Many cat lovers who are looking to purchase a pedigree cat may ask themselves this question
decide. Inspired by a visit to a pedigree cat exhibition or an article in a cat magazine, many people want to own one of these beautiful animals. The classifieds in the animal market or in popular cat magazines are eagerly rummaged through or an association is asked directly about young animals.

Displeasure and disappointment can quickly spread in the face of what it seems to be the horrendous asking prices of the breeders. And some will ask why they should spend hundreds of euros for a so-called lover animal when they neither want to breed nor exhibit and the family tree will eventually gather dust in the filing. One quickly agrees that breeders must be incredibly greedy for money and earn a golden nose from their young animals. Fortunately, there are also numerous “breeders” who sell their animals at low prices. Their animals also have a pedigree, but often cost only half as much as the cats of a breeder affiliated with our association.

What is behind such blatant price differences?

Animal welfare and rearing has its price. Therefore, in the case of cheap offers, it must be assumed that low prices are only possible because parent animals such as puppies pay dearly for their physical and mental health.

These unfortunate animals are often “products” from mass breeding with the sole aim of reproduction and sale. The dams are shamelessly exploited by covering them too early and too often until they die weakened and emaciated. When the parents are mated, health, quality and character are not taken into account and basic medical care for the animals cannot be assumed. It would be too expensive. In addition, the puppies are often given away much too early (before the age of 13 weeks) – so the mother can be mated again immediately. Even a layperson can imagine that young animals that are conceived and raised under such circumstances are mostly sick and weak.

If the little one survives the first few weeks with its new owner, they often have to pay horrific veterinary costs, which by far exceed the amount that a breeder from our association would have charged for one of his young animals. Such animals may never get completely healthy, which is not only expensive but also means a lot of grief for the individual.

All breeders who belong to the 1. DEKZV e.V. are subject to our breeding guidelines, which are closely aligned with the Animal Welfare Act. They also regulate the minimum age for the first coverage of the mother animal and the frequency of the approved coverage, as well as medical care (vaccinations, wormer cures) and the earliest possible age of the young animals. This ensures optimal conditions from which healthy and mentally stable animals emerge.

At this point at the latest it should be clear that species-appropriate and responsible treatment of animals has its price. If one of our breeders now demands a few hundred euros for his young animal, he has often only just covered the costs with this amount that he had to pay for the little kitten up to now: starting with the stud fee, through to the medical care of the mother and the little ones, up to high quality feed, which guarantees an optimal basic supply. Not counting diseases from which even the most responsible breeder is not immune. A business can therefore hardly be made with the sale of the animals!

If young animals are offered at strikingly low prices, it can be assumed that this is only possible if their physical and mental needs are grossly disregarded.

Only those who produce cheaply can also sell cheaply!

The animals pay the price in the first place! But even the new owners rarely get off cheaply. The only ones who come out of the deal satisfied are unscrupulous profiteers who not only benefited from the sale but also made room for new goods.