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Why can’t I choose the Pixie Bob I want?
by Kerri Lewis of
Hateya PixieBobs
Many people have asked me when enquiring about
kittens, “When can I (we) come and choose my (our) own cat?” There is always a slightly awkward moment
when you reply: “I’m sorry but you can’t”. You
cannot word it any other way and it does not sound
particularly friendly. You then, as the Breeder,
spend another 5 minutes bumbling out words like it
is my breeding program, there are different
standards. You do this so you can stop feeling like
you have offended a potential buyer. So, I have
decided to write if all down for you and hopefully
it will make sense!
My reasoning may very well cover most breeds, but I
write this as a Pixie Bob breeder and these are, of
course, my own reasonings – there may well be many
others and other breeders, regardless of whether
they breed Pixie-Bobs or not, may or may not agree
with my logic.
There are many different reasons as to why I don’t
allow people to choose their own kitten(s). One of
the main reasons is that, to me, the Breeding
Program is first and foremost in my mind. Be it my
breeding programme or a sale to a fellow breeder or
a first time breeder. Therefore, if a kitten is born
that meets my standards as a breeder they are not
going to be available to a person who would like a
pet. To neuter or spay a top quality cat to sell as
a pet is a waste. Especially as the breed is still
relatively new to this country. The flip side to
that is that to sell a pet quality kitten as a
breeder is just as bad (if not worse), as you are
over charging a person if you sell them a pet at a
breeder price. Also, you are not continuing with the
Breed Standards, leaving the breed open to
deviations from the Breed Standards.
All litters will have different standards of kittens
born. There will be pets, show and breeder quality
cats. Some people may show their breeding cats –
which is perfectly fine (I have), either way it is
good to show the cats. It is the best way to get the
Pixie Bob name out there. With the different
standards of kittens come the different prices, as
mentioned above. However, just because a kitten does
not meet the Breed Standards because it does not
have the perfect ear set and it’s tail is ½ a
centimetre too long, does not mean that it is not a
great Pixie Bob. All Pixie Bobs are great!
So, you have a litter of say 4. In this you may have
1 girl who is a perfect kitten that is poly and just
blows you away and is great to show and/or breed,
you may have a lovely boy that is also going to make
a great stud. You then have one girl and a poly boy
that are lovely, but are pets in Breed Standards
terms. There is a waiting list of 6 people, and they
all have certain criteria: one person may want only
a pet that is poly, but a girl – you are going to
have to disappoint that person as the poly girl you
have is a breeder. You may also have 2 people that
don’t mind if it is a girl or a boy, whether is
straight footed or poly. They are easier to please.
What the breeder will then do is match the kitten to
person. I would never sell a kitten without ever
having met the person(s), so I would have a slight
gauge as to what they are like (hopefully!), and
match a kitten to their personality. Because, just
like people, cats do have their own personality. It
gets harder for the breeder when you have 2 people
that want that perfect girl to breed, first in first
serve or personality matching? It is difficult. All
I can say is that I personally waited a very long
time to get my second queen. Unfortunately, when you
make the leap from Moggy to Pedigree the rules
change, even more so when you choose a rare breed!
I hope I have been able to shed some light on this
and take away some future awkward moments. The last
thing I would like to say is that any Pixie Bob is a
great Pixie Bob, so don’t worry too much!
This article is copyright
© Kerri Lewis 2007
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