Somali Cat Breeders
Sally
http://www.guinnion-somalis.co.uk
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/makeitsocats
Please reply
Thanks!
Jerry Kohl
Sally wrote:
> Looking for Somali Breeders, anyone have any ideas, the only sites I have found are
>
> http://www.godazzlem.co.uk
>
> http://www.guinnion-somalis.co.uk
>
> http://homepage.ntlworld.com/makeitsocats
>
If you are looking for breeders in the UK, I can't help, but there
are 30 or so North American breeders of Somalis listed at:
http://www.breedlist.com/na/som-na.html
We got our Somali, Kephi, from Cedarmuse, which is one of
the sites on that list that happens to be in our general neighborhood.
Good luck,
Jerry
Orchid
>Looking for Somali Breeders, anyone have any ideas, the only sites I have found are
Your best bet is to go to a local GCCF show and talk to the
exhibitors there. While you're looking for a breeder, here's some
things to keep in mind.
Orchid's Guide On How To Find A Responsible Breeder And Get The Cat Of
Your Dreams v1.5
-------------------
Purebred does not always mean high-quality. Registered does not
always mean high-quality. How then can someone interested in getting
a healthy cat find one? Here are some steps, tips, and warning signs
when trying to find a good breeder. Responsible breeders are also
known as 'hobby breeders' -- meaning that they are people who do this
for the love and advancement of the breed, not to make money. It is
very difficult to make money off of breeding purebred animals because
of the cost of showing your breeding animals to Champion or above
levels.
--------------------
First Steps:
1. Do the research.
One would think that this is a no-brainer, that of course
someone who was about to shell out a few hundred bucks for a kitten
would have made sure they knew exactly what they were getting in to.
Unfortunately, this is not often the case. Before you start calling
up breeders, do the research on the breed. Buy books on your breed
(or check them out from the library). Find out what registries have
standards for your breed, and familiarise yourself with the standards.
Find out if there is a national or international breed club for your
breed. If so, go over its website thoroughly and maybe even join it
so you get access to its bulletins and internal articles.
2. Join breed mailing lists.
This is your best conduit to people who can not only tell you
what it's really like to live with one (or more!) of these cats but
can also steer you towards respected breeders. You may even meet
breeders currently wokring within the breed! There are hundreds of
breed-specific mailing lists out there, check Yahoo Groups and other
listserv sites to find them. Or just google for 'mailing list' and
your breed name.
3. Go to cat shows.
This allows you to see the current state of the breed and puts
you in contact with multiple breeders for face-to-face time. Bring
some hand sanitizer, and they may even let you hold or pet one of
their cats. Talk to the breeders and collect business cards from the
ones you like. Make arrangements to go out and visit their catteries
if they are close enough to you. If they aren't, set up a time for a
long phone interview with the breeder.
4. Be patient.
Responsible breeders often have waiting lists for their
kittens, or may not have a litter planned for a few months. Do not
let your eagerness for a kitten shortcircuit your plans to get the
healthiest, best-bred one possible.
------------------------
The Breeder Interview:
Here are some questions you should ask and what you should be
looking for in a response. A 'no' answer to any of these questions
is not necessarily a cue to run screaming, but they are warning signs.
During this interview, you should feel as though you are being
interviewed right back. The breeder will ask questions about your
housing situation, your familial situation, your views on cat care and
vet visits, maybe even ask you for vet references. They do this
because they want their kittens to go into the best possible home.
1. Do you show, and if so, in what registry? If you don't show, why
not?
Breeders should show. Showing means that an unbiased person
(the judge) has judged their cats to be superior examples of the
breed. A breeder who shows is also going to be well-informed of the
state of the breed, and is going to have the necessary contacts and
friendships to have access to the best lines of cats. The most
respected cat registries in the US are The International Cat
Association (TICA), the American Cat Fancier's Association (ACFA), and
the Cat Fancier's Association (CFA). Respected international
registries include Federation Internationale Feline (FIFe), the
Governing Council of Cat Fancy (GCCF), the Australian Cat Federation
(ACF), and the New Zealand Cat Fancy (NZCF). A breeder should be
registered with at least one of these. (**NOTE -- If you are a breeder
or show person involved with a reputable registry not listed here,
please contact me with information about it so I can add it to the
next version of this**)
If they do not show, there should be a good, plausible reason
why not. For example, if they cannot make it to shows for some
reason, such as physical handicap or distance considerations. As
well, ask them how they determine if their cats should be bred or not
-- do they make any effort to get an unbiased, educated opinion?
