What is the difference between a reputable breeder and a propagator?

What is the difference between a reputable breeder and a propagator? How can you recognize propagators? You can get answers to these questions by reading this blog post.

As I have already described in my blog post named ”How much can a Maine Coon kitten cost and what does the price depend on?” you shouldn’t support propagators. Although their kittens are sold cheaper, they degrade the standard of the breed. Furthermore, they don’t bring kittens to the vet. In many cases they sell kittens that are already sick or will be suffering from diseases later. So, the future owner has to pay the expensive treatment costs, not to mention that he/she had supported the „breeding” of other kittens suffering from diseases.

Some of the propagators keep their cats in cages. You can often recognize that you are dealing with a propagator, when you see the crowded and dirty environment. For this reason, they don’t even like to let the future owners in. In some cases you can not even see the father cat, because in case of „Maine Coon like” kittens they are probably not purebred Maine Coon cats. You may also suspect, if many different types of cats are seen during your visit.

Since propagators don’t train themselves, they often give evasive answers to the future owners’ questions.

Their kittens can be sold even in the market, locked in a cage in the trunk of a car. Furthermore, they can also be sold on free advertising websites, or even with the wording ”Maine Coon kitten on sale”. In many cases, they don’t have a fixed price, so you can bid on the kittens.

It is important to state that a kitten without a pedigree certificate cannot be considered as Maine Coon, at most as ”Maine Coon like”cat.

It is also important not to fall for propagators, who claim that kittens are cheaper without a pedigree certificate. A pedigree certificate isn’t expensive (it only costs about 2000-3000 HUF in Hungary). In this case, please don’t buy the kitten, because in this way you are supporting the work of propagators.

Criteria of propagators

The most important thing to some not reputable breeders is to sell kittens in the current trendy color. They don’t educate themselves and don’t even provide advice to cat owners, who bought a kitten from them. They are not interested in the standard of a given breed either, so in many cases they violate the standards for the appearance of the cats, they don’t comply with them.

The future owner has to choose his/her breeder very carefully. You can read more about it here. It is misleading, that some breeders even though they have a website or a Facebook-page, go to cat shows, but not in all cases, or at least not for all diseases, do they screen their breeding stock. It is controversial that cats tested positive for a disease aren’t removed from breeding in all cases. For them the point is to purchase the breeding cats as cheaply as possible, they don’t take into account developing the given breed or the temperament of the cats.

Characteristics  of reputable, conscientious breeders

Hobby breeders

Hobby breeders, like real breeders, do quality work and also conscientious work. It is also important to them to maintain the standard of the breed. The difference is the time spent on the cats and the number of their cats.  

Reputable, high-quality breeders breeders

In contrast to hobby breeders regular, high-quality breeders, i.e. selective breeders, work conscientiously to ensure that the given breed develops both in appearance and in terms of health. Such breeders train themselves so they can provide advice to the owners of kittens purchased from them. So in many cases they have a breeder follow-up system.

They have regularly updated websites and Facebook Pages. The pedigree name of the current breeding stock can be read on their website. Photos of current litters are also uploaded. Their home is clear and equipped with cat furniture. Even the kittens are fed with premium cat food and meat.

It is important to point out that unfortunately, the goblets shown at cat shows don’t always represent quality breeding. In addition, the breeder society is also very diluted, which is why it is of great importance that you carefully choose a responsible and reputable breeder for your future cat. His/Her main goal should be to maintain the characteristics of the breed at the highest possible level as well as to preserve the given breed.