BURABYLLA

CATTERY

About Shows and Breeders

Who to buy from

If you have decided to adopt a show quality kitten, you can only purchase one from a registered breeder.  These breeders are members of, and abide by the rules of, a cat fancy organisation.  The aim of the cat fancy organisations is to protect cats, be they Pedigree or Domestic (Moggies).

These breeders also sell, what is referred to as, Pet quality kittens.  All this means is that they may not have the qualities needed to compete on the show bench.  The kitten will be as healthy as any show kitten but it may have slight faults such as incorrect eye or coat colour, it may have a kink in it's tail, it's ear placement or size may not be what is wanted in competition.  These types of faults are not health related and will, in no way, effect the kitten in a home as a pet.  Pet quality kittens may also be cheaper than show quality as the latter may well be suitable for breeding purposes as well. 

Be aware that there are unscrupulous people, called “Backyard Breeders”, out there who use their cats as kitten factories.  Litter after litter are produced from female cats who are sometimes pregnant even before they have weaned the last litter.  Their aim is to produce as many kittens as possible to supply the Pet Shop trade, or worse, to supply certain overseas markets which is no less than cruel and unimaginable in conditions.  

"Backyard Breeder" is a term which refers to unregistered breeders.  Most registered breeders actually breed from their homes and hence may have cat runs or pens in their backyard.  The difference is that, for Registered Pedigree Cat breeders, this is an expensive hobby, not a business.

Some other points about Back-yard Breeders.

*   They cannot issue you with Pedigree papers for any kitten.

*   They rarely, if ever, carry out the correct vaccinations on kittens.

*   They cannot give any guarantee as to the health of the kitten.

*   They cannot even prove that the kittens are the breed they claim. 

We urge you to contact a cat fancy organisation in your state who will refer you to a reputable registered breeder of the breed that you have chosen.  In QLD we recommend the Queensland Feline Association.

Pet shops who sell kittens charge more than a registered breeder but cannot provide any pedigree documentation nor do they know of the kittens history.  Kittens in a pet shop are not desexed and many people report seeing kittens that are not in the best of health.  Generally, the shop people are just sales people trying to sell a product!

Registered Breeders generally charge less for a kitten than pet shops and they can tell you of the kittens history and supply pedigree documentation  to prove that you are getting a genuine pedigree cat or kitten.

We will not recommend, nor have any dealings with any Pet shop who sells kittens or puppies from their store.

Before deciding on a certain breed of cat, we recommend that you take a look at some cat shows.  For those interested, the following link will give you more details about cats shows.  SHOWS