The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Cats => Topic started by: sabrina on September 18, 2010, 09:35:37 am
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My friend has put her name down for a Ragdoll kitten which she has been told will be ready to be collect in November. The kitten will be 16 wks old, injected and neutered. £450 for a female, £425 a male. My question is at 16 wks would this not be too young to be already neutered and why the difference in price, not as if they can be bred from. I asked Ruth did she want the kitten neutered and she said the breeder does not sell them until they have been done. does this seem odd to anyone ?
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i personally would prefer them to have there first season, let there bodies develop a wee bit and let there hormones sort them selves out, but its each to there own, the breeder is definately keeping her bloodlines to herself. nice price
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My vets have always recommended neutering cats at around 5 months, so 16 weeks isn't much earlier. They are sexually mature much earlier than dogs. I have no idea about price but its comparable with popular breeds of dogs with a basic open pedigree.
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Not all male cats are ready to be neutered that young - our bobby is still waiting for his bits to descend and he's over 5 months now. vet keeps checking but no joy!
sounds like the breeder wants to ensure her cats go to pet homes and cant' be bred from. maybe boys are cheaper to get done? and this is reflected in the breeders price.
we used to sell our maine coone's at same price male or female pet price.
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I have ragdolls - now 10 years old and paid £350 for males which we bought at 12 weeks, vaccinated etc. We chose to have them neutered, but the breeder wrote 'sold as pets' on their pedigree forms.
I think breeders neuter the females very young so that they don't get any competition - well just look at the price!
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I have advise Ruth to talk to her vet about the kittens, also to contact another breeder and ask how they sell their kittens. :cat:
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I've heard of rescue centres neutering at 6 weeks, it is more expensive to neuter females as it is more invasive surgery.
I have always left my boys until 6-8mths it gives them time to develop their secondary sexual characteristics a bit more, I love a chunky boy with big chuckle cheeks!
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I think the breeder is following standard guidelines set out by the cat fancy, regarding her pricing. Most pedigree cats, regardless of breed are sold at a similar price bracket - unlike dogs where the breeder sets the price according to whatever they think they can get.
Not sure why there is a difference in price though, perhaps the breeder has found that more people prefer girls. I think the cat fancy also recommends kittens are sold fully vaccinated which would make them 12 weeks. Many breeders will not release pedigree papers until they have a vet letter stating the cat has been neutered, it probably depends on vet preference whether they are kept and neutered young, if the local vet is happy to do it then it's not such a stretch for the breeder to keep hold of them and just sell them neutered.
Of course, the price of the kitten would include the price of innoculations and spaying (oh that will be why there is a difference in price - it's cheaper to castrate a boy than spay a girl).
I don't have a problem with what the breeder has done here, we all see how many dogs/cats end up in rescue centres and how many are sold as something they are not. I also see pedigree breeders (mostly dog) that keep there animals in dreadful conditions and sell puppies full of fleas and worms.
So I don't think the price is excessive or that making sure his/her animals are not going to be bred inappropriately is a problem. I'd be more wary of a 'pedigree'
cat breeder that was selling young and cheap kittens to be honest.
>gets off high horse now... :)