Breeding

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What does breeding mean?

If one searches in the breeding rules of the various organizations, the term is used frequently, but is often not defined.

TICA gives the following explanation in
Policy Statement in By-Laws Revised 01/01/06:

102.2.1 The responsible breeding of pedigreed cats is of value to society
because it preserves the distinct characteristics of individual domestic
breeds of cats and ensures the continuation of predictable physical and
behavioral traits for the admiration and the enjoyment of all cat lovers
today as well as for future generations.

The word 'breeding' can be found twice in FIFe in
FIFe's Statutes, date of issue 01.01.2007:
ARTICLE 1.4
The FIFe encourages the breeding of cats and the improvement of breeds and shall be committed to the promotion of their welfare.

When reading TICA's definition, breeding cats means the following:

	Responsible breeding of domesticated cat breeds. Here a problem can be noticed already, how it is in reality, if for example wild cats are used for breeding Bengals or Savannahs. After how many generations may the cats be called domesticated?
	Responsible breeding also means to preserve the characteristics of a breed. The entire responsibility is left to the breeders? What does 'responsible' mean? When reading the standards, it is difficult to recognize the characteristics of a breed. But quite often the scale of points might help. Do all breeders breed after this scale of points?
	Breeding also means to breed traits which are predictable. For example: breeding for a certain coat quality, breeding for certain coat colors, breeding for a certain head shape, breeding for a certain type (body structure). The preliminary condition is that one must have a solid knowledge about genetics. Another important condition is to have a breeding plan, as 'predictable' means that something is planned.
	Breeding means - and that is interesting - to breed for certain behavioral traits (temperament). There has to be done quite a lot in some breeds.
	Breeding means to breed cats for today's and future cat lovers, which means, breeding represents a certain value in our society. Spontaneously one might think on the so called extreme breeds, which cause controversial discussions about the pro and contra of very long heads, about the pro and contra of extremely short noses with deep stops, about the pro and contra of very long and very heavy bodies. If breeding for those traits meets the sense of animal protection, this is subject of another article.

If one reads the definition of FIFe (if this is a definition in the unique sense of the word 'definition'), breeding cats means the following:

	FIFe encourages breeding of cats without giving a definition, what a breed is and what breeding means. How encouragement of breeding takes place, is not detailed further and may also not be deducted from the breeding rules.
	Breeding cats shall contribute to the improvement and further development of the breeds. If one wants to find out, how the improvement and further development of the breeds shall be done, one will not find many explanations. There are not given aims and plans for each breed, how and to which aim a breed shall develop.
	The procedure of breeding, the breeding program and plan is left with each single breeder.
	Breeding cats shall encourage the welfare of the single breeds. How the welfare of the breeds shall be encouraged, one can find partly, when it comes to queens and stud males. But this is welfare common for all cats. How the welfare of each single breed shall be encouraged, is not described in those breeding rules.

Let us try to find a definition

As we do not find much at the various organizations, let us look into the dictionary first.

Reading the Duden, Das Bedeutungswörterbuch (book of meanings), 3rd edition, ISBN-10: 3-411-04103-X,
one will find the following under the term 'breeding':

"Durch Auswahl, Kreuzung von Arten oder Rassen mit besonderen, erwünschten Merkmalen und Eigenschaften für die Vermehrung und Verbesserung von Pflanzen- und Tierarten sorgen."

Translation:
To contribute to the reproduction and improvement of plants and animal species by means of selection, of crossing species and breeds, which have specific and desired traits and characteristics.

In de.wikipedia.org/wiki/ one can read under the term 'breeding' the following:

"Unter Züchtung kann heute zweierlei verstanden werden:

a) die künstliche Zuchtwahl durch einen Züchter zwecks Neuzüchtung. Dabei besteht das Ziel, bestimmte äußere oder innere Eigenschaften von Individuen durch Kreuzung entweder bewusst herauszubilden („heranzüchten“) einerseits oder solche Eigenschaften und Merkmale möglichst zum Verschwinden zu bringen („wegzüchten“) andererseits. Dadurch entstehen auch neue Tier-Rassen bzw. Pflanzen-Sorten.

