Guest Contribution: A Poem to My Customers, from a Cat Breeder

This week we have a guest contribution from TICA Judge and Ragdoll breeder Alex Marinets. I just love this so much and can relate on so many levels. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I did! We need more things like this to help raise awareness and appreciation for the heart, dedication, time, and resources that go into being a responsible cat breeder. Please share and also try to remember this poem when you're looking for the kitten of your dreams. Thank You, Alex, for sharing this with us!

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A POEM TO MY CUSTOMERS

I am a Cat breeder

I breed Cats

I do not breed dogs, I do not breed bunnies, I breed cats

I breed them to the standard the cat association agrees upon.

I breed them to the health and personality standard I set for them.

I use the standard which is common for my breed.

I am a Cat breeder

I am not a pet store.

I can not produce the kitten you want to have within 1 day.

If you think that getting the kitten with color/pattern you want is easy, think again.

The kittens page on my web site is what I have available.

The kittens in my home which are not listed on the web site are not available.

Just because you decided today that you want a kitten does not mean that I

have one available for you to take home today.

I am a Cat breeder

If you are visiting my kittens and are not sure if you want one particular kitten, go home and make sure you want it

However, do not expect me to hold this kitten for you until you decide

If you needed to think whether to put deposit on the kitten today, and needed to think about it until tomorrow, do not be surprised that the kitten you decided upon taking tomorrow is sold to the person who was here yesterday …

Bottom line – the kitten will be held for you if you put deposit for it, no deposit, no kitten!

I like you, I trust you, but no deposit, no kitten

I am a cat breeder.

I can count and know my math.

Cats carry pregnancy for 65 days and it takes 12 weeks for average kitten to be ready to leave his mom.

Sometimes it takes 16 weeks to be ready to go.

There is nothing wrong with the kitten which needs more time, actually that kitten will adjust better to new home

I can not change this. You can not change this.

Your kitten will leave my home when it is ready.

If you are ready, it is fine, kudos to you, let’s wait for that kitten.

I am a Cat breeder

Your kitten is ready to go when it is ready

If you know upfront you are going on vacation at the time it is ready to go, that is fine

If you want me to hold your kitten longer because you need to go on vacation, please be prepared to pay for its upkeep and vet care

I am a cat breeder.

Every kitten leaving my home will be neutered or spayed, and you are going to pay for the surgery.

My vet will perform it, not your vet, my vet.

Whatever price she charges me, you will be charged

She will do her best as she does it for many years.

She knows my cats, my breed, my kittens, and I trust her.

I do not trust your vet, because I do not know him/her.

She might be better than mine vet, but I do not know it.

No, kittens altered early in life do not develop bone problems, bladder problems and whatever other problems you’ve heard about

We alter every kitten which is sold as pet or show, this is the rule and I will not bend it for you unless my vet thinks the surgery needs to be postponed

I am a Cat breeder

But I have my family, friends, work, my life and I want to keep it that way.

If I have kittens available then you may make an appointment to come and

view them.

All kittens marked as reserved on my site or I say are not available, are

not available.

The age and availability dates that I list on my site are NON negotiable;

I will not sell a kitten before I feel that it is ready to go to it's new

home.

I am a Cat breeder

I am not a bargain basement clearance store.

If you are looking for a kitten at a bargain rate; keep looking, you will not

find it here.

Every kitten that I have is raised with all the loving attention that I can

give it.

I have spent many, many hours cleaning litter boxes, feeding,

watering and worrying over each and everyone.

I am a Cat breeder

I do not sit home in front of the display window waiting for you to come.

I always ask you what time works for you for a visit.

I always make sure I give you time you select

I often have to re-schedule my appointments to make it home before you show up

So when you are 2 hours late, and did not call me, do not expect me to wait for you

I am a Cat breeder

My main goal is to keep my cattery healthy, happy and care for my kittens

So if you want to visit your kitten every week, that is not going to happen

I give you 2 visits when your kittens grows – one at the time you put deposit on it and one when it gets older, can play and had its first set of shots

I give you 1 hour for each appointment

To get you in, I need to spend at least 15 minutes or even longer of time cleaning the area, preparing for the visit

If you are 15 minutes late, you have 45 minutes left

If you are 30 min late, you have 30 min left

If you are 1 hour late, you can simply go home

I am a Cat breeder

My home is not a store with 10 000 sq feet area

My home is a home for me, my family and my cats

So if you want to take your daughter’s baseball team to visit my kittens, expect me to ask the team to stay outside

If you want to take a family of 10 to my home, give me a fair notice

I am a Cat breeder

My kittens and cats are part of my family like my kids and husband

So your kitten will be a part of your family like your kids and husband or wife

If you have young kids, I need to see them and teach them how to handle kittens

I am a Cat breeder

I do not sell kittens for special occasions and surprises

If you want to surprise your girlfriend with a young kitty in the gift box or wrapped in the paper with ribbon on it, I will not sell you a kitten

If you want a surprise Christmas gift for your mother, I will need your mother to come over and see the kitten

You will not convince me that kitten as surprise works better for you, it does work for me and do not get me started

I am a Cat breeder

I spend hours on the phone, the internet, and in person, answering the

questions of each perspective buyer.

