Do you have any advice on finding ethical cat breeders? I've only ever adopted, but I'm hoping to get hairless (or slightly haired) breed in the future due to my partner's allergies.
oh sure, here's what sold me on the breeder I'm currently wait-listed for:
she lists the 40+ health tests her animals have gone through, and has the results uploaded onto her website
each cat has their coefficient of inbreeding visible
it's not a kitten factory. there are set times of year when breeding occurs (in this case, spring and fall)
breeding animals have short careers and then are retired, to avoid strain on their bodies, and allow them to live as pets
she attends cat shows to ensure her animals are meeting breed standards
there are rarely any kittens 'for sale', as most sales are done through a waitlist. this means that even before being born, most of the kittens she produces already have waiting homes.
she requires buyers to sign a contract saying that this will be an indoor cat, and that there will be no declawing
also in the contract: if for whatever reason you can no longer care for your cat, she will take it back and find a home for it.
doesn't breed for any unethical traits (extreme brachycephaly, manx tails, folded ears, lykoi fur mutation, munchkin legs, etc.)
doesn't make outlandish claims - anyone who breeds lower allergen cats should be forthright about the fact that no cat will truly be hypoallergenic, only less allergenic
requires the cat to have a feline companion if it is of a more social breed (oriental, siamese, devon rex, etc)
has a 2 year congenital health guarantee
there's probably more, but that's off the top of my head!
EDIT: as for your particular situation, aim for breeds that produce less of the protein in their saliva that triggers allergies. Devon Rexes (the breed I'm getting) are a double whammy in this regard, as they produce less of the protein, and shed less fur into their environment.
2K notes
·
View notes