How much does a burmese kitten cost?
08/11/17 23:44
The cost of a kitten will vary from breeder to breeder… how well established and well regarded their breed lines are, and to some extent where they are located.
You should expect to pay around £800 for a Burmese kitten. If you see a kitten advertised for much less, be careful! Just have a read of the earlier blog item titled ‘Don't go cheap on kittens’.
Anything under £800, put it towards pet insurance. Anything over... well, it'll come back to you manyfold over the years.
When I found one of our two Burmese, the breeder said to me "Do you know the reason I was so happy to let you have one of my kittens? You didn't ask about the price". Bit extreme I know, but I had researched roughly how much a kitten would be… if I was prepared to pay that and commit to the cat, then a few pounds either way would not stop me from going ahead.
Think carefully if you feel tempted to negotiate a discount, especially when buying two or more kittens. If you do, keep in mind that the kittens suddenly become a commodity, and the breeder may view your commitment to her babies as less than ideal. I've seen it, believe me! Having said that, a breeder may offer to reduce the price for more than one kitten… but that ought to be up to them.
I'll do a little (rather clinical) maths here… If you are lucky enough to have your Burmese with you for 20 years (I was), trying to negotiate £50 off the cost of your kitten might save you £2.50 a year. Believe me, you will receive love and entertainment from your Burmese over the years to far outweigh that tiny saving.
Last of all, there's a misconception that breeders make a good profit from their kittens. They don't! They do it for the love of the breed… there are quite a few breeder websites listed on loveBurmese that give excellent accounts of the costs involved (not only financial but also time spent) in breeding. Go hunting, they really are eye-openers.
The bottom line? Decide to buy a Burmese. Find the breeder that suits you. Fall head over heels for a kitten. Open your cheque book. Easy!
You should expect to pay around £800 for a Burmese kitten. If you see a kitten advertised for much less, be careful! Just have a read of the earlier blog item titled ‘Don't go cheap on kittens’.
Anything under £800, put it towards pet insurance. Anything over... well, it'll come back to you manyfold over the years.
When I found one of our two Burmese, the breeder said to me "Do you know the reason I was so happy to let you have one of my kittens? You didn't ask about the price". Bit extreme I know, but I had researched roughly how much a kitten would be… if I was prepared to pay that and commit to the cat, then a few pounds either way would not stop me from going ahead.
Think carefully if you feel tempted to negotiate a discount, especially when buying two or more kittens. If you do, keep in mind that the kittens suddenly become a commodity, and the breeder may view your commitment to her babies as less than ideal. I've seen it, believe me! Having said that, a breeder may offer to reduce the price for more than one kitten… but that ought to be up to them.
I'll do a little (rather clinical) maths here… If you are lucky enough to have your Burmese with you for 20 years (I was), trying to negotiate £50 off the cost of your kitten might save you £2.50 a year. Believe me, you will receive love and entertainment from your Burmese over the years to far outweigh that tiny saving.
Last of all, there's a misconception that breeders make a good profit from their kittens. They don't! They do it for the love of the breed… there are quite a few breeder websites listed on loveBurmese that give excellent accounts of the costs involved (not only financial but also time spent) in breeding. Go hunting, they really are eye-openers.
The bottom line? Decide to buy a Burmese. Find the breeder that suits you. Fall head over heels for a kitten. Open your cheque book. Easy!
‘Show quality’ Burmese kittens
10/04/14 22:10
Maybe you've been to a cat show and decided you want to show your Burmese kitten. Maybe you've discussed breeding with your choice of breeder, found yourself a mentor and are hoping that your new kitten will win awards.
Here’s the trick. There is absolutely no guarantee a breeder can give you that the kitten you are buying will win awards. They can advise you that the kitten they are selling has show potential… but not that it will win awards.
You can go to a breeder with impeccable breeding lines, choose a kitten that at six weeks has great show potential… only to find at thirteen weeks that this promise has failed to develop and shine through.
Then of course, the kitten with a long line of champions behind it that you’ve been told has the ability to win awards could well go forward and become the next star on the bench.
Conversely, the kitten that didn’t come from multi-award winning lines just might have that magical combination and be a winner.
This is the beauty of genetics… you can try, but in the end nature will win out and do it’s own thing.
So, don’t expect too much from the breeder. In fact, if you are told that a kitten is definitely a winner… you have to take this with a pinch of salt. Breeders are perfectly entitled to their opinions, and many will give you very honest and accurate assessments of their kittens but remember… there really are no guarantees.
