Backyard Breeders & Kitten Mills

Overview:

You may have heard two terms used by pet lovers: 'Backyard Breeder (often shortened to BYB) or Puppy/Kitten Mill'. To me, they are two different things, although their definitions can certainly intertwine. A backyard breeder can also be a kitten mill & a kitten mill can also be a backyard breeder.

I guess to me, the main difference would be that a kitten mill produces animals in bulk. They have several breeds & produce large numbers of animals in order to sell to the general public & often supply pet shops. They have little regard for the welfare of the animals, they are often raised in poor conditions with little or no socialisation & not given a break from breeding. Once one litter is weaned, they are pregnant again. A kitten mill is  a commercial venture, and done so on a much larger scale, they breed solely for profit.  

A backyard breeder is somebody who is breeding  the 'pet' they purchased (who may or may not have papers) with another 'pet' & does so on a small scale, maybe even only once. They are a small operation. They may set out with good intentions & probably do love their pet, but inexperience & good intentions to 'let Fluffy have one litter', show the children the miracle of birth, or to recoup the money they paid for the kitten in the first place are all poor reasons to breed. 

So, why are backyard breeders frowned upon?

There are many reasons why backyard breeders are frowned upon. Legitimate cat breeders are registered with one of the numerous cat associations. They have to abide by the 'code of ethics' laid down by their association. If they don't abide by the code of ethics then the cat association may de-register them.

Backyard breeders don't have the benefit of the cat association to fall back on. For example, associations have many breeders from the novice to the experienced & even judges. The experienced members are able to guide the novices, and share their years of experience. If there is a question, or a problem, the novice has somewhere to go for help.

Backyard breeders usually aren't breeding to the breed standard, only producing more offspring. More often than not, they don't even know what the standard is for their chosen breed. They are producing poor examples of the breed from pet quality animals.

Backyard breeders often have little or no knowledge of genetics, health problems of that particular breed, breed standard, husbandry. They will put any male with any female without research into their lines, which animal is best suited to which. This is a dangerous & completely ignorant way to breed & is fraught with danger.

Registered breeders are aware of the health problems of particular breeds & run health checks on both parents before breeding. Backyard breeders & kitten mills won't do this.

Registered breeders will carefully screen kitten buyers. Will sell their kittens wormed, vaccinated, microchipped (where required), and often desexed. Backyard breeders often don't know about screening buyers due to lack of knowledge & experience. Therefore, they may sell their kittens to inappropriate homes. Kitten mills don't care about screening buyers at all. They are only interested in selling the animals.

Registered breeders spend a great deal of money purchasing breeding cats, often importing them from overseas. A single breeding cat can run into thousands of dollars. When they sell a 'pet quality' (this means the cat isn't of breeding or showing standard) kitten, it is just that. A pet & not to be bred with. A large number of breeders now sell their kittens desexed, but some will still sell them entire, either because they don't believe in early desexing or their vet won't do it. They are placing trust in buyers to desex their kitten at the appropriate age. Just because you have purchased a kitten, and it hasn't been desexed doesn't mean you have the right to breed from it. There are many reasons pet quality kittens shouldn't be bred with. They don't conform to the breed standard, or they may have a genetic defect, or carry a genetic defect. This doesn't mean the kitten is unwell, but it means it is not suitable to be bred with, and if it does produce a litter, it may result in the kittens having severe health problems.

A recent trend is to create new breeds with 'cool' names. For example breeding a Siamese to a Bengal & calling it a 'Bengalise' (I just made that up). That does not mean this Bengalise is a purebred, it is a cross breed & no more pedigreed than a moggy. There are some registered breeds which have been created by crossing two breeds (the Burmilla for example), but this has been done by experienced breeders, who have set up a breeding programme, carefully monitored by the cat associations. It takes many generations for these cats to be considered 'purebred' & takes a great deal of time, effort & monitoring. Backyard breeders love to create these new 'crossbreeds' & charge an arm & a leg for them. They put no thought into the ethics of this, nor if they are creating problems by combining two breeds.

How do I know if a breeder is registered or a BYB/kitten mill? How do I avoid being stung?

There is no better way of checking up on a breeder than physically visiting their home. If they won't permit you to do this, then don't buy from them. It's important to check the conditions they keep their animals in. Meet the parents, meet the kitten. Does their home look clean? Do the animals look happy, healthy & well cared for? Are the parents & kittens well socialised?

Ask the breeder which cat association they are registered with. You can then visit the website of the association & check to see if they are in fact registered.

Ask for references from previous kitten buyers.

I have known several people to purchase a kitten based purely on the breeder's website. A nice looking website is no guarantee of an ethical breeder or happy, well socialised & healthy kittens. It just means either they are good at web design or have paid a designer to make their site. So please don't be fooled by a swish looking website.

For more tips on buying a purebred cat, please read here...

At the end of the day, does it matter if I buy from a registered breeder or a BYB/kitten mill? I just want a kitten & don't care if it has papers & is registered!

Yes, by purchasing from a BYB/kitten mill, you are inadvertently supporting this unethical practice. If there are no buyers, there is no reason for them to breed.

Most people wouldn't dream of using an unlicensed plumber to work on their house, because he may do a shoddy job, which could end up costing you thousands of dollars to fix. If he's unlicensed there is little to no comeback. It's the same with BYB's. You won't get any guarantees that you are purchasing a healthy animal. I realise that life isn't so black & white & even registered breeders can sometimes have the odd sick kitten. The difference is that registered breeders will go to lengths to minimise the risks of breeding & selling unhealthy kittens by genetic testing, screening for disease, getting regular veterinary care for their animals & practicing good animal husbandry. They offer health guarantees with their kittens, and are answerable to their cat association, so if you do encounter problems, you have somebody to report them to. If you buy from a BYB, you may end up with a sick cat & thousands of dollars in veterinary bills, and even then there is no guarantee your kitten will pull through.

If you don't have a pedigree, how do you know that you are getting what you have paid for?

When you buy from a registered breeder, you are not only buying a kitten, you are getting their experience. Most BYB's don't have the experience or knowledge it takes to be a responsible breeder.

So to summarise...

Backyard breeders & kitten mills:

• Are not registered with any of the cat associations

• Don't screen for genetic problems

• Don't test the parents for disease, such as FIV

• Don't breed to nor care about the breed standard

• Don't screen potential buyers

• Don't sell their kittens with a written health guarantee

• Some sell to pet shops

• Often breed in bulk (this is more kitten mills than BYB's)

• Lack experience & knowledge of the breed, genetics & animal husbandry

I would like to finish this article by saying that there are a few registered breeders who are bad apples. Thankfully they are few & far between, but when you are looking to buy a kitten, screen the breeder thoroughly. If you do your homework, and thoroughly check out the breeder then you greatly minimise your chances of being burned.