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The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy

The UK's Premier Registration body

General Notices

Resolution Results - 2020 Elections

Please click on the LINK for the letter from the GCCF Chairman

GCCF Yearbook 2020

With no Supreme Show this year, to keep everyone in the loop we’re going to produce a Yearbook, the ideal place to show off the beauty of your cats while we cannot physically hold shows, with all profits made going to the Cat Welfare Trust.

Our Editor in Chief is Georgina Anderson-Keeble who produced last year’s very successful Supreme Catalogue/Yearbook.  If you have any articles you would like considered for publication or have ideas of what you’d like to see articles on, do drop Georgina a line whilst our currant Chair, John Hansson, will be concentrating on highlighting this year’s winners of the Cat Of The Year competition, we have many other well known cat fancy contributors too.

Myself and Chris Stalker will be working hard to organise the advertising for individuals, clubs and traders. As advertising space will be limited please register your interest with us as soon as possible, once we have size and price information we will email back to you.

Please do not send expressions to my personal email address, I don’t want any lost in the myriad of emails I receive daily.  The email address for expressing interest is:

yearbook.advertising@gmail.com 

We’re looking forward to producing a yearbook that every member of the cat fancy will want to have and will be very readable to all cat lovers whilst showcasing what we do, how we do it and the benefits of being involved with the GCCF.

Sarndra Devereux
GCCF Board Member.
29th July 2020

Egyptian Mau Society AGM

The Egyptian Mau Society AGM will be held on 30th August 2020 at 2pm via Zoom

Contact: clairemaydon@gmail.com

GCCF Year Book

As there is no GCCF Supreme Cat Show this year GCCF is planning a yearbook. It is planned to include some articles of interest including some veterinary, some breed related  and also some on resumption of shows and what this may entail from the perspective of those affected, so  if you have any ideas please let me know, this will also include coverage of our COTY winners to ensure they are given some acknowledgement for their achievement  for the last show season 

 

We are at present still in the early stages of planning and are looking for ideas to make it as informative and interesting as possible. This is intended as a commercial venture and there will be a cover price for would be purchasers. If a club or individual is interested in advertising,  it is  an ideal opportunity to promote your club or prefix though a price has still to be agreed for this,  please contact Sarndra Deveraux with expressions of interest and once agreed she will contact you with details. The more advertising sold potentially the cheaper the cover price, 

 

Can COTY winners please send a good quality CAT ONLY  photograph which is copyright free of their Winning exhibit to Georgina Anderson-Keeble who will be collating the information.  I may well come back to ask for some background  on your winning Cat/kitten or Neuter, this may well depend upon available space.  Please see below once again the list of winning exhibits.   Should anyone require Contact details for Georgina or Sarndra please contact me at hansson808@btinternet.com   In order to comply with GDPR requirements this information can only be given out with the consent of those concerned.  

 

Section 1

Adult 

OLYB IMP GR CH PESILISUS  RYO ISHIDO   

Joint Kitten  

OWLETTS APOLLO  

SUGARTUMP GENTLE GIANT 

Neuter

OLYG IMP GR CH and SUP UK OLYS IMP GR PR RIASCATZ DANDY LION (Section Leader)

 

Section 2

Adult   

IMP GR CH MUSRAFY YURI GAGARIN  

Kitten 

LORDSTONES MIA FIORA 

Neuter

GR PR MUSRAFY KAZIMIR (Section Leader )

 

Section 3

Adult  

OLYG IMP GR CH FERGAN CHIVAS REGAL (Joint Section Leader)

 Kitten Joint 

FERGAN ALEXANDER MCQUEEN 

LALLYBROCH HARLEYLICIOUS 

 Neuter

IMP GR PR NOONTIDE FOXGLOVE JINGLEDUST  (Joint Section Leader)

 

 Section 4

Adult 

SUP UK OLYG IMP GR CH MELKELTER GALIYA GERTRUDA 

 Kittens Joint 

CH CATTLEYA CALLYPSO 

PR MERRYPURR STRIPEY-FORTY-FOUR 

KORESKA NEVA NEVSKA. 

