Help With Backyard Breeder...

[Joydrop]

Hi!

So I'm in a bit of a pickle and need some advice. I paid a deposit for a "purebred" ragdoll, only to realize recently that the kitten will not be registered (aka no way to prove he's purebred). The deposit is non-refundable, so I can't back out now. I know I'm a noob, I should've done my research and chose a reputable breeder. Oh well, you live and you learn .

My question is, is the breeder the only one who can register the kitten? I was hoping to show the kitten, maybe just once. According to the breeder, both parents have papers but aren't registered, so the kitten can't be registered. I'm paying a bunch for the kitten already, so I don't mind spending a little extra at this point. Would it be possible to somehow register the parents, then him? Or is there anything I can do at this point?

Thanks!

 

[auntie]

I don't know too much about this either, but my understanding is that the documents need to be given to you in the correct form by the breede, and if the parents aren't registered, there is no way for their kittens to be registered. I'm getting a kitten whose father is registered but whose mother has incomplete papers; this means my kitten will be ineligible for any registration. The breeders were very clear and offered to show me all the documents. Since I don't care about showing my cat, I'm happy with this situation as it means a vastly reduced price! I hope this is the case for you as well--

 

[posiepurrs]

What type of papers do the parents have if not registration papers? I would bet it is a non breeding registration that was never sent in - if they are truly purebred. Even without the papers, you can still show in the household pet class. If the BYB was willing to let you register her cats (I doubt it) if their registration slip shows not for breeding then the kitten could not be registered.

 

[abyeb]

I think you don’t have to be a breeder to register a cat in CFA/TICA- but you do need the pedigree papers. Like what Posiepurrs said, you don’t need papers to show in the household pet class- and that’s also a very fun class to show in.

 

[GoldyCat]

This is from the CFA website about registering a kitten

An application for registration must come from the breeder. Contact the breeder and request the Application for Registration, commonly called a "blue slip".

You can read the entire article under Registration FAQs on the CFA website.

Going in a different direction, you can still back out of the purchase. You'd lose you deposit, which I assume is a fairly hefty amount, but it would leave you free to do more research to find a reputable breeder.

The next time around ask to see the contract before you pay any deposit. If the contract doesn't include registration for the kitten, ask about it. Make sure you get it in writing since a verbal promise can be denied later.

If you choose to go ahead and get this kitten, posiepurrs and abyeb are right, you could show the kitten as as HHP.

 

[Joydrop]

Thanks for all the replies! I see, I'll consider the HHP category in the future~

GoldyCat Aw too bad I've already got my heart set on this kitty... There was no contract and unfortunately, I didn't know there were such things when purchasing kittens until recently. I'll know to sign a contact or write a verbal agreement for next time!

Aside from showing, will the papers do anything else? I mean, aside from helping me sleep at night knowing I got ripped off paying the price of a purebred kitten aha...

posiepurrs I'm not sure what kind of papers, breeder just said the parents weren't registered but definitely purebred (and that's when the red flags popped up lol). I'm assuming you need specific breeding papers/registration for the parents?

 

[kashmir64]

Does the cat industry have what some horse registries have....hardship papers. Back when I was breeding and showing I know some people that would get a hardship. The papers wouldn't have a pedigree, and the horse had to go before a judge to make sure all the standards were there. But, they could then show the horse once it was all done.
Not all the registries had this, but some did and some required a DNA test.

 

[GoldyCat]

Does the cat industry have what some horse registries have....hardship papers. Back when I was breeding and showing I know some people that would get a hardship. The papers wouldn't have a pedigree, and the horse had to go before a judge to make sure all the standards were there. But, they could then show the horse once it was all done.
Not all the registries had this, but some did and some required a DNA test.

I don't know of any cat associations who have something like this. DNA testing in cats is very new, so not likely that it will be allowed any time soon for determining the breed.

 

[posiepurrs]

In the Cat Fanciers Association there are different types of registration - litter registration and individual registration, for breeding and not for breeding. When a litter is born the breeder registers the litter, then they can get individual registration slips for each kitten. Those slips determine if a kitten is for breeding or not. To use for breeding the breeder must put a PIN number on the individual slip, if absent the cat can not be used for breeding and any offspring can not be registered. If I were a betting person, I would bet this is the type of registration the kittens parents have.