Cat Breeder Training

Lesson 1 • Understanding Breed Standards

Examines official breed standard documents and scoring criteria. Connects physical evaluation skills to responsible selection decisions.

Lesson 2 • Ethics and Responsibilities of Breeders

Defines ethical obligations including welfare, transparency, and honest marketing. Establishes the professional conduct baseline expected in all subsequent chapters.

Lesson 3 • Regulatory and Registration Overview

Introduces licensing requirements, registration bodies, and record-keeping obligations. Prepares students to operate within recognized regulatory frameworks.

Lesson 1 • Inbreeding, Linebreeding, and Outcrossing

Compares strategies for concentrating or diversifying genetics within a breeding program. Prepares students to calculate and manage inbreeding coefficients responsibly.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Mendelian Genetics

Covers dominant, recessive, and codominant inheritance using feline examples. Lays the genetic reasoning foundation required for all breeding pair decisions.

Lesson 3 • Hereditary Diseases and Genetic Testing

Identifies common inherited disorders and the DNA tests used to screen for them. Equips students to make informed decisions that reduce disease prevalence.

Lesson 4 • Coat Color and Pattern Genetics

Explains the loci controlling color, pattern, and white spotting. Enables accurate prediction of offspring coat phenotypes.

Lesson 1 • The Feline Estrous Cycle

Details the stages of the queen's cycle, hormonal triggers, and seasonality. Provides the timing knowledge essential for successful mating management.

Lesson 2 • Reproductive Disorders and Infertility

Identifies common causes of breeding failure, uterine disease, and hormonal imbalance. Equips students to seek timely veterinary intervention and adjust breeding plans.

Lesson 3 • Pregnancy Diagnosis and Monitoring

Teaches ultrasound, palpation, and hormonal methods for confirming pregnancy. Enables early detection of complications and accurate due-date estimation.

Lesson 4 • Queening and Parturition

Describes normal labor stages, nesting preparation, and intervention thresholds. Prepares students to support delivery and recognize dystocia emergencies.

Lesson 1 • Nutrition from Birth Through Weaning

Details nursing frequency, milk replacer protocols, and weaning food introduction. Connects proper nutrition to healthy growth curves and immune development.

Lesson 2 • Neonatal Assessment and Immediate Care

Covers APGAR-style scoring, airway clearing, and umbilical cord management at birth. Establishes the first-hour care routine that maximizes kitten survival rates.

Lesson 3 • Growth Monitoring and Health Checks

Teaches daily weight tracking, developmental milestone assessment, and early illness detection. Provides the monitoring framework that guides timely veterinary referrals.

Lesson 4 • Orphan Kitten and Surrogate Management

Addresses hand-rearing schedules, surrogate queen introduction, and hygiene protocols. Ensures students can sustain orphaned litters without compromising health outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Feline Nutritional Requirements

Covers obligate carnivore needs, essential amino acids, and micronutrient roles. Establishes the nutritional science baseline for all diet formulation decisions.

Lesson 2 • Feeding Programs for Breeding Adults

Designs feeding schedules for intact males and cycling queens at maintenance. Prepares students to adjust rations based on body condition scoring.

Lesson 3 • Kitten Growth Diets and Transitions

Covers nutrient-dense kitten formulas, growth rate targets, and diet transition protocols. Connects early nutrition to long-term health and breed standard development.

Lesson 4 • Evaluating Commercial Cat Foods

Teaches label reading, guaranteed analysis interpretation, and ingredient quality assessment. Connects nutritional science to practical diet selection for breeding cats.

Lesson 1 • Internal and External Parasite Control

Covers identification, treatment, and prevention of common endo- and ectoparasites. Connects parasite management to kitten health and cattery biosecurity.

Lesson 2 • Recognizing and Responding to Illness

Teaches triage of common symptoms, first-aid responses, and escalation criteria. Prepares students to act quickly while maintaining appropriate veterinary boundaries.

Lesson 3 • Infectious Disease Prevention

Identifies major feline infectious diseases and their transmission routes. Equips students to implement quarantine and testing protocols that protect breeding stock.

Lesson 4 • Core and Non-Core Vaccination Programs

Distinguishes core from non-core vaccines and establishes age-appropriate schedules. Provides the immunization framework that protects the entire breeding population.

Lesson 1 • Cattery Space Planning and Layout

Covers minimum space requirements, zoning for different cat groups, and ventilation design. Establishes the physical infrastructure that supports health and behavioral welfare.

Lesson 2 • Sanitation and Biosecurity Protocols

Details disinfectant selection, cleaning frequency, and traffic control procedures. Connects sanitation practices directly to infectious disease prevention outcomes.

Lesson 3 • Environmental Enrichment and Welfare

Designs enrichment programs addressing play, climbing, hiding, and social interaction. Ensures cats meet behavioral welfare standards required by ethical breeding guidelines.

Lesson 4 • Record-Keeping and Cattery Administration

Covers breeding logs, financial tracking, and regulatory documentation requirements. Prepares students to maintain the administrative systems that support a professional operation.

Lesson 1 • Setting Breeding Program Goals

Guides students in defining trait priorities, health targets, and temperament benchmarks. Connects individual breeding decisions to a coherent multi-generation improvement plan.

Lesson 2 • Selecting and Evaluating Breeding Stock

Covers conformation assessment, health screening results, and pedigree analysis for stock selection. Ensures students apply objective criteria rather than subjective preference alone.

Lesson 3 • Program Review and Continuous Improvement

Establishes annual review processes, outcome metrics, and adaptation strategies for breeding programs. Prepares students to evolve their programs in response to results and new knowledge.

Lesson 4 • Litter Evaluation and Selection

Teaches systematic kitten assessment at key developmental stages for show, breeding, or pet placement. Provides objective selection criteria that advance program goals.