Breeding Is a Responsibility, Not a Right: Why Not Everyone Is Approved for Breeding Cats

Understanding Ethical Selectiveness in the Cat Breeding Community

Many people today feel inspired to start a cattery. With social media filled with adorable kitten content and the rising popularity of breeds like the Devon Rex, breeding can look fun, easy, and instantly rewarding. But ethical breeders know a truth that isn’t often talked about:

✨ Breeding is not a right — it is a responsibility.✨ And not everyone is prepared for what that responsibility truly requires.

There is a widespread misunderstanding inside and outside the breeding community about why established breeders are selective about who they approve for breeding homes. Some buyers assume it’s fear of competition or “gatekeeping.” And unfortunately, even some breeders use this misconception to justify why they themselves do not alter their kittens, enforce spay/neuter agreements, or follow through with contracts.

Instead of taking responsibility for preventing backyard breeding and protecting the breed’s future, they deflect by claiming that “ethical breeders won’t sell to new people anyway.”This harmful narrative not only puts kittens at risk — it undermines the very ethics they claim to follow.

The truth is simple:

Ethical breeders are selective not out of fear, but out of devotion—to the breed, to the health of future generations, and to the integrity of responsible breeding practices.

This blog explains why.

1. Good Breeders Aren’t Gatekeeping — They’re Protecting the Breed

Every ethical breeder understands that one poor breeding decision can affect an entire breed for generations. Choosing not to sell breeding rights has nothing to do with fear of competition. It has everything to do with preventing:

• genetic diseases from spreading

• poor-quality cats being bred simply because they exist

• kittens being produced without proper health testing

• unethical practices harming the breed’s reputation

• new breeders becoming overwhelmed and quitting

Ethical breeders guard their lines not out of insecurity, but out of commitment.

2. Breeding Requires Education, Not Enthusiasm Alone

Loving cats is not enough.

Being excited is not enough.

Wanting to breed is not enough.

Ethical breeders look for new breeders who demonstrate:

• an understanding of genetics

• knowledge of structural faults and breed standards

• awareness of inbreeding coefficients and line management

• willingness to early alter pet kittens

• relationship with a knowledgeable veterinarian

• awareness of neonatal care, emergencies, and fading kitten syndrome

• the ability to put health above profit

• emotional maturity to face loss, setbacks, and difficult decisions

My personal experience:

Throughout my years working in my mother’s cattery—and through the experiences shared by our club members across multiple breeds—I’ve seen breeders raise everything from easy, robust breeds to very challenging ones. Among all of them, the Devon Rex is hands down the hardest breed to raise responsibly.

They are delicate. They are sensitive. And they are full of surprises, especially when it comes to pregnancy, birth, and early kitten development.

While no breed should be taken lightly, this is especially true for Devon Rex. Even experienced breeders stay humble with this breed, because Devons will teach you something new every litter.

3. Not Everyone Has the Resources or Environment to Breed Ethically

Breeding ethically is expensive, time-consuming, and emotionally draining. It requires:

• genetic testing for every breeding cat

• quality nutrition

• dedicated kitten rooms

• isolation protocols

• emergency funds

• neonatal supplies

• 24/7 availability during births and early weeks

A breeder who cannot handle these responsibilities should not be producing kittens.

And here’s the crucial truth:

The average Devon Rex breeder lasts only 1–2 years.

Most quit as quickly as they started.

I can count on one hand the number of breeders still operating from when I first began.

Judges have even said:

“To breed Devons, you must do it for love — because that love is the only thing that will carry you through the trenches.”

This is not an exaggeration.

This is the reality of caring for a delicate, complex breed.

4. A Breeder’s Name and Reputation Are Attached Forever

When an established breeder sells breeding rights, they attach their entire history, work, and reputation to another program.

If that person:

• stops health testing

• breeds unethically

• over-breeds their queens

• sells to backyard breeders

• creates genetic problems

…it reflects back on the original breeder forever.

This is why ethical breeders choose homes that align with their values.

Not out of fear — but out of stewardship.

5. Approving a New Breeder Is a Mentorship, Not a Transaction

Selling a breeding cat is not simply a sale. It is a long-term commitment.