ONATUREL SPECIAL DELIVERY 

Neuter 

UK OLYB IMP GR PR TYPHAST KIMI OF ZIGGIAN (Section leader)

 

Section 5

Adult 

IMP GR CH FANDANGO BERYL THE PERIL 

Kitten 

RAWEKE RUSSIAN DOLL 

Neuter 

OLYB IMP GR CH and OLYB IMP GR PR CATMARIAN EVITA (Section Leader) 

 

 Section 6

Adult  

IMP GR CH MARILLJOS BOSS IN MOTION

Kitten 

GR CH SISAR MANHATTAN

Neuter  

UK OLYG IMP GR PR PIPPASTRO I HAVE CINNED 

 

NP

DAZ. 

PP 

OLYB IMP GR MC TALULA TRUFFLE   (Section Leader)

 

 

Overall Adult Joint 

OLYG IMP GR CH FERGAN CHIVAS REGAL 

SUP UK OLYG IMP GR CH  MELKELTER GALIYA GERTRUDA 

 

Overall Kitten 

RAWEKE RUSSIAN DOLL 

 

Overall Neuter 

OLYG IMP GR CH and SUP UK OLYS. IMP GR PR RIASCATZ DANDY LION 

 

Overall COTY winner 

OLYG IMP GR CH and SUP UK OLYS IMP GR PR RIASCATZ DANDY LION  

 

John Hansson
20th July 2020

White Persian Cat Club

There will be an online AGM Meeting on 26th of July at 6pm. Contact Leanne Lawrence for details leannemlawrence@hotmail.co.uk

Merseyside Cat Club

Merseyside Cat Club will be holding its AGM via Zoom on Sunday 26th July 2020 at 2pm. See our website for contact details www.merseysidecatclub.co.uk.

Contact: phil.robinson@talk21.com 

Office Update

Our current staffing is very limited being two down and one whose employment commenced just 3 weeks before lockdown, as such still undergoing her training period. The situation has obviously been further compounded by staff having to work from home for a long period of time.

 

Dennis has now returned to the office observing social distancing and is gradually catching up with registration cards etc. these are currently being posted out in the order received, apologies to all concerned who have not yet received theirs, they are being processed as quickly as possible.  The info box has received lots of queries and these are also being responded to as quickly as possible.   

 
Some of our staff will be returning to work in the office as the government restrictions are modified, at this juncture it is difficult to state just how long it may be before the office is back up to full speed, as new staff once employed will require training. 

 

My thanks to Denise and her team, Rebecca, Leanne, Dennis, Rhian and Abigail for their efforts to keep things running, thank you also to our customers for their patience and tolerance, during what has been a very stressful period of uncertainty for everyone concerned.  

 

I wish you all well and look forward to seeing you all once again, as soon as some form of normality returns, though this may well be very different to our previous normal.  

 

Please take care and stay safe and well, take precautions when you can and avoid situations which may conflict with your own level of acceptance.    

 

John H Hansson

current GCCF Chair. 

28th June 2020

Maidstone & Medway Cat Club Show - 19th December 2020

With the Covid 19 pandemic still ongoing and the likelihood of not being able to hold a large all breed show without considerable restrictions, as well as the sad loss of one of our valued workers, we as show managers have decided that we could not hold a viable and fun filled show. We have therefore taken the decision to cancel this years show, but hope to be back next year.

Ketill Game, Shelagh Heavens, Di Taylor
Show Managers
15th June 2020

Royal Canin Discount Vouchers

Don't forget that you can still redeem your gift certificates won at shows sponsored by Royal Canin by contacting their Area Business Manager. To find out who the Business Manager is for your area, click here:https://bit.ly/3b6yjOr ”

12th June 2020

Oriental Bi-Colour SOP & Oriental SH SOP

This is to confirm officially that the amended Oriental Bicolour SOP  was approved  at the Board meeting held by video-conference on 22nd May 2020.  Link to document

It was noted that GEMS code had been given where necessary to replace the old numbering system and that there had been complete revision in the description of the white markings for cats who were 01, 02 & 03.      

As it is not possible to know when the next actual meeting of Council will take place it was agreed the amended SOP will be accessible via the GCCF website and notification will be given to delegates that they can submit any concern to the GCCF Office. If there are no queries or objections in the four weeks following publication it will be considered approved. 

SIBERIAN REGISTRATION POLICY

This is to confirm officially that the amended Siberian Registration Policy was approved unanimously at the Board meeting held by video-conference on 22nd May 2020.

