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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Feeling guilty about wanting a pedigree cat. Any advice?

109 replies

FuckNugget · 31/07/2013 21:50

I have wanted to get a kitten/cat as a family pet for a long time but only recently been able to do so.

I decided I would get a litter pair from a rescue shelter. I've been looking at a few locally and reading their adoption rules. This has ruled out some places but I have been keeping my eye on the kittens/cats they have available.

However, I have also been googling a lot on cars and kittens and came across an advert for the most beautiful BSH kitten not too far from us. I've areanged to go and see it soon. I know I will fall in love with it and probably buy it.

I feel so guilty for this . There are hundreds of cats languishing in shelters across the country and I could have provided a good home to two but instead I'm buying a kitten from a breeder.

Should I cancel going to see the kitten and go ahead with my plan to adopt? Or is it ok to want a pedigree? I won't be breeding from it either, will have the cat neutered as soon as it's old enough.

OP posts:

shufflehopstep · 01/08/2013 00:13

I'm not a cat person, I'm a dog person, but my views on pedigrees are the same for both. I'd definitely urge you to go with your instinct and re-home a non-pedigree moggie.

I'm not particularly militant about it but I do feel uneasy about breeding pedigree animals in general. I think if you buy from breeders - even reputable ones - you create a demand for pedigrees and so encourage the less reputable breeders who are out to make some easy money.

My mutt from the dogs' home is just as lovely as any pedigree even if he does have wonky eyes. He was the best £50 we ever spent.

Original poster

FuckNugget · 01/08/2013 00:14

Thanks for all your advice issey, I shall keep you all updated. Give me a shout if by miraculous chance you get a grey or cream cat in soon .

OP posts:

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:16

Fuck My first was an absolutely stunning calico tortoishell with almond shaped eyes. She was a real stunner - a bit like this sort of thing but more pronounced

She went missing for a week once and came back very changed in her personality. I was discussing this with the vet and he said - are you sure it's your cat that came back and not a different cat, which would explain the personality change.

FFS! If she'd just been black I'd have agreed but my cat's markings were absolutely Unique. I just put it down to him opening mouth without engaging brain.

Original poster

FuckNugget · 01/08/2013 00:17

That's the thing for me shuffle, I'm totally going against my own principles by considering this. I have always been adamant that I would never get a pedigree from a breeder but I have been bedazzled by a pretty kitten.

OP posts:

Original poster

FuckNugget · 01/08/2013 00:20

wetaugust, that is one stunning cat! Really beautiful! I wonder what happened to have changed her personality? And weird vet too!

It does worry me a bit that if I got this bsh kitten she would be stolen. She's just too beautiful. I think I'd call her siren .

OP posts:

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:20

Anyway - always get 2 kittens. They are companions for each other. Up until now I've only ever had one kitten at once - with the adults.

they are so much playful when they are together. I'd never get a single kitten again. By the way that's the latest rule for one sanctuary near me - kittens rehomed in pairs only unless there is an adult cat in the home.

tabulahrasa · 01/08/2013 00:20

The British shorthair kitten is £200? That seems suspiciously cheap to me.

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:22

Get her chipped.

How about getting her and making a donation to your local animal shelter in penance? Salves conscience and saves cats - win win situation.

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:24

I didn't know there was a pedigree breed called BSH. I thought it just stood for British Short Hair - i.e. a mog with short hair as opposed to a mog with long hair. I have looked on my mogs vac certificates and all are shown as BSH + their colour. Now very confused that my vet may be very confused IYSWIM

Original poster

FuckNugget · 01/08/2013 00:24

My original plan would have been to get a litter pair for that reason wetaugust. If I do get this kitten, then I will get a rescue as a companion too I think.

tahbula, I've looked it up and there is a lot of variation in price. I'm not sure if this has papers but the breeder has both parents to look at. I won't be showing it or breeding so the papers are of no difference to me. I think even if she'd been a moggy I would have got her, she's so pretty.

OP posts:

Original poster

FuckNugget · 01/08/2013 00:25

I think moggies are domestic short hair as opposed to British short hair? I think moggies are probably just descended from BSHs or vice versa although there are certain characteristics of the breed that lack in domestic short hair cats.

OP posts:

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:26

I'd be wary about mixing a mog kitten with a pedigree. All my mogs have come to me flea-infested and one was at death's door. One of them could be harbouring disease. Could you wait until ped kitten had grown up a bit and get a mog teenager for her to play with?

Original poster

FuckNugget · 01/08/2013 00:27

That might be a good way to do it. I'd only get one from a rescue as a companion and if hope it would have been deflead etc.

OP posts:

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:28

Thanks - I'll tell my vet to start using DSH.

Original poster

FuckNugget · 01/08/2013 00:29

OP posts:

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:29

Well that way you can get one that's old enough to have had its Feliflu and leukaemia vacs before you introduce it to princess pussy.

