Before you buy a cat

I’m buying a cat – now what?

Super! A cat is a wonderful companion, but before you buy a cat, calm down. Consider that a cat is a living creature, don’t give in to whims, fads or cute eyes. A serious and composed approach is essential. It needs to be a very considered decision.

The aim of KINGDOM OF CATS is to work for the benefit of cats in general.

Before you buy a cat

So if you have the opportunity to give a cat a home, remember that there are plenty of lovable animals waiting for you in shelters and foundations. Don’t be put off by the elderly or those with disabilities – a cat is not an ornament, but a member of the family. Of course, there are also cats with transitions, which can be a little more difficult. Even a cat that has been harmed and exhibits undesirable behaviour will be very grateful to you for giving it a home. If you dream of a cat in general and are responsible – give a homeless cat a chance! Be prepared for all eventualities, but do not treat such a cat worse than a purebred cat. It has the same needs, the same heart, the same reasoning and the same sensitivity as a pedigree cat. If you think that a “difficult” you can always give away, then don’t take the cat. Seriously – cats often take change hard, and it can take a toll on their health and even their lives.

A homeless cat can be a wonderful friend too

Don’t expect a pedigree cat to be in any way ‘better’ than a so-called ‘European’ cat (that’s what we call the popular ‘house cats’). There is a higher probability that if you buy a cat from a cattery where it has not experienced a shadow of hostility from humans, knows the hoover, the dishwasher, the litter tray – it will be a cat with a different initial predisposition. However, a higher probability is not a 100% guarantee.

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I myself had a wonderful male cat called Diaval, who was in no way inferior to a pedigree cat. When we got him he was emaciated, infested with worms, fleas and reeked of rubbish. After being treated, groomed and tested, he was rehomed and is a darned gaggle of cats with big green eyes. Shortly afterwards we bought our first pedigree cat and no, I wouldn’t say she was ‘better’ or that he was ‘worse’. I… I think you should come to terms with this right from the start – a cat is not a ‘machine’ product, each one is different – just as people are different. That’s why the decision to take a cat should be a responsible and considered one. Especially since cats from catteries can also be problematic.

Paweł Hać

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To anyone who thinks that a breed club for pedigree cats competes with stray cats, tadam. Here we are – Kingdom of Cats – we just love all cats and we can’t help it.

What kind of cat is a pedigree cat?

In Poland, the basis for this is the 1997 Act on the Protection of Animals. This prohibits the commercial breeding of cats (Article 10a, paragraph 3.3), but this prohibition does not apply to social organisations whose statutory purpose is the protection of animals (Article 10a, paragraph 5) – e.g. KINGDOM OF CATS.

PUREBRED = PEDIGREE

When you buy a pedigree cat you must get a pedigree. The pedigree shows the ancestors of the animal. It also makes it likely that you are dealing with a cattery operating within just such a social organisation. The aforementioned exception to the prohibition can be applied to this organisation.

When you buy a cat from a cattery operating at KINGDOM OF CATS you have a GUARANTEE that it is a pedigree cat. Its pedigree is valid and internationally recognised.

To begin with, it is worth excluding catteries that breed cats commercially but do not offer pedigrees. That is, those in which one can see an abuse of the provisions of the Polish Animal Protection Act. A cat must leave cattery with its pedigree. Except in extraordinary situations, when there are some technical problems with issuing a pedigree on time. It happens that breeders issue an unsterilised cat and leave the pedigree as a security, to be issued upon presentation of the sterilisation confirmation. We are against this solution. The pedigree is the document of the cat to be sold, it is an integral part of confirming the affiliation, it confirms the “raciality” of the ancestors and their titled. If you already decide to sell your cat for subsequent sterilisation (we know this happens, but we do not take a position on it here) instead of securing a pedigree, we recommend financial security, repayable only upon presentation of the sterilisation certificate.

Cat sale contract

However, it is also not the case that a pedigree solves all problems. The sale of a cat should take place through a sales contract. Often, however, customers only read it on the spot and are not aware of its terms. Meanwhile, I always recommend asking the breeder for a sample contract beforehand and reading it beforehand. This is not a sign of mistrust, but precisely a sign of composure. KINGDOM OF CATS does not interfere with the obligations of the parties to the contract, but approach the subject of the contract with integrity. I know of cases where a customer picked up a cat that was a bit sick and pointed this out to the breeder. The breeder, however, declared that it was temporary and illness would just pass. The problem was then that the buyer signed the contract and there was a paragraph stating that he “does not perceive any changes or signs of disease”. So read the contract carefully beforehand and remember that you can suggest points in this contract, proper procedures and others.

Good advice is to see photos and documents, but above all to get to know some breeders. Talk to them, you can sometimes meet them at exhibitions and shows. After such contact, it is good to answer the question: ‘In our opinion, is this breeder a good person’. Sometimes it is not that contact, sometimes there is a divergence of characters, a different approach to animals… or just not that vibe.

For more information on pedigrees and the pedigree of cats, please see the tab PUREBRED = PEDIGREE.