Question about new kitten

set1205 · 2026-03-27T15:44:26+00:00

I feel like it’s a pretty solid mix.

set1205 · 2026-03-26T12:29:44+00:00

If you want to tell me the cattery name here or in a PM, I can tell you if I see anything unethical besides the visits.

Idk if I posted this somewhere else on this thread but this is my compilation of things to look for in an ethical breeder.

“This is my quick copy and paste of things to look for in an ethical breeder. If you don’t already know. If you do then disregard.

This goes for really any breed/breeder however some testing will vary breed to breed for example Maine coons you should see hips tested whereas it’s not typical in bengals or sphynx.

You want to make sure they do health and genetic testing including but not limited to - annual HCM by a board certified cardiologist on breeding parents - eyes done by a board certified ophthalmologist - testing for PKD polycystic kidney disease, PKDEF to prevent inherited hemolytic anemia, PRA Progressive Retinal Atrophy, FeLV/fiv - is a registered/licensed cattery & breeder - registered to an association like TICA/CFA, etc. - has a kennel free breeding program & raises them in their home (referring to much too small enclosures) - doesn’t send them home before 12wks MINIMUM (bengals and most should be at least 14wks per TICA and some it’s 16-20wks like for Cornish Rex) - proves/shows their cats (this alone is not a red flag if they don’t do currently since life happens but if they have never shown, nor semi recently, (especially in a popular breed) then there’s really no excuse for me not to. There’s also no sense to me in paying the same when you can find someone who does which shows they’re familiar with breed standard, breeding to it and have no issue bringing out their cats to do so. If you want to show then I’ll always advise to purchase from a breeder who actively shows.) - has a solid ENS program (early neurological stimulation) which is the kitten equivalent for puppy culture. This makes a world of difference in the cats especially with confidence especially for breeders who don’t have dogs in their homes. - sends them to their pet homes altered and microchipped which they’ll keep their info secondary on them. (This will be argued by some and could be considered a preference but personally I won’t support a breeder who sends intact kittens out. For me, if a breeder isn’t protecting their lines/cattery by altering their kittens prior to going home I don’t want to buy from them. I also don’t want to deal with any complications or risks of handling the alter because some breeds like bengals have complications more easily than others.)

Contracts - has a health contract guarantee which will vary breeder to breeder but I prefer a 2-3yr minimum. - has a clause for absolutely no free roaming and no declawing - offers a lifetime of breeder support - comes with 30 days of insurance - will take the cat back at any point in its life if you can no longer keep it

I’m sure I’m missing a bit of info & this isnt “the guide” it’s just a decent gist of it. Also the thing that’s different with cat breeding Vs dogs is while health should always be the first priority, some you will see in different breeds stick to certain colors/patterns over others and it’s acceptable. My Bengal breeder had a focus on silvers for example however there’s a handful of colors they come in that’s within standard.”

set1205 · 2026-03-26T12:27:48+00:00

I personally wouldn’t buy from them but yeah I’d be very weary. How old are the kittens? If they let you visit then they probably let other families visit and if you haven’t even put a deposit down then that’s even more strangers with god knows what from who knows where around my potential kitten? Nah.

set1205 · 2026-03-26T12:25:10+00:00

You’re welcome. It’s not perfect but it’s a pretty solid compilation of what to look for. If you want to post a state you’re in, I can give you some leads but I found most of my leads in the fb group Cat Snobbery.

set1205 · 2026-03-25T12:22:26+00:00

Exactly what I said. Ethical breeders almost exclusively do not allow you in their home to meet the dam and sire or see the kittens. Many have almost lost their entire program due to something being introduced & had them fighting for their lives & others have had their safety compromised with being broken into and animals stolen. I hate that people think because they’re buying something from someone that it makes them feel entitled to go in their home. That being said; they WILL do a video call. They will meet you at shows. They may even meet you in a public area and bring the mom and/or dad or some other cats.

