Why do cats with pedigree cost

I dedicate this article to those people who would like to buy a cat with pedigree and expect to spend little…

Let me start by telling you that in the past I also thought that it was absurd to spend money for expensive cats while I could find a nice kitty without spending a penny. Afterall I always had a house full of cats, sometimes even more than four at once.

Then one day I fell in love with Siberian cats, because of their size, for their morphological characteristics, and their personality. So one day I decided to breed them. I began with a frantic search for information about the breeding of cats, which lasted for many months. I looked for reliable traditional Siberian catteries around the world, checking the pedigrees of their cats and then trying to reserve kittens. So many disappointments... You cannot imagine the amount of ‘NO’s that I received, because a serious breeder does not sell cats for breeding to an unknown person, especially to an absolute beginner.

How much does a cat for breeding and show cost?

Let's start with my cats. Now I have one male and two females that I bought around Europe. I paid for each of them from 1,000 to 1,300 Euro (before travel). In addition the cost of the kittens there are the travelling costs: two trips by plane to the north of Europe, specifically in Poland, in two distant places from each other, and a long drive to the north of Switzerland. Hence, another about 1000 euro just to pick-up the kittens and take them to their new home. Preparing their new home also had its costs: carriers, rugs, scratching posts, various bowls, etc. and etc., which built up to another 600 euro, to which other 3-4000 euro will be added to add gates, separations, fences, etc, so that the cats can be separated from each other when necessary, and so that they spend some time outdoors without the risk of them escaping into the wilds. Then there are different visits to the vet, animal check-ups, vaccinations, so another 600 euro might be required, if the cats do not get seriously ill (catch a flu, for instance). Before I could breed my cats and produce some furry little kittens I had to keep them healthy with an alert mind, so I spend a lot of time with them playing and taking care of them. I also had to buy different games in order to stimulate their curiosity and develop their intelligence, and hence for this purpose another 150 euro goes away. Then one must consider nutrition and its quality. It is said that:  “mens sana in corpore sano” it works not only for us humans, but also for cats. And last but not least, I had to participate to exhibitions to acquire judgments and possibly championship titles. As far as exhibitions are concerned, the costs, including registration, hotel and travel, are about 300 euro. Finally the good news: my female cat got pregnant. Somewhat more than two months later I could look upon my first breed of Siberian kittens, six which made me a very  ‘aunt’. But kittens mean other costs: preparation of a nursery room, small medical equipment, additional veterinary visits, supplements, disinfectants, diapers and food dedicated to kittens and their mother. How much does one kitten cost during its first 3 months? The first 3 weeks they drink only milk from their mother; after 3 weeks they eat super nutritious and special foods for kittens. then there are veterinary visits, vaccinations, birth registration, the costs for registering their pedigree, new games for kittens. So all together the expenses for a kitten are about 300 euro.

I decided to limit to one litter per year for each female breeder, and after 5 or 6 years of reproductive life I will have my female cats “retire”, however the cost of the retired cats remain on the shoulders of the breeder.  All cats deserve a long and happy life.

Finally there are other costs such PR, managing websites, advertising.

At this point you should ask yourself? Is 800-1,000 euro to much of a price for a kitten that will keep you company for fifteen-twenty years?

As I wrote before a serious breeder invests a lot of money, many hours of work, love, his/her heart and soul; in return the buyer has the security of a safe and a healthy kitten with a well-balanced character, weaned, vaccinated, and in the case of traditional Siberians, also hypoallergenic.

Be careful! NEVER try to buy a cat with pedigree that costs too little, because it may be a cat of dubious origin or without a real pedigree. It could be ill or carry a severe genetic disease and you will have to spend money for medical care.

However, if you are not willing to spend 800-1000 euros for a kitten with pedigree, you can do a very simple thing: go to an animal shelter and adopt a nice kitten that will need your infinite love and who will be grateful to you for the rest of their life.