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 Information
from the GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy)
If you wish to
buy a kitten for breeding or showing it is essential that you buy
one which is correctly bred and registered: you may otherwise
discover that it is not possible to register the kittens you produce
or not possible to show your cat.
If you only wish to buy the kitten as a pet you should still ensure
that you are paying for a proper pedigree kitten and that the
breeder has adhered to responsible breeding techniques. (Buying a
cheaper, unvaccinated kitten may work out much more expensive in the
long term!)
The
GCCF strongly recommends that no kitten should be permitted to
go to a new home before 13 weeks of age. At least seven days prior
to this, the kitten should have completed a full course of
vaccinations, including a health check, given by a Veterinary
Surgeon or by a listed Veterinary Nurse under the direction of a
Veterinary Surgeon. The breeder should ensure that kittens are
house-trained, inoculated and in good general health.
Choosing
a Pedigree Kitten:
A kitten, which will
soon grow into an adult cat, is for life and it is well worth
spending some time considering what breed is right for you...
Do you need a lively type of kitten, a show-off and an extrovert? If
so, the foreign shorthairs are more likely to suit your needs.
If you fancy the quieter longhairs, the question you need to answer
is, have you the time and patience needed to groom one? This must be
done on a regular basis from the day you bring home a longhaired
kitten. If you or members of your family are sensitive to cat hairs
you may be better with a shothaired kitten or none at all.
A cat show is a good
place to see the various breeds of cat but DO NOT take a cat
home from a show as there is a risk of infection. If you see a cat
or kitten you want to buy, arrange to take it one or two weeks after
the show.
Are you likely to be
leaving your kitten alone for more than two or three hours a day? In
this case it could be sensible and kinder to buy two for company.
You should get them together or within a few weeks of each other.
(You should never go out and leave a cat or kitten shut out of the
house).
If you are elderly, you should consider that you may easily trip
over a lively young kitten. Would you be better giving a home to an
older and quieter unwanted cat? There are often
unwanted cats of all breeds that need kind permanent homes.
Please see our
Rehoming page for more information
A kitten, whether pedigree or not, is your responsibility from the
moment you acquire it, needing your care and protection for the rest
of its life. It is not merely something to feed, give attention when
you feel like it and put outside when it suits your purpose.
When you have decided on your choice of breed contact the club which
caters for that breed, or your local cat club, and ask if they have
a kitten list or details of
breeders, see our sections to find
kittens for sale and cat breeders. You may find what you want in
your area, but you may have to wait and/or be prepared to travel
some distance to meet your exact requirements.
Telephone some breeders and get an idea of the price of kittens.
Avoid having a kitten on "breeding terms"; this is likely to lead to
discord later on. Kittens should be sold with at least an enteritis
inoculation and a full course of cat flu inoculations. They should
also be registered with the GCCF and have a written pedigree
supplied with the registration details. (If the kitten is not
registered, the breeder should supply a mating certificate in
addition to the pedigree, so that you can register the kitten
yourself.) Make sure all of these are included in the price given
and that there are no 'hidden' extras. Kittens should be at least 13
weeks old before they leave the breeder. 13-14 weeks is probably the
best age, especially for all foreign breeds.
You may wish to see more than one litter before you make your
choice. Never go from one breeder to another without a wash and a
change of clothing as you could be the cause of cross infection.
Always make an appointment with the breeder before you visit and let
him/her know if you change your plans. Breeders should be happy to
show their kittens without compelling you to buy. However, don't
expect a breeder to keep a kitten for you indefinitely. You may be
expected to pay a non-returnable deposit if the kitten is to be kept
for any length of time after it is ready to go to a new home.
You will often find that one kitten in particular will appeal to you
and will, in fact, select you as its new owner.
Ask to see where the kittens are usually kept and to see the 'Mum'.
Watch for signs of sickness, diarrhoea, sticky eyes or stuffy nose.
Never choose a sickly, lethargic or weakling kitten out of pity.
