Buying a Pedigree Kitten
The purchase of a kitten is always exciting, most people have thought and planned this for months maybe longer. The decision has been made, the whole family are thrilled. Now the tough part, where do you look and how do you find a good breeder.
There are lots of selling sites for pets and sadly, lots of horror stories and scams from all of them. The Ragdoll Clubs, The British Ragdoll Cat club and Progressive Ragdoll Breed Cat club, have a list of breeders, they also have to sign up to the clubs code of ethics. In addition the GCCF also have a breeder scheme. Registered breeders will be with GCCF, TICA or FIFE. Ask what registry they are with and check this with the registry.
Also you can look on Facebook, ask for recommendations, if any are recommended, check their pages, websites are a good way to start. Look at the photos and the information on their websites, you can learn a lot about breeders from Facebook pages and websites.
So now you have found a couple of breeders and have arranged to visit. Please do not pay any monies, until you have visited the home and have seen the babies. Please do not pay a deposit for an unborn baby, or to go on a waiting list for unborn kittens. Babies should be visited after their first vaccines and health check.
Lucy’s Law which came into force in April 2020, states that the babies have to be seen in with their mum. Here is what you should be seeing when you visit and what we would recommend to walk away from.
Mom and kittens should all be in one room, (stud boys are likely to be in an outdoor catio/building) however if the stud is the father you can ask to view him too. If the breeder disappears and returns with one kitten, where are they being kept? The home should be of a certain standard, please don’t expect a palace as with babies running round and adults in the house its impossible. However, the home should be clean, clean water and food bowls, clean litter trays, lots of toys around for the cats and babies.
Ask to see the parents registration paperwork, it should say ACTIVE on the paperwork, if it does not, walk away. Ask to see the parents HCM certificates, these will be from Langfords, check they match up with the registration cards. If they cannot provide them walk away.
Check what paperwork you will receive. You should receive a 3-4 generation pedigree and registration card. A Vaccine card showing the full course vaccines. Some breeders microchip and some will early neuter.
Babies should be running around (unless asleep) happy little whirlwinds. If babies hiss and growl and run to hide, this is not a good sign.
How many litters of kittens are there, if you visit a house with 6-7 litters running around, how are all these babies socialised?
How is the breeder with the cats and kittens and how are they with the breeder? Are the kittens able to be handled? If they scram to be put down immediately or try and jump out of the breeders arms, this could be a sign they are not handled regularly.
The breeder should be asking a lot of questions, they will want to know about your home and work life, holidays, children, other pets etc. This is normal. If they do not ask any questions and just ask for a deposit, it’s time to leave.
What are the conditions like? All the cats should look healthy, no runny eyes or noses, (mommy cat may look a bit dishevelled as she has just raised a litter of babies and it can take a while to get back to condition)
How informative is the breeder? Do you feel confident that should you purchase from this breeder that you will receive aftercare and support? If they do not know much about the breed and cannot answer basic questions, how confident are you that you will receive lifetime support. If you visit the home and there are 30-40 cats running around, poor conditions, not so well looking cats, make an excuse and leave. If you visit and newborn kittens and all the cats being raised in outdoor pens, make your excuses and leave. Most breeders spend a lot of time with their cats and kittens, you will be able to see this when you visit, babies will want to know who you are and why you are in there home, they may see you as a new play mate, this is how it should be.
The breeder will tell you what food they have been raised on and where to purchase. Costs, areas vary. So northern areas maybe that the vets costs are standard, where as London, the vet costs will be significantly higher. However, the average cost for a registered Ragdoll kitten is anywhere from £750.00 to £1,100. If a breeder is asking £1500-£2000 for a pet, then it is time to walk away. Always go with your gut feeling, if it does not feel right, walk away, if you have any doubts, walk away. Do not take any money on your visit, when you have visited advise the breeder you will be in touch over the next day, if they pressure you to pay a deposit there and then, maybe this is not the right breeder.
From a A Ragdoll Breeder