Breeding Burmese, in fact breeding generally, is a hobby that can bring great joy, and at the same time, many tears.
The novice breeder will usually expect things to run smoothly, after all, cats breed in the wild without any problems surely?
Often people think that if you leave the cat alone, things will work out just fine. Some people think you can make money from breeding cats.
The reality of breeding cats is very different.
Working and living with entire cats (ones that have not been desexed), is very different to living with your normal neutered pet cat. A female cat (queen) will literally overnight turn from your lovely friendly lap cat, to a screaming maniac throwing herself at the window, trying to get to the local tom cat as her hormones kick in as she starts a call! (cats comes into season when ready to ovulate - referred to as a call). A female cat calling can reduce some people to tears with the noise! i find the trick with queens calling is to be able to space litters a healthy distance apart without having your queen explode with seasons! I plan for three litters over every two years.
After 63 to 65 days from mating, your queen will hopefully give birth (usually in your bed in the middle of the night!). the picture above shows two litters - one at one day old and the other at four days old. I always make sure I am at home with my queens when they birth, to assist. Sometimes things can go wrong and it means a quick trip to the vet (usually the emergency after hours vet), to get things sorted. You need to allow for substantial vet fees if this occurs (can be around $1,000 for a full caesarian).
The queens are usually very good with raising their young. However the first ten days is always the most risky time for baby kittens. Forthis reason, I weigh each kitten night and morning, to check that they are putting on weight (I expect 10 to 20 grams a day in weight gain). Things that can wrong include infected umblical cords, flat chested kittens, dehydration, and small kittens that cannot compete for nipples with the larger kittens. A timely course of antibiotics or a bit of supplementation may well save a baby kitten if you can pick it up early enough - your weight chart is a good guide for how well a kitten is doing as well as look and feel of the kitten
A close eye needs to be kept on your queen throughout if she is not in good condition, the kittens will suffer. My girls eat like horses with kittens, and I have fresh food put for them at least four times a day. You soon realise just how much work a mother cat does if you ever have to hand raise kittens. Baby kittens will need a feed every 2 to 3 hours day and night!
By ten days, kittens have opened their eyes, and by four weeks, they are usually out of the box and running around. I usually keep kittens in an enclosure - confined near a litter box from four to six weeks, to make sure they know where the toilet is!
At five to six weeks, they are generally ready to start eating solid food - mum has been feeding them solely to this point. This is always an interesting time, and its usually quite messy! I love watching young kittens start to eat, some can be reluctant but are persuaded with a little food on your finger.
By the time they are eight weeks old, your house is just not the same. A litter of kittens running down the hallway, sounds like a herd of elephants! They tend to only have two speed settings - fast asleep, or flat out!
At this stage, you are cleaning one litter box per two kittens every day, feeding four times a day, and starting your treks to the vet for vaccinations and desexing. It can be a busy time. Usually prospective owners are wanting to come and look at the kittens as well, so it tends to be an open home situation in the weekends. I like people to know what they are in for when getting a burmese. Having a cat is having a cat for life and I need to feel confident that the kitten will be looked after well.
When the kittens have left home, the house is quite empty. The reality of breeding is that you can't keep every kitten you breed, and you need to be selective about the kittens you keep. Every litter bred is for a reason. Either testing colours carried genetically by the parents, or improving type / correcting faults to align to the burmese standard.
Breeding can be very hard, but very rewarding as well. It requires a lot of dedication and hard work.
I intend to place relavant articles on breeding up on this site from time to time. So feel free to bookmark my website and check in occasionally.