Doodledumdums · 01/08/2013 00:29

Slightly off topic, but I do feel that a lot of rescue centres shoot themselves in the foot a bit sometimes when it comes to their rehoming rules. In an ideal world, obviously all animals would be placed in absolutely perfect homes, but it isn't an ideal world, and many homes (while not being perfect) would be favorable to the animal spending significant amounts of time in a rescue centre. I am not knocking rescue centres, I think they do an amazing job, I just think that sometimes a bit of rule bending is necessary, as if it was a bit easier to adopt then people may be more inclined to do that rather than just go out and buy a puppy/kitten IYSWIM?

My friend tried to re-home two elderly dogs, she had a lovely house, no children under 15, was home all day, had experience with dogs, had no other pets, a lovely big garden etc. The dogs were very small, and were 9 and 12 years old and had lived in a flat with an old lady who had sadly died. My friend was refused adoption, based on the fact that the fence in her garden was only 5ft?! I mean possibly if she had been looking to adopt an 18 month old labrador, that may have been an issue, but small elderly dogs...really?! She did appeal the decision and was granted adoption, and the two dogs lived another couple of years each in total bliss, and the fence never was an issue, but many people would probably have given up at the first no, and then those two dogs would more than likely have spent their last couple of years in a rescue centre because on the whole, people don't want elderly animals.

Sorry...that wasn't particularly relevant was it?! In answer to your OP, I don't think you need to feel guilty, if you want a BSH then that is your choice. Get a rescue cat as well as the BSH kitten, and then it will all be even

HoopersGinger · 01/08/2013 00:32

I have 2 rescue torties. They're sisters and we have had them since they were tiny. One will only come near me and us obsessive about me. The other is friendly to all. The problem I have is they are both hunters and scavengers. They will do anything to gain access to the bedrooms including leaping off cars, setting off alarms and going into next doors bedrooms through the windows.

tabulahrasa · 01/08/2013 00:35

hmm, papers matter...not because you need them to have a lovely pet, but because they tell you that the breeder has kept to the GCCF code of ethics and has bred two cats that are registered pedigrees.

If there are no papers, why haven't they done it? It's not hard or expensive...

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:38

I agree with you Doodle

They do seem up place unnecessary hurdles to adoption while tolerating things that I personally object to - such as house cats.

I suppose they want to do the best they can for the animal but when you read on their sites that 'Flossie has been with us for 8 year now' - I'm thinking to myself what on earth is wrong with you or Flossie that she hasn't found a home in 8 years - when she looks gorgeous and has no vices

There' s this horrible expression that has crept in recently 'Forever Home'. Nobody, with the best will in the world can promise categorically to provide the same home for a pet for the full length of it's natural life. Shit happens out of the blue, e.g. illness, road accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning - Ok I'm getting desperate but you get the drift. All you can promise is a good, caring home that will be provided for as long as it's humanly possible to do so and careful arrangements will be made for the continuing welfare of the pet should someone no longer be able to care for it e.g. Cinnamon Trust etc.

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:41

YepHoopers More evidence that all torties are indeed mad. Turns out that penultimate cat and new kitten are both torbies i.e. tortoiseshell tabbies. Never heard that term until recently and I bet my dim vet hasn't.

Original poster

FuckNugget · 01/08/2013 00:43

Not at all off topic doodle. If I met the criteria for the place whose rules I posted up thread would approve me for the cream kitten, I wouldn't even have been looking at other cats.

Oh, good point wetaugust, I hadn't thought of vaccination issues. Will look at slightly older kittens that have been vaccinated for sure.

I actually think some forties are very pretty, especially tortie and white. Have my heart set on a grey or cream though for some reason.

tahbula, I don't know whether it does or doesn't have papers but I will be sure to ask about that. The breeder has another litter advertised too so I'm not sure of that has something to do with the price? I've seen a few advertised for less though so didn't think much of it. I will ask her why when I go to see it.

OP posts:

Original poster

FuckNugget · 01/08/2013 00:46

Never heard of torbies either wetaugust. Off to google now .

OP posts:

WetAugust · 01/08/2013 00:48

Can't you get 2 from this same breeder and make a slightly larger donation to a shelter to compensate

Gets over the cross-infection problem nicely and you get 2 of the same age?

My friend adopted a grey and white tuxedo a few months ago. I have seen tuxedo black and whites (I have one) but never grey white. She is an absolutely stunning mog.

MumnGran · 01/08/2013 00:57

Please consider going to one of the Breed Rescues....there are more pedigree cats needing rehoming than people realise, and the Welfare Officers for the Breed Club is more likely to know of them than any local rescue. They are just as much in need, as any other rescued cat.
The full list of clubs (who all have a welfare officer) can be accessed here
Specifically for British ...here or here or here

Note of caution: one or two of these are offering ex breeding girls. Some Breed Rescues allow this, others not. I would just say beware that not all breeders keep their cats as adored pets and if considering a cat with this background, you would need to be very sure that she has lived indoors and is used to lots of love and TLC.

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