Ethical breeders:

• offer ongoing support

• guide pairing decisions

• review pedigrees

• help handle complications

• provide mentorship for years

They only approve people willing to:

• listen

• learn

• prioritize the breed

• accept constructive feedback

• uphold strong ethical standards

This is not gatekeeping.

This is protecting the breed and ensuring the new breeder succeeds.

6. Some People Want to Breed for the Wrong Reasons

Many aspiring breeders express motivations such as:

• “It looks fun.”

• “I want to make extra money.”

• “I want my kids to experience kittens.”

• “I want rare colors.”

• “I want to try breeding once.”

These motivations are red flags.

Without dedication, education, and investment, breeding can quickly lead to:

• burnout

• cutting corners

• producing unhealthy kittens

• overwhelming veterinary bills

• emotional devastation

Breeding is rewarding — but only for those willing to do it right.

7. Selectiveness Is Not Fear of Competition — It’s Commitment to the Breed

Ethical breeders are often accused of being afraid of competition, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is simple:

Breeders who feel pressured to compete are often those who haven’t built their program on a strong foundation and principles. 

Programs rooted in ethics, transparency, consistency, and quality don’t worry about who else is breeding — they don’t need to. Good work speaks for itself.

There are several breeders in our area whose programs I trust, respect, and in some cases even collaborate with. If I were truly threatened by competition, I wouldn’t be forming friendships with those breeders or working alongside them.

And when I don’t have kittens available, I happily refer families to these breeders. If competition were truly a concern, I could simply tell people to wait for my next litter and try to hoard the market — but that isn’t who I am, nor is it what ethical breeding looks like.

I believe in my program. Even if I wanted to fill every request, it would be impossible; I simply cannot produce enough kittens to meet the demand. That alone shows why the idea of “competition” is irrelevant to me.

There is not a single breeder I feel threatened by.

There are breeders I admire — breeders I learn from, breeders I look up to. But none who intimidate me.

From the outside, it may look as though ethical breeders are worried about those who cut corners.

But that isn’t the issue at all.

What we are concerned about is ensuring that:

• the public understands what ethical breeding truly involves

• buyers know what to look for so they aren’t taken advantage of

• the breed maintains its health, structure, and integrity

• new breeders don’t unknowingly repeat harmful mistakes

It’s not fear of competition — it’s fear of the damage unethical breeding causes to the breed as a whole.

When Irresponsible Breeding Damages an Entire Breed

Some breeders convince themselves that having multiple backyard breeders nearby “helps” them because it makes their own kittens look better by comparison. They believe that sick, poorly bred kittens in the area highlight their superior quality and justify higher prices.

This thinking is shortsighted — and dangerous.

The real issue is public perception.

Look at Pugs and French Bulldogs:

The public overwhelmingly believes every single one is unhealthy and shouldn’t be bred at all. Yet ethical breeders do produce healthy examples. The problem is the overwhelming number of backyard breeders flooding the market with sick, structurally unsound dogs.

Unethical breeding harms the entire breed by:

• muddying the gene pool

• damaging public perception

• undermining ethical programs

• creating legislative risks

The Emotional Reality Ethical Breeders Face

And while realistically, breeders producing sick or off-standard Devons are not my problem — their cats were never, and will never be, part of my program — I still care.

On paper, I could say:

Not my circus, not my monkeys.

But I care about the future of this breed.

I hate seeing Devon Rex in shelters.

I hate seeing heartfelt posts about young cats dying from preventable genetic issues.

I hate watching families grieve because they trusted the wrong breeder.

No one should wish that upon anyone.

Unethical breeding doesn’t just impact the kittens produced — it impacts the entire breed and the people who love it.

Why I Sell So Few Breeding Cats

My opinions and standards may not be the same as every other breeder — and that’s perfectly fine. Each breeder has their own experiences and philosophies.

But this is my reasoning, shaped by what I’ve seen, what I’ve lived through, and what I believe is best for the cats in my care.

