When considering to bring a new kitten into your family, a few thoughts come to mind such as: "How do I select a reputable cat breeder?"  What separates a reputable or responsible cat breeder from a backyard breeder? 

Finding a reputable cat breeder isn't as hard as one would think if you know what to look for.  A reputable cat breeder will be involved in showing cats and belong to cat clubs and organizations.  A backyard breeder isn't that into cats, isn't involved in the cat world, and doesn't stay on top of the latest medical protocols. 

A reputable cat breeder NEVER sells or breeds cats without registration papers and only breeds pedigreed cats from champion and grand champion bloodlines.  A backyard breeder uses breeding cats that consists mostly of pets bred by other backyard breeders, typically these cats are not shown or of show quality or meet breed standard. 

A reputable and responsible cat breeder is knowledgeable in every facet of the breed, including breed specific health issues and defects.  A backyard breeder is not particularly educated about the breed and often not aware of the breed's genetic defects.

A reputable and responsible cat breeder can provide references, knows the kittens ancestry, follows up on a kitten after the kitten has been adopted.  A reputable breeder is available to answer any and all questions pertaining to a kitten and feels that no question is "a dumb question."  A responsible breeder doesn't sell kittens to impulse buyers, interviews prospective buyers, checks references and refuses to place a kitten in a home where he/she feels the kitten will be abuse or receive substandard home. 

A reputable, responsible cat breeder knows the different personalities of the kittens and attempts to match their temperaments and drives with the buyers' personalities and lifestyles.  For example if a kitten who is very reserved, shy and quiet would not be best suited in a home of high activity level with children and other animals.  A backyard breeder cares nothing of matching or understanding personality traits. 

A reputable responsible cat breeder can honestly evaluate a kitten's quality and only breeds cats which meet the standard of the breed.  A backyard breeder claims all kittens are high quality and the breeding cats rarely meet breed standard.

A reputable breeder socializes kittens by handling and exposing them to various noises, children and other animals before sending them to new homes.  A backyard breeder does not understand or want to be troubled with any kind of social training and tries to keep kittens out from underfoot until sold.

A reputable breeder will provide a clean environment for the animals, vet the animals on a regular basis, vaccinate and offer a written health guarantee.  A backyard breeder will most likely have a dirty smelly environment for the animals and the animals are not often taken to the vet for regular care, the cats and  kittens are not vaccinated, no guarantee of health is offered and quite often the animals are sickly.

Now you know the differences between a responsible or reputable cat breeder and a backyard breeder.  Best of luck in your search for your next kitten.