How To Become a Ragdoll Cat Breeder

I am often asked how to become a Ragdoll Cat Breeder (or pedigree cat breeder). There is not a lot of public instruction or general knowledge on the topic of cat breeding. The cat fancy world can be a difficult niche to break into since not all breeders are welcoming to new-comers. This often leaves new breeders scrambling for direction and lacking proper knowledge on how to start and maintain a high quality, ethical breeding program. I have decided to write a blog post on the topic in hopes of providing some direction to new or aspiring breeders!

Do You Have Enough Space?

One of the very first things you should consider before becoming a pedigree cat breeder is whether or not you have the space in your home. Believe it or not, space is often the biggest challenge for many pedigree cat breeders.

Ideally, you will want to start your program with 1 male and 3 females. An intact male should have at least 3 queens to mate with or else he will likely become sexually frusterated and unhappy. Males obviously need to be housed seperately from females when not breeding. If you have more than one male, they can get aggressive with one another as they mature hormonally and often need to live seperated from one another. Another factor to consider is that intact male cats often spray urine and should ideally be housed in a room or area that is free of carpet and easy to clean. You should also have a seperate nursery area that a queen can use while raising newborns, to keep the brand new immune systems of the babies safe.

Just to give you an idea, I live in a 2,500 square foot home and more than half of my square footage is dedicated solely to my cats. They are also rotated through the main area of my home during the day so that they each can get socialization and love. Breeding is nearly impossible if you live in an apartment or condo simply due to the lack of space.

Do You Have the Budget?

When people see the prices on Pedigree Ragdoll Kittens, they often assume that breeding is an easy way to make money. However, this is very far from the truth. Breeding is very expensive and not the money maker that it is often assumed to be.

If you do decide to become a breeder, be sure to always keep emergency funds set aside. Adopting Ragdoll cats with breeding rights is an incredibly expensive investment. The average initial cost to adopt 1 male and 3 female Ragdoll cats with breeding rights (beginning breeding program size) is about $20,000-$25,000, NOT including any of the many cattery expenses or vet care that they will require.

Do You Have the Time?

Not only is breeding expensive, but it is also incredibly time consuming. Depending on the number of cats you have, it will likely be the equivalent of a part-time or full-time job. Cleaning is the most time consuming part of breeding, taking a minimum of a few hours each and every day. It’s so important to keep a clean cattery to reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission. Grooming and socializing your cats is another time consuming aspect of breeding.

Your busiest time as a breeder will be while you are raising kittens. Feeding them, socializing them, taking them to vet visits and cleaning up after them will take additional hours upon hours each day. I recommend initially starting out with a small program so that you are able to adequately gauage the time commitment.

Find a Cat Breeding Mentor

There is a very big learning curve when you are a new breeder! This is where an experienced Ragdoll breeding mentor can really come in handy. When it comes to breeding, you simply don’t know what you don’t know.

A good mentor will give you advice and instruction on everything pertaining to cat breeding and share their knowledge and expertise. This includes everything about purchasing your breeding cats, registering your cattery, genetics & pedigrees, the mating process, the birthing process, what to do when a litter of kittens gets sick, how to find good adopters for your kittens, etc. You should be able to come to your mentor when you have a question or problem. The knowledge that an experienced breeder can share with you is truly invaluable!

To find a mentor, reach out to a few breeders who have programs that you admire. Be sure to take the time to introduce yourself and make a genuine connection so that they know you are serious about breeding. You’ll want to find a mentor who you click with, and one who isn’t overbearing or controlling. They should never misuse their position as your mentor and should always be kind and respectful (and vise-versa). A mentor should guide you and teach you, but should still give you the freedom to make your own decisions and chart your own path.

Take a Pedigree Cat Breeding Course

If you are unable to find a good mentor, I recommend taking a course on cat breeding at the very least. The course I personally recommend is Cat Breeder Sensei’s Complete Guide to Breeding Pedigree Cats. This is an invaluable online course that will teach you the basics of everything you need to know! Cat Breeder Sensei also has a free podcast that is really great.

Join a Cat Breeding Facebook Community

Another awesome breeding resource is the groups of cat breeders you can find on Facebook. My personal favorite community is the Gracious Cat Breeders group.

Here, you will be able to post questions and network with thousands of pedigree cat breeders from around the world. When I was first starting out, I constantly utilized the search bar of this group and I would learn about new topics each day. You will be able to read through thousands upon thousands of cat breeding experiences and different opinions on various topics.