Persian Cat Breeders:
"Hobby vs. Commercial or Wholesale Persian Cat Breeder"
Persian cat breeders, Persian catteries, and commercial Persian cat breeders come in many different sizes and have many different philosophies about why they are breeding cats. The only thing they all have in common is that they breed Persian cats.
- What are commercial or wholesale Persian cat breeders?
- Is there a difference between someone who breeds their Persian cats as a hobby and someone who breeds as many cats as they can, as often as they can?
Commercial and Wholesale Persian Cat Breeders -
Commercial breeders have a building (or buildings) that house many cats - more cats than could comfortably be kept in one's home. The cats kept by commercial breeders are usually kept in small, individual cages for their entire lives. These cats exist for the sole purpose of reproducing. Once they can no longer reproduce they are disposed of. These cats are usually unsocialized and would probably never make a loving and social house cat. For all intents and purposes, these cats are wild.
A commercial breeder may or may not be licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA") which inspects and licenses breeders that produce or transfer ownership of a certain number of kittens or dogs on a yearly basis. Being licensed by the USDA is NOT a seal of approval of a healthy, socialized, or pedigreed Persian kitten.
A commercial breeder sells their kittens to either a wholesaler or to a pet shop (which is basically a wholesaler). These kittens are sold all at once as an entire litter or in large batches to the wholesalers and pet shops. A commercial breeder usually does not sell their kittens to private individuals looking for a family pet. The pet shops then re-sell the kittens to individuals looking for a purebred Persian cat for their family. Pet shop kittens may or may not come with registration papers.
A commercial breeder never knows the final destination of their kittens. They never meet the people who get one of their kittens to find out if it is a suitable home for a Persian cat. A commercial breeder never gets pictures of their kittens or letters from the "proud owners" of their kittens. A commercial breeder never provides any written or genetic health guarantee for their kittens. A commercial breeder does not research or much care about their Persian cats' pedigree, and they do not screen or test for known health problems in the Persian breed (i.e., PKD).
A commercial breeders' sole purpose in breeding Persian cats is as an income producing endeavor. Hence, the term "commercial" - the intent of producing income.
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