When you got your breeding cats, how did you verify the breeder you got them from did not have arthritic cats and why did you choose those bloodlines?
We hear horror story after horror story of people buying “show quality” cats that have arthritis. We ALWAYS ask, “Did you look up the parent’s scores on the TICA website?” When we got our cats, we went with Quadruple Grand Champion and Supreme Grand Champion parents and looked up the scores. They were also regional breed winners that we looked up on the TICA NW website.
These scores proved that judges handled the cat’s tail and they gave it a top 10 all breed final, which is a judges approval that this cat is a worthy example of the breed and they are giving it their stamp of approval for breeding.
Best in breed in each ring (there are usually 12 rings per show) doesn’t really count because often there is only one of certain breeds at shows. The only time it counts is during a congress ring in which there are over 20 of that breed in that class at a show. What really counts is the top 10 all breed awards the judge hands out.
Backyard breeders are usually so happy that an unreputable breeder they contacted was willing to sell them breeding cats without meeting them or seeing their show records. They go with the only person who will even sell to them. And backyard breeders don’t know how shows or titles work so they don’t look up show scores on a breeder or their cats.
We are contacted by almost every backyard breeder in the NW and usually the only question they ask is “How much”. They usually don’t even mentioning breeding or showing and when they see my pet prices, they ask if I can go cheaper if they give me one of their kittens. This is when I have to have the discussion that we hear this all the time and we don’t sell breeding cats to people who don’t show and that the prices I told them is the pet price, not breeding and showing.
We include links to our cats show results on the meet the cats page. Also see mentoring.