06/11/2026
🚩 Red Flags When Buying a Kitten (And Red Flags When Dealing With Breeders)
I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about what people should look out for when searching for a Persian kitten, so I thought I’d share some thoughts from both sides of the conversation.
🐾 RED FLAG #1: The Only Question Is “Price?”
There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking about pricing.
However, if the only question being asked is “How much?” and there’s no interest in health testing, pedigree, temperament, care, or the breeder’s program, that’s often a warning sign.
Ethical breeding is incredibly expensive. Between health testing, veterinary care, showing, emergency funds, registration fees, and proper nutrition, most responsible breeders spend far more than they ever make. (I’m 3.5years in.. have spent more than 50k… it’ll take years to recoup from kitten sales when done properly)
🐾 RED FLAG #2: Asking for Breeding Rights Without Experience
Recently, I’ve seen an increase in people requesting breeding rights despite:
• Never owning a Persian before
• Having no mentor
• Not showing cats
• Not health testing
• Having no long-term breeding goals
As someone who has bred dogs in the past, I can confidently say that breeding Persian cats is a completely different world.
The breeding itself is easy.
The pregnancies, deliveries, emergencies, neonatal care, and constant monitoring are where the real work begins.
Responsible breeders prepare for emergencies before they happen.
🐾 RED FLAG #3: A Breeder Who Always Has Kittens Available
A good breeder should be breeding with purpose.
Every pairing should have goals behind it:
• Improving health
• Preserving breed type
• Bettering future generations
• Advancing their breeding program
Ethical breeding programs focus on quality over quantity.
Recently, I have seen an astounding amount of breeders that are continuously breeding their cats several times a year… The most recent I have seen was a breeder that has had kittens that are barely over 3-4 months apart in age.. which if you do the math, it means that the female was bred while still having 4-8week old kittens on the ground. There should be no excuse for this unethical practice.
🐾 RED FLAG #4: A Breeder Who Doesn’t Welcome Questions
Ask questions.
Lots of them.
Ask about:
• Health testing
• Genetic screening
• Contracts
• Return policies
• Veterinary care
• Breeding goals
A breeder should never be offended by an educated buyer.
In fact, I love when people ask thoughtful questions.
🐾 RED FLAG #5: Breeders Focused on Producing More Litters, Not Better Cats
One of the biggest concerns in the cat world is people breeding without health testing, mentorship, showing, or accountability.
These are often the same breeders who will not take their cats back if something happens years down the road. (at the very least if the breeder is not able to take the cat back, they should be actively participating in helping find a suitable home)
Responsible breeders stand behind every cat they produce for its entire lifetime.
🐾 RED FLAG #6: Offering More Money for Breeding Rights
I’ve had people offer thousands of dollars above my asking price for breeding rights.
If you know me, you know that’s probably the fastest way to end the conversation. (and at that point you’re not even getting a pet kitten)
No amount of money is worth compromising my ethics, my program, or the relationships I have built with the breeders who trusted me with their lines.
❤️ What Matters Most
Every cat in my cattery comes from breeders who have expectations, contracts, and standards.
Those relationships are built on trust, shared goals, and a commitment to preserving and protecting this breed.
If you’re searching for a Persian kitten, please don’t shop for the cheapest kitten.
Shop for:
✔️ Health
✔️ Transparency
✔️ Ethics
✔️ Education
✔️ Lifetime breeder support
Here, our kittens are loved from day one. They are raised in our house with our other pets and our family. We do everything in our power to produce a quality, healthy, sweet kittens. Our goal is to better this breed, so we do take longer to place our kittens. We make our pick first for our programs, and then our available babies will be offered to prescreened families who are on our waiting list.
We try our hardest to deliver a well loved, socialized, healthy kitten for your family to enjoy for hopefully the next 2 decades! 🙏
Because breeding should never be about quantity.
It should always be about quality
