Buying a pedigree kitten

lowis

A friend of mine wants a pedigree kitten (a Sphynx, Siamese, Abyssinian or a Rex of some kind), they have researched the breeds but want some tips on researching breeders and costs. I have little knowledge of this as I rescued my last Pedigree cat, and the ones I purchased 13 years ago were bought from an advert in Loot (before widespread internet use by breeders).

Is there a way of comparing the fees charged by breeders to ensure they are not being over-charged? i.e. something like comparethemarket.com, but with kittens? How does a purchaser know they are not being over or under-charged?

Is there a breeder directory with 'ratings' in existence? Not necessarly whether the cat is a show cat, but whether the breeder is reliable? (i.e. like Google shopping feedback star ratings)

Is it considered bad form to try and barter down the price of the kitten? or is an element of bartering acceptable? Is there a 'sale' season?

What should the returns policy be? If the kitten gets sick should a breeder offer a full refund? (bearing in mind the recent Shitasu dog that died!)

I am trying to make this sound as money-saving as possible so the thread doesn't get pulled or closed - so please excuse me for making the purchasing of what will be a much-loved cat, into the purchasing of a commodity of some kind.

foreign_correspondent

Would your friend consider a rescue cat? I know you have rescued before, and I have no idea how the costs stack up for cats, (you will probably know more) but for a dog the initial outlay is much less generally than buying from a breeder. I think its hard for a layperson to tell whether a breeder is any good - with dogs KC registration and the like is no guarantee!

My rescue cost about £100 and came speyed, neutered and microchipped the vet bills for just those 3 proceedures would have been over £150 so I think she was a bargain!

I would hope a good breeder would give the money back, if there was any hint that a sick or weak animal had been sold, but I would think you would need the testimony of a vet to say whether the animal was likely to have been sick or frail when sold. I would imagine that many of the breeders who advertise on the web would never be found again to discuss it with though.

I am guessing there will cats of the breeds she is interested in, in rescues.

MrsTinks

her best bet is to go through the relevant breed clubs... there is no "comparison" but if she spends the time on the relevant forums for the clubs then she'll be able to ask for reputable breeders and get an idea of price. getting a good breeder is mainly word of mouth...

UKTigerlily

There are Breed Rescues for Cats just the same as for Dogs if she decided to go down the Rescue route.

If she buys a copy of a magazine called Your Cat, in the back they have a Breeder's Directory & they do Breed Profiles too & I *think* (but will have to check to be certain) that they have a section that says what to look out for when buying a kitten.

The Kitten should be 13 weeks, no less. Cat Breeders tend to have at least one set of the primary course of vaccinations done & come with six weeks free Pet Plan insurance. I think the GCCF may be able to help, she could give them a call for good Breeders.

Also, she should go on instinct, she could ask to speak to people who have previously had their kittens, she could make sure they don't breed too many different breeds & that she sees the Mum. She could ask to see any Vaccination card & later on look up that Vet & give them a call for a Vet reference. I'd ask the Breeder for the Vets name, but look anyway on the card.

Any genuine Breeder should be happy to let you contact their Vet. I think most of them say if you have a health check done within 24hrs of taking the Kitty & it's ill they'll take it back & refund (Not sure if they refund the deposit too - normally £50)

A few on here have Pedigrees although not the breed she's looking for. If she is in Leicester I know a good Siamese Breeder, my ex's Mum kept Siamese. She could also call her own Vets for recommendations, i'm sure they will see plenty of Pedigree Cats & will know reputable Breeders.

Make sure any Breeder asks tons of questions too. Also they should be insistant that should she no longer want or be able to keep her kitten, it is returned to them & NOT rehome through Rescues or the web/papers etc.

I'll check Your Cat when i'm back from the shop & post up if it does mention any must do's when looking for a reputable Breeder & what it says x

foreign_correspondent

I suppose my concern is that even supposedly 'good breeders' breed cats with physical features that are supposedly 'good' in terms of the breed, but are not 'good' for the cat at all, such as the very flat faced persians - great for creating that 'sought after' look, not so great for breathing through, which at the end of the day is what your nose is there for!

I dont know much about the breeds you listed, but I do think that the health of the cat should always be a priority.

