Suggestion: Gender before birth

[Theodore Nacht]

I think that when KittyCatS! began, it was part of the fun not to know. At this point, though, with the markets fully stocked and a lot of breeders at prim limits, what was initially a fun feature has become a source of frustration. This prompts a re-evaluation, does it not? One of the most common things I hear from -anyone- I talk to in this game is how much they wish they could be sure if something was male or female.

I wonder whether there is a mercenary aspect to this decision. If we are forced to open boxes to discover gender, then we are forced to feed cats whether or not they are the ones we need, and KittyCatS! as a business depends on the residual income from food sales. Once opened, it is unlikely most will menagerie a wrong gender kitten because most of us open only our choicest boxes, which are also our most saleable and valuable. This means that we will end up putting that kitten on the market for someone who needs that gender. This means that seller (first) and then buyer will be paying for a kitten that would not have been opened by the original owner otherwise.

However... I don't believe this to be an accurate metric of value for the overall idea as pertains to profit for the brand. If those persons are only opening their best kittens to begin with, and only open the gender they most need, they will more than likely place the box (if gender marked) for sale, and this may well attract that same buyer who needs that kitten with that gender. The box will then be opened as surely as otherwise, and KittyCatS will still receive the appropriate profit. In addition, if we were all to know for certain what gender boxes were, we would be more likely to impulse open boxes because the thrill of getting the right gender on a kitten we were waiting on would override the doubt of "but what if it's the wrong gender?" and ensure immediate birthing. I have countless boxes I have not opened (between me and Draco we have well over 700 boxes, and we do menagerie our disappointing ones) and will NEVER open because I have zero impetus to do so when I do not know if I will be able to achieve the pairings I want with them.

There is no longer a thrill or a fun challenge to the surprise, as far as those who are weighing in indicate. There is no overwhelming financial benefit to this model of service that I can see. There are many reasons to make this change, as presented by all walks of KittyCatS lifestyle: hobbyists, "pro" breeders, auctioneers, pet owners, and others. I honestly feel that an update enabling gender revelation on all boxes would revitalize the market and revolutionize the way we buy and sell cats. This would do -so much- to restore the thrill I once felt when my cats gave me a box. Right now, it's only the most epic surprises that I will ever open. A great box may never get opened at all simply because I know the parents are one male, one female, and will continue to make me more of the same. If I could be certain that a box would be the right gender, I would have much more incentive to open it immediately and add that cat to my breeding program.

The only other concern I might have is whether this would inhibit people from buying cats from other breeders in order to achieve a balance of boys and girls. That is a valid worry, I think, but ultimately an unnecessary one. There will always be traits or combinations of traits that people will want and not have, and for that, they will need to buy from other catteries. Along with this is the fact that linebreeding does, after a point, limit the number of new traits being introduced and reduces the versatility of a lineage eventually. This ensures that even should a kitten box be the right gender to breed back to a parent or older sibling, people will need to obtain fresh genes from outside their cattery. This being the case, I can think of no solid reason beyond the time and energy involved why KittyCatS should not revisit this topic and add it to their list of updates.

Thank you for your consideration. As always, I appreciate the KittyCatS staff and all you do for your customer base. I look forward to hearing further discussion on this matter.