08/28/2026
So many of you tagged me in this article. Let's talk about it... Let's talk about how to avoid supporting byb or in this situation a kitty mill.
The number-one thing I recommend is building a relationship with the breeder before choosing a kitten.
Follow their social media for a while. If you see nothing but perfectly posed kitten pictures... and never see where the kittens actually live, their mother, their littermates, or normal everyday life, that is a red flag to me.
Some breeders get angry when I say that, but I have to wonder why. I have no problem showing my home. It is extremely important for potential owners to see how and where their kitten is being raised.
Ask for current photos or video of the nursery, the littermates together, and the mother with her babies. Not another staged photo shoot.... real, everyday pictures. You can usually tell the difference. When someone asks me, I walk into my nursery and take a picture. There may be blankets everywhere or food dumped on the floor because that is reality when you are raising kittens.
To me, seeing their actual living environment is one of the most important things you can do. I see breeders posting basic "rules" for what ethical breeding is. I'm so sick of seeing that, I can't tell you how many byb do alot of what's on those lists, sometimes all, and still have set ups like I just seen in this garage, or cats being raised in cold basements with one little light bulb, f***s filled cages and emaciated cats. I seen it all. It's not as easy as following a set of rules and that makes you magically ethical or not. This is one thing I wish breeders would stop doing. It makes ethical breeding sound easy, so if I follow a few rules and post that I do them, I'm ethical. No it's much deeper then this and anyone that has done a little bit of rescue would know that. So please please please build relationships people and breeders please stop posting rules. Show yourself being ethical, that's how you teach ethical.
CFA or TICA registration is important, but registration alone does not prove someone is an ethical breeder. It is relatively easy to register a cattery. There is no home inspection, and breeders are not required to submit veterinary records proving how their cats are housed or cared for.
For Sphynx, current HCM scans on both parents are very important. However, I personally do not send my catsā medical documents to every stranger who messages me. Scammers steal breedersā paperwork, photographs, and even entire websites. Once someone is a serious potential buyer for a particular kitten, I will share the appropriate records. A breeder should be willing to show you those records at that stage.. not simply tell you that testing was done. And if they tell you they never seen HCM in their program they are either full of sh*t or only had a handful of litters. 1 in 7 cats will develop HCM. This goes for all breeds. ***please be aware when purchasing overseas there is alot of fake medical records from hcm scans, to pcr tests, to vaccine records and health certificates.
A responsible breeder should also want to know about you. Fill out the application. Answer the questions. Do not become offended if they ask you to take a few extra steps. Many people want to see a cute kitten and immediately buy it, but a responsible breeder cares deeply about where their babies are going and whether that home is appropriate.
Ask about:
ā¢ HCM scanning and other relevant health testing
ā¢ The kittenās parents and whether you can see them
ā¢ Where and how the kittens are raised
ā¢ The breederās contract and health guarantee
ā¢ What happens if you can no longer keep the cat
ā¢ Whether the breeder remains available for support throughout the catās life
Read the contract before sending money. Look for a breeder who requires the cat to be returned to them rather than surrendered, sold, or rehomed without their involvement. Ask what happens if a serious health problem develops. Pay attention not only to the answers, but also to whether the breeder answers openly and consistently.
There are a million questions you could ask, but ultimately, much of this comes down to building a relationship and watching the breeder over time.
We live in an age when people can window-shop adorable kittens in seconds. Beautiful websites can be created overnight. Reviews can be misleading. Photographs can be stolen, and now AI-generated kitten pictures are everywhere.
When I started breeding nearly 25 years ago, things were very different. People wanted to talk on the phone. Social media was not what it is today, and breeders often had personal pages where you saw their real lives... not pretty business pages they could hide behind.
I was involved in rescue before I became a breeder. Some of the things I have witnessed will stay with me forever. People would be shocked by what can exist behind a beautiful website and professional photographs.
In fact, part of the reason I began breeding was because I ended up with three very sick Sphynx from irresponsible breeders when I bought my first pets. I wanted to educate people and show that breeding could be done correctly, transparently, and with the animalsā welfare placed first. Teaching people about the breed so we can set them up for success and not just selling to every person that wants a sphynx. Making sure their lifestyle can fit the animals needs. I would say 50% of my applications get denied just because the people don't have other pets and work too much. The responsibility of an ethical breeder is making sure you are prepared to own the pet.
Irresponsible breeding contributes enormously to animal suffering, but buyers also have power so we need to stop putting the blame in one place. Most of the rescue I do comes from irresponsible owners. When people stop financially supporting backyard breeders, it becomes harder for those breeders to continue producing animals they cannot properly house, feed, or treat. You as a buyer need to do your research on the breeder but also the breed you are purchasing and make sure you can properly handle their needs. Don't buy a Sphynx just because it looks cool and is hairless. These animals are very demanding and don't fit into everyone lifestyle.
I cannot even count how many people have contacted me after being scammed by someone advertising a Sphynx for under $1,000. Please understand that these cats cannot be bred and raised ethically at bargain-basement prices. Proper food, health testing, veterinary care, emergency treatment, sanitation, supplies, and the breederās time are expensive.
I paid approximately $8,000 EACH for two emergency C-sections this year. Irresponsible breeders often cannot.. or will not, provide that level of care. They wait and hope the kittens eventually come out not alive. They may not bottle-feed struggling babies just like in this current situation I'm dealing with. They may not have money for proper food or emergency veterinary treatment, again just like this current situation. They may keep cats permanently caged because they do not have the space to raise them properly. People get into breeding all the time because they think having kittens will be fun... and most of the time are barely making ends meet in their life. So animals suffer.
I regularly receive calls about sick kittens and critically ill mother cats whose breeders cannot afford a veterinarian. They want my help, but these animals need a vet. Babies die. Adult cats die. This happens far more often than the public realizes.
Do not choose a breeder simply because they have the cutest available kitten or the lowest price. Choose someone you have watched, spoken with, and learned to trust. Choose someone you feel good about supporting because you can see that they are doing the right thing... even when nobody is watching. There are actually alot out there.
If buyers educate themselves, ask difficult questions, and stop rewarding irresponsible breeders, we can make a real difference together. ā¤ļø
