Posted by Marianna on May 8, 2006, 11:39 pm, in reply to "Re: Burmillas, 3 Burmese, Siamese cross Ragdolls and Balinese variants in PET SHOP in GEELONG"
210.84.5.92

Registered breeders have to sign the code of Ethics before they get their licences. According to these codes they are NOT allowed to sell their kittens to pet shops or for any commercial purpose. This means that pet shops get their kittens from the breeders who are either unethical (this is why you never get a pedigree with a kitten you buy from pet shops) or who are not registered breeders. Both kind of breeders are dodgy, this is the reason that many kittens sold through pet shops have health/behavioral problems - some people even lose their kittens as early as 11 months (people were actually talking about their bad pet shop experiences on cat forums earlier) and even earlier due to genetical or congenital problems. Non registered breeders have great problems buying healthy breeding stock, so they breed with whatever they get their hands on, they usually have no understanding of the lines and the health/temperament problems that are behind them, because they have no access to information that registered breeders have. This does not mean that all registered breeders are ethical, and safe to buy from. Far from that - but there is a bigger chance to get a healthy, well bred kitten from a registered breeder than from a pet shop. At least you can visit the property and buy from a breeder who keeps the facilities clean, who has healthy looking cats/kittens around, see the litter and the parents, spend time with the kittens and see what their temperament is like. Also you can listen to your feelings about the place and the breeder, you can also get an ongoing support from every descent breeder, and a good breeder will always stand behind the kittens she breeds. If you go to a pet shop, you miss out on all this. You will never know where the kittens are coming from, what kind of environment and what kind of care they have received before you got them. NOT A SINGLE REALLY GOOD BREEDER WOULD EVER SELL A KITTEN TO A PET SHOP! Only questionable breeders sell their animals there - which people do not know. And the pet shops overcharge you all the time: for the less amount of money you can buy a kitten with proper pedigree certificate, well bred,well raised, microchipped, desexed and fully vaccinated - plus an ongoing support. Marianna