Ethical Breeding VS Unethical

To be an ethical breeder is to have the time to care for the kittens. If they are working a full time job, even a stay at home job at the same time, the most they should breed a year is only one litter at the time they have the most time off. Because kittens need a lot of time and energy to care for. I am on house arrest every time a litter is born. The amount of time depends how long it takes for them to be strong and thriving. There have been times I couldn't leave the house for a month. I will always be a responsible breeder and breeding will always be my main job until I retire. They also shouldn't be breeding other breeds unless they have a system that provides a happy environment for the two different breeds. If it is just a room with several small cages to be able to breed other breeds this is also not ethical. It also shows they do not care for the well being of their cats. I cannot stand putting my cats in cages and if I do it is going to be like an apartment made for a cat where they are allowed to leave and explore everywhere. It only cost 5000-7000 to make a happy environment for them and the breeders that do this have the money and don't put it into the cattery sadly. A good breeder will always be prioritizing their cats health and happiness and their cats shouldn't be getting sick all the time.

As an ethical breeder the well being of the parents and the kittens is what matters and not the money. A breeder should never be clouded by money. The price of a Ragdoll does not determine if that breeder is ethical or not. There are unethical breeders charging 800 and unethical breeders charging 4000 a kitten. The price does not determine if they are ethical. I thought before that prices 1500 and more were ethical breeders, but I am seeing breeders that are very unethical charging 4000 a kitten. So price does not determine they are ethical. Anyone can register to become a breeder, so having a CFA or TICA registration does not automatically prove a breeder is ethical. So do not use pricing and popularity of a breeder to determine they are ethical. Red flags are kittens dying at 3 weeks old or more, swelled stomachs, poor diet (using food brand with recalls and has a history of customers complaining about health issues from the brand), swimmer syndrome and breeding kittens with a genetic defect and still breeding the parents after being aware of it. Also having disregard for their well being by intentionally exposing them to dangerous or risky situations just for the marketing.

Breeders will try telling you the most obvious signs of unhealthy kittens just to distract from the real issues of their kittens.

Breeders for big breeds like Ragdolls should wait 2 years old to breed, because the Ragdoll is a slow maturing breed. The female reproductive ability does not fully develop and their mother instinct until age two. Breeding before this age is risky and takes 24/7 care for the kittens to survive. Even with that kind of care it doesn't guarantee their survival.

Handling neonates and bringing life into this world really requires an ethical person. I hope this piece helps open eyes for what are the real red flags.

Neonates are the most fragile life forms. Just one genetic defect or irresponsible breeding can cost them their life.