2. What are your criteria for breeding quality? Show quality? Pet
quality?
This is often a good thing to ask when you have a cat or three
in front of you so the breeder can point out the good or bad features
on each cat. A breeder should have a ready answer for this.
3. What is the goal of your breeding program? What would the ideal
example of your breed look like? How are you going about achieving
that?
This should also be a ready answer. Responsible breeders have
a dream cat in mind when they decide to become breeders, and that is
what they are working towards. All responsible breeders are working
to better the breed in question. This is also an exception to the
'run away' clause. If a breeder has no goal, does not show, and says
they are 'just breeding pets', RUN AWAY. And don't look back. That
person is almost definitely a Backyard Breeder (BYB).
4. What titles do you put on your cats before you breed them?
This should be Champion at the least. There may be occasional
exceptions within a breeding program, but the majority of the cats in
a responsible program will be titled. Obviously this question does
not apply if they do not show.
5. What health problems exist in the breed? What tests are you doing
to clear your cats of them before you breed them?
Many breeds have health problems. This comes from the
unfortunate fact that most breeds were brought into existence before
we knew anything about genetics and recessive genetic diseases.
Responsible breeders are working to clear their lines of these
problems, and they do the expensive medical tests to make certain they
are not breeding animals who will pass those bad genes on. Since
you've done your research, you should know what health problems exist
in the breed. If they say that there aren't any, or leave any out you
should ask about the ones they omitted. Examples of genetic diseases
suffered by cats are Feline Hip Dysplasia, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
(HCM), luxating patellas (aka slipping knees), Polycystic Kidney
Disease (PKD), and cryptorchidism (undescended testicles). If a
breeder just says that the vet checks them over, it's a bad sign. All
of these diseases (except cyrptorchidism) require special tests that
are not done at a standard checkup.
6. What do you do to socialise your cats?
This should be a ready answer. There are so many ways to
socialise kittens that I can't give you a 'right' answer, but the
breeder should have a program in place that involves regular human
socialisation and bonding at the absolute least. Many breeders also
try to socialise to dogs, children, grooming, nail cutting, etc.
7. When can kittens come home with me?
This should be around 12 weeks old. It should *not* be 8
weeks or younger. Kittens need that third month to learn how to be
cats from Mom, and how to play gentle from siblings. They also are
learning how to talk to other cats, how to use the litterbox
consistently, and how to use the scratching post. Some breeders hold
'til 14 weeks, others will base when kittens leave their home on the
kitten itself. Bonding will not be hampered if you get a three month
old kitten instead of a two month old kitten -- you'll just get a more
confident, happier cat.
8. May I see a copy of your sales contract?
This is crucial. All breeders should have a sales contract
that addresses issues of health, includes a spay/neuter clause, and
includes a 'right of first refusal' clause. The right of first
refusal clause means that should you decide to get rid of the cat for
any reason, it *must* come back to the breeder. This shows that your
breeder cares about the animals they are sending into the world, and
that they will always be there for you for advice. Many breeders are
beginning to add 'indoor-only' and anti-declaw clauses into their
contracts, so don't be surprised if you see either of those clauses.
They should be more than happy to give you a copy of the contract when
you ask.
9. How often do you have kittens?
If they say 'all the time!' be very worried. A responsible
breeder has litters carefully planned in advance, and does not often
have more than two at the same time. This allows the breeder to give
the kittens the attention they need to be good pets.
10. May I have some references from previous pet buyers?
They should be happy to give you references, and should have
them on hand. Follow up on them -- some BYBs have begun to give out
false references.
11. What shots do you give kittens, when and why?
A twelve week old kitten should have had their first set of
shots at least, and many will have had their second set too. The
breeder should be able to explain why they give the shots they do, and
why they don't give the shots they don't.
---------------------------------
General Stuff
Breeders should not actively badmouth other breeders. If they have a
problem with another breeder's practises, they should be able to
discuss those practises and why they disagree with them calmly and
professionally.
The breeder's house/cattery should be clean. It should not smell
overpoweringly of cats, litter boxes should be clean, cats should be
healthy and well-fed. Intact males should live in spacious runs with
plenty of toys and environmental features. If females live in runs
they should be clean and spacious as well. All the cats should be
handleable, males and females alike.