Why do we feel the need to breed our pets?

I'm not really sure if this would fall into the ethics section, but I was thinking about this the other day and I've been pondering it ever since.

Why is it, that when a person gets a pet (most people, not all) want to breed them?
This includes me as well, of course. For example, I was really into betta fish for a while, and I really wanted to breed them. Before I had the chance I had a disease outbreak and couldn't, but I had still wanted to. Then, I get into leopard geckos, and I am now planning to breed them this coming breeding season.
The majority of members who come on here that start off with one leo almost always mention at some point their plan to breed leos in the future.
Nothing wrong with it, in my opinion, but I'm just curious as to WHY so many of us think this way. Why is it that when we get a pet, we want to breed them?
Thoughts?

because in some small way we all like to play god would be my guess, to some degree. Often the motivation is monetary, others its to come up with that new and exciting (enter animal of choice here) color that's never been seen before or our desire to fix what we see as flawed figuring we can do better than mother nature. I breed show rabbits in the persuit of getting as close to perfection (as outlined in the standard of perfection) as possible but unlike rabbits, dogs, cats, there is no "show" for leos to judge best of breed so the reward is fufilld on a different level such as profit or originality.

What irritates me is when I see people that have no knowledge, experience or intelligence breeding with the intent of solely making a profit. Ask any breeder, there are no profits to be had, expenses and disappointment often reign supreme in the breeders circle, and the rewards are usually few and far between. Those that truly breed "for the love of the animals", that flood an already saturated market really don't help, that's why I breed rabbits and not dogs, even tho dogs are my profession and I have the knowledge, I know none of my rabbits will ever burdon a shelter, those that aren't sold as show stock go to the cull buyer for dog food or to my friends 12 foot red tailed boa... nothing is wasted in the rabbit world unlike most other breeding programs. It sounds cruel but its a fact of life. If you're looking for glory, do something heroic, if you're looking to make money get into banking not breeding, if you're looking for a hobby collect stamps. Wenever you choose to bring life into the world, think twice esp. If you don't have the intestinal fortitue to take that life out of this world when what you produce isn't up to par. Good breeders, ETHICAL (there's a word often forgotten in beeders circles) breeders don't pass their problems onto others, but only offer the best bred animals for sale.

So that's my take on it. Good debate topic kathryn

The only thing I've ever bred is roaches! And I really hate them, LOL.

But I've never wanted to breed my pets, and I've never really understood why some people are so obsessed with it. I've also always been one to rescue/adopt my pets, and I've volunteered at animal shelters too... With SO many animals needing homes, I don't see the need to create more of them.

because baby animals are sooo cute!

I breed my rabbits for a hobby at the moment.. it's a great past time as it takes up alot of your time if you need a hobby like I do with nothing to do when I get home from college or at the weekends

because it's educational.. you learn so much looking after young animals and watching them grow it links you to so many wonderful and interesting people, that often become lifelong friends through breeding and sharing experiences and ideas!

And it's like seeing mini replicas of our own beloved pets!

Why do we feel the need to breed our pets? Well to make more cute lil pets of course

I can only speak for myself, and the way I look at it is a bit different than some others. I can see the points from both sides, I just don't agree with them all. My post below is directed only at leopard geckos breeding, as it's the only animal I've attempted to breed. I can't comment on the cats, dogs, or other animal markets.

First thing I gotta say is I agree with the general consensus that anybody who does not understand how to properly care for an animal should not breed them. Brand new leopard gecko owners just starting to own a petstore gecko should avoid breeding right away. Not only are petstore geckos the worst to use as breeders (as you don't know their genetic background or health), you simply aren't experienced enough to understand the needs of these geckos. It frustrates me to see people rush into breeding, then all of a sudden finding out they can't house hatchlings properly or afford proper husbandry.

Also if you are breeding because you think it's profitable to do so, you are likely doing it wrong. You will most likely spend a lot more money than you had anticipated, and it's not unusual for *successful* breeders to make their money back only after a few years. That's if everything works out and that you are able to keep it going for that long. Many breeders come & go because they don't have the right expectations and think they can make a quick buck selling geckos. I can say from experience, the amount of time, money, and space these geckos are taking up, this wouldn't be worth it if I didn't love this hobby.

With that said, I disagree that small scale breeders like me caused the saturation issues with geckos out there. I also don't think there's anything wrong with someone wanting to breed for the fun of it as long as they know how to care for the hatchlings and already have plans and budget set aside to properly house the geckos they hatch.

The market saturation of geckos specifically has to do with mass breeders and those running gecko farms that are mass producing them for wholesale purposes. These are the breeders that are producing mass amounts of leopard geckos to sell to petstores such as Petco & Petsmart, they are the ones going to reptile shows with 100-200 gecko cups. They are also the ones posting classified ads selling geckos for $10-$20. A lot of them don't care about genetics or morphs, they are just mixing them and selling them "as is". I've been to reptile shows and seen so many mis-marked gecko morphs, and speaking to a few of them you quickly realize they really don't know much about gecko genetics.