Züchtung (von germanisch zuht = das Ziehen) ist die vom Menschen kontrollierte Fortpflanzung von Tieren und Pflanzen mit einem speziellen Ziel, meistens zur genetischen Umformung oder Verstärkung gewollter beziehungsweise Unterdrückung ungewollter Eigenschaften. Sie wird von Menschen seit Beginn der Sesshaftigkeit betrieben. Die Zucht hat vor allem die Verbesserung der Ertragsleistung und Krankheitsresistenz landwirtschaftlicher Kulturpflanzenarten und Tierrassen zum Ziel. Um das gewünschte Zuchtziel zu erreichen, werden aus einer Population Individuen mit gewünschten Eigenschaften ausgewählt (Selektion) und gezielt gekreuzt bzw. angepaart. Weiterhin werden auf künstlichem Weg Mutationen ausgelöst. Neue Sorten oder Rassen werden als Neuzüchtungen bezeichnet."

Translation:
Breeding means two things today:
a) artificial selection done by breeders to breed something new. The aim is either to propagate certain external and internal traits of individuals by means of crossing or to eliminate those traits. Thus, new animal breeds and plant species are created.

Breeding (from the old German word zuht = to breed) is the reproduction of animals and plants controlled by humans with the specific aim to change or strengthen desired traits and to eliminate undesired traits. Breeding is done since humans settled. Breeding has the aim to improve production and resistance against diseases in agricultural plants and animal breeds. To reach that aim individuals of a certain population having the desired traits are selected and mated. Furthermore the mutations are caused artificially. These new species and breeds are then called a new breed.

Note: The definition given in English by wikipedia does not reflect the definition given in German.

Breeding means:

	to contribute to a controlled reproduction of domesticated cats having a plan and breeding program by doing the mating by means of selection,
	that the health of the single breed is in the centre of interest and genetics defects are avoided,
	that breed specific traits, as described in the standards, are predictably strengthened and improved,
	that predictable behavioral traits are ensured,
	thus giving today's and future generations of cat lovers the possibility to admire the cats and to have their pleasure with them.
	A breeder must have knowledge of basic subjects of genetics and of the breed standards, and he must do a Scoring Assessment of his breeding results for each litter (as it is described for example in Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders). Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders & Veterinarians, 4th edition, ISBN 0 7506 4069 3

A breeding program and plan do not mean just to plan the next litter, it is to plan the litters for many generations.

Breeding means to plan the breeding methods (inbreeding, breeding with a common ancestor, line breeding, etc.), which shall be used, in advance.

Breeding means controlled and planned reproduction by mating cats to improve the breed.

Breeding means to have a clear opinion, which colors shall be bred and how these colors shall be implemented, which body type shall be bred and how this type shall be met. Breeding for a certain body type is difficult and needs more generations and strict selection.

Breeding also means to have the cats planned for breeding tested for breed specific and general genetic defects, before the cats are actually used for breeding.

Breeding means to get the necessary knowledge in genetics before starting to breed and to avoid unwanted surprises.

Breeding means to study the breed standard in detail to find out the specific characteristics.

Breeding means to set up a well planned Scoring Index for each single characteristic and to evaluate each litter after that Scoring Index. This has something to do with selection and with working for the improvement of a breed.

Breeding also means that the breeding cats and litters must be identifiable, and a detailed report about each litter and each sold cat has to be made.

Breeding is not for its own purpose, it has an important status in society, breeding means to breed cats, which can be admired by cat lovers and that cat lovers are able to have their pleasure with these cats.

	Here is an Internet Cat Magazine - independent, informative and critical. Read the articles of the issues 2/2007, 3/2007, 4/2007, 5/2007, 6/2007, 4/2008 Searching for a cat name? You will find it in TopSubjects with more than 6000 entries.

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