Where do you get a 'pedigree' cat from?

[tryhard]

I'd like a British Blue but wouldn't have a clue where to find a reputable breeder, I'd imagine when people charge so much for breeds that there will be a fair few dodgy characters trying to sell kittens, is there like a Crufts from cats?!

I think you could probably start with the relevant cat club - I 'think' it's the British Shorthair Cat Club.

Is there any particular reason why you want a British Blue though? There are loads of cats of all colours and types looking for good homes in rescues throughout the country.

You could get an adult blue rescue & bypass the "whoops was that valuable?" Phase.

Blues are gorgeous.

I've got a Persian Chinchilla. I searched for Persians on Pets 4 Homes. I don't know about dodgy breeders...The breed I have would be difficult to fake. We have his pedigree papers, met the breeder etc. I read up on the breed before we met him so I had an idea of what to look for. So far, so good!

It's not about faking the breed though. It's about the cat version of puppy farming really. Breeders who run a business with no concern for welfare.

I find these threads so hard when there are thousands of lovely cats sitting in rescues all over the country. I just don't get it.

Well sometimes you want a specific breed for whatever reason.

Like dh and the Bengal.

Trouble is Mincepies that it's a huge cash money business if you're in it for badness. They rent houses, fake papers, keep scads of kittens and puppies temporarily in the garage etc etc etc. You might have been fine with your cat but some owners will not be.

I've had 4 cats before, all rescue, when my last boy died I wanted to have a friendly soppy cat like he was (which Persian's usually are) but mostly I wanted an indoor cat. I can't bear it when they go missing for days (even weeks!) He needed a home as much as any other cat and it would be a shame (in my opinion) if all the different breeds disappeared because everybody always got a rescue cat....

Oh I understand DH entirely. I always have a Siamese as my personal cat who sleeps with me.

I don't think that there is any risk at all of 'everyone getting a rescue cat' unfortunately. I appreciate that I am not being helpful though so will hide the thread.

No need to hide the thread. There are many posters here who will take that point of view.

TICA and GCFC are the equivalent of the kennel club and yes there are shows...but as cozie already said, the breed club would be the best place to go, they usually have a rehoming section btw for rehoming rescues of that breed.

"I find these threads so hard when there are thousands of lovely cats sitting in rescues all over the country. I just don't get it."

Cat breeds aren't any more interchangeable than dog breeds, it's not that they look different from each other, at least it shouldn't be about that anyway, it's that they have very different behavioural breed traits as well.

Siamese for instance are rehomed fairly often because their owner just didn't anticipate quite how full on they can be in their demands on you, where I miss mine terribly and my little moggy while awfully sweet, just isn't filling that hole at all.

Oh dear Peaceandlove please don't judge! I'm actually the very proud owner of an aged & much loved rescue moggy, I'm just wondering about breeds as we had a British Blue when I was a kid & I was remembering it fondly and wondering how my parents went about getting it, making sure it was healthy & came from a happy home. These kittens are so expensive, I'm sure there are some terrible homes which breed them purely for the money.

You're right to be wary because I fear that there are - mainly puppies but kittens also - with all the attendant problems. It's still a (big) cash business so is therefore attractive to the unscrupulous.

Maybe contact the breed club and make yourself known to them? That's often a good way to obtain.a steer - maybe even a rescue/rehome?

Good luck anyway.