In my opinion some Vets today take offence when a breeder objects differently to their advice, especially one that has more knowledge than expected with no Veterinarian education to back it up. Most of us breeders have learned through good old fashioned YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, yearly trails of very expensive Vet bills, with no kittens (or queens for that matter) to show for all that effort and money spent. My knowledge came to me by way of a Professor of Veterinarian who taught at Guelph University, Province of Ontario, with my very first litter.
With local authorities in some provinces enforcing us to pay for FAR TOO expensive business/hobby licenses and requiring us to adhere to strict breeding regulations, there are fewer registered breeders today. Although I agree with spaying and neutering prior to selling, tattooing or microchipping all cats and kittens, I disagree with limiting the number of litters and cats (whole or altered) allowed on the premises (which varies in each city or town per province), despite the fact that they are INDOOR ONLY. There is a planning in the works to require all breeders to apply for GST (Federal tax), PST (Provincial tax) and HST (Harmonized tax in some provinces) business tax numbers to charge on top of selling prices, so that the Federal and Provincial Governments can collect more taxes.
We are over-taxed as it is!
YES, there is an over population of unaltered cats (and dogs), but it is not caused by registered breeders! Registered breeders don't expect to earn a living from breeding, nor is there any Profit in Breeding. Our Code of Ethics is for the good of the breed(s) and to provide future generations with the pleasure and experience of registered pedigreed (purebred) animals. If we continue to "overkill in the altering" of all breeding stock (this is coming VERY SOON) there won't be any animals in the future. Look back in history to the DARK AGES and time of the BLACK PLAQUE. With poor sanitation, few and far between cats (expecially black that were considered a curse), the rodents took over. Must mankind learn the hard way again? We are supposed to be the CARETAKERS, not the EXTERMINATORS of this planet EARTH.
God gave us DOMINION over HIS animals, not EXTINCTION!
Many breeders are quitting as sometimes Veterinarian assistance is beyond reach due to lack of cash. My costs for 2004 were over $2900. I believe some pets should be altered, but registered breeding stock we NEED! Look at our local shelters and SPCA's to see if you can find an abandoned purebred. Without us breeders, these Vets will go out of business, as most people are not willing to spend the dollars to spay and neuter domestic animals let alone care for them. Veterinarian costs have more than trippled in the past 20 years that I have been breeding. Estimated average expense for a C-section in lower mainland of British Columbia Canada is well over $750 and up. A breeder is expected to spend as least $300 or more for the queen and kittens per visit which includes health checkup and three (3) series of vaccines. Spaying ranges from $250 to as high as $500 and neutering varies from $150 to $300 plus taxes. Dental cleaning is minimum of $500. It is again my personal opinion that those who have invested substantial money for their pets are more apt to take better care of them. (No pun intended.) But this is not fair, as everybody should be able to afford and maintain within reasonable costs a pet if they choose. After all, we expect them to be our companions for their lifetime. It is also a proven fact that animals maintain and\or improve our own health.
Since I personally believe that Ladybug's death COULD HAVE and SHOULD HAVE been avoided, I have since changed Veterinarians. The clinic I go to now came highly recommended by numereous acquaintances and friends, has a fabulous reputation, with very reasonable prices and gives Breeders a discount in which I haven't seen offered anywhere in Canada in over 15 years.