Link to document. 

The changes made were clarifications relating to imports and the move to the supplementary register for cats who had been successful in exhibition with critique classes. There had also been some slight restructuring.         

As it is not possible to know when the next actual meeting of Council will take place it was agreed the amended policy will be accessible via the GCCF website and notification will be given to delegates that they can submit any concern to the GCCF Office. If there are no queries or objections in the four weeks following publication it will be considered approved.

AGRIA KITTEN COVER NOTES

⭐️ BREEDERS ⭐️

👀 You can still activate Agria's 5Wfree cover without needing the cover booklets (which are not currently being posted out). 

Just click the link below to activate the usual free cover for your kittens and their new owners 😻

https://www.agriapet.co.uk/gccf/free-cover/?fbclid=IwAR0kawry00tJD7RFqo_-qnxtDCQxfaDzHAqa6IgwGIUky6yuPEzymNL1Pgw

CAT OF THE YEAR AWARDS - Final Results

Please see the attached results (link).  Updated based on information of Best of Variety wins from the website.   This has nothing whatsoever to do with the GCCF office please do not try to  contact them as there is currently no cover to answer phone calls, but even if that were not the case, they  would be unable to assist, I have amended scores based on information received as requested on the GCCF website.  These are now the FINAL result and are no longer subject to further changes to the winners, unless to correct a typo.

John H. Hansson

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM AGRIA INSURANCE

How Agria will help you protect pets right now?

With coronavirus restrictions sometimes making it more challenging for breeders and owners to  access a vet practices with their litters and pets, some puppies and kittens are being left unprotected. So, Agria Pet Insurance has devised some unique solutions specifically to safeguard pets through these unprecedented times.

Relaxed rules

Crucially, to continue supporting pets and owners through this period, we have relaxed our usual rules around vaccinations. Pets that haven’t received primary vaccinations due to the coronavirus outbreak and develop an issue that would have been prevented by a vaccination they were unable to access, will now have that condition covered under their Agria policy.

So this applies to the 5WF product and full policy holders:

Primary vaccinations

If your puppy/ kitten has had none, or if they have had the first but not the second vaccination

They must stay inside. Puppies can be allowed into the garden providing no unvaccinated dogs have been there. Kittens cannot due to the risk from other cats.

Be careful if you have been out of the house not to stroke other dogs and change your clothing and footwear when you come home as a precaution.

If you have other cats or dogs at home that are vaccinated, there is no problem with them mixing with the puppies or kittens. However, we advise keeping dogs on a lead during a walk in case they come into contact with an unvaccinated dog and carry infection home to the puppies.

Providing you have followed the precautions above, there is only an extremely low risk that your puppy or kitten will become infected. There are no long-term or adverse effects from delaying primary vaccinations or repeating the first if the gap between them has become too long.

Booster vaccinations

If your cat or dog’s annual booster is delayed

Seek advice from your practice if it looks like your booster will be overdue.

The longer an animal goes past it's due booster date there is a progressively increased risk of picking up a potentially serious condition as immunity gradually wanes.

If your cat or dog has missed their booster date, consult your vet for advice. We advise that cats must stay inside, and dogs must stay within the house and garden only – providing no unvaccinated dogs have access to the garden.

Providing you have followed the precautions above, there are no long-term or adverse effects from restarting their vaccination course.

During the coronavirus outbreak, cats and dogs insured with an Agria Pet Insurance policy will be covered for any illnesses caused by problems with access to vaccinations – providing the above guidelines have been followed.

Our Senior Veterinary Advisor, and practice owner, Robin Hargreaves, has worked closely with us to devise this solution for you and highlights his views below:

“Times are pretty tough in practice right now, and operating on a restricted basis isn’t ideal for us or the pets registered with us. 

“One thing that would make life even harder would be if the percentage of uninsured pets was to rise. In just the past week, my practice has needed to refer four cases for specialist treatment, further evidencing how vital insurance can be.

It’s great news that Agria has relaxed their restrictions around cover for unvaccinated pets, so any that have missed primary vaccinations or gone past their booster date due to current restrictions will still be insured.”

