Selling Kittens :: Breeding Purebreds
by
Karen Leigh Davis
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Selling Kittens
One of the hardest parts about being a breeder is eventually giving up the kittens and making sure they are placed in good, loving homes. A responsible breeder should not simply sell a well-bred pedigreed cat to anyone who walks in the door with the cash. The buyer needs to be able to take care of the cat properly, and must show a willingness to abide by your standards of care for the kitten.
Finding the Right Buyer
Finding the right buyer, one who will give your kitten proper health care and a stable, loving home for the rest of its life, is no easy task. That said, where can qualified buyers be found? Several venues exist for the serious breeder, including: Cat and breed clubs, which will often provide qualified buyers with lists of local breeders of good reputation. Belonging to at least one club will allow these match-ups to occur.
Cat shows, where many serious cat lovers come to scout out good breeders and shop for a particular breed of kitten. If the kittens are old enough and the show owners permit this, you may be able to bring or rent an extra benching cage and hang a “For Sale” sign on it. Always have business cards ready to hand out.
Cat magazines, which can run your advertisements on a monthly basis. Normally the potential buyers reading these magazines will be serious cat lovers and not impulse buyers.
Your veterinarian, who can certainly put you in touch with serious, qualified buyers looking for your breed of cat.
Word of mouth, especially lines of communication between breeders.
Once the local “cat” community knows about your healthy, breed-correct kittens, they will probably ring your phone right off the wall. This is one excellent reason for “networking” with other cat aficionados as often as possible.
Classified sections of the local newspapers, which are always checked by potential buyers. As a word of caution, advertising here may attract many potentially unsuitable buyers, including frequent movers and those who insist on letting their cats go outside. You will need to do some serious screening in order to find the right buyers for your valued kittens.
The Internet, where many breeders have started their own Web sites to promote their cats and catteries. You’ll have the same screening issues here that you would have with classified newspaper ads, and you may not get to meet the prospective buyer in person, if he lives far away.
The Sales Contract
Once you find a qualified buyer, you should provide a purchase agreement (or sales contract). You may need to consult an attorney to draw up a suitable contract, but generally speaking, the contract should include: A written health guarantee, including a veterinary health certificate and a warranty against any congenital defects A written bill of sale The date of purchase The kitten’s date of birth and physical description, including breed, sex, color, weight, and so forth The price of the kitten The registration number of the kitten
The Registration Papers
Soon after birth, the breeder registers each litter of purebred kittens, furnishing the registry with the pertinent breed information, registration numbers of the stud and queen, and other details. In return, he receives a litter registration with individual registration forms for each kitten in the litter.
Each buyer receives one of these individual registration forms to register the kitten they purchase. The breeder fills in the section of this form about the kitten’s sex, breed, color, and other description. Then the buyer will select a name for the kitten and send the form back to the association with the appropriate fee to register the individual. The registry verifies the pedigree and sends the buyer an owner’s registration certificate.
the registered name will appear on the owner’s certificate as “Winston’s Sammie Dee.” Breeders may choose to sell their pet-quality kittens with or without registration papers. If the buyer has purchased the papers, the breeder will need to provide these at some point, along with a pedigree. Sometimes the registration papers are not available at the time of purchase. Often, the registering of cats with the large cat registries can take some time. Or, the breeder has the right to withhold the papers until the buyer furnishes proof that the cat has been spayed or neutered. The terms should be spelled out clearly in the contract as to when the buyer will receive the papers.
Special Contract Conditions
A responsible breeder may choose to specify in the contract what special conditions, if any, are required of the buyer. These may include:
- Having the cat spayed or neutered
- Never using the cat for breeding
- Keeping the cat indoors only
- Never declawing the cat
- A no resale, return-only agreement
- Basic health care requirements
The breeder also should supply the buyer with instructions on diet, vaccination and deworming schedules, and general health care. Supplying the buyer with a record of all vaccinations and dewormings to date is mandatory.
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