Like car dealerships, not all catteries are the same.

Only a small percentage of cats are purebred. Many very wonderful cats and kittens can be found through shelters and adoption agencies. You can even get purebred cats from breed rescue agencies: find them on the Internet, or your local vets may know of some in your area.

Purebred cats are not more or less hardy than mixed breed cats. Some purebred cats have known old age ailments that are likely to develop such as hip problems. With a mixed breed cat, such things are more unpredictable. If you decide that you must have a purebred cat, the best place to get them other than from a breed rescue society, is a cattery.

First decide which breeds you are interested in; use guide books such as The New Encyclopedia of the Cat to choose which breeds might suit you better. For instance, long hair breeds must be groomed daily; some breeds are higher energy and need more attention than others; Bengals and Turkish Vans like the water.

Once you decided on a breed, you can find catteries using Google and magazines such as Cat Fancy and Cats and Kittens.  Both magazines have cattery advertising in their back pages. These magazines can be found at most large pet supply stores. You can also visit local cat shows, and the two main cat registry (TICA and CFA) web sites for more information on breeds. These two “cat fancy” organizations don’t always agree on what constitutes a recognized breed. For example, we have two Bengal cats, both registered with TICA, but CFA does not recognize the breed, so according to them it does not exist, although Bengals are now one of the most popular breeds in the U.S.

Some useful definitions

Cat Fancy: not just the magazine, but a name given to the “hobby” of people who own, value, judge, or breed “purebred” cats.

Pet quality: A cat that, while purebred, lacks some of the calm temperament or physical characteristics that are the ideal of the breed.

Raised underfoot: The cats are kept in the home at least part of the time and are used to children, human furniture and possibly other animals.

Show quality: The cat or kitten is a perfect or near perfect match for all of the physical characteristics that describe that breed according to cat fancy organization judging rules. This cat has also been tested by the breeder for having a calm temperament that makes the cat easy to handle, and not afraid of crowds.

An example: our calm and regal purebred Bengal Glory would not qualify as a show cat in breed judging competition. Even though some of her offspring have earned champion and grand champion status at cat shows, Glory herself has blackish-pink paw pads (instead of pure black) and a thinner than usual tail (none of her offspring did).

Getting In Touch

Some breeders travel often to cat shows and may be hard to contact directly. Try both phone and email. In our experience, some don’t return phone calls at all. This can be a good guide to how responsive they will be in the future! Many have websites of varying quality and not all are kept up to date with cats or kittens available for sale. Some catteries will also have more than one breed available.

In our opinion, it is best to find local catteries — where you can visit the facility and meet the breeder, and, of course, see the cats. Breeders do not have a lot of time to talk at cat shows. If they are prepping a cat for a competition, stand back! If you really want to talk to one owner, ask when would be a good time at the show, or afterwards. If they have cats or kittens for sale, breeders will have signs up at their booth.

Never pet or handle a cat at a cat show without permission! Breeders are very careful about preventing possible germs being spread between cats. Some will ask you to wash your hands using an alcohol sanitizer that they have with them. Others will simply say no.

Nitty Gritty Details

Prices for retired (not breeding anymore) queens (females) or toms (males) can range from $150 to $350. Kittens, even pet quality, can be as high as $900, but are generally about $500.

Once you make the appointment to visit the cattery, bring your cat carrier, cash (not all breeders take personal checks or credit cards), and any questions you might have. Ask what brand and type of food the cat is used to eating. Taking him home to the exact same type of food will prevent possible stomach upsets.

Ask what he likes to play with and sleep on. Does she like window perches? Does he like catnip? Can she get along with other cats (or dogs) or children? If “raised underfoot” the answer should be yes, but check anyway.

Does he prefer a certain kind of scratching post? Especially if you have more than one to choose from, watch and play with your prospective cat(s). See which one is attracted to you. Every cat’s personality is unique (just like ours!)

Typical contract clauses include:

1. the purchased cat is not to be used for breeding, it is a pet only. If not already neutered or spayed, you promise to do so at the appropriate age for the cat, and provide proof of doing so to the breeder. They will ask for the name and phone number of your vet.
2. the cat can be returned to the breeder for a refund within a set time period if your vet finds medical problems that you do not wish to deal with.
3. you are obligated to return the cat to this breeder if the cat is no longer wanted (no refund is given). This is to prevent the cat from being sent to the animal shelter and possibly euthanized.

Before you leave be sure to get medical records, pedigree papers, and have the ownership papers signed over to you by the breeder. And don’t forget the cat!