Guide & Ethics for COAWA Cat Breeders
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Kitten Age - A kitten should be no less than 10 weeks of age when the new
owners take it home.
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Health - A cat or kitten should be in the best possible health before it
goes to a new home and as far as possible free of external and internal
parasites such as fleas, ear mites and round worms.
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Kitten Care - It is the responsibility of the breeder to ensure as far as
possible that the new owner knows how to care for and feed the cat or kitten.
Written information covering the main points and a diet sheet should be
provided.
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Early Problems - The new owner should be advised to contact the breeder
immediately should there be any problems within the first week or two of their
taking the cat or kitten home.
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Vaccination - A first vaccination injection should have been given between six
and eight weeks of age if the kitten is to go to its new home at 10 weeks. It
must be explained to the owner that the kitten is not fully vaccinated and must
have further injections at 12 weeks and 16 weeks to protect it against Feline
Infectious Enteritis (panleucopaenia), Feline Rhinotracheitis and Feline
Calcivirus (cat flu).
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Registration - All kittens must be litter recorded but need not be individually
registered if they are intended as companion pets only. A cat must be fully
Registered and transferred to be shown.
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Transfer - Transfer of an individually registered cat or kitten must be done
within 30 days of the gift or sale. Transfer of ownership may be for
breeding", non-breeding (but eligible for exhibition in pedigree shows) or
companion pet only (eligible to be shown without the breeders prefix in
companion shows or the companion section of pedigree shows). It is the
responsibility of the breeder to send the completed forms to the COAWA office.
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Status - The breeder must explain the status of the cat or kitten in relation
to breeding or non-breeding to the prospective new owner before the gift or
sale.
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Papers - The pedigree, vaccination card and the transfer of ownership (if
individually registered) are the birth right of which the litter record is
prominently displayed.
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Desexing - It is the responsibility of the breeder to ensure that the new owner
understands that a non-breeding or companion pet is to be desexed at the
appropriate age and as far as possible follow up that this has been done.
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Breeding Male -An entire mate cat used as a stud must be registered as a
breeding cat and the owner must be a member of a recognised registering body.
Unregistered female cats or registered cats owned by a person who is not a
registered breeder should not be accepted for mating services.
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Breeding Female - A female cat used for breeding must be registered as a
breeding cat and the owner must be a member of a recognised registering body
and they must have a registered Cattery Prefix. A registered female should not
be mated to an unregistered stud male.
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Mating Service - The price and any conditions attached to the mating service
should be discussed and agreed upon by the stud owner and the owner of the
female before she is brought to the stud.
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Mating Arrangements - The owner of the female should notify the stud owner of
the impending visit and should not just arrive without warning.
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Actual Matings - It is usual for a stud owner to record at least three observed
matings when a female is presented for mating service.
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Conception - The responsibility of the stud owner ends when the female goes
home. The stud owner is not obliged to offer a second visit of the same female
free of charge if she has not conceived. The owner of the female should not
expect a free service for a different female.
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Number of kittens in a litter - The number of kittens in a litter is generally
determined by the female. The stud owner is not obliged to offer a free mating
service for a female who has still born kittens or only one or two kittens in
the litter.
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It is the responsibility of all breeders to ensure, as far as it is
practicable, that all cats and kittens not required by the breeder are placed
in permanent, safe and caring homes. COAWA does not condone or consider it
ethical the sale of kittens to pet shops or agents for export.
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