to Look for at the Pet Store
Select a pet store that houses its animals in large cages comfortably furnished with beds, litter pans, toys, and food and water dishes. The accommodations should be clean and odor-free and closed off in such a way–preferably behind glass windows–that customers can look but cannot constantly disturb and handle the kittens.
Buying a Purebred Cat
If your heart is set on acquiring a purebred cat, there are several advantages to buying from a private, small-volume breeder. If the breeder is local or near the town or city you live in, you can visit the cattery and see firsthand the environment in which the kitten was born and raised. You also can see what the dam (the mother), and sometimes the sire (the father), of your kitten looks like. Usually, other cats from the same bloodline are present to give you a good idea of what your kitten’s appearance and temperament will be like when grown. Also, when you buy from a small-volume breeder, you gain the opportunity to establish a relationship with someone who can share his or her experiences in raising and showing that particular breed.
Before you buy, first research the breed that interests you in order to learn about its temperament, genetics, and care. Some breeds, such as the Siamese and Abyssinian, are highly active and energetic, while others, such as the Persian, are noted for their quiet, passive personalities. Make sure the qualities inherent in a particular breed match your own personal preferences for a feline companion. For breed-specific information, read books or call one of the cat-registering associations and ask for a breed profile.
Then, to begin your search for a reputable breeder, call the various cat registries and ask for a list of people in or near your area who breed the type of cat you are looking for (see Useful Addresses and Literature on page 188). Peruse the ads and breeder directories published in the cat magazines. Attending cat shows is an especially good way to meet cat breeders, because you can talk to them in person and see firsthand the quality of their cats. Some breeders advertise in the classified sections of newspapers or pin their business cards on bulletin boards in veterinarians’ offices.
If the cattery is within driving distance, visit and observe for yourself whether the facility is clean and free of pungent animal odors. Also note whether the cats are kept in cages or allowed to run about freely in an area of the house. While it is not unusual for breeders to keep their studs caged or to confine kittens for their own safety when unattended, it is highly preferable to acquire a kitten that has been allowed to explore its surroundings and socialize with people and other cats. In fact, experts say that kittens gently handled by people at an early age tend to grow up to be better people-oriented pets.
Questions a Breeder May Ask You
Responsible breeders always try to make sure their kittens are going to good homes, where they will be wanted, loved, and treated well. A conscientious breeder will ask potential buyers certain questions that reveal a lot about a person’s attitude and knowledge about pet ownership. Expect such questions as:
• Do you intend to keep your cat indoors? (Some breeders will not sell their kittens to people who want outdoor cats.)
• Have you owned cats before? Was your previous cat spayed or neutered? (Some breeders may stipulate in their sales agreements that kittens sold as pets must be altered and not used for breeding.)
• Did you provide annual medical care for your previous cat? What happened to your previous cat?
• Do you own other pets now?
Such questions are not intended to make you feel intimidated, insulted, or defensive, so do not feel offended if a breeder interrogates you in this manner. Instead, recognize that you have been fortunate to locate someone who sincerely cares about the welfare of his or her cats. Breeders of this caliber feel that each kitten they raise represents a significant financial and emotional investment. They want to help other people become responsible pet owners and expand their general knowledge of cats. They also want you to consider your cat as a valuable investment, a cat that will become your priceless companion and a member of the family.
Questions You Should Ask the Breeder
Here are some questions you should ask before the sales transaction becomes final:
• What cat association(s) do you use to register your cats? Ask to see the pedigree.
• What vaccinations has the kitten or cat received?
• Ask for the dates when the shots were given.
• Has the kitten or cat been tested and found to be free of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)? Ask for copies of the animal’s health records.
Purebred Pricing
The cost of a purebred cat can vary widely depending on the breed you’re trying to acquire, availability (some breeds have waiting lists), geographic location, bloodlines, gender, and color, among other factors. Breeders typically structure their pricing according to whether an individual cat is pet quality, breeder quality, show quality, or top show quality. Cats in each category are purebred and fully registrable in the cat associations.
Pet-quality purebreds are the most affordable. If you have no real interest in showing or breeding cats and you simply want a nice purebred companion, then a pet-quality animal is your smartest buy. The pet-quality designation in no way means that the cat or kitten is less healthy or less desirable to own than a show-quality animal. It simply means that, in the breeder’s opinion, some minor cosmetic flaw makes the cat unsuitable for show ring competition.
Breeder-quality cats also fail to meet the show standard in some small way, yet they possess enough good qualities, in addition to their excellent pedigree, to produce potentially outstanding offspring. Breeder-quality kittens are typically priced in the middle range, selling for somewhat less than their show-quality littermates, but for more than a pet-quality animal. Of course, the only reason to spend the extra money to buy a breeder-quality cat is if you plan to breed. In fact, some breeders will sell their breeder-quality cats only to other experienced breeders.
Show-quality cats are the most expensive to buy. Breeders consider their show-quality kittens to be out-standing examples of the breed, based on the breed’s written standard, and they anticipate that such kittens will perform well in the show ring. Few breeders will sell a top show cat–or one that shows considerable show ring promise–to a novice owner.
If you’re interested in buying a kitten for show, carefully study its pedigree. If the kitten comes from a line of champions or grand champions, those cats’ names will be prefixed by Ch. or Gr. Ch. The more grand champion titles that appear in the first two or three generations of a kitten’s ancestry, the better the chances that the kitten, too, may grow up to be a winner.
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