When BB came to live with me, I had two other cats-one aging red mackerel tabby domestic shorthair, and a five-year-old silver tabby Siberian neuter. Breeding was the farthest thing from my mind in fact, before I went to my first show, I had only planned to show BB until he earned his Grand Champion title to fulfill my obligation to his breeder, then he would retire and become a cherished pet. There is nothing like success to keep one coming back, but more than that, I was welcomed with open arms by many Midwest Region fanciers. It wasn't long before I had a whole new group of friends not just across my region, but across the country, and I kept coming back for more. Four years later, despite saying when I first started that I would never become a breeder, I delivered my first solo litter, and my career as a breeder was underway.
I noticed an interesting phenomenon just as my breeding career was beginning. Some of my new friends, who were long established breeders, were announcing that they were getting out of breeding. Some were older than I, some were a little younger, most were about the same age. Since I was just getting started at the same age as others who were closing their programs, this gave me food for thought. They obviously loved the cats and the shows, so why were they getting out?
“I Want To Do Other Things”
I asked one person who was closing down a breeding program why – why were you closing? The answer was simple – I want to do other things. They were retiring soon from their job, and they wanted to be free to travel (and retirement can impact income). It was hard to find people to look after litters of kittens, plus it’s a lot of work.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2023-Ausgabe von Cat Talk.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2023-Ausgabe von Cat Talk.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Checklist For What to Look For in Your Club's Next Show Venue
Show Manager To Ring One, Please
Tonkinese
When You're Well and Truly Tonked
AVOIDING The Kitten Fear Period
Young kittens seem fearless.4 As soon as those eyes open and they can get their legs under them, they are off to see the world if their mama and humans let them.
No Milk For You!
Milk Issues and Kittens
Fostering Kittens
When asked if I would be interested in fostering a queen and her eight newborn kittens, I volunteered without question.
Do You present ? Polish! OR DO YOU
IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS!
No Kitten! Cats Are Part of the Military!
Felines have graced the decks of boats and ships back nearly to the beginning of time, roaming freely on passenger ships, war vessels, and merchant schooners, keeping vermin at bay.
Feline Summer Movie Fun!
School is almost OUT! Huzzah! But raindrops are plunking against the window, the amusement and water parks haven’t opened yet, camping is out, and roasted hot dogs and S’mores are another month away.
Kittens Are Special...
...and so are some of the show rules for them:
Genetic Pleiotropy and the Risks in Breeding Recessive Mutations
Nearly everyone loves what’s rare and unique. A slight defect in the minting process of a coin can create a demand and a value well beyond the face value of the coin. The coin is functionally no different than its perfectly minted counterpart, but its scarcity and uniqueness alone make it more desirable than the rest.