What to Ask a Breeder Before Buying a Kitten: 18 Questions That Separate a Responsible Breeder from a Seller

A good breeder asks YOU more questions than you ask them. If they don’t — that’s the first signal already.

Short answer: Before you decide, ask 18 specific questions across five categories — health, socialization, documents, post-handover support, and about the breeder themselves. A breeder who answers all 18 clearly and without dodging is the real thing. Anyone who rushes to skip any category is telling you something important.

First-time buyers ask about pickup logistics and household details. The questions that actually protect them — inbreeding coefficient, parents’ test results, contract clauses — often come up last. Whether both parents are tested for PRA might never come up at all in the entire conversation.

1. Health and Genetics Questions

These 5 questions are non-negotiable. Skipping even one means buying blind.

Ask: What congenital defects are documented in this breed?

Oriental cats have specific genetic risks. A prepared breeder names them without prompting — not to scare you, but because they’ve done the work of testing for and eliminating those risks from their line.

Ask: Are the parents tested for PRA, FeLV, and FIV?

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is hereditary. FeLV and FIV are infectious. Both parents should have documented, dated test results — not verbal assurances.

Ask: Which vaccinations has this specific kitten received and when?

You should get a vet record showing the vaccine brand, batch number, and dates of administration. “Vaccinated” isn’t an answer.

Ask: What’s the inbreeding coefficient for this litter?

First, about the word itself. Inbreeding is the crossing of related animals within a single breed line. To an inexperienced reader it sounds like a “red flag,” but it’s a standard tool in felinology: that’s how you fix a breed trait (ear set, tail length, body type). The question isn’t whether there’s inbreeding, but what percentage.

Practical scale (calculated over 10 generations): up to 5% — clean breeding, minimal relatedness; 5–10% — the norm for most responsible catteries, mild inbreeding to fix a specific trait; 10–20% — higher level, justified only for a selective task and with awareness of risks; over 20% — close relatives, serious risk of genetic problems, unacceptable in the EU and most registries.

A breeder who can’t name this coefficient simply hasn’t run the calculation. In TICA and CFA registries, the breeding coefficient is automatically printed in every pedigree — so it’s a fair question to ask: an experienced breeder will answer immediately.

Ask: What’s the health guarantee and what does it cover?

A responsible breeder is honest about what they guarantee and what they don’t. Floriente’s position: the health guarantee covers the moment of handover, but not what happens after. The reason comes from lived experience.

Example from our own cats. Halva left the breeder healthy. A day later she arrived with us sick — and we nursed her for a month. Whose fault? The courier — no. The breeder — no, they sent a healthy cat. Us — we got a sick cat. Nobody’s fault. It’s a confluence of circumstances: long road, two flights, train, minibuses, train stations, crowds. An endemic cat who lived isolated steps into a microbiota she has no immunity to — and gets sick.

So at Floriente the approach is simple and honest: we’re responsible for the kitten’s condition up to the moment of handover. After that — it’s the owner’s zone of control.

We don’t even give guarantees after the kitten leaves the house. What hygiene conditions the kitten will be in, how the trip will be organized, what environmental contact there’ll be. I can only hope it goes well — but I can’t control it.

That’s not a formal position — it’s a realistic boundary of responsibility.

A breeder who promises “5 years of full health guarantee on any condition” is taking on what’s objectively uncontrollable. Read those guarantees carefully: usually the fine print lists so many exclusions that actual coverage equals zero.

2. Socialization and Environment Questions

The kitten’s nervous system forms in the first 12 weeks. What happened during that window determines who this cat will be for the next 15 years.

Ask: Where do the kittens grow up — in an enclosure or in a home environment?

Kittens that grow up around people, household sounds, kids, and guests come into your home with baseline calm already in place. Kittens raised in a separate space have nervous systems calibrated for isolation.

Ask: Can I see the mother together with the kittens — on a video call?

A video call — not a photo, but a live video call — where the mother and kittens are in the same space, confirms: the mother is real, the kittens are hers, and the environment matches what you’ve been told.

Ask: How were the kittens socialized during the first 12 weeks?

The frequency of human contact matters. Different people, different ages, different voices — all of this shapes the adult cat’s character. Ask for specifics, not assurances.

Ask: What sounds and stimuli were they exposed to?

