Finding cats other than
using the FBRL
What if you're looking for a particular
breed in a particular place and you can't find what you're
looking for? Remember that the FBRL lists only breeders
who are currently online who have signed up for the service.
There are thousands of breeders out there who don't have
e-mail addresses, and there are many other ways to reach
them as well. Try these alternative techniques.
Alternate search techniques using the
FBRL system
- Write to breeders of your chosen breed in other
locations. For example, if you can't find Singapura
breeders in Maine, try writing to other Singapura breeders
located in the Northeast. Breeders tend to know one
another and you may find that they know of a breeder
in your area.
- Scan the list to see if a Breed Council Secretary
or Chair is listed. Breed Council Secretaries and
Chairs head association breeder's groups and are well
connected with this breed. They should be able to provide
additional referrals. Not every breed has a Breed Council
secretary or chair online.
- Use the Search by Location
option to find other breeders in your area. They
might not work with the breed of cat you want, but they
may know someone locally who does.
Other search techniques
- Consult national cat magazines such as Cat
Fancy or Cat World. These have
advertisements for breeders in the back.
- Consult cat show schedules and visit cat shows.
You can look at show schedules online at http://www.fanciers.com/clubs.html
or in magazines such as Cat Fancy or Cat
World to see if there will be a cat show coming
to a location near you. Cat shows are excellent places
to find breeders of all cat breeds.
- Search other listings of cat breeders online.
There are other breeder referral services on the World
Wide Web. The most efficient way is to search by breed
name.
Never buy pedigreed kittens from a pet
store. Most pedigreed animals sold in pet stores come
from puppy or kitten mills, where animals are overbred and
kittens and puppies are raised and pumped out before they
are emotionally or physically ready. You have no way of
knowing the kitten's background, and these kittens often
have serious health problems. Consider not patronizing pet
stores that sell purebred kittens or puppies. Buy pedigreed
animals directly from a responsible, ethical breeder.
(By the way, pet stores that offer adoption
services for mixed-breed cats are great. Don't confuse them
with pet stores that sell pedigreed cats and dogs.)
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