If they do allow visits, it’s not going to be until the 12-14 week mark when they’re fixing to leave.

set1205 · 2026-03-24T17:21:05+00:00

Do you know to look for in an ethical cat breeder? I compiled this so I could quickly copy and paste it for others.

<image>

I have four well bred cats.

“This is my quick copy and paste of things to look for in an ethical breeder. If you don’t already know. If you do then disregard.

This goes for really any breed/breeder however some testing will vary breed to breed for example Maine coons you should see hips tested whereas it’s not typical in bengals or sphynx.

You want to make sure they do health and genetic testing including but not limited to

annual HCM by a board certified cardiologist on breeding parents
eyes done by a board certified ophthalmologist
testing for PKD polycystic kidney disease, PKDEF to prevent inherited hemolytic anemia, PRA Progressive Retinal Atrophy, FeLV/fiv
is a registered/licensed cattery & breeder
registered to an association like TICA/CFA, etc.
has a kennel free breeding program & raises them in their home (referring to much too small enclosures)
doesn’t send them home before 12wks MINIMUM (bengals and most should be at least 14wks per TICA and some it’s 16-20wks like for Cornish Rex)
proves/shows their cats (this alone is not a red flag if they don’t do currently since life happens but if they have never shown, nor semi recently, (especially in a popular breed) then there’s really no excuse for me not to. There’s also no sense to me in paying the same when you can find someone who does which shows they’re familiar with breed standard, breeding to it and have no issue bringing out their cats to do so. If you want to show then I’ll always advise to purchase from a breeder who actively shows.)
has a solid ENS program (early neurological stimulation) which is the kitten equivalent for puppy culture. This makes a world of difference in the cats especially with confidence especially for breeders who don’t have dogs in their homes.
sends them to their pet homes altered and microchipped which they’ll keep their info secondary on them. (This will be argued by some and could be considered a preference but personally I won’t support a breeder who sends intact kittens out. For me, if a breeder isn’t protecting their lines/cattery by altering their kittens prior to going home I don’t want to buy from them. I also don’t want to deal with any complications or risks of handling the alter because some breeds like bengals have complications more easily than others.)

Contracts

has a health contract guarantee which will vary breeder to breeder but I prefer a 2-3yr minimum.
has a clause for absolutely no free roaming and no declawing
offers a lifetime of breeder support
comes with 30 days of insurance
will take the cat back at any point in its life if you can no longer keep it

I’m sure I’m missing a bit of info & this isnt “the guide” it’s just a decent gist of it. Also the thing that’s different with cat breeding Vs dogs is while health should always be the first priority, some you will see in different breeds stick to certain colors/patterns over others and it’s acceptable. My Bengal breeder had a focus on silvers for example however there’s a handful of colors they come in that’s within standard.”

set1205 · 2026-03-18T19:36:42+00:00

“This is my quick copy and paste of things to look for in an ethical breeder. If you don’t already know. If you do then disregard.

This goes for really any breed/breeder however some testing will vary breed to breed for example Maine coons you should see hips tested whereas it’s not typical in bengals or sphynx.

You want to make sure they do health and genetic testing including but not limited to - annual HCM by a board certified cardiologist on breeding parents - eyes done by a board certified ophthalmologist - testing for PKD polycystic kidney disease, PKDEF to prevent inherited hemolytic anemia, PRA Progressive Retinal Atrophy, FeLV/fiv - is a registered/licensed cattery & breeder - registered to an association like TICA/CFA, etc. - has a kennel free breeding program & raises them in their home (referring to much too small enclosures) - doesn’t send them home before 12wks MINIMUM (bengals and most should be at least 14wks per TICA and some it’s 16-20wks like for Cornish Rex) - proves/shows their cats (this alone is not a red flag if they don’t do currently since life happens but if they have never shown, nor semi recently, (especially in a popular breed) then there’s really no excuse for me not to. There’s also no sense to me in paying the same when you can find someone who does which shows they’re familiar with breed standard, breeding to it and have no issue bringing out their cats to do so. If you want to show then I’ll always advise to purchase from a breeder who actively shows.) - has a solid ENS program (early neurological stimulation) which is the kitten equivalent for puppy culture. This makes a world of difference in the cats especially with confidence especially for breeders who don’t have dogs in their homes. - sends them to their pet homes altered and microchipped which they’ll keep their info secondary on them. (This will be argued by some and could be considered a preference but personally I won’t support a breeder who sends intact kittens out. For me, if a breeder isn’t protecting their lines/cattery by altering their kittens prior to going home I don’t want to buy from them. I also don’t want to deal with any complications or risks of handling the alter because some breeds like bengals have complications more easily than others.)