FEEDBACK NEEDED

The cancellation of the Electoral Meeting in June has presented GCCF with some difficulties. Our Byelaws give very precise instructions on when and where it should be held (in London in June) and how the elections for all the Officers and Committees should take place. We can change our Byelaws at a meeting, but no meeting is possible in the foreseeable future. As it seemed a Catch 22 situation I asked our Company Solicitor, Ms Sara Coate for advice.

She has given this in some considerable detail. It is possible to make Byelaw amendments, but all Company Members have to be involved and for GCCF that means all of its clubs, not just those eligible to send delegates to Council. Therefore, the time is right to consult you all.

Please read carefully what Sara has written, and circulate and discuss its contents with whoever you choose. It could be that you will want to pass it around your committees or even make it part of an AGM if you have an electronic meeting scheduled.

Please feed back your responses to: info@gccfcats.org by 1st May. Once we have the thoughts of the Member Clubs on what is suggested we can move to preparing a resolution to amend the Byelaws temporarily (for this emergency only) in a way that hopefully can be accepted by the majority required.

Stay well & safe

John Hansson (GCCF Chairman)

SARA COATE'S LETTER


Club Returns Notice – Covid-19   April 2020

 

Due to the ongoing issue with COVID-19 the board of directors are investigating all options with regards to the June council.

However, could we please remind all clubs that club returns should be submitted to the GCCF office no later than Friday 1st May 2020. All forms are on the website. These should consist of:

1. A copy of the 2019 accounts of the Club and Show (if applicable), in the form of an Income and Expenditure Account with a supporting Balance Sheet. These should have been examined by a suitable independent person.

2.  An analysis of subscriptions income to be listed on the Returns Form which should be signed also by the examiner.

 3.  An up to date list of all Club Officers.

4. Payment needs to be made for the Membership Subscription and Delegate's fee(s).

Submission can be via post (which is still working). The office is visited once a week and all correspondence is collected and viewed. Please do not send by post that needs a signature as this will not be left at the office and will not be collected from the Post Office delivery site. You can also scan copies and e-mail to info@gccfcats.org

Payments can be made via online banking the GCCF account details are:

 

Lloyds Bank

 

Sort Code 30-67-47

 

A/C No 43061160

 

Any problem, please contact the board member responsible for club returns, Shelagh Heavens on shelagh@gccfcats.org   who will liaise with all board members.

Thank you

PLEASE NOTE

Announcements, tributes, judge reports etc are still being accepted to the the normal email addresses for publication on the website.

Cat of the Year Results 2020

Please click here for the interim results

COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

The GCCF is closely monitoring the situation regarding COVID-19.  Following the COBRA meeting this week the government has said it is “important that people go about their business as usual” for the time being.  Advice from Public Health England has not changed and the emphasis now must be in enhanced personal hygiene with reduced physical contact and increased washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and if that not available use of alcohol based hand sanitizers. 

However individuals must make their own judgements based on their own age and health conditions as we know the over 80s and those with underlying respiratory conditions are at increased risk if they contract the infection. 

Cat World Cat Congress 2021 and the GCCF Supreme Cat Show

The GCCF Supreme Cat Show 2021 in conjunction with the Annual World Cat Congress will take place at the NEC, Birmingham on 23rd October 2021. This will be a dual certificate show, with both the GCCF Supreme Cat Show and the WCC Cat Show taking place on the day.

Further details of the programme for the whole of the World Cat Congress event are being developed and once confirmed, will be available later in the year. These will include details of the Hotel, the proposed outing/visit for WCC delegates, the Gala Dinner, the WCC public seminar and WCC Business Meeting, together with associated costs as well as details of the show taking place at the NEC. The show and the overall weekend will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the very first Cat Show, which was held at Crystal Place in 1871.

The hotel which we are proposing to use for the WCC element of the event has a no pets policy. Unfortunately those which do accept pets are substantially more expensive and we are conscious of the need to keep the overall cost within budget and at a level to encourage attendance for the whole weekend. However we will also negotiate a rate for exhibitors at an alternative pet friendly hotel if there is enough of a demand to do so.

We are now actively inviting sponsorship, suggestions and contributions from all members of the Cat Fancy in order to ensure the success of the event and to deliver a weekend that it is both interesting, informative and attractive to visitors and also recognises and celebrates the traditions and heritage of the Cat Fancy in the UK and worldwide.

