Buyer beware!

When buying an Abyssinian kitten we strongly advise that you purchase a pedigree kitten which is fully registered with one of the cat fancy governing bodies such as the GCCF, TICA or FiFe and from a breeder who follows the recommendations of these bodies, namely:
- kittens should be fully vaccinated before leaving their mother
- kittens should be at least 13 weeks of age at the time of purchase
- kittens should be registered with GCCF, TICA or FiFe
- the breeder should be a member of a recognized breed club.
- kittens should be free of inherited genetic diseases known to the breed
We recommend buying from recognized breeders not as ‘self-protection of our members’ but to encourage buyers to steer clear of the many ‘half-Aby’ (and sadly some purebred) kittens all too frequently being sold without following any of the above recommendations which are designed to protect the welfare of the kitten.
Sellers who sell cross-bred kittens or indeed pure-bred kittens which are unregistered, unvaccinated and less than 13 weeks of age do so for the following reasons:
- cross-bred kittens are NOT pedigree kittens and therefore cannot be registered as such
- the mother and/or father of the kittens was sold as a pet and is not registered as a breeding cat, thus the owner is going against the terms of sale of the cat by breeding from it.
- selling kittens unvaccinated saves a great deal of expense
- selling kittens at less than 13 weeks of age not only saves on expenditure but on hard work and effort.
Many breeds of cat have associated genetic inherited conditions; as a community of Abyssinian breeders we have worked hard to rid the breed of those which affect Abys, namely PKDef and PRA and breeders carefully plan matings not only to ensure kittens are free of these genetic illnesses but in an effort to prevent inbreeding and produce the best kittens possible i.e. a true representation of the Abyssinian in both type and temperament. Why pay hundreds of pounds for a ‘half-aby’ when you can have the real thing!
The UK has 3 Abyssinian breed clubs - The Abyssinian Cat Club (ACC), The Abyssinian Cat Association (ACA) and The Russian & Abyssinian Cat Club of Scotland (RACCS) all of which have lists of breeders throughout the country all of whom are members of at least one of the 3 breed clubs and who only sell kittens in accordance with the their rules and regulations (the GCCF breeding policy is 20 pages long!)
Sadly the number of Abyssinian kittens being registered is declining as a number of breeders have retired and the cost of breeding is considerable and ever increasing.  Keeping a healthy number of entire females and providing proper outdoor housing for stud cats is a major investment not only financially but also requires a lot of time and a lot of love!
Anyone who tells you that ‘proper breeders’ breed to make money are very much in the wrong, we generally make a loss as the only way to make a profit is to cut corners by :
- avoiding paying a stud fee by using a tomcat of any breed (even if it’s pedigree)
- avoiding the cost of registration papers by not registering kittens
- avoiding the cost of vaccination
- keeping down the cost of feeding, worming and health checks by selling kittens at less than 13 weeks old.
- paying no regard to the possibility of genetic defects or diseases which may be carried by either parent cat
Many of our members now neuter kittens before sale to avoid ‘accidental’ matings and to discourage backyard breeding and breeding of cats that were sold as pets only. The GCCF and other cat welfare organizations now endorse early neutering of kittens and studies have shown that there are no adverse effects either short or long-term.
Abyssinians are wonderful cats with amazing temperaments and highly recommended as a family pet therefore when purchasing a kitten please follow the guidelines and ask lots of questions
- are the parents both on the active register i.e. registered for breeding
- are the parents free from genetic disease
- Visit the kittens and see ALL the kittens in the litter and their mother (and father if possible but he may be owned by another breeder). When selling a kitten the breeder should provide
- a GCCF, TICA or FiFe registration certificate which is currently in the breeder’s name but can be transferred to yours
- Vaccination certificate showing that the kitten is fully vaccinated
- a full pedigree of the kitten
- dietary advice as to current and future requirements
- Some breeders will also provide free insurance for a number of weeks
- Some breeders will already have microchipped the kitten and provide the paperwork

Seller beware!

When buying a kitten breeders will often request payment in cash or bank transfer at the time of collection (and in most cases will ask for a small deposit up front when you reserve a kitten). Asking for cash payment does not indicate a lack of trust or ‘imaginative accounting’, sadly just as kitten buyers can be misled and mis-sold so breeders can have their trust abused. Very recently a breeder sold 2 kittens to a nice family, one was paid for with cash and the other by cheque. Both kittens went on to do well in their new home and photographs were sent to the owner showing them to be happy and healthy but the payment cheque was cancelled and each time the breeder contacted the new owner they were told it was paid or it would be paid and never was an explanation offered nor was any complaint made. It took 3 months of awkward requests for payment to finally be made!
So please don’t be affronted if a breeder asks for cash.

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