Tips for Registered Purebred Siamese comparison shopping

There is a difference between a purebred and a registered purebred. A pedigree (family tree) is important to have, but is not the same as the registration papers. Ethical breeders always register all of their litters, because registration papers (registered pedigrees) are the main tool that breeders use to trace and eliminate serious genetic defects. They also show that the breeder is willing to stand behind the quality of the cats they breed.

Look at what type of care the kitten is given prior to your purchasing it. Does the breeder self diagnose and medicate her

kittens? (I don't, when needed they see my Vet)

Does the kitten receive any of its vaccinations? (mine do, the age of the kitten will dictate the number of rounds)

Are they given by a Veterinarian or the breeder? ( My Vet always does them. The issue of vaccination site fibrosarcomas is important )

Will the kitten be altered prior to coming home with you? (mine are, My Vet will spay and neuter kittens at 8 weeks of age and older. University studies have shown that the lowest incidence of postoperative complications was in the early age group. The American Veterinary Medical Association has approved the technique.) I have had some questions regarding the effects of Early S&N causing stunted growth. Prepubertal gonadectomy significantly delays epiphyseal (growth plate) closure. As a result of the longer period of growth the length of long bones is increased and animal's size will be larger at adulthood. While this effect is well documented, it is not dramatic and you should not expect to see the difference.

If you are responsible for vaccinating, altering, and shipping the kitten these are extra expenses that need to be added to the cost of your kitten.

When visiting the breeder, Ask to see the certified pedigree of the kittens parents. A reputable breeder should not have a problem with this request. There is no excuse for a breeder not having one, this is breeding 101. The certified pedigree will contain the registration numbers and birth dates for all cats in the pedigree. Look at the birth dates for the parents.

Ask the breeder if you can register the kitten as a Siamese with one of the recognized major cat associations in North America: CFA (The Cat Fanciers' Association), CFF (Cat Fanciers' Federation), ACA (American Cat Association), ACFA (American Cat Fanciers Association), CCA (Canadian Cat Association), and TICA (The International Cat Association). Ask if the registration paper for the kitten is included in the price. (All my litters are registered. I give my clients the CFA registration "blue slip" so they can register their individual kitten if they want to)

I chose the CFA because they require eight generations of Siamese in a certified pedigree, for a Siamese to be registered with them. They are also the only registry that recognizes the original four colors for Siamese. The newer color point shorthair pointed cats actually work against the development of good color and contrast in the original four colors (Seal, Blue, Chocolate, and Lilac).

There are also two traditional cat registries in the United States. Traditional Classic Cat International and The Traditional Cat Association, Inc. These two associations, although not recognized by the major cat associations in North America, also have some very old lines that are valuable to saving the old Siamese. Depending on who you talk to there are mixed opinions about cats in these registries. Given the Siamese cats history only time will tell how these registered Siamese will fit into the big picture where preservation is concerned.

In the late 1950's when the CFA and other club judges began recognizing the more extreme wedge headed cats as winners and with the a new standard (1966) that no longer fit the original look, most original look Siamese breeders stopped supporting the clubs that did not support them. They quit registering their Siamese kittens but continued to keep the old time Siamese bloodlines going. There are now so few lines registered with any of the recognized major cat associations that they will not be able to support the breed alone in the future. There is also a new threat to the old look Siamese in the United States. It comes from the unlikely source of a "Siamese Preservation" club. They are actively campaigning breeders to surrender their hundred year old Siamese pedigrees and have their cats re-registered with a new breed name, Thai Cat, solely for the purpose of showing at cat shows. For more on Thai Cats click here.

The TCCI and TCA began from a group of breeders who no longer had a club who recognized their cats. They began registries just as the major cat associations did when they first began. Breeders submitted their pedigrees and the clubs have been recording them for more then 10 years now.

If your reading or hearing negative things about any of the Clubs or Siamese breeders lines ask yourself if there is a personal agenda behind it. Look at the club affiliation of the source. Unfortunately some breeders think it elevates their cattery and club if they can convince you the others don't know what they are doing and that the cats are not purebred. The pedigree of the cats can speak for itself. An 8 generation certified registered pedigree that continues back for a hundred years wins hands down over a 4 generation pedigree with imported foundation cats of unknown background.

If the breeder tells you a registry you have never heard of look it up and find out what the requirements are to register a Siamese with them. Will one of the

recognized major cat associations accept a transfer of registration from them? There are internet registries/clubs, called generic registries by some breeders, that have popped up and require no ancestry. The TICA and other registries will register household pets with no ancestry, they are shown only as pets. You will want to stay away from these.

Once science can tell us what genes our cats carry from a cheek swab registered pedigrees will lose some of their importance. They have begun to offer some tests but real mapping of the Siamese cat is something to come in the future.

A website is a tool to help you find a breeder. It doesn't tell you everything you need to know. Visiting the breeder is also very important. The home should not smell of cat urine. It should be clean and well maintained. I once read the advice that if a breeders house is too clean you don't want to buy from them......What kind of logic is this? Filth is filth and not healthy for humans or pets.

When reading about the breeders experience look carefully at the wording. If the website reads X Cattery has been breeding for over 25 years it may be the breeder does not have that many years experience. Catteries can be sold and the registered name transferred. Also the number of years raising kittens may not directly translate into knowledge and quality. Breeding is an ongoing learning process.

I have also been asked if a lower priced kitten is a good deal. I keep a spread sheet of my expenses for each litter. I doubt a breeder who is charging $300 or less is giving the kitten and the kittens mother the right kind of care. I would also suspect the cats being bred are not registered purebreds. There may be exceptions to this, the best way to judge is to ask questions and determine the expenses the breeder incurs with their breeding program.

Just because a cat is pointed doesn't mean it is a Siamese. All the points tell you is that the cat has the Himalayan gene that causes pointing. Many other cats are pointed but they are not Siamese. As any owner of a Siamese can tell you, Siamese are different then other cats, that's why we love them so! If you really want a Siamese its worth the wait to deal with a ethical breeder.

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