Cost
How much does a Sphynx kitten cost?
Pet kittens are $1500.00
Kittens for Show/Breeding e-mail for pricing (Also see bottom of this page)
KITTENS CAN GO HOME BETWEEN 12-14 WEEKS OF AGE. NO EXCEPTIONS!
Please refer to my INFO LINKS on “Why kittens should not leave early”.
The price of your kitten will include their first vaccinations, worming, at least one veterinary exam given before it leaves, and TICA registration papers. Kittens also leave with a written comprehensive health guarantee. Shipping costs $300.00 (US and Canada).
Why are Sphynx Kittens so Expensive?
While Back Yard Breeders (BYB”S) and pet shops may make money selling kittens, most legitimate breeder s do not even cover their own costs. It’s a very expensive hobby. Most of us WISH we could just break even, but can’t. It may look like a gold mine to you, but let’s go through the expenses involved and you’ll see that turning a profit would be a rare event for a breeder. We do this for the love of the cats, not the money (and most of us hide the real expenses from our family and friends!).
As an example, buying a top show quality female, with breeding rights may cost $2500 to $4000. My cats have excellent bloodlines, temperament, type and HEALTH. To produce beautiful and healthy babies, it starts with their parents.
Maintenance, Supplies, Heart Scans, Blood Tests and Veterinary Care generally cost Sphynx breeders about $10,000 per cat the 1st year. By the time a cat is first bred, at about a year of age, the breeder will have invested several thousand dollars.
Top Quality Food? Vitamins and kitty litter per month = $600 Just for the adults.
Quality Food, and Milk replacement for each litter for a month = $400
Kitten vaccines cost breeders about $50 per kitten – and that’s if there are NO problems to be treated. The slightest illness can cost $200 to $1000+.
Kittens stay with me for 3 months or so, and have to be fed 3 times a day with a raw diet along with top quality kibble, cuddled, and cleaned up after for all that time. I am also available 24/7 to anyone who has question or concerns about their cat/kitten.
Separate, special areas of my house are customized for the cats to use as a playroom, stud room and nursery. Cattery setup cost $10,000+ to build. If all goes well, fat healthy kittens are born, but there are always disasters, such as C-Sections that run $1500 and up. Sometimes, after all the investment into “doing it right”, by having the right breeding cats and facilities. Both pet shops and BYB’s reap the profits, by cutting corners (not having quality cats as parents, not showing, not keeping kittens until the proper age or providing proper prenatal and kitten veterinary care) and then they charge the same price as the reputable breeders. Those caring, professional breeders make huge sacrifices in their personal lives, and shed lots of tears, in trying to create successful breeding programs. BYB’s are “one hit wonders” they take your money and are gone. Most legitimate breeders are going to be pretty darn annoyed if you neglect to send photos and check in once in a while.
True breeders deserve more credit than the general public gives them. The public, unfortunately, is only inspired by the negative side, the Back Yard Breeder or Kitten Mills and the horror stories on Date Line. Those situations are very accurate but the good and responsible, ethical breeders get caught up in all the myth and unpleasantness and therefore get looked down on. There is no real reward system set up for lifetime breeders, no gold watch and certainly no pension. The greatest reward we ever have is seeing a wonderful kitten, that is a credit to the breed and a wonderful pet, live long and happy life with someone that also respects the breed and animal lives in general. They also appreciate the decades of endless time that goes into consistently producing animals that breed true to type.
The costs associated with proper nutrition, vet care, health testing, out-crossing and showing all are reflected in the price. Don’t be fooled into a “bargain” because really you end up with what you pay for so Buyer Beware. There are numerous ethical and wonderful Elf Breeders, which are part of the Official Elf Cat Foundry Breeders Group, available, look at my links to find them. Sadly there has also popped up some that care more about their own pocket-book than the welfare of the cat/kitten and their potential owners… They are not part of the above named group. Be very careful and wary if you see bargain prices; these kittens usually cost hundreds more in vet bills; or offering kittens too young with out contracts or health guarantees. All ethical breeders provide contracts which protects the pet buyer and the cats welfare both and are happy to discuss with you the progress of the cat for years to come.
Visiting My Cattery
You are welcome to visit my cattery anytime to meet the adults. Kittens can not have visitors until they are at least 6 weeks of age.
***FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR KITTENS PLEASE NO CHILDREN UNDER 10 YRS OLD VISITING THE KITTENS. THE KITTENS ARE STILL VERY TINY AND FRAGILE AT THIS AGE***
***PURCHASING A SATINKITTY SPHYNX KITTEN FOR BREEDING***
Satinkitty only sells kittens with breeding rights to reputable breeders or persons wanting to become a reputable breeder who is willing to let us mentor them.
We do not sell kittens with breeding rights to persons that…..
- Just want to breed once for fun
- Because they think they can make their investment back on the kitten they purchased
- So their children can experience the birth
- For their own financial gaining
- And all other unethical reasons…. So please don’t even ask!
WE ALSO DO NOT SELL BREEDING RIGHTS TO PERSONS THAT HAVE NEVER OWNED A SPHYNX.
I feel you should own an animal (of any breed) as a pet first, learn about the breed and possibly show before you decide you want to breed that animal. There are too many cats/kittens in shelters that need homes and we will not participate in making the problem worse. We breed to better the Sphynx Breed and to strengthen the bloodlines of these amazing cats.