With the many years I’ve spent in the cat fancy, I’ve seen a lot of things — including some of the most publicly “ethical” breeders behaving in ways that would shock people. The reality is that reputation does not always equal integrity. I am extremely careful about where my kittens go, and the silver lining is that 95% of the kittens I place truly do remain in their forever homes. Life happens, of course, and a few have needed rehoming — but overall, my screening process ensures stability for the cats I bring into the world.

Because of everything I’ve witnessed firsthand over the years, this is exactly why I sell very few breeding cats. I can count on my hands how many cats have ever left my cattery with breeding rights — and that is intentional.

I have only a very small circle of breeders whom I trust wholeheartedly to do right by my cats, uphold proper ethics, and treat my animals with the same level of care, respect, and responsibility that I do.

And I truly mean very few.

But when selling to breeders, the situation becomes far more complicated.

When a breeder purchases a cat, it’s understood that eventually that cat will be retired and rehomed. That’s simply the nature of breeding. What people don’t realize is how emotionally and mentally difficult that process is for me. I am an overthinker by nature — so from the moment I list an adult as available, I am already second-guessing whether they should just stay. Once I choose a family, I go back and forth until I receive that first update showing the cat settled, loved, and safe.

Letting go is never easy — even when it’s the right choice.

So imagine the level of trust required when I sell a breeder a cat that I may never have control over again. I might trust the breeder I place the cat with…

but I cannot guarantee I will trust who they sell it to later.

Many people don’t understand how deeply this weighs on my mind.

And here’s the hard truth: even the most respected, publicly praised breeders have been known to completely wash their hands of their cats the moment they retire or shut down their program. I have personally had families reach out to me because their breeder refused to take an adult back, saying:

“It’s not my problem anymore.”

I’ve seen breeders attempt to “recoup” the money they spent on their breeding cats by selling them off to the highest bidder — often to completely unsuitable programs. And yes, you can put clauses in your contract to try to prevent this…

but when someone decides to quit breeding, they don’t care about contracts.

What are you going to do — blacklist them from a breed they’re no longer part of?

Between my mother and myself, we have taken in over 30 cats that other breeders were trying to mass-sell on their way out.

Not a single one of those rehomings was done according to contract.

Every time this has happened, we contacted the original breeder to inform them — and thankfully, they were always grateful we stepped in. We honored their original contract terms, ensured the cats were placed ethically, and often discovered that many of these cats should never have been in a breeding program to begin with. In those cases, they were spayed or neutered and responsibly placed.

But here’s the heartbreaking reality:

We cannot rescue every cat.

We don’t have unlimited resources, and for every cat we manage to pull out of a bad situation, there are others who aren’t so lucky. I have heard horror stories — cats dumped in shelters barely able to be handled because of abuse, cats abandoned outdoors once they were “used up,” and cats passed from breeder to breeder, bred to exhaustion before finally disappearing.

This is the part no one talks about.

This is the part people don’t see.

This is why ethical breeders are careful, and why we say no more often than we say yes.

Because once a cat leaves my home, I lose control over its future — and that takes immense trust in the person I’m selling to. And trust, once broken, can destroy more than just a partnership. It can destroy a cat’s life.

Every kitten I produce is my responsibility, and I owe them a life of safety, stability, and love. I could easily sell twice as many cats as I do now by placing them with breeders, but that isn’t what’s best for my cats — their wellbeing comes first, always.

This is not about competition.

This is not about ego.

This is about protecting the cats, the breed, and the integrity of ethical breeding.

8. A “No” Often Means “Not Yet”

A breeder may decline breeding approval because:

• the person needs more mentorship

• the living setup isn’t ready

• finances aren’t stable

• the breeder wants long-term commitment before approving

• it’s not the right timing

Ethical breeders rarely mean “never.”

They mean: “I need to see more before I trust you with this responsibility.”

Because:

✨ Breeding is a responsibility, not a right.

✨ And not everyone is ready for that responsibility — at least not yet.

Final Thoughts

Breeding cats is not simply pairing two animals and producing kittens. It is:

• genetics

• structure

• ethics

• heartbreak

• learning

• sacrifice

• mentorship

• stewardship of a breed

When a breeder chooses not to sell breeding rights, it isn’t gatekeeping or fear of competition.

It is protection, preservation, and accountability.

It is a commitment to doing what is right — even when it is not easy.