Why does a Birman kitten cost so much?
On this page, we try to briefly explain which and how many factors influence the running of a cattery and consequently the determination of price, in the hope that this will enlighten beginners about the amount of work that each individual kitten requires.
Choice costs
Every pedigree cat is the result of the selection work of its ancestors, which involved people and energy. If you are guaranteed a certain appearance and character by purchasing a purebred cat, it is only thanks to this meticulous work of research and study. Furthermore, if you are privileged to come across the offspring of award-winning cats (grand international champions, European champions, etc.), the cat is all the more valuable because it has a good chance of inheriting the excellent morphological and character traits of its parents.
Reproduction costs
To start a breeding program, you need to have at least one female. Finding a suitable breeding female can take a long time and is certainly worth a lot of money.
If you then decide to also buy a male (necessary to start a line), he will need to be a great representative of the breed and a show male costs much more than a pet puppy.
Note: if you do not have your own male, you will need to consider the costs of external mating, which are usually the same as for a puppy.
Equipment costs
A proper breeding program requires a well-managed space that is compatible with the number of cats present. As the cattery grows, it will be necessary to build more and more space in terms of available space, fences, runners, as well as scratching posts, cat litter boxes and everything else needed to coexist with the kittens.
Did you know?
A mother cat's pregnancy lasts about two months, and a few days after giving birth, the cat will quadruple her daily energy needs.
Veterinary care costs
A breeding cat that cares about the health of its kittens includes at least a series of annual visits to the veterinarian, which all its cats (including neutered ones) undergo. These include a general check-up, trivalent vaccinations, FIV/FeLV vaccines. If, unfortunately, a cat gets sick, the costs increase.
Cost of tests to prevent genetic diseases
A serious, but also careful cattery should test its cats for a set of genetic defects known for the breed they breed. However, these tests, which must be renewed every year and for each breeder, have a cost for the breeders (in terms of annual ultrasounds and/or DNA tests), which in addition to ensuring the health of the puppy, undoubtedly affects the final price.
The cost of quality nutrition
You can’t expect to have beautiful, healthy cats if you feed them cheap food bought at the first discount store you come across. Those savings will translate into veterinary costs needed to treat diseases and deficiencies caused by poor nutrition in the long run.
Feeding cats requires specific Super Premium quality food that can only be purchased in specialty stores at prices that are very different from the affordable cost of cheaper brands available in supermarkets.
The cost of each pregnancy
A mother cat’s pregnancy lasts about two months, and a few days after giving birth, the cat will quadruple her daily energy needs. She will also need to undergo at least one ultrasound to monitor the pregnancy and the number of kittens. Hoping that everything goes well…
Price of each litter
Each litter is a joy that renews itself, but it also has costs that add up.
The mother cat should be monitored with ultrasound immediately after giving birth to prevent possible postpartum infections. If the litter is large, the mother’s milk should be supplemented with artificial milk for kittens (which costs the same as powdered milk for human use!), which is given with a special bottle from the first days of life and for at least 3 weeks, every 2-3 hours, including nights.
The kittens should be dewormed, vaccinated, and for the best possible stimulation of the development of digestive abilities, they should be weaned with premium food and sometimes helped with supplements that accompany their growth.
Throughout the lactation period, the mother cat will have a constantly increasing daily energy requirement, which will only return to normal levels when the kittens are completely weaned.
Once again, hoping that everything will be fine. If one of the kittens gets sick and unfortunately passes its problems on to its siblings, the entire litter can be lost in a few days.
Cost of rehoming a mother cat
Once the kittens are weaned, the mother cat needs to regain her strength regardless of her diet, and she may need to take nutritional supplements to allow her to regain all her strength.
Travel expenses
Shows are essential for a breeder who is serious about his breed, as they allow him, regardless of the results, to see what other enthusiasts are doing and possibly if he is making mistakes in his selection work. Often, a breeder travels around his home country and abroad for shows. Each show can therefore cost road tolls, petrol (or a plane ticket for at least one person and the cost of transporting the cats and equipment), hotel, food…
Advertising
Introducing yourself also means publishing advertisements in specialized magazines and on websites, the publication of which can cost several hundred euros each year.
Cost of official documents
Insignificant costs compared to other items, but still part of the breeding budget (e.g. pedigree requirement, 30 euros per puppy).
Training costs
Breeders are not born, they are made. And becoming one requires, in addition to passion and dedication, also and above all, study and training. Books on genetics, biology, ethology and specialized journals are expensive and require time and concentration to assimilate.
Cleaning costs
Cats need to be kept in a clean, hygienic and well-groomed environment. Special products have high costs.
If things don't work...
Finally, it is important to emphasize that all of these expenses can increase to dizzying heights if something goes wrong: a male or female becomes ill, an intolerance that needs to be controlled with diet food, a cat suddenly excluded from the program, an entire litter that needs to be helped pharmacologically, and much, much more…