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<center><font face="Pompeii Capitals"><font color="#FF6600"><font size=+4>Choosing
a Pedigree Kitten</font></font></font>
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<p><font size=+1>A kitten, which will soon grow into an adult cat, is for
life and it is well worth spending some time considering what breed is
right for you.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Do you need a lively type of kitten, a show-off and an
extrovert? If so, the foreign shorthairs are more likely to suit your needs.</font>
<p><font size=+1>If you fancy the quieter longhairs, the question you need
to answer is, have you the time and patience needed to groom one? This
must be done on a regular basis from the day you bring home a longhaired
kitten. If you or members of your family are sensitive to cat hairs, you
may be better with a</font>
<br><font size=+1>shothaired kitten or none at all.</font>
<p><font size=+1>A cat show&nbsp; is a good place to see the various breeds
of cat but DO NOT take a cat home from a show as there is a risk of infection.
If you see a cat or kitten you want to buy, arrange to take it one or two
weeks after the show.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Are you likely to be leaving your kitten alone for more
than two or three hours a day? In this case it could be sensible and kinder
to buy two for company. You should get them together or within a few weeks
of each other. (You should never go out and leave a cat or kitten shut
out of the house).</font>
<p><font size=+1>If you are elderly, you should consider that you may easily
trip over alively young kitten. Would you be better giving a home to an
older and quieter unwanted cat? There are often unwanted cats of all breeds
that need kind permanent homes. The secretary of the club for your chosen
breed will</font>
<br><font size=+1>be able to give you more information.</font>
<p><font size=+1>A kitten, whether pedigree or not, is your responsibility
from the moment you acquire it, needing your care and protection for the
rest of its life. It is not merely something to feed, give attention when
you feel like it and put outside when it suits your purpose.</font>
<p><font size=+1>When you have decided on your choice of breed contact
the club which caters for that breed, or your local cat club, and ask if
they have a kitten list or details of breeders.&nbsp;&nbsp; You may find
what you want in your area, but you may have to wait and/or be prepared
to travel some distance to meet your exact requirements.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Telephone some breeders and get an idea of the price of
kittens. Avoid having a kitten on "breeding terms"; this is likely to lead
to discord later on. Kittens should be sold with at least an enteritis
inoculation and may also have had a full course of cat flu inoculations,
as well. They should also be registered with the *GCCF and have a written
pedigree supplied with the registration details. Make sure all of these
are included in the price given and that there are no 'hidden' extras.
Kittens should be at least 12 weeks old before they leave the breeder.
13-14 weeks is probably the best age, especially for all foreign breeds.</font>
<p><font size=+1>You may wish to see more than one litter before you make
your choice. Never go from one breeder to another without a wash and a
change of clothing as you could be the cause of cross infection.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Always make an appointment with the breeder before you
visit and let him/her know if you change your plans. Breeders should be
happy to show their kittens without pressing you to buy. However, don't
expect a breeder to keep a kitten for you indefinitely. You may be expected
to pay a non-returnable deposit if the kitten is to be kept for any length
of time after it is ready to go to a new home.</font>
<p><font size=+1>You will often find that one kitten in particular will
appeal to you and will , in fact, select you as its new owner.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Ask to see where the kittens are usually kept and to see
the 'Mum'. Watch for signs of sickness, diarrhoea, sticky eyes or stuffy
nose. Never choose a sickly, lethargic or weakling kitten out of pity.</font>
<p><font size=+1>If you visit a breeder and you are worried about the way
they are breeding and/or the condition of the cats and kittens, please
write to the&nbsp; *<a href="http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/GCCF_CATS/">GCCF
Office</a>, with full details. It will then be possible to give the breeder
advice and help, if it is required.</font>
<p><font size=+1>We recommend you never to buy a kitten from a pet shop.</font>
<p><font size=+1>Text reproduced with the kind permission of the *GCCF</font>
<p><font size=+1>&nbsp;*Governing Council of the Cat Fancy</font>
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