A kitten that heard a hair dryer, TV, street sounds, and unexpected noise isn’t the same animal as one raised in silence. The difference shows up six months after you bring her home.

3. Document and Contract Questions

Documents aren’t bureaucracy. They’re proof that claims about health, lineage, and contract obligations are real.

Ask: Can I see the 3–5 generation pedigree?

A registered pedigree shows the full lineage, the registering organization (WCF, TICA, FIFe, CFA), and the titles of ancestors.

Clarification on terminology: standard handover includes the metrika — a birth certificate with a club number, included in the price. The pedigree (full 3–5 generation lineage) is a separate document ordered through the club for an additional fee. Any owner can get it in their name, regardless of whether they took the kitten in pet, breed, or show class. The document itself says either “for breeding” or “not for breeding” — that’s the only difference.

Important: the breeder is required to show the parents’ pedigrees free of charge on request (registration numbers may be partly redacted to protect against copying).

Ask: What’s the plan and timeline for EU import?

If the kitten is going from Ukraine to the EU, you need: an EU vet certificate issued within 10 days of travel; an ISO 11784/11785 standard microchip; documented rabies vaccination; an import permit if required by the destination country. A breeder who’s done this before will walk through every step without hesitation.

Ask: What does the contract include?

A legitimate contract covers: terms and duration of the health guarantee; return or replacement conditions; sterilization clause (for pet class kittens); resale restrictions; post-handover contact obligations. Less than 6 clauses is a thin contract. Ask to read it before sending any deposit.

Ask: Does the microchip meet the ISO standard and is it listed in all documents?

ISO 11784/11785 is required for EU travel and most country registries. The chip number must match across the pedigree, vet certificate, and contract. A mismatch in any document is a problem you’ll discover at the border.

4. Post-Sale Support Questions

The relationship doesn’t end at handover. A breeder who disappears after payment isn’t a breeder — they’re a seller.

Ask: What support do you provide after handover?

An honest answer looks like this: the breeder is responsible for the kitten’s condition up to the moment of handover. After that — the conditions the cat lives in, transport, environmental contact — are out of their control.

Guarantees after the kitten “leaves the house” are always limited because you can’t predict the conditions the kitten will land in. That’s a normal and honest position.

At the same time, a responsible breeder doesn’t disappear — they stay in touch, advise, help with adjustment, nutrition, and care.

Promises like “5 years of full health guarantee on everything” deserve very careful reading: usually behind them is either an unrealistic promise or a contract with so many exclusions that actual coverage is minimal.

Ask: What support do you offer for behavioral issues or during the adjustment period?

The first 30 days in a new home are stressful for any cat. A breeder who’s worked with dozens of families knows what’s normal and what isn’t. They should be reachable, and the answer to this question should sound like one they’ve given before.

Ask: What’s the return clause if I can no longer keep the cat?

Life changes. The contract should specify what happens if you can’t care for the cat in a few years.

The right logic is simple: the first person with the right and the ability to take the cat back is the breeder. Before any boarding, listings, or “giving to a good home.” The breeder knows the animal, knows the breed, and can ensure a safe transition to new conditions.

At Floriente this clause is written in directly: circumstances change, but it matters to us how our graduates live. We’re prepared to take the cat back and find the best family for them ourselves.

It’s understood that over 5–10 years all kinds of circumstances can come up in life. But for us these aren’t “someone else’s animals.” This is responsibility forever. Like with kids — you don’t give up on them.

If the contract says nothing about returns — that’s a meaningful gap to clarify before signing.

4.5. About the Breeder — Experience and Training

Two questions that separate a systematic breeder from someone improvising.

Ask: Do you do felinology training every year?

Most club rules require breeders to do training once a year. That’s not a formality: the courses update knowledge on genetic tests, vaccination protocols, breed standards. Active club breeders want to go — meeting colleagues, exchanging experience, new shows. An answer like “last courses 5 years ago” is a signal that the person either dropped out of the professional field or shifted focus from breeding to selling.

Ask: How did you come to this breed — and have you worked with others before?

Experience with a previous breed means experience with different diseases, characters, registration systems. It’s not a requirement, just context: a breeder who worked for years with another breed and now added Orientals has a wider base than someone who “started with Oriental.” Both paths are valid — but the first usually means a deeper medical foundation.

5. What the Breeder Should Ask YOU

“This is one of the factors when I’m choosing a buyer.” — Elvira, on the buyer’s work schedule as a screening criterion.

