I am forwarding this to you because I found you on a site like Craigslist, Livejournal, Yahoo Answers, or some other site that I frequent, and it looks like you are thinking about breeding your pet! I have written this article in order to give you more information about animal breeding in the hopes that you will make the best decision possible regarding your animal and the rest of the pet community. This applies mostly to small pets, like rats, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, but the general idea could also be applied to other animals like dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.
First things first.
You need to ask yourself WHY you want to breed these animals. Here is a list of some common reasons: "The pet I have now has a fantastic personality!"
"When my pet is gone, I want to have one of her offspring."
"My friends love my pet and I want them to have one!"
"I want to experience the miracle of birth."
"I want to teach my children about reproduction and responsibility!"
"I want to make some money off of the babies."
"Baby animals are SO cute!"
"My pet is a special colour or breed!"
You might be surprised to learn that NONE of these reasons are good enough. They are selfish and irresponsible reasons. When you breed any animal, you are adding more pets into a world that already has MILLIONS of unwanted pets who die in shelters every year, including small pets and exotics. So the reasons for breeding have to be AMAZING, or you are just contributing to animal cruelty and suffering.
Responsible and ethical breeders are the ones who are breeding to reduce negative traits in the animals they breed, and reinforce the good traits. Ethical breeders don't always pick the prettiest pet to breed. They pick ones with good temperaments and ones with excellent health as certified by a reputable veterinarian. They are trying to make the species or breed better than it is already! It can take them a long time to find a pet who is suitable to breed.
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Before you breed, you need to make sure that you know how to take care of the type of animal you've chosen. You need to have a significant amount of experience working with this species. What is significant? Well, this varies from person to person. But generally it's a good idea to have had this type of pet for several life-spans. A proper breeding project can end up being several generations. You should be a participating member of the online communities about your animal. You should have a vet who can see your animals. You should be able to answer complicated questions about your animals care with a lot of details. You should have a basic understanding of genetics and how it applies to your species. You should know about the health problems associated with your species or breed. Can you do a basic Punnett square? Do you even know what that is?
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Finding animals to breed.
Now you need to find some animals who are suitable for breeding. Unfortunately, this might not include the pets you already have, and you need to be responsible enough to stop here if you can't acquire new "breed-able" animals. Enjoy your pet the way it is, but don't do the wrong thing by breeding it if it doesn't meet the following requirements:
- The animal came from another reputable breeder, NOT a pet shop, rescue, or backyard breeder.
- The animal came with a pedigree that outlines some of it's genetic traits, such as colours, hair types, temperament, inbreeding coefficient, and any congenital traits that are important. You will also need the animal's birthdates and vet paperwork to prove that it's healthy.
- The animal has an excellent temperament and comes from a line of similarly good-tempered animals.
- The animal is neither too large or too small and does not have any obvious deformities or disabilities. They should be excellent examples of their breed and species.
- The animal is current on ALL the recommended vaccinations, parasite control, behavioral/health testing, genetic testing, etc. available.
As you can see, finding someone who is already a reputable breeder with experience will be very helpful. They can give you detailed information about this animal's reproduction. They can help you find a vet who is experienced with your species or breed. They can help you find suitable breeding animals. They can be there for you when you have an emergency question in the middle of the night. They can help you do things properly. It's important for you to note that your mentor should be following these unwritten rules too.
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Getting prepared.
Now you need to set up your animals. You will probably have many different cages by the time you are done. You probably need one cage for the breeding male and female. Then you need a separate cage to move the female into once she has become pregnant. You will need another cage for the male offspring, and even ANOTHER one for the female offspring. You will also need some spares for any animals who become injured or sick. You will need even more cages for animals you are keeping to continue your ethical breeding project.
You should have a basic medical kit to keep your pets healthy at home. You should know the numbers to several vets and emergency clinics in your area in case something happens. You should have plenty of supplies and good food on hand.
You should have an adoption contract already written up for your adopters to sign. It should include stipulations such as "no breeding" and "return the animal to me if you no longer want it". You should probably hire legal help to make sure the contract will hold up in court. NO responsible breeder will allow their babies to be bred by the people who adopt them, and ALL responsible breeders want their animals back if the new owner can't keep it any more. This WILL happen.
Be prepared to do home checks to make sure the people buying from you are able to handle your pet. Make them give you references. Make them show you where the animal will live. Be prepared to reject people. Make sure their landlord allows pets.
Where are you going to find homes for the animals? A responsible breeder will usually have a long waiting list before they even put the male and female together. Responsible breeders NEVER sell animals to pet stores.
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There is a ton of information out there that I haven't even touched on. Each species has it's own quirks and peculiarities. It's own needs and requirements.
Don't become one of "those" shitty backyard breeders that ends up filling my animal rescue with poorly bred unwanted animals because YOU weren't prepared, unless you want to come and help me clean cages and administer medications.
