1) What is my breeder number and what is it for?
Your breeder number is your unique cattery identifier used to collect your kitten data. You need your breeder number to fill out data submission forms, and to access your breeder report. Your breeder number is a combination of letters and numbers. Keep it in a safe place. If your forget or lose your breeder number, contact Dr. Little.
2) What is my breeder report and how do I access it?
Your breeder report is a summary of the litter data that has been received by Dr. Little. It tells you which litters you have enrolled, and which reports may not yet be received. You can access your breeder report by using your breeder number. For example, if your breeder number is ABC123 and you breed Ragdolls, your report is at:
http://www.catvet.homestead.com/RagdollABC123.html
If your breeder number is DEF456 and you breed Devons, your report is at:
http://www.catvet.homestead.com/DevonDEF456.html
And so on. Simply substitute your breed and breeder number to access your report. Reports go online or are updated within a few days of data submission. You will be asked for a password, and this is simply your breeder number.
3) How do I submit litter data?
In general, in each breed project, a litter enrollment form is filled out first. Then follow up reports are filed, as required by the project. All projects require a 4 week report and a 6 month report.
Links to online data submission forms are found on each project's website. It is a good idea to print out your form after you have filled it out, but BEFORE you click on submit so you have a record of what you submitted.
4) What if my litter contains stillborn kittens?
The kitten projects are collecting information about both liveborn and stillborn kittens. For each stillborn, record the sex and birthweight. Submit the data along with the data for the live kittens. There is a place on the data submission form to indicate the kitten was born dead.
5) What if I am currently not recording birth weights?
Go ahead and submit the litter data anyway without the birth weights. I would strongly encourage everyone to get in the habit of recording weights. Kittens should be weighed at birth, 12 hours later, and once daily for at least the first 2 weeks of life. Often, the earliest sign that something is wrong is a failure to gain weight. A normal kitten gains about 10-15 grams per day. Ideally, scales that weigh in grams should be used for they can record smaller weight variations. You can use scales designed for weighing food or postal scales.
6) What if my project requires blood types of breeding cats and I don't know them?
Go ahead and submit the litter data anyway. You can submit the blood types of the parents at a later date by sending an e-mail to Dr. Little once you have the blood typing done.
7) What if a kitten dies?
There is a place on each report form to identify kittens that have died and a place for comments. Try to determine the cause of death and report it. Ideally, kittens that die should be necropsied and a copy of the necropsy sent to Dr. Little.
8) What if a kitten becomes ill?
There is a place on the report forms to make comments about illness. Try to identify the cause of the illness. If blood work or other testing has been done, please contact Dr. Little to arrange to send copies.
9) What if a kitten in the litter has a birth defect?
There is a place on the litter enrollment form to indicate any birth defects. Photos would be appreciated if possible. Contact Dr. Little to arrange submission of photos.
10) When will a report on the project be issued?
If enough data has been collected, a 6-month interim report will be issued for each project. At the end of the project, a final report will be issued.
11) What will the reports be used for?
The reports will tabulate the statistics gathered from the data submitted; such as birth weights, litter sizes, mortality rates, common causes of illness and death, common birth defects. The reports are expected to be useful to breeders to help them understand common problems and to understand what is normal for their breed. For example, it is expected that birth weights will vary substantially by breed. Individual breeders will receive a customized private report on their own data. However, in the final reports, no individual cattery data will be identified, and no individual breeders will be identified. It is hoped that a general report comparing data from more than one breed could be generated and published for the benefit of breeders, veterinarians, and pet owners.
12) What if I have a question not covered in this FAQ?