A breeder who doesn’t ask about your home, your schedule, or your other pets isn’t protecting their kitten.

Here are the questions a serious breeder asks before locking in a kitten with you:

• Housing situation: Are you the owner or a renter? If renting — does the landlord allow cats? This isn’t a formality — renters who lose housing lose their cats.
• Household: Who lives with you? Ages of kids? Other pets — species, count, character?
• Daily schedule: How many hours a day is the home empty? Who looks after the cat during business trips?
• Return plan: If circumstances change, what’s your plan for the animal?
• Financial readiness: What are your expectations for annual vet costs?
• Approach to medicine: Do you plan to follow the vaccination protocol? Do you have a regular vet? A buyer who’s principally against vaccinations is a serious signal for a breeder. An endemic cat without vaccines risks meeting the very disease the vaccine would have prevented. For the breeder, this isn’t about control — it’s about responsibility for the kitten’s fate.

On the last point: a buyer who opens the conversation by asking for a discount is, with high probability, a buyer who’ll delay or skip vet care when the bill comes. That signal isn’t about the negotiation — it’s about the math of what comes next.

6. Responsible Breeder vs. Warning Signals

Criterion	Responsible Breeder	Warning Signal
Contract and payment	Written contract before deposit; payment confirms the contract	Verbal agreement; deposit with no documents
Health documents	Dated test results for both parents; full vet record for the kitten	”She’s healthy, I can see it” — no documents
Buyer screening	Asks about your home, schedule, other pets before offering a kitten	Takes the first deposit with no questions
Transparency	Shows parents on video; answers all questions; names known health risks	Dodges specific questions; “trust me” language
Handover age	Doesn’t release before 12–14 weeks	Offers kittens at 6–8 weeks (“already ready”)
Post-sale contact	Available for behavior questions; terms written into the contract	Unreachable after handover; “not my problem anymore”

FAQ

Why does a good breeder ask me more questions than I ask them?

Because they’re choosing a home for a living being who’ll live there for 15 years. They’re not closing a deal — they’re making a placement decision. If a breeder takes your payment without asking about your household — they’re optimizing the sale, not the cat’s future.

What is the PRA test and why does it matter for Orientals?

Progressive retinal atrophy is a hereditary disease that causes gradual blindness. It’s documented in Oriental breeds. Both parents must be tested with negative results — a file with the result, not a verbal claim. Breeding from untested parents passes the risk forward.

What if a seller says the kitten is ready at 8 or 10 weeks?

It’s not ready. The socialization window closes around 12–14 weeks. Before 12 weeks the immune system isn’t mature, the nervous system is still calibrating, and separation from mom and littermates causes measurable stress. A seller offering a kitten at 8 or 10 weeks is putting their convenience ahead of the kitten’s readiness. That’s not a small thing — it shapes who this cat will be for the next 15 years.

What should a health guarantee contain?

If a breeder does offer a formal post-handover guarantee — it should clearly state: duration, specific conditions covered, claim process (vet report, deadlines), and reimbursement method. A single line saying “healthy at the time of sale” isn’t a guarantee. But more often, a responsible breeder will honestly say: “I guarantee the condition at the moment of handover; after that depends on transport and environment.” That’s not dodging — it’s realism (see Halva’s logic above).

What if a breeder can’t answer several of these questions?

That’s already an answer. A breeder who can’t name the inbreeding coefficient, can’t show parent test results, and can’t describe the socialization process isn’t hiding information — they just haven’t done the work. An alternative reason is possible — a beginner breeder who hasn’t done felinology training yet. That’s not always a red flag (everyone starts somewhere), but it’s worth asking explicitly: “Have you taken courses, and when were the last ones?” If this is a first litter — price accordingly.

Can you negotiate with a responsible breeder?

You can ask. The answer will usually be “no” — not out of stubbornness, but because the price reflects real costs: testing, vet care, registration, food, time. A buyer who negotiates is showing the breeder something specific — about how they’ll approach what comes next.

What to Do Next

You now have 18 questions and a framework for reading the answers.

Read How to Choose a Kitten from a Breeder → — the full evaluation system before you message anyone.

Read How to Buy — step-by-step process → — what happens from first contact to handover.

Contact Floriente Cattery → — we answer all 18. Our kittens: florientecattery.com/en/kittens.