MaineGate Cattery

Why Is Buying A Registered Kitten Important

By Paul Brehob

My mother was known for her pies.  Although she was generally a humble woman, she also had more than a bit of pride in her pies.  Often when guests were arriving, I would see her bake a fresh pie even though a pie that was a day or two old was sitting on the kitchen counter.  She wanted to make sure her guests had the best.

Of course, the ingredients she would use in her pies were of utmost importance.  When I would go grocery shopping with her, I would often see her reading the labels on the packages.  Once I asked her why she was so concerned with reading the labels.  “Because the label is how you know what’s in it”, she replied.  She knew to make a pie with predictable characteristics she needed ingredients she knew were predictable.

If you are searching for a kitten or cat with relatively predictable traits, it is important to read the label.  That’s right.  Kittens have labels!  The CFA or TICA registration papers and the pedigree of the kitten’s parents can be thought of as the label which tells you what is in that kitten.   While all kittens are unique and it is impossible to tell exactly what physical and social traits they will have, kittens that meet a breed standard will have much less variance in this regard than non-purebred cats.  And since they are raised in a more controlled environment, there is more consistency in behavioral characteristics and health.   That’s why people are willing to pay for them.

Unfortunately, there has been an increase recently in less than reputable breeders selling unlabeled kittens—kittens that don’t have the CFA or TICA registration papers to tell what is in them.  Why should you distrust these breeders?

First, their opening words to you are a lie.  They will often say they are selling purebred kittens but without the registration papers.  But it is the papers that define a kitten as purebred.  Without papers, a kitten or cat is not and can’t be called a purebred.

But, beyond that, you must wonder why the kittens are being sold unlabeled.  Many of these breeders are simply willing to be dishonest to save a few bucks.  Purebred kittens are either sold with breeding rights or without them.  Of course, purchasing the breeding rights is more expensive, so some people buy them with the promise they won’t breed in order to get the cheaper price.  They usually even sign a contract to that effect.  But their promise means so little to them they go ahead and breed anyway.  Some don’t want to buy two purebred cats, so they’ll buy one purebred and breed it to a non-purebred they happen to have on hand.  It looks close enough, but is it?

So, think of it this way.  If the person selling you the kitten thinks so little of his or her word they will break it to save a few bucks, why would you think they won’t lie to you to get a few dollars from you?   What guarantee do you have the kitten was raised in an environment to give it optimum health and socialization?  For that matter, how do you know they are telling you the truth the kitten’s parents are purebred?  Perhaps one parent is and one isn’t.  These breeders sell the imitation kittens long on promises, but they’ve already proven they can’t be trusted.

The most important thing when you buy a kitten is to buy from a breeder with integrity you can trust.  These unregistered breeders have already shown they are willing to sacrifice ethics and integrity on the altar of profit. 

 You don’t know what is in a kitten without the label.  Always look for the label!