FAQ's

Why breed when there are already so many cats in the shelter?

For those who want to start breeding cats in Belgium, strict regulations apply. These rules are, for example, much stricter than in the Netherlands—and that’s a good thing! The government aims to limit the surplus of cats, as shelters are unfortunately overcrowded with homeless cats.

This issue is mainly caused by:

Cat owners who do not follow the law and fail to sterilize their cats or do so too late, leading to many unplanned litters. Kittens from these "oops" litters are often given away for free, perpetuating the vicious cycle. By law, such kittens must be neutered, microchipped and registered, vaccinated at least once and stay with their mother for at least 12 weeks before being rehomed. Unfortunately, these rules are often ignored.
Municipalities that fail to implement effective policies to control stray cat populations.
'Backyard breeders' who prioritize quantity and profit over animal welfare. Unfortunately many people still buy kittens from these breeders, sometimes unknowingly, sometimes they lack the patience to wait for a responsibly bred kitten.

Unfortunately, ethical breeders are often unfairly blamed for contributing to the cat overpopulation problem. This is simply not true. Ask animal shelters and stray cat organizations where the real problem lies. If everyone adhered to the sterilization law—which has been in effect since 2014—we would not be dealing with such a massive surplus of cats. A responsible breeder does not breed simply to produce more kittens but instead focuses on preserving a specific breed through ethical breeding practices. These breeders also carefully screen potential owners, ensuring that their kittens only go to well-prepared, committed homes. The likelihood of these kittens ever ending up in a shelter is extremely low.

As a hobby breeder, I prioritize responsible breeding practices. But beyond that, I also actively contribute to reducing cat overpopulation through my work as a veterinarian. I try to educate people about the importance of neutering on a daily basis. Our veterinary practice offers reduced rates for nonprofit organizations that spay/neuter stray cats. And we regularly donate food, medication, and useful supplies to animal shelters.

What does the HK number mean?

As a breeder, you will only receive an HK number (= recognition number) from the government if you meet the requirements of the recognition procedure. To apply for this recognition, as a hobby breeder, you must:

Pay an application fee
Sign a contract with a veterinary practitioner who will conduct at least two check-ups per litter
Have a VAT number
Maintain administration, including an inventory, veterinary visit reports, litter records, and warranty certificates
Write a guide for future kitten owners with guidelines on housing and care

After submitting the application, a home inspection will be conducted to ensure the cats are housed properly. This includes for instance checking for smoke alarms, sufficient scratching opportunities, cleanliness of the spaces, proper food storage, etc.
If everything is in order, the government will assign you an HK number. Only after obtaining an HK number can you become a member of a breed association. With such an association, you can apply to establish a cattery and register your cattery name.

Pedigree: why is such a 'piece of paper' important?

A pedigree should be considered a quality label. It includes essential details such as the health tests of the parents and the inbreeding coefficient. Moreover, a pedigree provides information about your kitten’s ancestors (spanning 4 to 5 generations) and is the only official proof that your cat is a purebred.

Please do not be misled by breeders who claim that a pedigree is expensive and unnecessary. That is simply not true! A breeder only pays €12–15 to apply for a pedigree. However, in order to obtain a pedigree, a breeder must follow certain rules. And that's often where the problem lies...

Breeders who sell kittens without a pedigree do usually not follow one or more of these rules. Yet, they often charge nearly the same price as reputable breeders who provide pedigrees.

What rules must breeders follow to obtain a pedigree for their kittens?

Since 2025, the government has introduced a new breeding regulation in Flanders:

Each breed has a breeding program with mandatory health tests to minimize known genetic health issues. For British Shorthairs, this includes screening for HCM, PKD, and ensuring that cats with overly short muzzles are not bred.
Inbreeding levels must be kept low to preserve genetic diversity, which is directly linked to the breed’s overall health.
A genetic profile of the parent cats and kittens must be recorded to allow for parentage verification.
Only a recognized breed association can issue pedigrees. This means a breeder must be a member of such an association, which is only possible if:
- Their cattery is officially recognized by the government (HK number required).
- They follow the breed association’s rules, including:
  - Both parents must be microchipped, registered, and have their own pedigrees.
  - A female cat can have a maximum of three litters per two years to allow for proper recovery.

