Why do people pay for pedigree?

[Greensleeves]

I'm not being inflammatory, I'm genuinely curious

What are the benefits of having registered pedigree animals as opposed to bog-standard moggies? People pay hundreds of pounds for them, so there must be some advantage? Are they better in some way?

I wanted a black cat as I know how hard they are to rehome but ended up with black and white, which is also unpopular for some strange reason

I would love a Siamese cat I can't have a cat because my Dp is allergic 😢

Personally I prefer a moggy so don't get it. That said, I have met a couple of mighty fine Russian Blues who are beautiful cats and have encountered a few Siamese at Cats Protection, the most recent wasn't at all vocal; he was very handsome with a posh name (and the cat in the next pen was a rough looking ex stray with a typical "bloke" name).

Some breeds are bred to encourage certain character traits that people find desirable e.g. Docility. Other breeds are bred to improve certain skill/for a purpose e.g. Shepherd dogs, hunting dogs etc. Some owners may choose to compete in dogs shoes etc and require a pedigree for that reason. If there is an existing dog the owners may want a similar dog in terms of energy, character, size and attempt to achieve this by choosing the same breed. Then of course different breeds have different needs in terms of exercise, diet, propensity to health conditions, costs only suitable for some climates so owners use breed as a means of selecting a dog with needs that they can meet/to avoid needs that they can't cater for.

I adopted an unwanted Siamese. She was an exceptionally beautiful one, not too vocal but with a massive personality. In many ways she behaved more like a dog than a cat. I missed her dreadfully when she died. If I were to buy a cat (which I never will, there are too many animals in need of a home) I would get a Siamese.

We had a pedigree corgi via RSPCA way back when. Had to be rehomed as the husband (I think) was allergic. He was a lovely dog but if I was repeating the experience (I'm not) I'd be equally happy with a common or garden mutt. An animal that needs a home is the criterion.

PinkSparkly yes it's something I don't get - soon after we got the cat she was playing in the garden and I heard one of the neighbour's kids say 'oh it's a black cat, kill it, heh heh heh'.

I didn't find that so funny. Then you get many people saying they love black cats.

I really love Siamese cats actually, but haven't read up on them fully.

Black cats are the best! (Nightmare to get good photos of though!)

Charming children Bullet, I despair. I wouldn’t have even joked about something like that when I was a kid.

And black and white Toddler!

I had a rescue Maine Coon for years and he was unlike any other cat I've ever had. When he died, I saved to get a Maine Coon kitten because I couldn't find another rescue and he is developing the same wonderful characteristics. I'm very happy with my decision.

What breed is she @potentialmadcatlady ? She sounds lovely!

I don’t understand either. I have a black cat after I read that no one wants them from rescues. Our last one was a georgeous tabby. I don’t think our black cat is as pretty but she’s has a lovely temperament.

I have a black moggie and a tabby moggie, line them to bits but they one person cat's. I had a rescue British Shorthair in the past and she had a lovely temperament, loved everyone. DSis has a ragdoll who is very affectionate. I think often pedigrees are better socialised than moggies and there also bred for temperament

We wanted Burmese for several reasons. They are generally good with other cats and we live on a road with several bruisers. We are dog people and they are like little dogs in many ways. They are quite Hugh maintenance and bonded to their people so the cuddles and communication is amazing. I love their velvet fur type and solid body type. There are lots of moggies in the street and some are super friendly and some are not interested in people. I guess we wanted more of a guarantee of the former. I’m not sure that’s so much of a breed characteristic, rather that a good breeder will make a great effort to socialise the animal well from a young age and keep it with its mum for the important 13 weeks or so. This happens less with back yard breeders, letting kittens go at 8 weeks and not having a clue generally. I do accept that when buying a pedigree you have to do your research, find someone who breeds from (and understands) as large a gene pool as possible, selects parents for health and temperament, socialises kittens and keeps them with their mum for 13 weeks, health checks and vaccinates, demands neutering, checks out prospective owners, etc etc.

