Choosing a pedigree cat

Siamese kitten

• Most people with cats have ordinary ‘ moggies ‘  or domestic short haired cats to give them their full name. However if you are looking for a pedigree cat you may want to do a bit of research before making a choice.  Pedigree breeds have different personalities, varying activity levels, and there can be a large variation in adult weight and size.  Long haired cats generally shed more hair and will require more grooming.

Examples of individual breed traits include:

• Persian cats may be prone to weeping eyes, and snuffly noses and may need regular face cleaning.
• Bengal cats tend to be nervous types and may not be suited to households with children.
• Siamese cats can be quite vocal.
• Maine coon cats can grow to be very large ( in some cases double the size of an average cat!)

Always go to a breeder for your pedigree cat, and make sure you see the mother as well as the kitten so that you get some idea of what they may grow into and their personality.  Never buy from a pet shop or a website, as you cannot be sure of their origins.

• A good web-site to look at for the various breeds is http://cfa.org/Breeds.aspx