Cats Are Not Dogs

They are not normally a large group or pack animal. Dogs can be raised in groups or housed together without causing stress. Cats, although very social, thrive with just one or two playmates. Reducing the size of their group reduces stress and illness. For this reason, we practice responsible breeding and ensure everyone has their own area to feel comfortable.

Good feline husbandry in healthy cattery housing, will have only 1-3 cats in a living area.  There should be a free play space that cats can rotate into in their own group numbers, lots of toys and climbing furniture. In addition the cattery should have separate and well cleaned grooming and maintenance areas, as well as a totally separated quarantine area with a separate air ventilation system. New litters, litters at different vaccination stages and those learning to use the litter box, should be separated. Areas should be divided either by full walls or by putting space or solid cleanable dividers between them, for cleanliness and disease control.

Allowing all breeding cats to run loose in a home is not good breeder practice. There is no way to have any control over parenting population or pedigree accurateness. Nor is it a way to keep disease out or a healthy thriving environment for the cats to live.  In the wild, a Lion Pride consists of about two or three males and five to ten females, along with their young.   This is with a 100 square mile are of land they patrol and defend.  That's only one Lion for every 7.5 - 8 square mile radius.  Domestic cats are much like their wild cat cousins, they are happiest and healthiest in smaller number of population in their own self claimed areas.

Breeders and pet owners alike, need to educate themselves on the amount of space cats need to promote a happy, healthy environment. They enjoy the company of one or two playmates, but if forced to live in a kennel type situation, they develop behavioral and medical problems.Upper respritory problems often occur when a kitten or cat is overly stressed.

People interested in becoming a responsible breeder should know how to properly care for their cats. A good place to start is Books like “Feline Husbandry, Diseases and Management in the Multi-Cat Environment” “Feline Husbandry, Diseases and Management in the Multi-Cat Environment” or even reading the information below, which was found on the CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) Website in addition to other great resources.

The type of space is also important, and there is not one best type. Healthy and well maintained Catteries around the world house their cats in the basement, the  bedroom, the sun-porch, and out in the garage. This area should be given up entirely to the cats, with the above divided rooms being of paramount importance. The cattery must be able to be closed off from the rest of the house. This provides climate control, sanitation, privacy, security, and breeding control. One important consideration is proper sunlight. It is of great importance for the health of the cats, and also allows them to go into regular heat cycles for breeding and health. 

Some resources suggest you visit the cattery you are adopting from. This is not necessarily the best advice. Breeders who raise their cats according to the recommendations from registries and other good breeding practice guidelines, also want to protect their cats from unnecessary germs and bacteria, not to mention safety concerns. Therefore, don’t be surprised when breeders don’t want you visiting their home. Instead, get references from previous adoption homes, call the breeder and speak with them personally, and plan to do this a few months ahead of adoption. Usually good breeders have plenty of return homes waiting for their next litter to be born.  So to get in with a responsible and proper breeder, can take months.  So be prepared to wait.

In conclusion, when choosing a good place to adopt from, you should discuss how a breeder keeps their cats. You should be looking for a breeder who has adequate space, separates their breeding cats with their own areas/territories, spends time with their cats daily, has proper ventilation, with fresh air flow for all cats, a separate room for different age litters and queens, a separate room for isolation cages for new and sick cats, and an area for the record keeping and paperwork that a cattery demands. If owning a cattery seems like a lot of hard work, complex and expensive commitment, it is.

We strongly encourage anyone adopting a kitten from anywhere, to set up an individual room or space where the kitten can retreat to avoid too much stimulation or competition with other animals.