Pedigree vs Moggy

[Rosiecat]

I have three Persians, Darcy, Lily and Pippin and three moglets, Rosie, Nala and Pickles     One of my Persian girls, Lily (my avatar) was born with three legs so would have been difficult to rehome.  Rosie and Nala were rescues and Pickles came as a foster after his owner died and stayed (and has caused no end of bother  ).

I love all my cats to bits and feel physically sick to think of a time when they won't be with me - some are just a lot hairier than others!!

[Millys Mum]

Good breeders are few and far between and its because of that that so many peds end up in rescue, i will happily pay for a rescue but il never give money to some one making cats for whatever reason, im generally with mark as so few people are in it for the right reasons.

I know people wanting indoor cats say rescues wont home but if they look hard enough indoor mogs can be found to fit their lifestyles, resources such as cat chat make this 10 times easier

There are some good breeders out there, you just have to dig around to find them and not get suckered by the ones that aren't.

Dig around all the excess and unwanted leftover cats? A waste product of an industry with few decent people left in it  until that changes i cant bring myself to agree with it 

[Baby British]

Good breeders are few and far between and its because of that that so many peds end up in rescue, i will happily pay for a rescue but il never give money to some one making cats for whatever reason, im generally with mark as so few people are in it for the right reasons.

I know people wanting indoor cats say rescues wont home but if they look hard enough indoor mogs can be found to fit their lifestyles, resources such as cat chat make this 10 times easier

There are some good breeders out there, you just have to dig around to find them and not get suckered by the ones that aren't.

I'd absolutely love to breed BSH one day (those against breeding - don't shoot!) I'd make all new kitty owners sign a contract stating that should the cat ever need to be rehomed for whatever reason that it was returned to me. I'd also neuter any none active kittens prior to sale. I'd only ever breed as a hobby and I'm not naieve to the expenses of doing it properly. Kitten breeding is a venture guaranteed to leave you in the minus as opposed to making money when done right! It's this knowledge that prevents me from going into breeding, for the forseeable future at least. I'd want to do everything by the book and with my current finances it just isn't viable.


Nevermind - until I win the lottery I'm more than happy with my existing two furbabies x

[LucynLuna]

I am just a plain old moggie lover personally  think that they are just the best!

[bunglycat]

I have 4 rescue persians at present - i have had mogies in the past , another 2 persians (rescue) and a chinchilla (owners didn''t want him anymore - or their dog -i had the cat and my mum had the dog )
I do have a soft spot for persians and always have had .
I have had cats for over 25 years now .
My Oscar came from a litter of kittens when i lost a long hair black+white female to the road over 25 years ago (now they have a cat-proof garden )-Oscar was 8 weeks old and was pure white with amber colour eyes and short-hair , and he moulted like mad -white hair everywhere !!!
 He was a proper mummies boy for the 12 years i had him  and lost him to kidney failure almost 11 years ago.
I always wanted a blue persian and i got Sophie from Stockport cats protection , Smartie i got for company for Sophie and he  is a blue tabby persian and he came from Lincoln Cats protection and i was only having the 2 !!!!!!
I was told about Winston - red and white persian whose owners didn''t want him anymore - so i had to ring them and after speaking to them  i went to fetch him.
Bungly -RIP- blue and cream persian - came from Chapelhouse persian rescue - someone had taken her sister and not come back for her - best thing i have ever done -well worth the 6 hour drive there and back and £120 ever spent -a little angel .
Then Fifi who came from Diddydawn a torti persian .

[Corporal Smokey]

I have two rescue peds, one a British and a fine gent. The other a persian who is a lot les...well..."refined". I love them both dearly.

I'd hate to see good, healthy pedigree breeding die out because humans are not responsible enough. Let's regulate certain-human-breeding and be done with it ;-)

[Flumpetsmummy]

Flumpet was a lovaly old mixed up mog. he had a dark stripe down the left side of his face we would call his go faster stripe.
When we first saw him at  Derby CP he had chwd all the furr off his tail out of frustration that he had been there for 6 months.
There where other cats there and a few pedigree if I remember at the time but we just wanted a good old mog with his out of shape face and his bad legs an all

  

[Rosella moggy]

.... Teabag is a Tiffany who follows you everwhere like a dog and wails at you if he doesnt get his way he will spray despite being neutered. quote]

Describes Freddie (moggy) to a T except he squeaks like a girl rather than wails 

[blackcat]

I've had both. My present two are moggie and abyssinian crossed with a large white barn cat. I have had siamese, burmese, orientals and one white longhair who I was told was a white oriental, though clearly he was not.

