Choosing a cat breed

Most cats in Britain are not pedigree animals. A breed offers a predictable look and temperament, at the cost of a narrower gene pool and, in some cases, inherited disease.

Activity level, coat care, size and health testing matter more than appearance when choosing one.

Most pet cats in Britain are not pedigree animals but ordinary domestic cats of mixed ancestry, commonly called moggies. A pedigree breed offers a predictable appearance and, to a degree, a predictable temperament. The price of that predictability is a narrower gene pool and, in some breeds, inherited health problems.

Who decides what a breed is

Breeds are defined by registries, which keep pedigree records and write the standards used at shows. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), founded in 1910, is the main registry in the United Kingdom. Two international bodies also register cats in Britain and across Europe: the Fédération Internationale Féline and The International Cat Association. They do not all recognise the same breeds or use the same names, and the lists in North America differ again, as described under cat breeds in North America.

The GCCF registered about 22,000 pedigree kittens in 2023. The British Shorthair accounted for more than a third of them, followed by the Ragdoll, Maine Coon, Siamese and Burmese.

What to consider

  • Activity and company: Siamese, Orientals, Burmese, Abyssinians and Bengals are busy, vocal and demanding, and do badly if left alone all day. British Shorthairs, Persians, Ragdolls and Birmans are calmer.
  • Coat: a Persian needs combing every day for life. Semi-long-haired breeds need it two or three times a week. Short-haired and rex breeds need very little.
  • Size: Maine Coons, Ragdolls, Siberians and Norwegian Forest cats are large, slow to mature and need space.
  • Indoor or outdoor life: hairless and very trusting breeds are normally kept indoors.
  • Health: each breed has known inherited conditions, and for many there are DNA tests. A responsible breeder shows the results for both parents.
  • Allergies: no breed is reliably safe for people allergic to cats, whatever is claimed for it.

Breeds with built-in problems

A few breeds are defined by a feature that itself causes harm. The folded ears of the Scottish Fold are the visible sign of a painful disease of cartilage and bone, and the breed is not recognised in Britain. The gene for the taillessness of the Manx can deform the spine. Very flat faces in the Persian and Exotic Shorthair cause breathing, eye and dental trouble. Veterinary organisations advise against buying cats with extreme features of any kind.

Short-haired breeds

Long-haired and semi-long-haired breeds

Curly-coated and hairless breeds

Breeds with unusual ears or tails

Finding a pedigree kitten

Kittens registered with the GCCF are not released before thirteen weeks of age, by which time they are vaccinated. Breed clubs keep lists of breeders and often run rescue schemes for adult cats of the breed. General advice on sources, the law on selling kittens and microchipping is given under getting a cat.

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