If you are interested in being part of the project or have ideas or suggestions, for sponsorship or for content or to help raise the profile of the event; can you please initially contact one of the following, John Hansson, Lynda Ashmore or Jen Pinches.

My e-mail address is hansson808@btinternet.com  John Hansson

NOTICE FROM THE OFFICE - Paying by cash

We seem to have had an increasing number of people trying to post cash and coins to the office to pay for things such as registrations, and this money often does not make it to us, for reasons unknown. We would like to make people aware that we can not take responsibility for money that gets lost through the post, and we highly recommend that everyone makes payment to the office via card, bank transfer or cheque.

SUFFOLK BREED – CHANGE OF SECTION

The Suffolk BAC has accepted an offer from the Board to transfer from Section 6 Grand Group A to Section 5 Grand Group B.  

This will be effective for shows taking place after 1 January 2020.

ALERT RE. ORAL FLEA TREATMENT

The GCCF has recently received a report of the sudden death of 2 BSH cats a few hours after being given the recommended dose of a flea treatment containing an insecticide called spinosad. A third cat died suddenly two weeks after dosing and there are internet reports of some dogs and cats experiencing side effects of severe sickness and fits. It is a prescription only medicine and taken by mouth rather than applied to the skin. If you have concerns after reading this please discuss your methods of flea control with your vet.

Please share this with your friends and club members.

FIP RESEARCH

Petra Cerna works at the The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies - please see the post below:

As most of you know, I am very much involved in FIP research and I am very happy to let everyone know about our new website http://fip-research.org and I have a big favour to ask from all of you. We are looking for blood samples from pedigree cats that have been diagnosed with FIP and their both healthy and other FIP siblings as well as their mother and father. 
We are also looking for blood samples from these breeds: Sacred Birmans, Bengals, British Shorthair and Longhair, Sphynx, Siamese/Oriental, Burmese and Russian Blue cats.
Could you please send me a message (via her Facebook page) if you can help me? Thank you very much.

Any breeders are also very welcome to join our FIP research group for breeders: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1984834335133226/

 

POLITE NOTICE TO SHOW MANAGERS

Please note, can those show managers who are currently managing a breed show, that may contain more than just the breed the club represents, please be aware I am unable to allocate section points for the show, to indicate the points for COTY, unless the overall Adult/Kitten and Neuter are identified. 

This does not mean that yet another Rosette has to be awarded merely that the overall at each level needs to be identified and the information posted along with the Best of each breed. In the normal way, failure to do so may result in loss of points for some exhibits. 

This usually involves breed shows where dispensation has been requested for additional breeds to be allowed to make the show more successful.  Some examples are Siamese Breed Shows where Orientals also compete and have a separate BOV variety (though in the same section) it also applies to the REX shows where a BOV is restricted to the breed, also Persian shows where a BOV Exotic is also awarded.  If at an ALL Breed Show they would be in the same section, I only need to know who was best Overall Adult/Kitten and Neuter for points allocation.  

Many thanks for your co-operation on this. 

John H Hansson
14th April 2019

28th March 2019

WATCHDOG – Rogue Traders

In response to the item on the Watchdog programme aired on Wednesday 7th November, Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) can confirm that the person featured in the programme is on our records as owning registered cats. They are all non-Active (registered as pets only, not suitable for breeding) and some were (allegedly) neutered at the time of registration. So it would appear that she may be breeding with non-Active cats which is contrary to our rules and therefore no progeny could ever be registered.

The GCCF recommends that all cats, both pedigree and non-pedigree, should be neutered unless they are registered on the active register and used in an approved breeding programme with appropriate health guards in place and the intention of preserving or improving a recognised breed.

The GCCF is extremely concerned about the deliberate breeding of unregistered kittens from pedigree parents or breed crosses by unregulated breeders who are usually unwilling to obtain cats suitable for breeding and carry out the required health checks and/or DNA tests. Breeders that follow our rules have kittens and keep them in a family group with their mother.  Most who seek financial gain at the expense of good breeding practices prefer to cut corners and ignore welfare.

The GCCF Breeder Scheme allows dedicated, caring and responsible breeders who aim for the highest standards and best practice in feline welfare to sign up to an enhanced Code of Ethics.  Kittens should not leave the breeder until one week after a full course of vaccinations is completed. This ensures they are beyond the very vulnerable kitten stage, will have received vaccination protection and been assessed by a vet on at least two occasions. 