@Juancornetto... she’s a Devon Rex... totally different to any other cat I have had and she was deliberately chosen because I foster and wanted a ‘resident’ cat who would teach fosters how to ‘cat’ within a home so they settled better. I can’t say too much without outing myself on here but she has helped three so far and two in particular to overcome some very horrible backgrounds- one of them was sent to us as a last ditch attempt before being pts and between us we managed to turn her from a totally stressed out human hating wreck into a lovable trusting little black angel. I get a bit annoyed sometimes when people say you must only rescue not buy from breeders- I rescue and do more than my fair share but I also need some happiness for me so I can keep on rescuing- otherwise it would just be too hard to cope. My cats breeder is amazing, has a lifetime commitment to her kittens and has a history in rescue too.. not all breeding is bad

We have a Siberian because we are both allergic to cats. It may not be guaranteed or work for everyone, but she only triggers our allergies to a mild, manageable degree. We wouldn't be able to have a cat at all otherwise, so as much as I'd have liked to give a home to a rescue cat, it was never an option.

I have Ragdolls. I wanted them for their temperament and also because they are stunning. We've had bad experiences with moggy kittens being poorly so we wanted a properly bred and health tested pedigree also. They are nothing like any moggy I've previously had.

I just see them all as cats. All equally deserving of a lovely home. I probably wouldn't but from someone who was only in it for the breeding but I really resent people who seem to feel superior for having a moggy. It's not like that's even a guarantee that it came from a rescue. Lots of moggies I know were bought as kittens. Lots of pedigrees I know were rescues.

Ours are pedigrees but never registered as they are just our beloved pets. I bought them off a close friend who breed her cat once before spaying her. We had been planning on getting cats. I knew my friend was really really struggling for money and i could spare it so it was really a big win all round.

In my life I've had 5 moggies (1 bought, 2 rescues and 2 birthed) and 2 pedigrees.

They are all fucking heros to me!!!!

I've always had moggies.

My previous two were a brother/sister pair - just tabbies, one was ginger and one a more typical tabby colour. The girl was stunning - really gorgeous green eyes and a lovely coat but she was a right stuck-up madam! The boy was just a regular ginger moggy but he had the best personality - loved his cuddles.

I currently have two black cats. One we got from a local farm who had an accidental litter, and one we rescued from a home where he wasn't being well-treated. Both good looking in their own way and very distinct personalities. The rescued one is so much happier now he lives in a home where people are good to him. We think he's part Maine Coon as he's huge and has the fur, but the vet says only 50% at most.

When we were looking for a cat we were initially looking a getting a pedigree kitten. I thought about it for a while and decided an adult would be much better and we got our tabby cat who was almost two years old for £50, his owners didn’t want/couldn’t keep him anymore.
He is the best cat In the world!

I have always had rescue cats and never thought I'd buy a cat. However I have a very shy rescue whom I love dearly but I also wanted another cat so I looked for a breed that would work with her personality and give me what I needed temperament wise as well. It worked out beautifully and I couldn't be happier.

In my (admittedly limited) experience the different breeds of dogs seem much more distinct in terms of temperament than cats. It probably makes me a bad person, but I am always smugly amused when I remember how my friend went on and on about how she was picking a particular, v expensive breed for its personality, and that of course it wasn't because she's obsessed with Instagram and getting likes and so picked a pretty one - the cat is indeed very striking looking, but is universally agreed by everyone that has encountered it to be one of the most bad tempered and unpleasant cats they've met!

Ours are pedigrees but never registered as they are just our beloved pets. I bought them off a close friend who breed her cat once before spaying her. We had been planning on getting cats. I knew my friend was really really struggling for money and i could spare it so it was really a big win all round.

Well, yes, if 'encouraging your friend to do something irresponsible and then getting a kitten bred by a completely inexpert breeder' is your idea of a win all round. It isn't mine.

I grew up wth siameses. My parents bought a kitten for their first one before I was born. Subsequent cats were rescue siameses. The traditional stockier ones, rather than the modern pointier type.

If we had a cat we would have a Siamese. However, when I left home to go to uni I developed a cat allergy, which I can't seem to get over