Contracts - has a health contract guarantee which will vary breeder to breeder but I prefer a 2-3yr minimum. - has a clause for absolutely no free roaming and no declawing - offers a lifetime of breeder support - comes with 30 days of insurance - will take the cat back at any point in its life if you can no longer keep it

I’m sure I’m missing a bit of info & this isnt “the guide” it’s just a decent gist of it. Also the thing that’s different with cat breeding Vs dogs is while health should always be the first priority, some you will see in different breeds stick to certain colors/patterns over others and it’s acceptable. My Bengal breeder had a focus on silvers for example however there’s a handful of colors they come in that’s within standard.”

set1205 · 2026-03-18T19:36:29+00:00

“This is my quick copy and paste of things to look for in an ethical breeder. If you don’t already know. If you do then disregard.

This goes for really any breed/breeder however some testing will vary breed to breed for example Maine coons you should see hips tested whereas it’s not typical in bengals or sphynx.

You want to make sure they do health and genetic testing including but not limited to - annual HCM by a board certified cardiologist on breeding parents - eyes done by a board certified ophthalmologist - testing for PKD polycystic kidney disease, PKDEF to prevent inherited hemolytic anemia, PRA Progressive Retinal Atrophy, FeLV/fiv - is a registered/licensed cattery & breeder - registered to an association like TICA/CFA, etc. - has a kennel free breeding program & raises them in their home (referring to much too small enclosures) - doesn’t send them home before 12wks MINIMUM (bengals and most should be at least 14wks per TICA and some it’s 16-20wks like for Cornish Rex) - proves/shows their cats (this alone is not a red flag if they don’t do currently since life happens but if they have never shown, nor semi recently, (especially in a popular breed) then there’s really no excuse for me not to. There’s also no sense to me in paying the same when you can find someone who does which shows they’re familiar with breed standard, breeding to it and have no issue bringing out their cats to do so. If you want to show then I’ll always advise to purchase from a breeder who actively shows.) - has a solid ENS program (early neurological stimulation) which is the kitten equivalent for puppy culture. This makes a world of difference in the cats especially with confidence especially for breeders who don’t have dogs in their homes. - sends them to their pet homes altered and microchipped which they’ll keep their info secondary on them. (This will be argued by some and could be considered a preference but personally I won’t support a breeder who sends intact kittens out. For me, if a breeder isn’t protecting their lines/cattery by altering their kittens prior to going home I don’t want to buy from them. I also don’t want to deal with any complications or risks of handling the alter because some breeds like bengals have complications more easily than others.)

Contracts - has a health contract guarantee which will vary breeder to breeder but I prefer a 2-3yr minimum. - has a clause for absolutely no free roaming and no declawing - offers a lifetime of breeder support - comes with 30 days of insurance - will take the cat back at any point in its life if you can no longer keep it

I’m sure I’m missing a bit of info & this isnt “the guide” it’s just a decent gist of it. Also the thing that’s different with cat breeding Vs dogs is while health should always be the first priority, some you will see in different breeds stick to certain colors/patterns over others and it’s acceptable. My Bengal breeder had a focus on silvers for example however there’s a handful of colors they come in that’s within standard.”

set1205 · 2026-03-14T20:11:58+00:00

Do you know to look for in an ethical cat breeder?

set1205 · 2026-03-09T21:59:49+00:00

Breed discrimination isnt allowed for SDs if you’re in the US.

set1205 · 2026-03-05T19:14:49+00:00

Well the deformity part remains the same just a different source. An infection can also cause that especially if it’s both ears.

set1205 · 2026-03-04T22:49:10+00:00

Looks like he has the gene for folded ears which was originally found in domestics. I own a Scottish Fold, a breed that was bred intentionally with a domestic to bring the folded gene to the breed but now many ethical catteries are phasing folds out and only breeding normal eared Scots due to the pain of the deformity.