Further information about pedigree cat breeds, and their correct breeding and registration policies, including advice on purchasing and insuring a pedigree kitten can be found on the GCCF website www.gccfcats.org 

BAC Review Group Update - Council meeting October 2018

At the October Council meeting, Kate Kaye gave an update report on the work of the BAC Review Group.  Please click HERE to download or read Kate's report.

"Lucy's Law"

The Government announced yesterday that they plan to introduce legislation (called 'Lucy's Law') to ban the sale of puppies and kittens through a third party agent, this means pet shops or pet dealers.  The detail of this legislation has not yet been published but once introduced it should have no impact on breeders who register with GCCF as they sell the kittens they breed directly to a new owner, and not to a pet shop or animal dealer.  

Reports on the new legislation have also mentioned the fact that licensed dog breeders may or will be asked to quote their license number in adverts placed on-line or elsewhere. This does not apply to most cat breeders as they remain defined as hobby breeders if not operating a commercial cat breeding business and so do not require a licence from the 1st October 2018, when new animal licensing legislation comes into effect. 

Media reports on ‘Lucy’s Law’ have stated that the intention is to ban puppy and kitten farming which is correct, but it should not be forgotten that dog and cat breeding are covered by different rules (schedules) within the new legislation. Once there is further information on the detail of exactly how the new proposal will regulate advertising an update will be given.

Steve Crow - Director

Animal Welfare legislation 2018 - Defra guidelines for local authority inspectors 

http://www.petcare.org.uk/images/Images_2018/AAL/Guidance_notes_for_selling_animals_as_pets.pdf

What is in and out of the scope: Selling animals as pets

2. Schedule1of theAnimalWelfare(LicensingofActivitiesInvolvingAnimals)(England) Regulations 2018 (“the regulations”) defines the licensable activities for each sector. In all cases except dog breeding, the licensable activity is restricted to businesses or those operating on a commercial basis.

Business Test

  1. The regulations specify two example business tests to be considered when determining whether an activity is considered commercial, and thus within scope. They are not the exclusive factors to be considered but are examples and other factors, such as those listed in the nine badges of trade set out by HMRC, are also relevant. The regulations include the following on this issue:
  2. The circumstances which a local authority must take into account in determining whether an activity is being carried on in the course of a business for the purposes of this Schedule include, for example, whether the operator—

(a) makes any sale by, or otherwise carries on, the activity with a view to making a profit, or

(b) earns any commission or fee from the activity.

  1. This guidance is intended to assist inspectors in determining whether or not an activity may be subject to the regulations noting that ultimately there will be an element of judgement required.
  2. Set out below are examples of the type of activity that should or should not be considered within the scope of the regulations and the indicators that should be considered when deciding whether a licence is required.
  3. Local authority inspectors should take account of all elements of the advice below and weigh them against each other before reaching a decision as to whether an activity falls within scope of the regulations. 

 

Selling animals as pets: Text of the definition in Schedule 1 of the regulations

“2. Selling animals as pets (or with a view to their being later resold as pets) in the course of a business including keeping animals in the course of a business with a view to their being so sold or resold.

In scope criteria

Activities that fulfil one or more of the following criteria are subject to licensing:

Guideline indicators of running a business of selling animals as pets

The following may assist consideration of the criteria listed above:

 

· Advertising through a variety of sites, forums or media could indicate a commercial activity.

Out of scope criteria

Activities that fulfil one or more of the following criteria are not subject to licensing:

Guideline indicators of “out of scope” activities

The following may assist consideration of the criteria listed above:

Update on Licensing of Cat Breeders 

Please see my previous postings on this Noticeboard for the full background on this topic. 

 

Since my last update in October 2017, work has continued to write the guidance that will be necessary for interpreting each of the five schedules contained within the Statutory Instrument drafted to amend the Animal Welfare Act 2006.  To remind everyone there are five schedules covering: The Boarding of Cats & Dogs; Dog Breeding; Pet Vending; Hiring out of Horse; and Exhibiting Animals.  The licensing of cat breeding will be operated under the Schedule 3: Pet Vending. 