If you visit a breeder and you are worried about the way they are
breeding and/or the condition of the cats and kittens, please write
to the
GCCF Office, with full details. It will then be possible to give
the breeder advice and help, if it is required.
We recommend you never buy a kitten from a pet shop.
Feeding your Kitten:
The breeder from
whom you purchased your kitten should be asked for a diet sheet or
for a list of foods to which the kitten has become accustomed.
Ignore the breeder at your peril, as he/she will know the likes and
dislikes of your particular kitten and which foods have upset it.
Kittens may enjoy a varied diet but you must make sure that this is
also a completely balanced diet. The special kitten diets which are
sold are designed to have all the dietary requirements for a kitten
and do not need supplements. Too high a level of vitamins and
minerals can cause as many problems as too low a level. If you are
feeding your kitten on fresh food you will need to supplement it,
but you will need to know what is lacking in the diet; if in doubt
ask your veterinary surgeon about this. Do not feed your kitten too
much of any fresh meat or offal. Changes in diet should be made
gradually.
Four meals a day should be given at three months, reducing to three
meals at about 6-7 months. During this period the size of the meal
will increase from about a tablespoon to about two thirds of a cup,
but this is only an approximate guideline; kittens will vary and
should be fed according to appetite. When growth slows at about a
year, two meals are usually sufficient. Your pet will often decide
which meals are no longer required by leaving one of them, or
showing little interest in it.
Meals may be varied, for example:-
Breakfast - Meat
Lunch - Egg or tinned food, or milky food if tolerated
Dinner - Meat or fish
Supper - Egg or tinned food, or milky food if tolerated.
Breakfast and lunch, dinner and supper can be reversed - feed what
is most convenient to yourself. It you have little time, serve
something quick and easy and save meals which need more preparation
for when you have time to do this.
Content
Pet Foods - Commercial cat foods can be excellent; try
different flavours and varieties. Good quality tinned cat foods or
complete dry diets have all the necessary nourishment and vitamins
in the correct proportions. However, some varieties may be too rich
to be the sole diet of some individual kittens and may cause
diarrhoea.
Be aware that your cat will need to drink frequently if it is eating
dried foods. Some dry complete diets are a very concentrated food
source and can cause obesity if too much is fed. Beware of cats
becoming 'hooked' on dried food and refusing all else.
Meat - Rabbit, chicken, turkey, beef, lean mutton,
good horsemeat (if available), fresh meat scraps from the table,
kidney, heart, liver (lightly cooked and in moderation), raw mince
of good quality. Take care to remove bones from chicken and rabbit
as these may splinter and cause damage. A larger non-splintery bone
is good for a kitten to chew, especially when it is teething at 5-6
months. (A large chop bone with the splintered end removed is good
and is small enough for the kitten to play with but be careful if
you have a dog who could steal it).
Fish - Boned, cooked coley or other white fish,
sardines, pilchards, etc. Although a good food, fish should not be
fed too frequently and is quite unsuitable to be the cat's sole
diet.
Eggs - Raw yolks (not whites) or cooked (scrambled)
whole eggs. (if evaporated milk is fed this can be used for
scrambling eggs). Scrambled eggs mixed with sardines or pilchards
are often enjoyed. (N.B. avoid raw eggs whilst there is still a risk
that they are a source of salmonella poisoning).
All cats enjoy chewing grass, and should be allowed to do so. If
this is not available it can be grown in a pot. (Grass seed is
available at some pet shops, as are cartons of 'Pussygraze' or
similar products, already planted and ready to grow). In this
respect watch your house plants as some are poisonous.
Fresh clean water must be available for your cat at all times.
Some breeds tolerate milk, for others it is unsuitable, your breeder
will advise. However, it is an extra, not a substitute for water.
Caring for your
Kitten:
The GCCF strongly
recommends that no kitten should be permitted to go to a new home
before 13 weeks of age. At least seven days prior to this the kitten
should have completed a full course of vaccinations, including a
health check, given by a Veterinary Surgeon or by a listed
Veterinary Nurse under the direction of a Veterinary Surgeon. The
breeder should ensure that kittens are house-trained, inoculated and
in good general health.