If you are looking for a particular characteristic (e.g. the cheekiness of the aby, or the dog-like adoration of burmese, you can't go past a pedigree. If you are looking for company and someone to come home to, it really doesn't matter. My main concern with pedigrees lies in the way some breeds are becoming more 'extreme' in their characteristics, to the detriment of the cat. Other than that, I really don't mind as long as it is furry, cuddly and independent to the point of driving me to distraction 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I know people wanting indoor cats say rescues wont home but if they look hard enough indoor mogs can be found to fit their lifestyles, resources such as cat chat make this 10 times easier

You are quite right, but unfortunately a lot of people stop looking if they get a very negative response from a well known rescue.

Also remember that most people aren't familiar with sites such as cat chat and just don't have the contact details for lots of rescues, plus they may assume that if one or 2 turn them down for an indoor cat, they all will.  Back when I got Jaffa and Magpie, I didn't have a computer so couldn't get advice and information from the internet.  It that was now, then I would know to keep looking and that eventually I would find the right cat, but most people are deterred by a negative response and may give up on the rescue route.

[Daisymac]

We have 8 moggies and 2 Pedigree's (lou lou AWL),  the moggies are pretty much trouble free but the Pedigree's are high maintenance,   Hazzle Dazzle is a Burmese who hides up Chimneys and wets his pants and Teabag is a Tiffany who follows you everwhere like a dog and wails at you if he doesnt get his way he will spray despite being neutered.    Of course we love them all but the Moggies seem to be generally happier and more robust.   

[Bazsmum]

All moggies here, they dont know that of course! 

[Zenith (Liz)]

It's an interesting debate.

I contacted rescues after a cat when I moved to Swindon but was rebuffed by more than one rescue because I was offering a indoor home which is a shame as I had a good home available.  One rescue said my setup sounded perfect till I mentioned I'd want a indoor cat then all the available cats were suddenly gone 

I didn't want to get a kitten off gumtree which supported BYB's, plus I knew breeders were happy to home indoor cats and i'd fallen in love with wegies, so I ended up with Mia and Nova who I wouldn't swap for the world.  I'm also looking forward to welcoming one of Lottie's little guys in a few months time 

[LilyandGary]

This is a really interesting discussion.

I always had rescue moggies, usually ones who are FF or no-one else will take on. Sadly my first kitten Hamish died of FIP aged only 5 months old. This did make me sit up and take stock for a while. I also had a rescued adult boy called Angus and an oldie foster Sooty-cat at the time. I stopped fostering for 3 months which gave me a bit of time to think.

Then I fostered a cream BSH and fell in love with the breed. I did loads of research and after 6 months found a breeder who I liked the attitude of, and was willing to sell a kitten to someone who wanted to let her cat out during daylight hours. My other cats went out and I didnt want Freddie to be treated any differently. I waited another 9 months for him to be born as I wanted a specific colour and sex. We went to see him aged 6 weeks and then 9, just to be sure he was the one for me.

Freddie was then joined by Mr Dribbles, a very nervous FF kitten who adored his mummy, but sadly died aged only 7. Next came Colin (ex-feral farm kitten, from free-ad), Alfie another BSH from the same person who needed a child-free home, Lily (from a colleague at work), Gary (from same person  but I have made sure no more now!) and Willow, another FF who came from the free-ads.

I cannot imagine life without Freddie but adore all my other cats just as much. Freddie is the only one I have actively sought out, all the others arrived here by accident when the time was right. If I could reincarnate any of them, (and I hate to pick just one as they are all so special) it would have to be Sooty-cat, who just arrived one dark wet Friday night aged 15 and took over completely!

[Flumpetsmummy]

All cats are wonderful creatures within there own rights but give me a Moggy anyday. (I dont mean that literally )
The same goes for dogs with us.

[Fire Fox]

I know people wanting indoor cats say rescues wont home but if they look hard enough indoor mogs can be found to fit their lifestyles, resources such as cat chat make this 10 times easier

You are quite right, but unfortunately a lot of people stop looking if they get a very negative response from a well known rescue. There has just been a discussion over on MSE about this, several people had one knock back and then ended up with kittens of six week old via Gumtree or similar.   Once they contact the BSB they are lambs to the slaughter, one said she drove an hour for an eight week old kitten and arrived and it had 'gone', another was told mum wasn't interested in the kittens ...