So possible reasons why a breeder sells kittens without a pedigree are: the mother cat has had more litters than allowed, the breeder avoids paying for mandatory health tests, the parents are not purebred British Shorthairs or there's some inbreeding going on.

What is the price of a kitten?

The price for a kitten of our cattery varies between 1500 and 1750 euros and depends on various factors such as moving abroad, whether kittens are moving in a pair, color, parents, stud fee for the male cat, etc.

It is quickly thought that breeding is profitable, but the opposite is true... And that's fine, cause making money should not be the intention of breeding at all. A breeder who breeds with a view to profit is doing it wrong. Breeding should be purely a hobby, something you do with heart and soul!

However, that does not mean that as a breeder you do not have to include certain costs in the price per kitten in order to keep the cattery running. To give you a better insight into where the price for a kitten comes from, I have listed the costs associated with breeding a litter and running a reliable cattery.

COSTS PER LITTER:

One-time costs per breeding queen:

Purchase of a high-quality breeding queen: €3,500 – €7,500 / average €5,500
PKD test (via ultrasound and DNA): €170
Blood type determination: €35
Genetic profile: €40

These costs are divided by 12 when calculating the price per kitten, assuming a breeding queen will raise approximately 12 kittens during her breeding career (based on 4 litters with an average of 3 kittens per litter).

🔹 Cost per kitten: ~€475

Recurring costs:

Stud fee for a high-quality male: €450–550 / average €500
Various supplies (e.g., birthing box, camera for birthing area, XL transport crate, extra scratching posts/litter boxes, scale, heating pad, thermometer, mucus aspirator, bottles, umbilical clamps, scissors...): €1,200 per 5 years = €240 per year
Birthing kit per litter (e.g., kitten milk, disposable pads, oxytocin...): €50
Extra care for the mother cat (e.g., additional deworming, post-birth check-up, extra food during pregnancy and lactation...): €200
HCM screening and FIV/FeLV test: €195
Ultrasound and X-ray for pregnancy: €175
Two visits from the veterinarian per litter: €165
DNA profiling for the litter: €66
Pedigrees kittens: 3 x €12 = €36
Microchip and registration: 3 x €60 = €180
Kitten vaccinations: 3 x €40 = €120
Rabies vaccination (for export only): €25
Deworming kittens: 3 x €20 = €60
European passport: 3 x €5 = €15
Food, litter, and kitten package: 3 x €80 = €240
Neutering:
- Male: €85 / Female: €165
- Average cost: 3 x €125 = €375

These costs are divided by 3, assuming an average litter size of 3 kittens.

🔹 Cost per kitten: ~€880

TOTAL COST PER KITTEN: ~€1,400

BUT... we’re not done yet!

In the next section, you'll see that many costs are not included in this calculation, and unexpected expenses or setbacks can always occur.

COSTS NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT / UNEXPECTED COSTS / SETBACKS

Setting up a cattery – one-time cost (e.g., recognition, cattery name registration, KBO registration, VAT number application...): ~€250
Running a cattery – annual recurring cost (e.g., BCF membership, website, provincial tax, accountant fees...): ~€750
Managing website/social media
Keeping administrative records (e.g., inventory, veterinary visit reports, contracts, pedigree applications...)
Time and fuel for transporting the queen to the stud / same for transporting the kittens to their new homes
Time set aside for potential kitten visits
Leave days taken around the birthing period
Bottle-feeding every 2–3 hours (including at night) if kittens do not drink enough on their own
Countless hours of cleaning to maintain optimal hygiene in the cattery
Possible C-section cost (~€500)
A breeding queen may need to retire early due to uterine infections or fertility issues
Cats might get sick and require treatment, e.g. mother cat has a risk of getting mastitis (inflammation of the mammary glands)
A litter may consist out of a single kitten instead of the expected average of three
Kittens may be stillborn or pass away in the first few weeks
…

CONCLUSION:

When considering all these additional costs, it becomes clear that ethical breeding is an expensive hobby. As a breeder, you're already happy if your hobby ever gets 'break even'.

If any profit is ever made, a responsible breeder will reinvest it directly into the cattery, for example caring for retired breeding queens or spoiling the cats with new toys or a scratching post :)