We spent hours updating our web site, taking pictures of the kittens and post on our web site, and work on information which is clearly posted on our web site

We update our web site when we have kittens almost every week, the date on the bottom of the page clearly states this

I answer the same questions time after time, even though that information is

clearly listed on my website (hint, go and read info on my web site).

While you think you are the only one to ask me the question on the price of the kitten, you are wrong.

The prices are posted on the web site and they are not going to change if you ask about them again.

I have to put up with rude people over and over again, so when you ask me that same question again tenth time in one day and I tell you to go the web site, please do so.

I am a Cat breeder

I spend countless hours learning more about how to raise kittens better, and

more about my specific breed.

I spend enormous amounts of money at the vets, and buying cat related

supplies, such as litter and food.

IF you broke down what I bring in on each kitten as "profit" I would be

making pennies per hour.

I am a Cat breeder

My kittens and cats are my family.

I can not go on vacation often, because I have my cattery.

I can not travel with my family, because I need somebody to stay with my cats.

So when I do go on vacation, I will not update the web site, even if you email me, because I am not going to read your email.

My vacation costs me about the double it will cost you, because I need somebody to live in my home caring for my cats, so let me have that vacation in piece and quiet, thank you!

I am a Cat breeder

I am known for cutting short my vacation because one of the cats got sick.

I am known of leaving the show hall which is over 1000 km away from my home, travel back home by car at night, because one of the kittens had injury and is in the emergency room.

I am known to go to work at 6 in the morning the day after I traveled back from the show 1000 km away because I need money to feed my cats.

So when I do not get back to you with pictures of your kitten after that weekend, forgive me, I spent it tending to that same kitten.

And thanks for your understanding! It is appreciated, even though I am so tired I forgot to tell you that!

I am a Cat breeder

I spent numerous hours researching best foods you can use for your kitties

I spent numerous hours crying when my kitten almost died during major food recall in May 2008

I believe in the food I feed my kittens because that is what works for me

If you do not believe in it, do what you believe in, but do not call me back that the kitty you’ve got from me yesterday is sick with tummy ache today because you changed its food overnight.

I am a Cat breeder

I spend much money, many hours preparing for, traveling to, and attending

cat shows.

AND, I am thrilled to bring home a two dollar rosette.

No, my cats and me do not get paid for participating in the shows, it is other way around!

I know it does not matter to you if the parents of your kitten were shown, but it matters to me that I breed to the best of my breed standard

I enjoy the camaraderie of other breeders, and admire their cats even when

their cat beats mine.

I am a Cat breeder

My cats live long lives

If you are thinking that getting a kitten 1 week earlier will make it bond better, think again

You kitty will live with you for a long long life, and it will have enough time to bond with you

1 week in comparison of 16 years does not matter, trust me!

I am a Cat breeder

I communicate to other breeders in my area and beyond my area

I am friends with other breeders in my area and with many beyond my area

So if you think I do not know you visited another cattery today, think again

We are humans and by visiting many catteries in one day you endanger our cats by possible spreading of diseases

So we ask you not to visit other catteries within 2 days of visit to ours and we appreciate your cooperation and help in keeping our kittens healthy

Thanks!

I am a Cat breeder

I work with other breeders in my area

So if you want to tell me something bad about them, please think twice because I know them longer than you do and know about them more than you do

I know that they will come for help if I ask

I know that they do care for the cats as I do

I know that they produce kittens to the best of their means

I know that their momma cats will adopt my kittens if my momma cat is not feeling well or not having enough milk

I know what they charge for their kittens

So if you want to talk bad about breeders in my area, talk about them with somebody else

I am a Cat breeder

I use major cat association standard to breed to

I register all my kittens, even if they do have white ear where they should not, because they are produced by 2 parents which are pure bred and registered cats and you can not tell mother nature where to pain kitten white!

I test my parents for major genetic diseases, major communicable viruses etc

I guarantee my kittens for genetic and hereditary defects for 2 years

So if you say that you can find a kitten for 400$ elsewhere, buy that kitten!

You do not have to let me know, I know there are hundreds of back yard breeders in my area who will sell you a cat which they call ragdoll with fake papers or tell you with papers it will be 1000$ because that is what papers cost – if that is what you are looking for, go for it!

I am a Cat breeder

I spend sleepless nights bringing kittens to the world

I spend sleepless nights in the emergency rooms to save my kittens

I cry when I have to let my kittens go over the rainbow bridge

I cry when the kitten is born dead

I cry when I have to make decision and put a cat or kitten to sleep

Why do I do that?

Because I am a Cat breeder and I Love my Cats.