 

This guidance will be available to inform licensees of the requirements under each schedule and will also guide local authority Environmental Health Inspectors in interpreting and applying the requirements of the legislation when inspecting licensed premises.  I have been a member of the working group developing the guidance for the Pet Vending schedule.

 

“The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018” (www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2018/9780111165485) has now completed its journey through both the House of Commons and House of Lords without amendment.  Lord Gardiner, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rural Affairs and Biodiversity, confirmed to members of the Canine & Feline Sector Group on 1st May that licensing will be enacted from 1st October 2018.  Between now and then, training will be organised and delivered to Environmental Health Inspectors in England.  The legislation will not apply in Scotland, but the Welsh Assembly have developed legislation similar to that in England. 

 

As I have reported before, the key factor in determining who is in scope to be licensed is whether the person is breeding cats with the intention of making a profit.  This will be the crucial factor in establishing that a breeder is operating commercially ie. as a business.  Any breeder who believes the licensing will apply to their circumstances should contact their local authority with a view to apply for a license from October this year.

   

My reading of the new legislation would indicate that the large majority of cat breeders registering with GCCF will be out of scope and will not require a licence.  However, it is the responsibility of each breeder to check their own situation and to act accordingly.  If you are breeding very regularly and in sufficient numbers to make a profit, you are likely to be considered to be a commercial pet vendor, in which case you will need to apply for a license. 

I urge breeders to keep financial records so as to be able to demonstrate, when necessary, both to their local authority and to HMRC that they are not making an profit and do not require a pet vending license.

 

Steve Crow

14th May 2018

 

Update on Licensing of Cat Breeders

I gave the following update to Council Delegates yesterday:

This issue has been under discussion for the past two years or so and I have previously issued notices giving information on the range of proposals that have been made, these have differed both in scope and potential impact on our hobby. 

Over the past few months I am pleased to say that I have been able to gain some real clarity from DEFRA on how licensing will work and the criteria that will be applied. 

This specific criteria applies only in England; the Welsh Assembly has drafted something very similar for Wales; the Scottish Parliament has no plans to introducing licensing at this time. 

DEFRA intends to use Statutory Instruments to amend the current Animal Welfare Act 2006 – these were drafted in September and are currently titled “The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018”.  I have been given a copy by DEFRA. 

There are five schedules covering: The Boarding of Cats & Dogs; Dog Breeding; Pet Vending; Hiring out of Horse; and Exhibiting Animals. 

The licensing of cat breeding will be operated under the Pet Vending schedule, this schedule is written to cover all establishments selling animals either to an intermediary or directly to the public, eg. pet shops, commercial breeding establishments.

As many of you know, I have been working through the Canine & Feline Sector Group to feed in views and seek both amendments and clarification of the Pet Vending schedule as it relates to cats, and to ensure the guidance drafted to assist inspectors in interpreting the schedule is fit for purpose.  Since June I have been part of a working group which has now refined the guidance and our recommended changes have been accepted by DEFRA.

I have also been able to gain confirmation from DEFRA that the Exhibiting Animals schedule will not apply to cat shows. 

So the current position is as follows:

·         Since the licensing of cat breeders will be governed under the Pet Vending schedule, the key factor in determining who is in scope to be licensed is whether the person is breeding with the intention of making a profit.  This will be the crucial factor in establishing that a breeder is operating commercially.  There will be no maximum litter number per year or similar (as with dog breeding), what will be considered is how much money the breeder is receiving from kitten/cat sales and stud fees off-set by the cost of keeping and breeding said cats.  Therefore both the number of kittens sold and price they are sold for are relevant.

·         If there is any doubt about whether a breeder needs a licence then they will need to evidence whether or not they are making a profit (probably on an annual basis).  It is therefore imperative that breeders keep accurate financial records in order to prove whether or not they are making a profit.  All the obvious costs will be in scope – food, litter, vets bills, heat & light, advertising, showing, stud fees, etc. 

·         Each breeder will need to decide whether they need to apply for a licence from their local authority, depending upon whether they believe they are in scope, ie. making a profit from selling cats/kittens.  If they believe they can demonstrate they are not making a profit they will not need to apply for a licence.  Any breeder who is not licensed, but is considered by the LA to be licensable, will be required to prove why they do not need such a licence.  There will be penalties applied to those people operating without a licence.