UKTigerlily

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I suppose my concern is that even supposedly 'good breeders' breed cats with physical features that are supposedly 'good' in terms of the breed, but are not 'good' for the cat at all, such as the very flat faced persians - great for creating that 'sought after' look, not so great for breathing through, which at the end of the day is what your nose is there for!

I dont know much about the breeds you listed, but I do think that the health of the cat should always be a priority.

That's a good point actually. The Breeds mentioned are all quite different too. Has she said whether she'd consider a Rescue? I don't think anyone really should be breeding right now, it's like with the Dogs, so many unwanted. You can get a pedigree of any breed through Rescue.

lowis

thanks everyone, Tiger Lily that was a very comprehensive answer with some great advice and pointers. thank you!

she wants one of the supposed hypo-allergenic cats, she is aware that they are not perfect for people with allergies and wants to spend time with a queen and her litter once she locates a breeder she feels confident in.

i have pointed her towards rescue associations for the breeds she is interested in but they don't have kittens - the closest we could find was with Siamese Rescue UK who have two beautiful cats available but they are 2 years old.

i have pointed out that it is easier and less costly to return a rescue cat that doesn't work out, than it is to return a pedigree kitten to a breeder - which you probably won't get a refund for if it is unsuitable or something is wrong with it. i once asked on a cat breeders forum whether they refund on kittens that don't work out due to health issues. or whether they refunded on a health kitten that was returned for any other reason if it was under the age of say 20 weeks, i was met with silence...

FC - i agree with you to an extent about some of the features that are bred into cats, which are basically unnatural...the Sphynx being a shining example. these cats are incredibly high maintenance, they have notoriously delicate stomachs so require special diets, they have no fur so you have to wipe down their oily skin for them on a regular basis as they are unable to clean themselves properly, and you have to put clothes on them to keep them warm. hardly a natural or normal way for a cat to live!

my friend has also been looking at the ads on freeads and similar sites (gumtree), i have tried to steer her away from these but she said that there was some very competitively priced kittens...yes, that's because they are farmed or bred irresponsibly! hopefully she will stop looking in that direction.

another benefit of getting from a rescue is that the cat will have already had a health check, is fully vaccinated, known personality and will be microchipped. plus the cat will be MUCH cheaper!

deedeeliz

I'm afraid the breeds your friend is looking for aren't especially allergy friendly.

Siberian's on the other hand have quite a few success stories.

My partner was mildly allergic and we visited a Siberian Breeder with no reactions occurring at all

Check this link out
http://www.sapphirensteel.co.uk/stud/stud.html

lowis

i read about those, but she doesn't want a 'fluffy cat' , doesn't like the look of them *sigh*

i reckon when she breaks out in hives and can't breathe after spending time with one of the oriental breeds she might change her mind...mind you, she seems fairly OK with siamese cats.

whatever she ends up with will be an outdoor cat to minimise hair/dander fall in her home.

UKTigerlily

lowis wrote: »

i read about those, but she doesn't want a 'fluffy cat' , doesn't like the look of them *sigh*

i reckon when she breaks out in hives and can't breathe after spending time with one of the oriental breeds she might change her mind...mind you, she seems fairly OK with siamese cats.

whatever she ends up with will be an outdoor cat to minimise hair/dander fall in her home.

Some (Not all) Pedigree Breeders won't allow *their* Cats to go outside, they think they're more at risk of being stolen & some breeds have no road sense, I mean what Cat does but some breeds are worse than others for having none.
If she got a Rescue it'd be able to go out & live a normal life, by normal I mean normal for a Cat as in being able to hunt & be a Cat. Is she after a Kitten in particular or is an Adult ok? It's gotta be a Kitten if I remember?

UKTigerlily

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

I suppose my concern is that even supposedly 'good breeders' breed cats with physical features that are supposedly 'good' in terms of the breed, but are not 'good' for the cat at all, such as the very flat faced persians - great for creating that 'sought after' look, not so great for breathing through, which at the end of the day is what your nose is there for!

I dont know much about the breeds you listed, but I do think that the health of the cat should always be a priority.

FC yer PM's are full delete some so I can spam ya pls!