Kitten Buyers Guide

When buying a pedigree cat great care needs to be taken. There is a lot of very important information available that you should read when doing your research and apply this when looking for a pedigree kitten or cat. Buying a new member of the family is a very exciting time but you must research with your head and not your heart.

Please go to the GCCF website https://gccfcats.org/

There you will find advice on buying a kitten, https://gccfcats.org/getting-a-cat/

We also strongly recommend you download this DEFRA approved document as a checklist https://gccfcats.org/getting-a-cat/finding/kitten-checklist/

You will also need to check the GCCF suspension list to ensure a breeder is not listed on here. https://gccfcats.org/about-us/news-information/suspension-list/

You will see many Ragdoll kittens advertised as pets without papers. Why are papers important? They are VERY important. Without them you do not know the kitten is a pedigree cat. The parents may not be registered for breeding. The breeder may not be able to register kittens as they maybe on a suspension list or have received a conviction for animal welfare breaches. There are mandatory health tests that a breeder must have done on their breeding cats. They must be done in a certain way to be valid. For the Ragdoll any cats registered for breeding after February 2016 must have the DNA test for the one known HCM gene.
Breeders should NOT be DNA testing for PKD. It is not prevalent in the breed and the DNA test is not very reliable on non-Persian cats. If a breeder suspects they have PKD in their breeding lines they should only be performing an ultrasound scan on their adult cats.
You must NEVER pay any money before viewing any kitten or cat. NEVER pay money to go on waiting lists, holding lists, for viewing visits. These are major red flags. People do get scammed for kittens that never exist and these practises are unethical at best.
By law (Lucy's law) you must view a kitten in the home it was born and raised in with at least the mother present. There are no exceptions to this. We know this has been difficult during the pandemic but it can be done if the breeder and yourself put some basic hygiene practises in place. Please avoid any breeder that does not allow you to visit their home.
Do not expect to be allowed to visit a kitten until it is about 9 weeks of age and has had its first vaccination and health check. This is done to protect the kittens health plus the breeder needs to have had those vital vet health checks done before allowing a kitten to be viewed.
Do not expect the home to a 'show home'. Impossible when you have pets. It should be clean and tidy but you should see evidence that cats live there. You should see food and water bowls, toys, litter trays, maybe wear and tear on furnishings, a bit of fur floating around. This is all normal. Not seeing this is a major red flag that the cats and kittens are not kept on the premises.
Mum maybe a little underweight and out of condition. This is normal for a breeding queen who has used a lot of energy raising a litter of kittens. She will regain condition in the weeks after the kittens have left.
You may not be able to see dad as the breeder may have used a stud boy they do not own.
The kittens should be 'bright eyed and bushy tailed'. They maybe a little shy of you but should relax once toys are offered. At the age you are viewing they can be like toddlers so do not always like to be picked up and cuddled - they want to be on the go.
Some breeders will ask you to sign a kitten sales agreement at point of sale - this is normal. When you view the kitten ask the breeder do they do this and if so can you see a copy of it. Read it carefully and ensure you are happy with all the clauses before agreeing to buy the kitten.
Once both parties (yourself and the breeder) are happy you maybe asked to pay a deposit. Not all breeders ask for a deposit. That is their personal choice. Only pay this if you are happy. Remember, if you are not happy with anything then do not commit. Also, remember a breeder does have the right to refuse to sell anyone a kitten. They need to be happy you can give their kitten a good home for possibly up to the next 20 years.
Kittens are not allowed to leave the breeder until at least 7 days after second vaccination. Not a day before so please do not insist the breeder releases the kitten before this time. It can lead them to be disciplined, fined, and suspended by the GCCF. In general kittens will be at least 13 weeks of age before going to their new home and maybe older if they have been neutered.
A breeder MUST supply at point of sale the GCCF registration card for that kitten (it cannot be withheld even if agreed in contract), a minimum three generation pedigree (parents, grandparents, great grandparents) containing all breed and registration numbers for the cats listed, the breeder's details (address etc) and be signed by the breeder, vaccination card. They should also provide a detailed care sheet to help you transition your kitten into their new home and free insurance cover for the first 4 to 5 weeks. This is free for the breeder to arrange and please do not turn this cover down. Breeders normally prepare a kitten pack for you. If paperwork is not available, then arrange another time for collection of your kitten when it is ready.
Do not change the food and cat litter your breeder has been using for the first few weeks. This can lead to accidents and tummy upsets. The breeder should give you detailed instructions on settling your kitten into their new home. Listen to them and follow that guidance. Each kitten and breeder are different.
Some kittens are spayed/castrated before they leave the breeder. Not all breeders do this but if the breeder does early spay/castrate please do not expect them to make an exception for you.
If you have any issues at all with your kitten for the rest of its life, then you must contact the breeder. They must be there to give support and advice for the rest of the cat's life.

Here are the guidelines on prices to pay for kittens:

Pet & Show Neuter Potential - £750 to £1000 (may include spay/castration)

Breeding & Show Breeding Queen Potential - £1000 to £1500

Breeding & Show Breeding Stud Potential - £1200 to £1800