I don't understand why so many people are not being given advice or referred on to another rescue. I almost gave up because it was the RSPCA who didn't like the idea of indoor cats, and the general public tends to assume they know best ... Because I have found Purrs I am now more educated about the flexibility of the independent rescues especially.   There are a lot of people on MSE recommending CatChat and Purrs now which is ace!

[Leanne]

We too have rescue moggies.

When we discussed getting a cat I had my heart sent on getting one from a breeder. We were going to take on 2 Persians, but the sale of our house didn't go though in time and the breeder wouldn't hold them for us.

I started looking into rescues and came across Catchat and found the local rescues. Our local CP wouldn't rehome to us as we wanted an indoor cat (was prepared to wait for one to come in). I then saw another cat which needed an indoor home, contacted the rescue but she was booked but they had another one come in that day (Jess) we went to see him 2 days later and after a home check he was ours.

Anyway I don't have any strong views as such on breeding but I do think the breeders should be more throughly regulated. My Husband often says I wish we'd got breed cats as he thinks we wouldn't have had half the problems we have had with our boys but I strongly disagree with this and don't think there are any guarantees either way.

I am much more pro rescue these days as I work for a dog rescue charity and I'm sure we come across the same issues that cat rescues do.  Personally I don't think we'd ever rehome from a breeder.

[zoe (tiggy + pipins mum)]

I have 4 Moggies and wouldnt have it any other way, mine r indoor only, 2 of them came from cats protection & there was no problem with me keeping them in aslong as was willing to keep them active & stimulated which i have, theyve got more toys than some kids lol xx

[Millys Mum]

Good breeders are few and far between and its because of that that so many peds end up in rescue, i will happily pay for a rescue but il never give money to some one making cats for whatever reason, im generally with mark as so few people are in it for the right reasons.

I know people wanting indoor cats say rescues wont home but if they look hard enough indoor mogs can be found to fit their lifestyles, resources such as cat chat make this 10 times easier

[butterfly32b]

second, third, forth, fifth the research bit, is only fair on kitten in the end and in the best interest of prospective owner

[Baby British]

Wow what a response from all you guys!

I didn't do my research upon first getting a pedigree and Marley has suffered numerous health problems. Despite this he made us fall in love with the British temperament which led to us getting Layla 18 months down the line. I was a lot more careful in choosing the second time round and travelled from west wales to worcester to collect her. It has paid off though as Layla is perfect and touch wood totally healthy. You could also tell that her breeder doted on all her cats and was no way dishing out kitties to make a quick buck.

As has been said I like to think that the market for quality pedigree's can happily co exist with that for moggies as they are all cats at the end of the day. With pedigree's though it really is important to do lots of research especially in regards to the breeder.

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

Harry done that 

[CC & The Pussycat Guys & Dolls]

I think a cats a cat, at the end of the day  Mine are all moggies and I have never went out actively seeking a kitten, the ones I have have all found me 

I think if you have a specific breed that you really are in love with you would buy one, but I dont have any specific breed that I would go for- I just wouldn't know where to start. I love my moggies and Tux cats are my fave out of them all- thats why I have 2 of them 

I think peds would only be bought on their looks and some for their temperament, but I find my visual and hearts needs are met by my moggies 

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I have both - one ped (bought from a breeder) and one moggy (bought/rescued from a rescue as a kitten).  I also found it difficult to find a rescue that would give me the time of day when I said I wanted to keep them as indoor cats (due to living in a flat near a busy road).  I did manage to get 2 moggy kittens at that time from a rescue that didn't ask questions and didn't do home checks (not something I would recommend, although the kittens I got were healthy and vaccinated).  But I have adored Somalis for a long time and when I lost one of my moggies to a thrombosis, I was desperate to get a Somali and dont' regret it one bit.  I also agree that it's essential when buying a ped to do your homework, on both the breed and the breeder.  I find it sad and astonishing that most people spend more time choosing their next tv than they do a pedigree cat.