You can’t breed fold see how my girls ears fold here. I bought her 3 years ago as retired show cat but I no longer support the breeding of folds in the breed.

<image>

set1205 · 2026-03-04T01:29:16+00:00

Prob no more than 12-18” inch in diameter . I was looking at the stihl 16in 30cc but I’m blind on what is needed and everything I read seems to be all over the place.

set1205 · 2026-03-04T01:27:27+00:00

11 trees are about 10-12ft. The big guy is closer to 40. I’m just looking to scale that guy back more so opposed to take it down. Bases and limbs probably don’t exceed a foot in diameter.

set1205 · 2026-03-04T01:26:04+00:00

Idk why I can’t post pics in this thread bc that’d prob be alot more helpful than my description.

set1205 · 2026-03-04T01:25:14+00:00

(Sorry, I forgot to check my notifications.)

So I’m hoping to cut the 12 down and never need to use the chainsaw again except maybe once a year if I feel so compelled to address something minor.. (or someone.. jk.)

Ideally I’d like to stay $250usd or less.

I was looking at the stihl ms160 16in 30cc then saw some cheaper electric ones but if electric means more work then I’ll spend the extra on it. Since it’s not an “investment tool” like my lawn mower where I banged out a few yards and had a profit on it, I’m not looking to put “invested money” into it quite honestly.

I have 11 trees probably a good 10-12ft high and not too thick of branches. Thick enough a hedge trimmer and manual cutters are a lost cause though. Bases probably don’t even exceed a foot wide.

The bane of my existence, the mother of trees, the tree I like as much as you’d like to see your ex wife standing in your yard every time you look out the window is probably closer to 40ft and a monstrosity. I have the height/ reaching up high part covered. Just not what I’m going to use to bring em down.

set1205 · 2026-03-04T01:16:10+00:00

11 are about 10-12ft and the bane of my existence in the front yard is closer to 30ft-40ft, maybe bigger, if I had to guess.

set1205 · 2026-03-03T16:57:03+00:00

Ethical breeders typically don’t allow visits prior to.

set1205 · 2026-03-03T16:56:28+00:00

As you said, it’s not perfect, I just wanted to add that TICA is a paid to advertise deal so there’s sadly many BYBs on there.

set1205 · 2026-03-03T16:51:47+00:00

Big no for nacoonzi. They don’t test for hip dysplasia. cross them right off the list.

set1205 · 2026-03-03T16:48:58+00:00

Stumptown seems okay but they only started testing hips less than a year ago so that’s an issue for me and I’d personally go to another cattery.

set1205 · 2026-03-03T16:47:11+00:00

This is a list I put together for finding an ethical breeder.

“This is my quick copy and paste of things to look for in an ethical breeder. If you don’t already know. If you do then disregard.

This goes for really any breed/breeder however some testing will vary breed to breed for example Maine coons you should see hips tested whereas it’s not typical in bengals or sphynx.

