Pet mills, pet shops and BYB's may make money selling kittens or puppies. In our experience, most ethical and responsible breeders do not even re-coop their own expenses. Remember it's a labor of love for us-so we aren't expecting to make money. It's actually a very expensive hobby. Most of us WISH we could just break even, but can't. It may look like a gold mine to one from the outside-looking in, but once you see it on paper, most are shocked, if not horrified. We do this for the love of our beloved breed, not money. Remember we have good careers that allow us the luxury of our expensive hobby.
Kitten vaccinations, deworming, blood tests & vet checks cost breeders about $250 or more per kitten. That's if you are blessed and there are not any problems to be treated. Then, if the breeder has access to a vet that does early spay/neuter another $150-$250 per kitten for the surgery and related expenses. Kittens stay with breeders for at least 12 weeks. Many hours are spent feeding (premium cat food-wet and dry), socializing, and cleaning-up-after those adorable "mess makers". All this costs a pretty penny. One can't cut corners at the expense of the the kittens or the new owner.
Remember, Quality is not expensive...it's Priceless!!
Here's a simple outline that gives one an idea of where all the money goes to properly raise a well socialized, healthy litter of quality Bengals.
Here's a simple outline based on the low end specs to see just how lucrative raising a quality litter is:
- Upkeep/toys/furn on 1 queen first year = $1,500
- membership fees, registration & etc = $300+
- show quality bengal queen w/breeding right = $3,000 or more
- campaigning said queen to championship = $6,000-$10,000
- Stud service, health check & shipping fees = $3,300-4,300
- Prenatal check, X-ray & vitamins = $150
- healthy uneventful litter of 5 = priceless, but not realistic
- difficult delivery/C-section = $325-$1,000+ (depends on time of day)
- Baby supplies needed on hand = $325
- Kitten food-wet and dry x 6wks = $360
- Mom food preg & lactating 6wks = $230
- Vet checks, vacc & worming x2 = $300
- Early spay/neuter x 4 kittens = $800+
- Advertising litter/website (ave) = $1,500+
- Vet hlth certs x4 = $140
- litter & other misc = $120+
Total low estimate expenses = -$17, 850 to -$23,525
- Hours screening/educating others = not able to put a price (labor of love)
- Endless hours caring, socializing & cleaning = not able to put a price (labor of love)
- Many sleepless nights/worry/heartbreak = far too expensive to list
- Successfully raising a litter & keeping sanity = priceless
- Keep one baby to hopefully show $15 reg fee + raising expenses = cycle starts all over again-go back to top
- Sell 4 kittens as pets to loving forever homes on ESN contract For average pet price = +$4,000
For those of you brave enough to still be reading & keeping score = -$13,865 to -$19,540
Now, one can see why this is a labor of love and not a money making scheme!
This is also why many of us "hide" the actual expenses from our spouses ;-)
If so, hope you have excellent careers, unlimited funds, tons of time, energy, patience and loving heart that can withstand disappointment & heartbreak when they occur. For even the best laid plans yield set backs and extra expenses not accounted for in this simple outline.
Believe us, we know from experience, it could be more expensive. I.e. kitten illnesses, complicated C-section, queen pyometra, mastitis, feedings every two hours around the clock, absences from work, having to give up job to care for babies, queen & or kitten deaths and many more possibilities.
* F series (filia) Bengals can't be shown but cost much more initially and require many, many hours of socialization. Babies must be hand raised 24 x 7 and socialized, socialized, and socialized, so they will be loving pets. Oh, almost forgot to mention...all males must go to pet homes as they are Sterile & can't be used for breeding or showing. Thus their increased cost doesn't yield any better "profit", especially with the many man hours it takes to socialize and raise them. We think one would be even further "in the hole", if one dared to do the math!
All cats pictured are not on premises. Some photos are for reference purposes.
Enchanted Kits reserves the right to refuse or terminate sale of any cat/kitten at any time during the negotiation period.
Photos and text may not be used without prior expressed written consent by Enchanted Kits.
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