What should I be looking for in a kitten?

Firstly you should be looking for a cat that you like the look of and that has a personality that fits in with your lifestyle. This is my first opportunity to suggest that you visit the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) to browse through their breed description page GCCF Cat Breeds. You should be able to see a breed there that fits your own personality and interests. As for the British Shorthair we find that the description is pretty good. The cats that we have bred have been very friendly and our princess Aurora is happy to be carried and cuddled and is always keen to sit on our laps or join us at night.

Secondly we would advise that you don't rush in to buy the first cute kitten you see.  All kittens are cute and many breeders start advertising them when they are only a couple of weeks old. We advise that you look around and when you see a kitten you like get in touch and try to find out how much human contact the kittens get and what sort of personality the kitten you like has. By all means reserve a kitten but we would recommend that you have visited first to spend some time with the kitten to establish if there is a bond.

What health issues does this breed have?

As the excellent GCCF website will tell you there are two key issues associated with British Shorthairs. PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease), once a problem within the breed, is now under control thanks to the common use of available DNA tests by responsible breeders. Modicatti princesses undergo DNA testing before becoming queens, and our queens only fraternise with kings who have themselves been tested. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can be a problem in the breed. There are no DNA tests yet available for HCM in the British breed. However, responsible breeders will take measures to ensure that any affected animals are not used in ongoing breeding programmes.

It is also worth mentioning here that all pedigree cats have an "Coefficient of Inbreeding" (COI) which indicates the level of breeding with close relatives that has occurred over the last 8 to 12 generations. The higher the coefficient the more it has been bred for specific characteristics and the more prone it is to undesirable characteristics including health issues. Modigatti cats have coefficients that are considered to be "Perfectly Acceptable" (less than 25%)

How much will it cost me?

A pedigree cat can cost a lot. It is difficult to put a number on this but lets say it can range from around £700 to several thousand, At the high end you are probably paying for kudos of having a "Champion" parent. Also some colours are more difficult to breed and so attract a premium. This price might drop for kittens that are older than 6 months as breeders may look to reduce their costs.

After you have decided to buy a cat you will need to think about transport, food, insurance, vet bills, pampering and entertainment costs and whether you want it to be allowed outside. As you can guess you can pay as much as you like here but here are some indicators as of spring 2023:

• Transport - cat boxes start at £15 but you are probably better off paying a bit more for something more robust and offers you can more visibility. It's nice to put a blanket in your box to make the journey to the kitten's new home more comfortable. We provide new owners with a hand made blanket (complete with comforting smells).
• Food - we use a mix of dry food (down all the time) and wet at specific times. We wean the kittens on Royal Canin. It's not the cheapest (so you could easily be spending £20 per month) but it has been successful for us. spending £20 per month
• Littering - We use a clumping cat litter and have a number of trays strategically placed around the house so they are accessible where the kittens like to be
• Insurance - Modigatti work with the CGGF and Agri to provide all new owners with 5 weeks of free insurance for their kittens. After that it's up to you and your wallet but a couple of pounds a month is the starting point.
• Vets - Modigatti cats can be collected once they are microchipped, fully vaccinated, healthchecked, flead and wormed. We advise that you take your new kitten to a vet of your choise for an initial assessment. This should include a discussion about the right approach to flea treatment and the age to get your cat neutered (often around 4 months). Neutering could cost between £70 and £120 depending on your vet and the sex of the cat. Once your kitten reaches the age of one you should return to the vet to get a booster vaccination
• Pampering & Entertainment - We recommend getting a scratch post as our kittens will be scratch post trained, after that the sky is the limit, but kittens like balled up paper and ping pong balls as much as more expensive things. Under this heading we can also talk about grooming - starting with a nice comb in the evening all the way to specialist shampooing, perhaps in preparation for a cat show!
• Outside - Generally this means a cat flap to somewhere away from cars. Basic ones can be around £30, while microchip catflaps are around £100 - and then you have fitting...

What age will the cat be when I get it?

We work to the GCCF code of ethics here so all our kittens are fully vaccinated. This means that they cannot be picked up after their 13th week. However we are very keen to see prospective owners before this time so that they can spend time with the kittens and ensure that there will be a good bond.

What will happen when I pick the kitten up?

We can't speak for other breeders but at Moddigatti we would expect the following things to happen on the big day:

You (and your family) arrive with your cat carrier and greet your kitten

We will offer you refreshments

You complete payment for the kitten

We provide you with a GCCF standard reciept/covenant

We transfer the GCCF registration to you (as non-active) with a pedigree certificate

We transfer the microchip registration to you

We provide you with 5 weeks of kitten insurance

We give you a kitten pack with details of the pedigree, vaccinations, insurance and microchiping

We give you a supply of kitten food

We give you a blanket, which has the cat's smells, to put into your basket

We help you encourage your kitten into the carrier

You take your new kitten on an adventure to a new home

After you get home we are available and happy to talk to you about any concerns you have as your kitten gets used to its new life

What jabs and vaccines will the cat already have? - and what will I need to do?

Modigatti cats can be collected once they are chipped, fully vaccinated and wormed. We advise that you register your new kitten with the vet of your choice and take the opportunity to have a discussion about the right approach to flea treatment and the appropriate age to get your cat neutered (often around 4 months). Neutering could cost between £70 and £120 depending on your vet and the sex of the cat. Once your kitten reaches the age of one you should return to the vet to get a booster vaccination

What should I do to prepare my home?

As your new kitten starts life living with you it will go through a period of anxiety. This could result in it hiding behind or under furniture, perhaps for days. It could also result in a loss of appetite and confusion over where to go to the toilet. To minimise the stress we suggest you consider limiting your kitten to just one room to start. Ensure that the room has places to hide and easy access to food and a litter tray. Be available, but try not to be noisy. Also think about where the kitten will be for the first few nights as they may want to be close to you (they will need food and litter trays wherever they are).

• Think about where you will keep the kitten for the first few nights.
• Check with the breeder what kind of food and cat litter the kitten is currently using, and stock up. Good breeders will provide you with an initial supply though.
• Get a cat box
• Check with friends and neighbours for a friendly vet
• Decide if you are going to install a cat flap and work out where it would go and who is going to install it
• Get excited

Once your kitten has relaxed and become used to your family you can start to allow them wider access. A good tactic here is to add dry food feeding stations in places where you want to feed your cat long term (or places you want your cat to stay), but don't forget to place a litter tray nearby each time.

Is this a decent breeder?

There are a lot of breeders out there, and some are great, while others you should run from. It can be really difficult for a buyer to know the former from the latter. We recommend prospective buyers acquiant themselves with the GCCF code of ethics and ask prospective breeders whether they work to it. Here are a couple of red flags to look out for:

• Pick up a kitten in a car park or other non-descript location
• A lack of interest in the new owner and how well they can look after the kitten
• The breeder is happy to let the kitten go "early", especially if that is 8 weeks or younger

At the good end of the spectrum you should expect the breeder to:

• Make an offer to rehouse your kitten should your circumstances change in the future
• ask you to sign a kitten agreement.

What does the breeder want to know about me?

Ideally we want to know everything about you, but we will be looking to understand the kind of life you will offer our kitten and whether you have some unsavory ulterior motive (it's a dark world out there!). Ideally you will come to see our litter and fall in love right in front of us!