Debates regularly flare up around rehoming of adult breeding cats and toms.
“Not needed anymore?”
“Made money off them — and tossed them away?”
“Egoism and business, not love for animals.”
These questions are understandable if you look at the situation from the outside. But let’s calmly and honestly examine why breeders look for new homes for animals retired from breeding, and why in most cases this is genuinely done for their benefit.
What a Cattery Really Is
Many people still imagine a cattery as “one male cat and a couple of female cats that produce kittens for sale.” In practice, this is a myth.
A real cattery is systematic work on a breed. The breeder’s goal is not just to produce kittens, but to gradually improve:
- type,
- health,
- temperament,
- genetics,
- compliance with the breed standard.
There is no progress with the same two or three breeding animals. That’s why breeders:
- keep the best kittens,
- acquire promising animals from colleagues,
- retire from breeding those who have already fulfilled their role or are no longer needed in the breeding program.
And this is where the reality begins — one that outsiders rarely think about.
No more room at home, and Cats Are Not Numbers
Even a small cattery usually includes:
- 2–3 males,
- 8–10 females,
- kittens of different ages,
- returns from new homes,
- neutered animals that cannot be rehomed for various reasons.
Even with careful and infrequent renewal of breeding animals, after a few years there may be 20–30 adult cats living in the house.
And this inevitably means:
- overcrowding,
- a higher risk of infections,
- a complex hierarchy,
- constant conflicts,
- chronic stress,
- isolation of certain animals,
- a decline in quality of life — for both cats and people.
What Happens After a Breeding Career Ends
Cats usually finish their breeding careers at 4–5 years old, sometimes earlier — at 2–3 years.
After that, the animal is neutered or spayed, and its hormonal balance changes dramatically. Along with this, its position in the group also changes.
In a large feline community, this looks like:
- former leaders losing their status;
- a mother cat or dominant tom no longer being “in charge”;
- being pushed away from food bowls, beds, and passageways;
- some find a new place in the hierarchy, and others not.
This has nothing to do with love, upbringing, or the breeder’s efforts. These are the laws of feline physiology and social structure.
For a neutered animal, life in a large cattery almost always becomes more difficult than before.
Why a New Home Is a Benefit, Not “Getting Rid Of”
A young, healthy cat has another 10–15 years of life ahead after retirement from breeding.
And here a simple question arises: where and how is it better for them to live these years?
In constant competition for resources, in a noisy home, under a couch, or in isolation?
Or in a calm environment:
- as the only and beloved pet in a small family,
- or with other companion animals in a friendly household,
- without fighting for a bowl or a bed,
- with maximum human attention?
That is why responsible breeders look for new homes for such animals.
Not because they are “an extra mouth to feed, ” but because it is more honest and humane toward the cat.
Why This Is Not “Rescue”
It’s important to separate concepts here.
A rescued animal comes from the street, a shelter, abandonment, an unknown history, and lack of care.
A breeding cat “retiring” is an animal that:
- has lived in a family since birth,
- is socialized,
- is under constant veterinary supervision,
- receives quality nutrition and care.
It is not being rescued from a bad life.
It is moving from one good life to another — calmer and better suited to its current needs.
Calling such an animal “rescued” devalues both the work of volunteers and the reality of responsible breeding.
Why Rehoming Is Not Necessarily “Free”
A separate sensitive issue is cost.
You often hear: “If the the retired breeding cat is neutered, it should be given away for free.”
But this animal already represents:
- years of breeding work,
- significant financial investment,
- veterinary care,
- shows,
- upbringing and socialization.
A symbolic fee is not greed, but:
- a way to filter out random people,
- a sign of readiness to take responsibility,
- additional protection for the animal from careless treatment.
In practice, this approach helps ensure the cat goes to a home where the decision was well thought out rather than impulsive.
Rehoming adult breeding cats is neither cruelty
nor abandonment of responsibility.
In most cases, it is a conscious decision that makes the life of a specific
animal calmer and happier.
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