What a responsible breeder does
A responsible breeder is registered with a federation or club and can show pedigrees for both the parents and the kittens. The kittens leave home at 12–14 weeks at the earliest, once they are vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed and checked by a vet, and the handover always comes with a written sales contract. The parents are health tested according to the needs of the breed – this may mean a heart ultrasound, a kidney check or DNA tests – and the breeder talks openly about the results, including the ones that did not turn out as hoped. You get to see the mother, often the father, and the environment the kittens grow up in: a home where they live with the family, not a room they rarely leave. A responsible breeder also asks questions of you. That is not suspicion but care that the kitten ends up in the right place, and it is one of the clearest signs that you have found the right one.
Questions to ask
Ask which health tests the parents have had and ask to see the results, not just to hear that they are healthy. Ask how the kittens are raised: where they sleep, how much they are handled, whether they meet children, visitors and everyday noise. How many litters has the mother had, and how old is she? What is included in the price – vaccinations, microchip, insurance for the first weeks, food for the first days? What are the terms: should the kitten be neutered, does the breeder have the right to take it back if you have to give it up, and what does it take to be on the waiting list? Also ask what happens if something goes wrong, for example if the kitten falls ill shortly after moving. Ask to see the pedigree and the vet certificate before you pay. A good breeder answers all of this gladly and in detail; difficulty getting straight answers is an answer in itself.
Warning signs
Take it seriously if kittens are sold before twelve weeks of age or can be "delivered tomorrow". Several breeds in the same home and a constant stream of litters point to volume rather than care. Be careful if the seller wants to meet in a car park or deliver to your door instead of showing you where the kittens live, if only cash is accepted, if a deposit is requested without a contract, or if there are no papers at all. No visible parents, vague answers about health tests and a price far below what the breed usually costs are all signs that something is wrong. Pressure to decide quickly – "someone else is interested, you have to answer tonight" – is a classic technique to make you skip your checks. A kitten is a friend for fifteen years or more. Walking away from a bad situation is never wrong, however sweet the kitten is.
How it works in CatCompanion
The breeder map and the registry show catteries near you, and you can filter by breed and country. On the cattery's page you see the breeder's terms and can send an interest form directly in the app – at the same time you confirm that you have read the terms, so you both know what applies from the start. With Watch you get a notification when new kittens matching your breed and country appear, so you do not have to search every day. Once you have reserved a kitten you follow its weeks in the app: weight, vaccinations and the breeder's updates, and the moving card gathers everything that belongs to the handover. After pick-up you add the cat under Cats and continue the journal where the breeder left off. The app does not replace the visit to the breeder or your own judgement, but it makes it easier to find the right one and to keep track on the way there.