[Gillian Harvey]

I've got moggies and pedigree persians. Some of the moggies I've had over the years have been 'chosen' as kittens (i.e. back in the early 70's when it was thought that female cats should always have one litter - yep, I know, there are still people that think that! ) - and others I've adopted as young adults. I've had persians for about 13 yrs and some of them I've had since kittens, luckily both the breeders my persians came from were the best you could hope for with regard to how they look after their cats and both have remained good friends over the years. I've also had (and have) rescue persians who have come to me for various reasons, death of owner, allergies of owner, owners emigrating, being 'ungroomable', no use for breeding anymore etc, etc.

I don't see my peds and moggies as any different from each other (except in the way they look of course - and I do admit, I have a real passion for persian colourpoints  ) they all get to go outdoors, eat the same things, get the same attention etc.

I don't see that ped breeding denies a home to cats in rescue because both can end up in rescue for a variety of resaons anyway.

[butterfly32b]

 :gpoints:  being raised on this delicate matter..

[Janeyk]

While I do admire the looks of many pedigrees my heart lies with moggies. In rescue, there are so many unwanted cats- both moggie and pedigree that personally, I don't really agree with breeding. I do think there needs to be some breeding because it would be tragic for the breeds to die out but it needs to be more carefully regulated and monitored as there really are a lot of dodgy breeders out there. I don't mean to offend anyone with this comment but my personaly feelings are that cats are animals, living creatures and shouldn't be money making machines!  If I were to ever have a ped, it would come from a rescue also.

I agree with your views Debs.

[Lottie (Team Svartalfheim's)]

Ahhh a debate that noone will agree on lol.

The cats I have had since I was 13 that live with my Mum were all rescued from a kitten farm (poor little mites has all been in filthy tiny cages with just a cardboard label on each cage with their breed or if they were crosses what they were crosses of, GRRR  ) by the lady who ran the cattery our previous 2 cats went to who also did rescue work. When we rang her to tell her that our second cat had died of a stroke aged 13 she told us that she had 3 kittens left, we went with the intention of 1, decided on the way that as they would be indoor cats that we'd get 2 and of course you can't leave 1 behind!! 1 of the 3 was a very gorgeous bundle of solid black fluff who we were told was an NFC and were told 'he will be big when he is fully grown', having never heard of NFCs before we thought 'how big can a cat get' and that was the beginning of my love affair with NFCs 

I said that one day I would breed NFCs, everyone thought it would be something I'd grow out of but when I was 19 after an awful lot of trawling through pedigree databases and websites looking for 'the' parents I booked a female from France to be my foundation queen and when the kittens were born the solid black female I dreamed of arrived and that kitten turned out to be my wonderful Miss Boopy and from there my breeding began

The breeding of NFCs began as a conservation project (and quite a few breeders of them would do well to remember this!) as they were in danger of dying out. I breed NFCs to preserve the original type and spend an awful lot of time looking for the right cats in order to do this and import my cats from abroad to bring in new bloodlines and I think this is worlds apart from bybs or from registered breeders who just buy any cats in order to have kittens (and sadly there are some of these).

I do however think that there should be more restrictions on breeders than there are and that there should be more severe penalties for breaking any of the rules than there currently are particularly in the case of things like the maximum of 3 litters in 2 years rule or people who let kittens go before 13 weeks or before they have completed their course of vaccinations. I think it would be a good idea for breeders to have to pay for a vet inspection of their homes each year to check that the conditions the cats and kittens are kept in are suitable for good health and hygiene and for the cats wellbeing.

I also think that people who are buying a kitten from a breeder should never be afraid to ask lots of questions, a good breeder should be happy to answer them or find out if it is something that they don't know. No question is a stupid question. Never be afraid to ask for references from the breeders vet or from previous kitten owners, I'd be more than happy to provide the above if anyone asked me (and I tell people this). I also think that breeders should show (without having to be asked) potential new owners copies of the parents pedigrees when they visit showing that the cat is on the active register with GCCF or if registered with FIFe shows on the pedigree that the cat is not endorsed as not for breeding.


In a perfect world I would like to see it being law that every cat who is not part of a registered and responsible breeding programme should be legally required to be neutered.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I have 2 moggies and two birmans, the first were from very bad backgrounds and one had been taken to be pts at 4 yrs old and totally healthy. The birmans were also a rescue as their owner liked dogs much more and they were relegated to the garage cos they were scared of all the dogs that arrived for her dog grooming business.