·         DEFRA would like to place the legislation before Parliament next spring, but this may be put back depending on the weight of parliamentary business.  The earliest the licensing regulations could come into effect is around July 2018, but it is likely that October 2018 is more realistic.  There is likely to be something like an 18 month implementation period before local authorities will have Environmental Health Inspectors trained and everything in place (and a period of time for breeders to apply for a licence)

·         It is my belief that the large majority of cat breeders registering with GCCF will be out of scope and will not require a licence.  However, it is the responsibility of each breeder to check their own situation and to act accordingly.   

I will issue a further update as and when I have more information to share, or if the situation outlined above changes in any meaningful way.

Steve Crow

5th October 2017

Combined Show and BAC Review

Following the agreement at June Council by a majority vote to embrace the sectional changes within GCCF shows and an extensive overhaul of the Breed Advisory system alongside of a revised programme for Judge/steward training, the combined groups met recently to plan and implement the process of change.

It was the consensus of all, that the groups in their current format were no longer the best vehicles to undertake the next steps. After considerable discussion it was decided to split into three groups each with a specific focus of implementation to oversee however it is fully recognised that there will be areas of overlap and interdependency.

Show Structure Implementation

Chairman: Kate Kaye

Members: Heather McRae, Elaine Robinson ad Lisa Robinson-Talboys

  1. October Council Statement – summary of completion of SRG work

  2. Recognition that the addition of breeds currently not recognised by GCCF can still be embraced via procedures as set out in the rules.

  3. General publicity to as wide an audience as possible

  4. Invitation of feedback using means such as: SRG FB site, Email

  5. Liaison with show managements

  6. Liaison with GCCF Office

BAC amalgamation

Chairman: John Hansson

Members: Jules Candler, Jen Lacey, Sally Rainbow-Ockwell

  1. Contact with all BACs to give them the detail of their groups (where relevant) and make a check of the draft judge analysis

  2. Data now available indicating which judges have not undertaken an engagement for five years, confirmation with BACs and discussion on options so that these can be highlighted for SMs

  3. BACs to continue as a forum for discussion, and Judge Appointment Groups to cover group judging with BAC or Breed club representation.

  4. ‘Panel’ to determine outcome of split decisions

  5. Seminars no longer mandatory as a separate event may be held at breed shows

  6. Fee to JAGs covering several breeds to be £50 for appointment & promotion

  7. An examination of BAC funds and consideration of financial viability

  8. Time limit for BAC response to be the end of October, but not necessary to have a formal meeting unless already planned as discussion and feedback can be electronic.

Judge Training

Chairman: Peter Collin

Members: Val Anderson, Sue Dalton-Hobbs, Shelagh Heavens, Val Kilby, Helen Marriott- Power,

                Peter Williams

  1. The Training Scheme for new judges

  2. Mentoring

  3. Tutorials and assessments

  4. Full Judges

  5. Transition and training within the new Grand groups

Although this move could be seen to increase both time and expense, it is envisaged that the majority of work/issues within these groups will be undertaken and resolved via email or facetime.

It was recognised that the implementation of the sectional changes is not dependant on the BAC amalgamation and Judge training aspects being finalised. An earlier move to the new structure with a limited crossover period was considered to be beneficial to exhibitors, show managers and especially judges who will get the opportunity to judge the revised groups breeds in side classes before they are asked to undertake the breed or grand classes.

The finalizing the “mechanics” of this change is underway so it is proposed that this aspect of change should start as soon as possible therefore the intention is to take a proposal to this effect to October council. We are looking towards February 2018 for the changes to be implemented. It is envisaged that there will be a short period wherein, due to some shows having already printed their schedules, that both the current and new Grand structure will be in “play” with the changeover fully completed by June 2018.

 

GCCFI Registrations

Whilst GCCF will be processing registrations and transfers from now on behalf of GCCFI, forms and payment should go to GCCFI as detailed on the GCCFI website at GCCFI - Registrations

This procedure is as follows:

Applicants should fill in an application form downloadable at http://www.gccfi.com/media/other/16113/RegistrationFormCopyDate15-09-16.pdf

And send the completed form with payment to:

Mrs Caroline Wren, Ballinacourty, Glenroe, Kilfinane, Co. Limerick

Please note: We can’t process Euro payments at the office.

An online GCCFI portal is available.




 

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