As a future cat breeder, the smartest thing you can do - even before you purchase your first cat - is to do your "research". Good preparation begins with reading the best books on cat breeding to help you build a solid foundation of knowledge. The books below are what I consider "must have" books for the serious student of cat breeding.

Breeding Pedigreed Cats
by Carolyn Vella & John McMonagle, Jr.

Written with authority, understanding, and a deep love of cats, this is the most comprehensive guide to breeding pedigreed cats you will find anywhere. From establishing a cattery, to selecting foundation cats, to caring for the kittens, to legal and ethical issues facing breeders, it's all here! "This book is like having your own personal mentor tell you everything you need to know..." - Cat Fancy Magazine. Carolyn Vella and John McMonagle, Jr. are long-time cat breeders and licensed show judges

Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians
by Carolyn M. Vella (Editor), Lorraine Shelton, John McGonagle (Editor)

Editorial Reviews From Book News, Inc. Much in the field of genetics has changed since Roy Robinson's 1971 first edition, published by Pergamon. Specialists in genetics and cats here update the 1991 third edition with information about the actual molecular mechanisms behind the traits and diseases found in cats. They make a point of keeping the perspective of both groups of readers in mind, drawing from classical and recent scientific literature and from interviews with veterinarians, researchers, and breeders. Book News, Inc.®, Portland, OR Book Description Author is a licensed judge with the American Cat Fanciers' Association. Updated text for breeders of pedigreed cats, small animal veterinarians, and undergraduate students. Discusses feline genetics, reproduction and development, principles of heredity, impacts of heredity, breeding systems and practices, inbreeding, and more. Previous edition: c1991.

Feline Husbandry Diseases and Management in the Multiple Cat Environment
by Neils Pedersen.

If Vella/McGonagle's book is the entrance exam, Neils Pedersen's book is the college course. A must-have for any serious breeder. Eight highly respectable authorities present practical information on problems unique to multiple-cat environments. They cover the following areas: History of Domestic Cats and Cat Breeds, J. Wastlhuber-Miller; Normal Genetics, Genetic Disorders, Developmental Anomalies and Breeding Programs, R. Robinson and N.C. Pedersen; Reproduction and Reproductive Disorders, H.G. Stabenfeldt and N.C. Pedersen; Nutrition and Nutritional Disorders, C.A. Buffington; Behavior and Behavorial Disorders, B.L. Hart and N.C. Pedersen; Toxicology and Intoxications, G.D. Osweiler and G.F. Grauer; Cattery Design and Management, N.C. Pedersen and J. Wastlhuber-Miller; Common Infectious Diseases of Multiple-Cat Environments, N.C. Pedersen. An invaluable reference for veterinarians and students, cat breeders, cattery managers and multiple-cat owners

The Cornell Book of Cats :
A Comprehensive and Authoritative Medical Reference for Every Cat and Kitten
edited by Mordecai Siegal Revised, Second Edition Item A Comprehensive Medical Reference for Every Cat and Kitten. Written by faculty and staff of the Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University,

I LOVE this book... it fills in the gaps or presents things more simply than the Feline Husbandry book. They really complement one another.

THE CORNELL BOOK OF CATS is an inexhaustible font of current medical information that is clear yet does not sacrifice clinical accuracy or detail. It outlines the feline anatomy. It discusses behavior and misbehavior and how to understand, identify and correct a cat's behavior problems. The book gives readers guidelines on how to select a cat or kitten, whether a typical house cat or a valuable pedigree. It also provides descriptions of various national associations. Further, it explains feline nutrition and how to properly feed a kitten, and adult cat, an obese cat, a sick cat and an older cat. "If cats came with an owner's manual, this would be it!" Ellen Sawyer, Executive Director of the Tree House Animal Foundation

The Merck Veterinary Manual (8th Ed)
by Susan E. Aiello, Asa Mays (Editor), Merck, Co, Merial limi

Provides useful information to the veterinary practitioner. Addresses diseases seen worldwide in all the common domestic species. Thumb-tabbed. Trim size: 8 x 5.5 inches. Multiple international contributors.

This an invaluable reference for breeders who do some of their own medicating or work in conjuncrion with their vets.

The Merck Veterinary Manual has been the bible for the veterinary students (and the beginning veterinary practitioners) for ever, and deservingly so. This 8th edition is even better than the previous one. If you don´t have a professional library that covers every possible subject in veterinary medicine (or don´t have the time to look for ever for a subject), you need the Merck. It has information not only on nearly every disease but also on physical examination and procedures. I learned, for example, that in an X-ray machine mA represented the amount of radiation while the kV represented its tissue penetration. Can you put it shorter and clearer? I can´t! It has no references but it is not a reference book. It may be somewhat difficult for the non-initiated but it is for the profesional. All around, a great book! Probably the best general veterinary reference book around. Although its primary users are veterinarians and vet technicians, it is relatively easy to understand for the average animal owner interested in learning more about the animal's physiology, behavior, management, nutrition, pharmacology, toxicology and general management. Even though most of the book's 2300+ pages deal with domestic animals, it has a few chapters devoted to exotic and Zoo animals.