Take a carrying box with you. No matter how quiet the kitten may
seem in its home surroundings the sound of a car and unfamiliar
people may frighten it. It is against the law to carry an
unrestrained animal when travelling and a kitten loose in a car is a
hazard to itself, the car driver, and other traffic on the road.
What would you do if the car broke down or if you were involved in
an accident and the kitten escaped?
Ask the breeder for detailed instructions on the kitten's daily
routine - its feeding, grooming, toileting and playing habits. Many
breeders supply a diet sheet, you should ask for this. Make sure you
have some of your kitten's favourite foods ready, and introduce any
dietary changes gradually.
Settling in
When you get home let the kitten find its own way out of the
basket/box and allow it to explore one room at a time. Make sure it
knows where its litter tray and water bowl are. (The toilet and
feeding areas should not be too close together).
Make sure the room is escape proof - chimneys blocked, doors and
windows shut. Kittens can get through surprisingly small places.
Kittens are very often frightened by children and other pets if they
are not used to them. Children should understand that they must keep
very still and quiet (very small children should not be introduced
until the kitten has had a chance to settle). Other animals should
be introduced later - gradually and one at a time.
Do not overwhelm your kitten with too much attention, let it come to
you naturally, remember you are a stranger to it. Talk to it and
encourage it to play with a toy (cotton reels and ping pong balls
are favourites). Do not restrain your kitten and force it to sit on
your knee. Your lap should be a haven to it, not a prison. Patience
with your kitten in the first few hours will be well rewarded.
If you have a scratching post (which is recommended unless you
prefer shredded furniture) show your kitten how to use this.
Warmth & Hygiene
Your kitten needs warmth at first - it will miss its mother and
litter mates. If there is not some form of heating in the room at
all times it should be provided with a heated bed or metal pad
(especially manufactured for the purpose and obtainable from pet
shops). Even when adult, a short haired cat should never be left
alone in an unheated room at night or in cold weather without some
basket or bed with warm bedding in it.
No cat should ever be put out at night to fend for itself
A sanitary tray - litter tray or washing up bowl - must be available
at all times and kept in the same place. Solid matter and wet lumps
should be removed from the tray frequently and the litter renewed
when necessary. The tray should be washed and disinfected
frequently. Rinse thoroughly after disinfecting and allow to dry
before use. Cats are very fussy and will not use a dirty tray
(neither will your visitors appreciate it!). You can buy covered
litter trays which provide privacy for your cat and hide the litter
from your visitors.
Hazards
All of the following have been the cause of death and serious injury
to kittens and young cats: front and top loading washing machines,
tumble driers, electric flexes that can be chewed, hot stoves, water
tanks, garden pools, toilets with open lids (you don't want to fish
your kitten out from the U-bend), hot baths, irons and the tops of
storage heaters.
Be aware that your kitten will investigate open chimneys, open doors
and windows. It can escape and disappear through the smallest crack
and may get shut in a drawer or cupboard. The airing cupboard is a
favourite hiding place and the results can be disastrous after a few
hours with no litter tray.
Kittens often creep away under low furniture, kitchen units or
electrical appliances.
Use disinfectants which do not contain Phenol or Cresol. These are
poisonous to cats. Most brands of household disinfectants contain
them. (A quick test is to see if it goes white when added to water).
Parvocide, GPC-8, Virkon, Peratol and Trigene are safe in correct
dilution. Always dilute a cleansing agent according to the
instructions and make sure disinfected items are rinsed and aired
afterwards. To cleanse a soiled area use a biological washing powder
and then rub with surgical spirit as this prevents the cat being
attracted back to the same spot.
Cats and kittens can poison themselves by washing their feet or
coats after walking through a poisonous substance. Insecticides,
weed killers, slug pellets, timber preservatives, woodworm
treatments, petrol and anti-freeze are all harmful to cats - often
with fatal consequences. Never give a cat any drugs that have not
been prescribed for it; many human drugs are poisonous to cats. Seek
veterinary advice immediately if you suspect any form of poisoning.