To put all this in perspective… first and foremost you are giving a home to a truly wonderful animal. The Burmese breed makes a fantastic pet and will give you hours upon hours of love and entertainment, especially if you have two!
PS. One last thought... you may want to show your kitten, but does your kitten want to be shown? You might have the most beautiful kitten but if it doesn't like being in a small pen all day, surrounded by unfamiliar cats and being handled by complete strangers your show days might be numbered anyway!
Here’s the trick. There is absolutely no guarantee a breeder can give you that the kitten you are buying will win awards. They can advise you that the kitten they are selling has show potential… but not that it will win awards.
You can go to a breeder with impeccable breeding lines, choose a kitten that at six weeks has great show potential… only to find at thirteen weeks that this promise has failed to develop and shine through.
Then of course, the kitten with a long line of champions behind it that you’ve been told has the ability to win awards could well go forward and become the next star on the bench.
Conversely, the kitten that didn’t come from multi-award winning lines just might have that magical combination and be a winner.
This is the beauty of genetics… you can try, but in the end nature will win out and do it’s own thing.
So, don’t expect too much from the breeder. In fact, if you are told that a kitten is definitely a winner… you have to take this with a pinch of salt. Breeders are perfectly entitled to their opinions, and many will give you very honest and accurate assessments of their kittens but remember… there really are no guarantees.
To put all this in perspective… first and foremost you are giving a home to a truly wonderful animal. The Burmese breed makes a fantastic pet and will give you hours upon hours of love and entertainment, especially if you have two!
PS. One last thought... you may want to show your kitten, but does your kitten want to be shown? You might have the most beautiful kitten but if it doesn't like being in a small pen all day, surrounded by unfamiliar cats and being handled by complete strangers your show days might be numbered anyway!
Don't go cheap on kittens
24/04/11 23:33
You should expect to pay around £800 for a kitten. Now, for those of you who step back in amazement and decide to search Google for a less expensive kitten… please don't.
You will find people advertising kittens for substantially less money. Let me assure you right away that you do get what you pay for and there is almost certainly something 'wrong' with the seller or kitten.
My favourite advert recently was for a 'rare black Burmese'. Extremely rare. So rare in fact that none of the feline governing bodies, clubs or societies recognise that a black Burmese actually exists. Therefore, not surprisingly, it is not a pure burmese with an impeccable pedigree. It's a ringer. Or, more likely, a ‘Bombay’.
There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't buy one of these kittens if you are looking for a true Burmese. Here's one that could give your wallet a reason to stop and think twice; what about the health issues associated with a kitten from a less than genuine breeder and the resulting vet bills?
If you've researched the breed, or know someone with a Burmese cat, you already understand what amazing animals they are. Why would you risk having a cat that may not display the true Burmese characteristics?!
When you contact a breeder, don't be put off if you suddenly feel as if you are interviewing for a job. Breeders are normally passionate about their kittens, and want to know for sure that they are going to a good loving home. You are not asking about any old kitten here, you are looking for a Burmese!
You should be able to meet the breeder and see the litter with their mother. Be very suspicious if you are not allowed to do so. If the breeder is kind enough to let you see their facilities, all the better.
Finding the right kitten for you can be an amazing experience… make sure you are not disappointed. Use our pages to find a breeder near to you and drop them a line.
You will find people advertising kittens for substantially less money. Let me assure you right away that you do get what you pay for and there is almost certainly something 'wrong' with the seller or kitten.
My favourite advert recently was for a 'rare black Burmese'. Extremely rare. So rare in fact that none of the feline governing bodies, clubs or societies recognise that a black Burmese actually exists. Therefore, not surprisingly, it is not a pure burmese with an impeccable pedigree. It's a ringer. Or, more likely, a ‘Bombay’.
There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't buy one of these kittens if you are looking for a true Burmese. Here's one that could give your wallet a reason to stop and think twice; what about the health issues associated with a kitten from a less than genuine breeder and the resulting vet bills?
If you've researched the breed, or know someone with a Burmese cat, you already understand what amazing animals they are. Why would you risk having a cat that may not display the true Burmese characteristics?!
When you contact a breeder, don't be put off if you suddenly feel as if you are interviewing for a job. Breeders are normally passionate about their kittens, and want to know for sure that they are going to a good loving home. You are not asking about any old kitten here, you are looking for a Burmese!
You should be able to meet the breeder and see the litter with their mother. Be very suspicious if you are not allowed to do so. If the breeder is kind enough to let you see their facilities, all the better.
Finding the right kitten for you can be an amazing experience… make sure you are not disappointed. Use our pages to find a breeder near to you and drop them a line.