The only way this can be stopped is if people stop buying them. Unfortunately, people still do buy them, many who just want a leopard gecko don't see a difference between a $15 gecko vs a $100 one. The general public would rather look for the best deals & prices rather than supporting breeders that take more care of their geckos and keep clean genetic lines. I myself was guilty of buying two $15 petco geckos awhile back because they were cheap and I didn't see a reason to buy $100+ geckos. Of course now I know the difference, but that's another story.

Also on the subject of rescues, a lot of the people think they are doing geckos a favor by buying them off petstores & craigslist for cheap. What most don't understand is that by buying these geckos, they are feeding into the problem. Giving petstores money, even if you are "rescuing" the geckos in poor conditions, will only give petstores incentives to continue restocking geckos in poor conditions. Taking their problem geckos will only make it easier for them to keep getting large stocks of geckos while not having to spend the money on vet care.

So on this particular subject, while many may look down on breeders, I see it both ways. There are breeders that saturate the market, and also breeders that do not provide the best care for their pets thus in my opinion should not be breeding. But I think consumers are equally guilty and responsible for the mess that these pet markets are in. Breeders wouldn't mass produce if they can't make profit off them. Unfortunately the general public is only worried about their wallet so they'll go for the cheapest pet available out there, regardless of who bred them or where they came from, or what conditions they were raised in.

For myself personally, I'm breeding (on my first year) because when I was looking for geckos I like, I had a hard time finding specific genetics & patterns that I personally enjoy. So my g/f and I are going ahead with trying to improve on some morphs & patterns to produce mostly what "we" enjoy. Yes, I'm doing it for the fun of it, and I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. I won't be flooding the market with thousands of geckos of unknown genetics & hets. My motto for myself is to never breed more geckos than I can handle both with my time & budget available. I don't want to sacrifice their care just so I could pump out a hundred more geckos.

Sorry for the long post. In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with breeding as long as you are responsible about it, and reasonable about it. You should not breed if you can barely take care of the geckos you have currently, and are banking on the hatchlings to make up for the cost of keeping what you already have. That's a big mistake many new breeders make because there's no guarantee you will sell anything at all. But when our first baby hatched about a month ago, I tell ya, that feeling is not something I've experienced in any other hobbies I've taken in my life. Of all the money & time I've spent on this hobby, moments like that make it all worth it. I'd do it all over again. Creating life and making something of your own is something truly special.

What in the world happened to my formatting.

Oh I think I fixed it, the smilies are throwing paragraphs off I think lol.

I'll admit that I considered breeding my Ripley. I'm fairly sure shes over a year old now and I'm not sure....but she might have already ovulated but just absorbed the eggs back or something. not sure. When the thought came to me, it was because she is so beautiful and sweet.

I have a lot of confessions!! hahaha

I got my first leopard gecko, Ripley, thanksgiving day at the stockyard, an outside market so to speak. people selling bootleg movies, old stuff, new stuff, home grown fruits and veggies, just stuff like that. When I laid eyes on her she was all by herself in a 20 gallon tank with a sparse covering of dirt they scooped from the ground. The guy is there often enough, selling iguanas turtles (even a tarantula). He also sold blades and bongs. just not a pleasant sight for me, seeing her there with no heat source whatsoever.
Previously, maybe a few months up to a year, my parents 'rescued' two little iguanas from this man when they heard some guys talking about what 'good eating' they were.
I couldnt leave her there. I had absolutely no idea how to take care of a leopard gecko, but I'm proud to say I learned fast! within a few days I had everything I needed, a 'guide book' and a determination to raise her well. Of course the thought of breeding her didnt strike me until a while after I joined here. I cant describe to you the feeling that overwhelms me when I look at her pictures....from when she was just a wee thing and looking at her now. fully grown. The feeling of accomplishment so to speak

I adopted my bearded dragon from a rescue group in a city near where I live. They rescue reptiles, rehabilitate them, and adopt them out. They take it seriously too.

Finally, I'm guilty of buying my second leo, Nostromo, at a reptile expo at a cheap price of $75 or something like that. Now that I think back on it, that man was NOT a devoted breeder. Should I ever buy another from an expo, I SHALL pick a distinguished and devoted breeder that takes PRIDE in their children.

Why would I ever think of breeding my lovlies? To discover eggs....to care for them...and to be there when they hatch? I have no idea how it would feel, but I have no doubt it would be amazing. Its.....wanting to preserve something of your favorites in their offspring....to keep something even after they're gone. To...have what makes that pet so special passed on an immortalized in a way....

Its sloppy....and out of the blue. I just wanted to put this out there....