Yeah, I do find some breeders sickening. There are many breeds of dog that live with respiratory problems because of the way they are bred (those dogs with folds of skin on their faces), and I know that certain breeds of cat and many other species are more likely to be blind or deaf, etc.

Also, breeders such as those mean that more pet owners will buy from a pet shop rather than adopting a needy animal from a shelter. It makes me feel so sad :(

But if they're making money from breeding them, it won't stop until the profits stop coming in :/

sounds eygiption

Yes the profits. The breeders are funded by their customers though, I'm inclined to think that most of these people just pay for a breed as a status symbol.
My reasoning is that:
1. A free kitten makes just as good a pet as one costing thousands of dollars. (and you don't need to worry as much about it being stolen)
2. If you want certain physical features of a breed then it doesn't need to be 'pure,' read inbred. When I worked in a cattery I routinely saw moggies that where the absolute clone of very expensive breeds, but near worthless.

That doesn't seem fair to me. It is a system that values cats like property to be traded. The customers want to buy nice prestigious pets, so the breeders respond by stretching the genetic limits ever further. It's a cycle that feeds off itself and I worry where it will lead.

Do people want cats to end up like dogs. ) :