To deprive a birman of a house and regular human contact is just cruel and they are 100% people cats. Those getting a pedigree must do their homework.

When I had Kocka a blue lomghaired moggy stray, I was thinking of getting a kitten for her and that would have beem a birman but my vet advised against it as he thought Kocka would not like company and he was so right.

I also would like to seee more controls on the breading of cats but to let the breeds die out would be tragic and of course the end of all breeding would mean in 25 years, no more cats at all.

I would love to see the backstreet breaders clamped down but in reality its impossible as is neutering every feral, although our rescues do a grand job.

I would not buy a pedigree, cos I cant afford it and also now there are many in rescue and needing homes, so suspect if I wanted another that would be the way I would go.

I have seen so many heartbreaking stories on Purrs of people being refused a cat. mostly because they need an indoor cat, this makes me so very sad as there are so many cats who would be suitable as indoor needing a home.

[Dawn F]

I have three rescue moggies and a pedigree bengal brought from a breeder - I can honestly say I would never buy from a breeder again simply because I now realise the scale of the problem - I do always hope to have a bengal in my life though and will actively seek them out through rescue

[butterfly32b]

It will always be a bone of contention with the moggie v pedigree I guess with most things in life, what would be ideal and what is real.  For me, it bugs me how some people who take on an animal have no concept of responsibility for his/her welfare/wellbeing; the outcome is others as like those who work in rescue centres end up having to pick up the pieces. I have a great deal of admiration and appreciation for those who are involved in rescue centres, they do a fantastic job.  We're very fortunate in this country having been to other parts of the world where I've witnessed poor animal care.

I would like to think in the end it doesn't have to come down to moggie v pedigree because ALL cats need a loving home to go to.  To be fair to the breeder especially if they are reputable, it's not just about a source of income; I have met some wonderful breeders who are extremely dedicated in what they do, as with a hobby/pastime and they simply want to be able to share the fruit of their labour with others out there.   

[Desley (booktigger)]

All mine are moggies, and the only way I will ever have a pedigree is if one comes into the rescue that is a right fit - I only adopt oldies, so the chances are very slim!! There are only a few pedigrees I like the look of enough to want to own one. I have fostered two pedigrees though, a Manx and a Maine Coon. Although I do rescue work, I do think that breeding should be allowed, but there should be a lot of restrictions, to prevent the back street breeders.

[Kirst]

I have one bought pedigree , one rescue pedigree and three rescue Mogs. If the situation is right and the puss needs a home then I ain't fussy what it is!

[butterfly32b]

  true about being a slave to pedigree, as hubbie says, we are the pet humans.. my older girl uses a cat flap, she never wanders far from the house and personally, think she's better for having the freedom to go outside rather than not to.  The boy, we put on a lead for now when he goes out as he's still young.

[Rosella moggy]

Err guess what? 

Yup all 6 are moggy rescues; never been owned by a pedigree despite many cats but wouldn't dream of wagging me finger at slaves of pedigrees.  I do so hanker after an NFC one day but unlikely to happen as I don't like idea of keeping puds indoor only and have no plans to catproof garden.  NFCs are very inclined to wander. 

Have to say that our 2 youngest girls, who have been with us since they were 11 weeks old, have fewer ishoos than others that arrived as grown ups. Similar with our wonderful Tommie who was with us from a young kitten to age 19 and stunning Dingle until age 21.  Have to admit to a little pride in that fact   

[Mark]

I am 100% anti-breeding when so many cats are euthanised every day. I'll leave it there.

[butterfly32b]

Ye I completely agree about doing the research if one is going down the pedigree route,  our eldest came to us after we lost a moggie to a RTA almost 5 years ago, we hadn't planned on getting a Birman or pedigree and knew nothing about breeders at the time, just responded to the advert and heart ruled our heads. It wasn't until we took our girl home, we realised in the months to come, she was in a very bad condition and looking back now, it all makes sense the breeder was by far a 'good' one releasing the kitten to us at 8 weeks!  We are so glad despite the first couple of years with our girl being pretty traumatic for her and a shock for us, we all pulled through and she is a healthy beautiful member of our household now.  Then a year ago we thought if we're going to get another cat, was better to do it soon for our girl's sake.  Older and wiser, I sat down to research what would be a good match for her, spoke to rescues, breeders, 'experts' in the field and so forth until eventually further down the road, we decided to get another Birman and look for a boy.  All in all, I think it took another 3 months or so from that stage for us to eventually have found our boy. It was well worth the wait and all the effort of looking into it as well.  Also it felt so different from when we first get our girl, we knew what questions to ask and stuff.  I also work for a rescue and do home visits and I think moggies make the most adorable additions to households.

