|
|
What is a breeder?
This term is used frequently in cat
organizations, but it is mostly presumed that everybody knows, what a
breeder is. Definitions of this term are rather short and not very
exact.
In CFA's
Glossary of Terms one can read the following definition:
BREEDER - A person who registers a litter with CFA. The registered
owner/lessee of the dam of a cat/litter at the time of breeding.
 | It is sufficient to register a litter to be called a breeder.
That means, registering once a litter is already sufficient to be
called a breeder. |
| It becomes difficult when the terms ownership and possession are
involved, because in many jurisdictions a difference is made
between 'to own something' and 'to possess something'.
See the
German BGB. |
| Also the registered lessee of a pregnant queen is called a
breeder. This is quite common in breeders' joint-ventures. |
| One has to be a registered owner or lessee. What is meant by
'registered owner', that is not explained. If it equals only to be registered
in the database or to be a member somewhere, that is left open. |
TICA gives the following definition in
Registration Rules, Revised 06/21/2006:
ARTICLE ONE - Definitions
31.3 The "breeder" of a cat is the registered owner or lessee of the
dam of
said cat at the time of conception.
| Also here nothing is written, if someone must breed
continuously, for example must have more than one litter. There is
also nothing written about any litter. |
| One has to be only registered owner (or possessor?) of the queen
at the time of conception. |
| Also here the term, what the word 'registered' stands for, remains
unexplained. |
In FIFe one can find a definition in
Rules for cattery names, number (6), issued 01.01.2007:
6. No cat can carry a cattery name other than that of its
breeder. The breeder is the owner of the female cat at the time of
mating.
However, the breeder may give the buyer of a pregnant cat permission
to register the offspring under the cattery name of the new owner.
| A breeder is the owner of a female cat at the time of mating,
and also here there is made no difference between ownership and
possession. |
| It is also not written here, if the female must give birth to a
litter or not, to be called a breeder. One is already a breeder, if
he owns a cat and takes her to a stud male for mating. |
| If the breeder has to be registered, is not written explicitly
here. But one may assume so, when reading the first line, because
one can have or gets a cattery name only in that case, when the
cattery name is registered by an organization.
As the cattery names are not subject of any adjustment between the
various organizations, it depends on the rules of the single
organization, after which criteria and if the cattery name of the
breeder (i.e. of the queen) is registered in the pedigrees of the
kittens or not, if the breeder is not a member of the specific
organization. |
LOOF gives a description and a reference to the law:
Même si la plupart des éleveurs ont commencé sur un coup de cœur
pour une femelle qu’ils ont décidée, plus tard, de faire reproduire,
leur activité demande un grand savoir-faire et beaucoup de passion.
Ils doivent en effet connaître aussi bien les caractéristiques de la
race qu’ils ont décidée d’élever, réunis dans un texte explicatif
appelé standard, qu’être capables de veiller des heures une chatte qui
va mettre au monde ses petits puis d’apporter, en collaboration avec
le vétérinaire, tous les soins nécessaires aux chatons. Ils doivent
évidemment connaître l’éthologie féline pour assurer une parfaite
harmonie au sein de leur communauté de petits félins, ...
Depuis la promulgation de la loi du 6 janvier 1999, est en effet
considéré comme éleveur toute personne qui fait naître plus d’une
portée par an.
You may read it at
LOOF, menu 'Eleveurs', article 'Qu'est-ce qu'un éleveur félin?'
(Note: The page exists only in French.)
English:
Although the majority of breeders started falling in love with a
female cat, where they decided later to breed her, the breeder's task
requires extensive knowledge and great responsibility. They must know
indeed in detail about the various characteristics of the breed, which
they decided to breed with. These characteristics are described in a
commonly valid text, the standard. The breeders must be able to care
for the queen, which soon will give birth to kittens, for many hours.
They must be able to ensure together with the veterinary that the
delivery will be without any problems. Of course they must know about
the etiology of the cat (history and development of the cat) to be
able to live in perfect harmony with their kittens...
According to the law issued on 6th of January, 1999 every person is called
a breeder, who has more than one litter per year.
| All definitions mentioned above are problematic, because they
only deal with the ownership (possession?) of the queen. |
| The definitions are problematic, because they do not comprise
breeding as a responsible task, which has to be performed for a
longer time.
Only to mate a female once is already sufficient to be called a
breeder. |
| The description given by LOOF is quite interesting that a
breeder is according to the law a person, who has more than one
litter per year and who must have knowledge of the standards and the
etiology of the cats. |
| In many definitions the question, what a registered breeder is,
remains unanswered. Mostly the word registration is restricted to
the registration of a cattery name. |
Which requirements must be met by a breeder? Let us start
with the meaning of the word 'to breed': Breeding means to ensure a
planned and controlled reproduction of a breed.
| Planned means that every breeder must have a breeding
program, and not only just to have a litter. |
| Controlled includes that the number of litters is
restricted and litters do not just happen by random, because one has
a beautiful cat and a very famous stud male is nearby. |
| Reproduction of a breed does not mean just to produce
cats to increase their number. |
Breeding means to put the health of a breed on top of all and to
avoid genetic defects.
| That means, health goes before beauty. Health goes
before the desire to produce winner-cats and to win in exhibitions.
|
| To avoid genetic defects includes that a breeders must
have a detailed knowledge of genetics and how defects are inherited. |
| A breeder must ensure that all necessary tests are done
before he starts to breed, and he must ensure only to breed with
healthy females. And this is the point, where the breeding rules of
various organizations have to be questioned. |
Breeding means that breed-specific characteristics have to be
conserved and have to be improved.
| A breeder must have detailed knowledge of the standard of a
breed. Unfortunately the standards are not composed in that way,
that one is able always to deduct the characteristics of a breed. |
| A breeder must have detailed knowledge of genetics, how breed
specific traits are inherited. |
| A breeder must contribute to the improvement of a breed.
Although such aims, how breeds can be improved, are not
described in many organizations and breeding plans are not existing
for each breed, the responsibility of the breeder still remains.
|
Breeding means to assess the kittens according to several quality
norms.
| A breeder must perform a Scoring Assessment of his litters.
|
| He must make detailed reports about the litters, but also
about planned litters. |
| The cats used for breeding must be identifiable. |
Breeding means to breed domesticated cats, that means to breed cats
which can be companions and can live in the household.
| The breeder takes a great responsibility in the society only to
breed companion animals which can live as companions with humans.
If cross-breeding with wild cats contributes to this responsibility,
is questionable. |
A breeder must register his cats used for breeding and must
register his litters.
| If a breeder contributes to conservation and improvement of a
breed when breeding unregistered litters, is very questionable. |
| A cattery name registered with an organization, where it is
possible to identify the cats bred by a specific breeder, is an
absolutely necessary condition to be fulfilled.
If the breeder in person must be a member of any
organization is irrelevant for the definition, what a breeder is.
If a breeder may have one or more cattery names
registered, is also irrelevant for the definition, what a breeder
is. It might make sense to have different cattery names registered,
when a breeder breeds different breeds, for each breed one cattery
name. |
| Although many questions remain unanswered in various
organizations and although their breeding rules have to be
questioned, all organizations have well organized and controlled
registration rules for breeding cats and for litters. |
© katzenzeitung 2/2007 |
|
|
