Specimen Agreement – Explanatory Notes
The specimen Kitten Agreement is an example of an agreement where the buyer and seller wish to apply certain conditions agreed at the time of sale. It is provided for guidance purposes only and is not endorsed by the GCCF. It does not constitute any form of legal advice and should not be relied on or treated as a substitute for specific advice relevant to your particular circumstances and is not intended to be relied upon by members of the GCCF, or any other third party, in entering into the sale or purchase of a kitten.
The Agreement is available in pdf format (see link right) for you to download and print out – you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader
The GCCF does not involve itself in contractual relationships between individual parties and shall accept no responsibility for any loss which may arise from reliance on this specimen agreement. Breeders should be aware that when a sale is agreed and payment is received, a kitten becomes the property of its new owner and the breeder does not retain any legal right of ownership.
Breeders are reminded that for certainty that kittens cannot be bred from when they are intended as pets, they should be neutered before they leave for a new home. Many vets will now carry out the procedure known as early neutering and details can be found here.
All of the paperwork required at the time of sale (see Rule 10) should be given to a purchaser and must not be withheld pending proof of neutering from the new owner.
The GCCF strongly recommends that before entering into an agreement for the sale or purchase of a kitten that both parties familiarise themselves with all the Rules and Byelaws of the GCCF, and would like to bring the following Rules to your particular attention.
Active and Non-Active Registers: Section 1 Rule 1
1 a. Only cats/kittens required for breeding purposes should be registered on the Active Register. All male cats used at stud must have a Certificate of Entirety from a UK Based veterinary practice deposited with the GCCF prior to the date of application for registration of any of their first litter of kittens, and prior to their owner’s acceptance for mating purposes of a queen registered to another breeder. They must be uniquely identifiable at the time of the examination by microchip or alphanumeric tattoo; the number of which is noted on the certificate and included in the cat’s own veterinary records. (Amended 21.10.2015, 1.11.2021)
1 b. In some breeds the registration policy may require that cats are tested clear for specific diseases/conditions before being eligible for registration on the Active register.
1 c. Cat/kittens which are not required for breeding should be registered on the Non-Active Register. Progeny of cats on the Non-Active Register will not be registered.
1 d. Kittens resulting from mating’s between i) mother to son, ii) father to daughter and iii) full siblings will be registered on the Non-Active Register unless dispensation for Active Registration has been granted by the relevant BAC and/or approved by Board of Directors. This must be supplied when applying for registration or at any other time the breeder makes an application to transfer the cat from the Non- Active to the Active Register NOTE: Details on dispensation can be found in the GCCF Breeding Policy Document 4:10. (Existing rules 1d & 1e become 1e & 1f respectively) (added / amended 02.03.11)
1 e. ONLY the breeder or person who first registered the cat may apply to transfer a cat from the Non-Active to the Active Register, if permitted by the current Registration Policy for the breed in question, on payment of the appropriate fee, except where in special circumstances the Executive Committee may order a transfer. Dispensation from the Board of Directors will be required if a cat over two years is to be on the active register (see rule 1:4 age limits). (Amended 22.10.14)
1 f. The registered owner ONLY may apply to transfer a cat from the Active to the Non-Active Register, on payment of the appropriate fee, except where in special circumstances the Board of Directors may order a transfer. If at the time of application, the cat has been sold, the legal owner must also sign the application. (Amended 24.10.12)
1 g. Before any progeny may be registered from any breed of white cat, male or female, this cat must have had a BAER or OAE certificate of freedom from Unilateral or bilateral deafness submitted to the GCCF Office. White cats without such certification will be registered on the non-active register until such time as the required certificate is sent and an application for transfer to the active register is made. Cats should be microchipped when tested with the number recorded on the test result and the cat’s own veterinary records (Added 24.02.2016, Effective 01.06.2016). Note: Vendors must advise buyers/potential buyers in writing that white cats may be deaf from soon after birth in one or both ears. (Added 14.06.2017)
Mating Certificates: -Section 1 Rule 3e
When a litter is registered, the application to register must be accompanied by a copy of the certificate of mating, if the application is made on paper, or a declaration that the mating certificate has been received if the application is made online, unless the person registering the kitten(s) is also the registered owner of the sire. (Amended 15.02.2017)
Note: contracts between the owner of the stud and the owner of the queen for mating services are a private arrangement, and any disputes will not be resolved by GCCF intervention. (Amended 15.02.2017)
Transfer of Registration: Section 1 Rules 10a, 10b & 10c
10a. When a cat or kitten is advertised or sold as a pedigree cat or kitten the vendor shall, at the time of sale, provide the purchaser with a properly completed pedigree signed by the breeder, carrying 3 generations at least, showing all the breed numbers and registration numbers, also the breeder’s name and address. If the vendor is not the breeder, the pedigree must additionally be signed by the vendor. If the cat/kitten is not registered, a copy of the mating certificate (Rule 3d) shall be supplied by the vendor to the new owner.
10b. i. If, at the time of sale, the cat or kitten is registered the seller shall provide the purchaser with the registration card provided by the GCCF Office to enable a transfer of ownership. If this card is lost, damaged or otherwise unavailable a manual transfer form must be provided, duly completed and signed by the seller. (Amended 18.02.2015, 16.10.19)
10b. ii. All cats and kittens must have received two doses of vaccine three to four weeks apart, in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations against infectious enteritis (FPV), FHV and FCV (‘cat flu’) at least one week prior to sale and/or leaving for a new home.
Note: in the event of an emergency that requires a cat or kitten to be rehomed that is not fully vaccinated, the office should be informed as soon as possible. (Amended 17.06.2015, 21.2.2018, 19.6.19.)
10c If the cat or kitten is sold with a certificate to validate any genetic/veterinary test, it must be microchipped and the chip number must be on the test certificate, the accompanying vaccination record card and the veterinary practice record.