[Fire Fox]

My 2 are pedigree's purchased from breeders. I particularly wanted bsh due to their easy going temperament (I have 3 children!)  plus I like the idea of having a full history of my cats and the knowledge that they have been given the best possible start in life.

I have enquired about rescuing a  moggy in the past but was told that they didn't rehome to families with young children. I know that rescues do try to consider the cats welfare as paramount but I'd be keen to hear your opinions on whether their specifications can be just a little OTT or not.

I'd also be keen to hear thoughts about whether you think breeding and selling pedigree's is inturn denying rescue cats a new home? I like to think that they are two separate markets but having just got a rabbit from an animal rescue I was surprised to see the number of kittens they had there (15 I think!)

Any ponders very welcome x

Noah is my third adult rescue moggy and I couldn't have loved any of them more: having the chance to spoil a cat who absolutely has NOT had best possible start in life is really special! Noah was rescued right after the February snow last year in such a bad state he was taken to be PTS, typing that brings tears to my eyes but then I think of waking last night to him playing noisily with his Turbo Tracks.    I would really like to have a rosetted Bengal at some point in my life, but I would look for a rescue or ex-breeder.

I understand what you mean about difficulty rehoming unless you have a fairytale lifestyle: I approached three rescues before I was offered Noah. My local branch of RSPCA were really snotty about the whole concept of indoor cats, despite me explaining I only work part-time and would be happy to adopt a cat with a health condition. The RSPCA attitude seems crazy to me - if you take Noah's needs as an example, how many people have a cat proof garden yet no other pets, children or grandchildren? Luckily for us there is Adel CP.  

[Liz]

Well here at the Clan we have currently with us 45 moggies, majority are ferals or former ferals and of course my Pedigree rescue ragdoll Minmin who came with more issues than she should ever have had - no litter training and we were her forth and last home and yes she has had me in tears and and nearly on Prozac but our old vet said let her out - I got my raggie back - she does to be able to wander outside on the patio and brings me piles of leaves - she has however picked up a trait from her non pedigree siblings especially the ferals she won't let anyone pick her up outside she runs for cover when strangers come near the house - ie the Postman - I am lucky we live in a very rural location so she is not at risk of theft - they would take out their exhausts on our track!

She still doesn't use a litter tray but is more up market and will use our Bidet, also the bath and shower tray - me I am happy she has stopped going everywhere and she is happy as she is our posh tottie as non of the others use the bidet!  

I am lucky to have Minmin through rescue otherwise my life would be rules by mour love of all things feral and my"Normal" cats - usually a nice one with the nasty ones per age group to bring on the ferals all except Ace who is to this day unhandlable even with the nice yellow pills but he adores all the other cats and the little red dot oh and cat milk so readily available in the wild!

The Dogs are all pedigrees - the late Jazz our JRT and of course the Boys Sky and Sunny are pedigree Border Collies as we felt that brining puppies in was easier for the cats to train and both boys came from breeders with cats which meant their training had been started - both my boys are adored to the pint of obsession by the ferals and spend most evenings with claws impaled whilst they are given a good wash!

[snarf]

for my tuppence worth. my 2 are ex-strays but i had been intending to apply to a rescue for adult cats when fate intervened  i love them and i loved finding their personalities as they matured into full adults.
i love NFCs and if breeders were all like kucintas or like lottie i think i might one day be persuded but thinking of all the kitties hungry and in the cold i dont think i will ever have a non rescue cat, id feel to guilty.
im biased and im sure everyone here feels the same but as far as im concerned my two are the two most beautiful, most loving, perfect cats in the world and i would not change them one bit. thinking of how their last few years might have been if it werent for fate ( and what i would have missed out on) makes me want to cry.
i think there is a seperate place for good quality breeders (the kind that do it for love of the breed) but back street breeders (the kind who put kittens in the paper for 35 quid) are the same "market" as rescue cats and are depriving a rescue cat of a home and most likely depriving their kittens of a good upbringing.