demonstrating gracious behavior and you will find your hobby will become far more positive and enjoyable.
Some advice for new breeders:
1) Be Persistent - breeders often have "real" jobs on top of their breeding. They are often very busy. Sometimes emails/voicemails get lost or buried. The breeder isn't likely to have the time to remember to go through old emails, but you can make the effort to keep in contact. Not every day! Once a week or two, send an email out to them.
2) Be Polite - the best breeders will have more inquiries than they have kittens. Potential buyers who are rude will quickly be ignored/discarded. Breeders do talk to each other, so expect that if you are very rude to a breeder, they are going to share the experience with other breeders.
3) Be Realistic - if you are a new breeder, you simply are not going to be offered a top show cat as your first breeding cat. Breeders want their top show cats in the hands of someone who will truly show the cat to its full potential. A new breeder/exhibitor simply doesn't have the experience do to so. Top breeders didn't get where they are by getting top cats - everyone had to start with less-than-top-show to learn the ropes, including grooming, breeding philosophies, and just plain experience. Accepting breeder quality cats from top lines will get you farther in the long run than "show quality" from un-proven/non-showing lines. Breeder quality cats can often still be shown - you can still get great experience with them. Some often go on to become Grands!
4) Be Patient - show quality kittens are not born in every litter. The best breeders will not sell kittens for show purposes until the kittens are at least 12 weeks old, if not older. Do not be sold on a kitten at 2 weeks! When it comes time for you to show, remember, results are not instantaneous. Patience can bring you valuable learning experiences you will carry throughout your time in this hobby.
5) Be Prepared - both financially, structurally, and mentally. Study books on cat breeding. Have an area in your house prepared for a stud male, show cats, and breeding moms. You can't let them all run your house and expect good results. Show quality cats are not cheap, neither is showing. This is a hobby that requires a heavy investment in both time and money. To be a reputable breeder, you must be prepared to invest ample amounts of both. Additionally, it can place a heavy toll on you mentally. With the joys of raising animal comes also the grief of losing them.
6) Be Invested - in the history, present, and future of your chosen breed. Before you ever purchase your first cat, ask yourself - why do I want to do this? If it's not for the betterment of the breed, you might want to consider a different hobby. Are you going to invest in new breeders down the line when you have established yourself? If not, then perhaps you aren't as committed as you think. Being a breeder isn't about making kittens to sell, it's about preserving the breed for future generations, which includes allowing good quality kittens to be bought by other breeders when you have produced some you do not need for your own breeding program.
7) Be committed - being a breeder means a tremendous commitment of your time and resources. Every day, you have to be committed to caring for you cats, even days when you are busy with what seems like endless others chores, you still have to care for your cats. Even days when you are sick, you still have to care for your cats. Even when you are feeling like your breeding program is a failure - you still have to care for your cats. You will be exhausted and still, there will be a cat that needs your care, your time, your attention. This isn't a "I'll do it when I feel like hobby" - it's a "I will do this each and every day" hobby.
Some advice for experienced breeders:
1) Be involved - in cat clubs, in your association, in breed clubs. After you have some experience under your belt, it's time to push your involvement into other areas beyond your breeding program. Cat shows don't happen on their own - it takes the involvement of local breeders to get these shows put together and organized. The rules and regulations of an association are developed, modified, and changed by the breeders in the association. If you take an active role, you can really take ownership of the future of your hobby.
2) Be an advocate - of your breed and your hobby. There are those outside of our hobby who seek to end it. Those who believe that all breeders are "bad." Advocate for the development and preservation of purebred animals to the public. Talk to spectators about why your breed is special and deserves protection and a future. Advocate for your breed within your association. Advocate for new breeders when they are feeling alone. Remember that you were once new and probably you didn't get where you were today without others advocating for you.
3) Be friendly - not as easy as it sounds! If you spend any time in any hobby, there will of course be personalities that conflict. But that doesn't have to escalate to outright personal battles. Avoid confrontation where possible, and be professional in discussions with opposing viewpoints. Be friendly to those who you do not know. Spectators are a window to the public - be friendly with them and hopefully they will pass on to others their good experiences.
4) Be Generous - with your time, your knowledge, and the lines you have been entrusted with. Nobody "owns" a breeding line - it is carefully crafted with the attention of numerous breeders, each passing on to the next. Knowledge is also passed one from one breeder to the next, refined, learned from, and created again. Share your time, knowledge, and lines with other breeders and watch your breed and the fancy thrive and grow!
5) Be Gracious - in victory, defeat, and in conversations. Newer exhibitors look to those who are winning to see what behaviors are accepted and which are not. Set the tone in the show halls and online by demonstrating gracious behavior and you will find your hobby will become far more positive and enjoyable.
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