What is that kitten in the window?
Pet shops display cute expensive looking kittens and present them as pure bred everyday. Pairing it with an expensive price tag and an illusion of purchasing a pure bred cat is created.
This is achieved by misinforming and creative labeling a expensive looking kitten that some what resembles a photo of a particular breed online.
All pedigree and rescue kitten owners go through a stringent process of interviews and wait patiently for their kitten. The process is very through as neither cat rescue societies or registered catteries want their kittens to be brought home on a whim.
There is always a greater demand for pedigree cats then available kittens. The wait for a pedigree kitten is no shorter then 6 months and this extended wait ensures that no pedigree kitten has no home nor new owners being noncommittal to their decision in adding a fur kid into their household.
Pet stores are generally unable to get pure bred cats but wish to cash in on the lack of supply. They import domestic shorthairs or long hairs and sell them as imported expensive cats that are usually unethically bred with high potential health and genetic issues.
There is One authority able to look at a cat and tell you that it is of a certain breed. An approved all breed judge.
It takes 3 approved all breed judges to study the cat in question before they reach a conclusion. If it belongs in a certain breed and if so, award it a foundation status.
This is a rigourous process that no judge takes it lightly. The responsibility of including an unknown cat and its subsequent offspring has a long and profound consequence on a breed.
Veterinarians, test kits , pet store or rescue organization have neither the expertise or the training to do so.
What is An approved All Breed Judge?
Without going into specifics of the Judging program, Approved all breed Judges are usually long time veterans of the Show Ring with more then 10 years of experience and worked with more then 1 breed. They have shown and won multiple championships in that time. They are well respected by peers. It is a rigorous program with exams and homework . They posses the eye to catch the nuances of every breed and undertstand the responsibility of their position.
Want to find out more about your cat? Participate in your local cat show..( Did you know that you can show and compete your non pedigree cats at a cat show?)
There are a total of approximately 71 recognized breeds in TICA( The International Cat Fanciers Association) & 39 in CFA (The Cat Fancier’s Association).
If you have purchased a cat whose breed is not listed by the two largest registries in the world. It is safe to say that there isn’t such a breed.
For more information:
www.Tica.org or www.CFA.org