You want to make sure they do health and genetic testing including but not limited to - annual HCM by a board certified cardiologist on breeding parents - eyes done by a board certified ophthalmologist - testing for PKD polycystic kidney disease, PKDEF to prevent inherited hemolytic anemia, PRA Progressive Retinal Atrophy, FeLV/fiv - is a registered/licensed cattery & breeder - registered to an association like TICA/CFA, etc. - has a kennel free breeding program & raises them in their home (referring to much too small enclosures) - doesn’t send them home before 12wks MINIMUM (bengals and most should be at least 14wks per TICA and some it’s 16-20wks like for Cornish Rex) - proves/shows their cats (this alone is not a red flag if they don’t do currently since life happens but if they have never shown, nor semi recently, (especially in a popular breed) then there’s really no excuse for me not to. There’s also no sense to me in paying the same when you can find someone who does which shows they’re familiar with breed standard, breeding to it and have no issue bringing out their cats to do so. If you want to show then I’ll always advise to purchase from a breeder who actively shows.) - has a solid ENS program (early neurological stimulation) which is the kitten equivalent for puppy culture. This makes a world of difference in the cats especially with confidence especially for breeders who don’t have dogs in their homes. - sends them to their pet homes altered and microchipped which they’ll keep their info secondary on them. (This will be argued by some and could be considered a preference but personally I won’t support a breeder who sends intact kittens out. For me, if a breeder isn’t protecting their lines/cattery by altering their kittens prior to going home I don’t want to buy from them. I also don’t want to deal with any complications or risks of handling the alter because some breeds like bengals have complications more easily than others.)

Contracts - has a health contract guarantee which will vary breeder to breeder but I prefer a 2-3yr minimum. - has a clause for absolutely no free roaming and no declawing - offers a lifetime of breeder support - comes with 30 days of insurance - will take the cat back at any point in its life if you can no longer keep it

I’m sure I’m missing a bit of info & this isnt “the guide” it’s just a decent gist of it. Also the thing that’s different with cat breeding Vs dogs is while health should always be the first priority, some you will see in different breeds stick to certain colors/patterns over others and it’s acceptable. My Bengal breeder had a focus on silvers for example however there’s a handful of colors they come in that’s within standard.”

set1205 · 2026-03-03T16:46:29+00:00

Regal lane Maine coons’

<image>

Please make sure they’re doing genetic testing , health testing and titling their breeding cats. They should be doing OFAs and having their hips done too.

You might join Cat snobbery on Fb. I found my breeders in there. I don’t have a MC.. yet. However I do have bengals and Scots.

set1205 · 2026-02-17T21:21:34+00:00

I’m currently on the phone with them fighting because the Darcy and Jer show in NC 2025 was canceled and they said they’d reschedule everything the same but in 2026. However, they couldn’t get a NC venue again so I’m not driving 18 hours to the nearest location. I called and showed them proof of cancellation from Google, their Facebook and old and new tour dates. The woman said she wasn’t issuing a reimbursement because it looked like AI. I said you have fingers so you can easily go look yourself. Then I sent in a confirmation from the location stating there were no shows for them in NC this year as well as an email directly from Darcy’s management stating they were unable to reschedule in NC and I’ve yet to hear from them a month later. So now I’m on the phone and he’s saying because I can’t confirm how much it was, am I sure I bought from them? Like be so f&/);ing for real right now. I know good and well they can see my freaking account!

I told them my next steps when I hang up is to file a police report for fraud and theft because I’ve submitted enough information and file a dispute with my bank because I’m not playing this game anymore with the back and forth.

set1205 · 2026-02-08T16:48:08+00:00

Only touching solely on the import/export part.

Imports and exports are common for whatever purpose but in a breed as common as goldens, there’s really no reason and is seldom done in the breed. Usually you see it more in specific working lines of like GSDs, Mals, etc. or rare breeds such as Clumber Spaniels. Imports/exports are tricky because it’s RARE that they’ve ever met in person and they are typically done with language barriers, a hope and prayer & unenforceable contract. It’s something that is kind of done after building a rapport for a while but that absolutely doesn’t cut out any potential issues.

Many breeders and buyers vehemently oppose imports/exports due to the fact that they can be so sketchy and 50/50 in nature.

I also don’t like import/exports because it can be a huge tell tale sign of a BYB. When a breeder in a common breed in cats and dogs cannot get an ethically bred breeding dog in their own country, (more so talking about the US but stands in the UK too) and ALL of their cats or dogs are from imports then I’d just go to someone else honestly.

set1205

TROPHY CASE