Please excuse my ignorance... what does having a cat that is GCCF registered mean to me? I've seen many kittens for sale with this against their name.

I understand that it is the equivalent of the AKC. Does this mean that he/she can be shown/bred/etc?

This is purely for my information. I have no plans (at all, whatsoever) to breed. My kitten (we don't have one yet!) will be our pet and a member of our family only.

Basically it means two things

1. that the cat is likely to actually be what it is advertised as (many unregistered pedigrees bear little resemblance to what they are actually supposed to be!) and 2. that the breeder has undertaken to abide by the rules of the GCCF (and therefore you have some means of complaint if they sell you a sick kitten, for example).

In addition:

If the cat is on the active register you can breed from it and

Assuming the cat is not on the reference register, you can show it as a pedigree (that does not mean you will actually get anywhere, it just means you are allowed to show it)

Liz

Thanks! Can any cat be GCCF registered? Or, are there requirements?

Any pedigree cat as far as I'm aware and I think proof of 6 generations?

I'm not sure

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Okay, thanks. Sorry for the million questions.

So, is it safe to assume that if a cat is GCCF registered, that it is a pure breed/pedigree and has come from a good line of cats?

If I were to buy a kitten that is GCCF registered, would he come with pedigree paperwork and proof of GCCF? Or is GCCF a digital record? Thanks

GCCF don't recognise certain breeds such as scottish fold or munchkin due to health problems associated with these breeds.

It is certainly possible to register a mixed pedigree or a half-pedigree and it may even be possible to register a non-pedigree, but this would only be done for a very specific reason. So yes, GCCF registered will mean the cat is pedigree in the vast majority of cases.

A GCCF registered kitten MUST come with a printed pedigree, which must contain at least three generations and must contain all the breed numbers and registration numbers (oops I think I have broken that one a couple of times!) and MUST come with a transfer slip (this is pink or blue), with the exception that the transfer slip may be withheld until proof of neutering is received IF you have agreed to this in writing, or sometimes the registration may be genuinely late back from the GCCF which means a transfer slip cannot be provided, but in that case the breeder must promise to forward the transfer slip as soon as she has it.

In the great majority of cases you will also be offered four weeks free insurance. You should also have a receipt and you may have a contract which you will have to sign.

Liz

Carrying on from Liz, do make sure you get a receipt for insurance purposes should you insure your cat.

GCCF isn't a guarantee of "good lines" but it's much closer to a guarantee than no registry body at all. Other ones are FIFE & TICA but GCCF is the most popular in the UK.