Take care that toys, or parts of them, cannot be swallowed. Plastic
bags and rubber bands such as the elastic that goes around joints of
meat are a hazard. Plastic does not show up on an X-ray and can be
very dangerous if swallowed. Do not allow a kitten to play
unsupervised with wool, string or thread, and beware of sewing
needles and pins - kittens have been known to swallow thread with
these still attached.
Many house plants are poisonous. Do not leave them where they can be
chewed - just in case.
Final note
Your breeder has reared the kitten with care up to the age of three
months and he/she would appreciate a word on its progress -
especially a spare photograph. They might not have time to write
back, but would be very grateful.
Early Neutering:
Kittens sold as pets
Concerned breeders do
their best to ensure that only the kittens they consider suitable
for breeding are bred from. Kittens which are not sold specifically
for breeding are usually registered on the Non-Active Register; this
means that if, against the breeder's wishes, they are bred from,
their kittens cannot be registered.
Kittens may be registered on the Non-Active Register for various
reasons:
-
they may not, in the
opinion of their breeder, be good examples of their breed
-
there may be a risk of
hereditary disease
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the mother may have
had breeding problems which could be hereditary
-
or the breeder may
simply wish to be sure that the new owner is a suitable person,
with help and advice, to breed from the kitten - and has the time
and facilities to do so.
When a kitten which is
registered on the Non-Active Register is sold, it should be pointed
out, in writing, to the new owner that the cat has been sold as a
pet or a show neuter and not for breeding. If such a cat is
registered with another organisation, the Non-Active registration
should be respected and the papers endorsed "not for breeding".
Similarly, if a cat whose papers are endorsed "not for breeding" is
imported onto the GCCF Register it is registered on the Non-Active
Register.
Only the breeder, or the person who originally registered the cat,
may change a registration from the Non-Active Register to the Active
Register. A change from Active to Non-Active Register requires a
request from the current registered owner of the cat plus, if the
cat is going to be transferred, the signature of the intended new
owner.
However, despite all such precautions, many breeders have become
aware that kittens they have sold as pets have, despite their
wishes, been bred from. The resulting kittens are sold unregistered,
often to unsuspecting new owners who only discover later that their
kitten cannot be registered or shown.
Early neutering
The only way breeders can be certain that the kittens they sell
cannot be bred from is to neuter them before they are sold.
Early neutering has been carried out in Australia, New Zealand and
the United States of America for many years and is now gaining
popularity in the UK, where some breeders have also been "converts"
for many years.
Despite some historical worries about the growth and development of
kittens which are neutered early, studies have demonstrated that
there are no adverse effects provided that a suitable anaesthetic is
used.
The Cat Group, of which the GCCF is a member, has produced a policy
paper on neutering which emphasises the benefits of early neutering
in both pedigree and non-pedigree cats. This is available on the
website -
www.thecatgroup.org.uk - and from the FAB Office, Taeselbury,
High Street, Tisbury, Wilts SP3 6LD. There is an accompanying paper
on Anaesthesia for Neutering Kittens which may be of interest to
your veterinary surgeon.
Although the paper makes the assumption that most pedigree kittens
will be sold un-neutered, many breeders have found that the optimum
time for neutering is a week or two after the second vaccination, to
allow the kittens to develop good immunity and recover from any
stress caused by the vaccination. They recover from the operation
far more quickly than older kittens and are generally ready to go to
their new homes a week or so later.
Although this will, obviously, mean more expense to the breeder, the
cost of the operation can be included in the price of the kitten.
Most genuine pet kitten buyers are delighted to find that although
their kitten may cost a bit more, it will not require a routine
visit to the veterinary surgeon for a whole year!
Neutered kittens are at no disadvantage on the show bench, being
shown in the same classes as the un-neutered kittens of their breed.
You may
wish to join a Cat Club, visit a Cat Show or show your cat.
Information from the
GCCF
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