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Do you really want to breed purebred cats? Sometimes people think they want to breed purebred cats because they think it's an easy way to make some money. Think again! There are so many expenses and work involved in breeding programs that many people quit after only one or two litters. Food, litter,equipment, pens (for adult males), cages (for queens to kitten in), Veterinarian expenses, registration expenses, advertising. Certain times of the year, kittens just don't sell at all! If you don't own your own male, you'll have to pay a stud service to have your female bred. Most breeders will not do outside stud service due to the risks of exposing their male to possible health problems. So finding stud service is can be very difficult. If your cat has no papers (registration papers), stud service is most likely out of the question. Unless your queen has a wonderful pedigree or exceptional looks, you can forget about the stud owner being interested in a kitten back, as payment. This means $400 or more for a stud fee, which may or may not include a guarantee of surviving kittens. As far as birthing goes ... plan on staying up all night, waiting for the kittens to arrive. Purebreds are chosen for looks not brains. Many purebred mothers don't clean off their kittens faces, break the birth sacks or cut the cords, which sometimes results in no surviving kittens. You need to count all afterbirths. There should be 1 afterbirth for each kitten delivered. A retained afterbirth can cause a life threatening infection for the mother. So you have to be there to take care of what ever the mother doesn't. Persian & Himalayan kittens have larger, rounder heads than other breeds, so sometimes the kittens get stuck during delivery. The kitten may have to be pulled out of the birth canal by you, or in some cases of a really large kitten, the queen may have to be rushed to the Vet's office. If it's in the middle of the night, this can be expensive! C-section deliveries are not uncommon when breeding Persians & Himalayans. Which believe me - are expensive! There's no guarantee of surviving kittens either! C-sections can start at $400 and go as high as the Veterinarian wants to charge you - which you owe, even if no kittens survive the operation. Persian & Himalayan kittens are fragile. They have to be kept warm and safe. Some queens won't care for their kittens, so then you'll have to bottle feed or tube feed, clean the kitten's bottoms. Sometimes the mother becomes ill due to unpassed kittens, unpassed afterbirths or developes a mammery gland infection. Which then means the kittens have to be raised by hand. Newborn kittens ned to be fed every 2 hours, day and night. By the time their a week old, the feedings are about every 4 hours, day & night. So I ask again ..... Do you really want to breed purebred cats? For the health & happiness of your pet ... please remember to neuter or spay ... as soon as possible! 
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