General Code of Ethics for Breeders & Owners
Registered owners of all GCCF registered cats/kittens accept the
jurisdiction of the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and undertake to
abide by this general code of ethics.
- Owners should think carefully and take advice before getting a kitten
and choose a breed of cat suited to their lifestyle. They should only keep
as many cats as they can care for adequately.
- Cats and kittens must be provided with warm and comfortable housing,
with plenty of opportunity for exercise and play. Cats should be kept
indoors at night for their own safety. Drinking water must be available at
all times and cats must be fed regularly and adequately. Breeders will
supply written details of all dietary requirements and give guidance
concerning responsible ownership when placing cats in a new home.
- All cats need some grooming to keep the coat in good condition and to
check for parasites, e.g. fleas. Longhair cats need daily grooming to
prevent the formation of knots and matted areas of fur which cause
considerable discomfort to cats.
- Veterinary attention must be sought whenever a cat is showing signs of
illness.
- Cats that are bought as pets, not for breeding, should be neutered or
spayed at the age recommended by your veterinary surgeon. If cats are
registered on the Non-Active register, this means that under no
circumstances should the cats be bred from; no progeny from these cats will
be registered by the GCCF.
- Breeders agree only to sell cats where there is a reasonable
expectation of a happy and healthy life. An offer should be made at the
time of sale to help with the rehoming if at any time circumstances require
the cat to be found a new home.
- Owners should not sell any cat to commercial cat wholesalers, retail
pet dealers or directly or indirectly allow cats to be given as a prize or
donation in a competition of any kind.
- Breeders must not knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of the
breed nor falsely advertise cats nor mislead any person regarding the
health or quality of the cat and must draw the attention of purchasers to
the implications of the Non-Active register when selling pet kittens.
- Breeders selling a kitten on the Active register should offer advice
and support to the new owners. Owners should not breed cats in a way that
is deleterious to the health of the cat or the breed.
- Owners should consider carefully the best means of identifying their
cat in case it should become lost. This can be done by means of a microchip
which can be painlessly inserted under the cat's skin by your veterinary
surgeon and then registering the number of your cat with the RSPCA
registration scheme run by the Kennel Club and also by notifying the GCCF
of the cat's chip number. The alternative is for the cat to wear some form
of identification on a collar. However, there are dangers for cats wearing
collars as they may become hooked up and caught by them or more likely the
collar will break or come off over the cat's head, so preventing easy
identification.
- Breeders/owners must ensure that all relevant Governing Council of the
Cat Fancy documents are provided to the new owner when selling or
transferring a cat in accordancewith Rule 10 (see below), including a copy
of this code.
Recommendation
The GCCF strongly recommends that no kitten should be permitted to go to a
new home before 13 weeks of age. At least seven days prior to this, the kitten should have completed a full course of vaccinations, including a health check, given by a Veterinary Surgeon or by a listed Veterinary Nurse under the direction of a Veterinary Surgeon. The breeder should ensure that kittens are house-trained, inoculated and in good general health.
N.B. Transfer of Registration - GCCF Rule 10
10a. When a cat or kitten is advertised or sold as a pedigree cat or kitten
the breeder shall, at the time of sale, provide the purchaser with a
properly completed pedigree signed by the breeder, carrying 3 generations
at least, showing all the breed numbers and registration numbers, also the
breeder's name and address.
10b. If, at the time of sale, the cat or kitten is registered the seller
shall provide the purchaser with a transfer form, duly completed and signed
by the seller, unless it is jointly agreed in writing by both parties, at
the time of sale, not to do so.
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