Buying A Registered Persian Kitten
First of all, expect to pay more for a registered Persian kitten than an unregistered purebred kitten. A pedigreed Persian kitten is an investment, so it is important to do your homework. When looking for a pedigreed Persian kitten seek out responsible cat breeders who offer (at a minimum):
- written health guarantee,
- age-appropriate vaccinations and wormings,
- at least a four generation pedigree, and
- the kittens have been seen (at least once) by their veterinarian.
Responsible breeders will have paperwork for registering the kitten into your name (or will have already done so). For further information about finding a responsible Persian breeder, please read our article "How to Select a Good Persian Breeder".
Registration Terms to Know
Pedigree:
Family trees show lineage going back one (or more) generations of your Persian kitten. A pedigree shows the registered names of all the cats, date of birth and any titles earned.
Registry:
An organization that registers cats for exhibition and breeding purposes. A cat registry keeps the pedigrees (genealogies) of cats, prefixes of catteries, studbooks (lists of authorized studs of recognized breeds), breed descriptions and "Breed Standard" for each of those breeds and much more. A registration certificate is a document representing your Persian kitten's lineage, and the Persian cat breeder should provide that registration certificate to the buyer. On completion of the sale, the kitten buyer sends the registration paper to the registry with the required registration fee or the Breeder has already registered the kitten into the Buyer's name. After processing the registration paperwork, the kitten buyer will receive a registration certificate for the individual Persian kitten reflecting them as the new owner. The Cat Fanciers' Association ("CFA") is an example of a "Registry" for cats. The CFA is the oldest and largest of all the registry organizations. The International Cat Association ("TICA"), American Association of Cat Fanciers ("ACFA") and the Australian Cat Federation ("ACF") are just a few examples of other registries.
Registered Kitten:
A registered Persian kitten has a documented pedigree in a recognized cat breed from a cat registry.
Purebred:
A Persian cat whose bloodline is not diluted by other breeds or randomly bred cats.
Cat Registry
The two main cat breeder registries in the United States and Canada are:
- CFA (Cat Fanciers Association), and
- TICA (The International Cat Association).
Cat Fanciers Association (CFA): The worlds' largest cat registry, CFA has been around for nearly 100 years and recognizes 42 breeds. Call (330) 680-4070 or visit their website at CFA.
The International Cat Association (TICA): Formed in 1979, TICA sponsors 350 shows each year and recognizes 61 breeds. Call TICA at (956) 428-8046 or visit their website at TICA.