KEEPING CATEUR CATS

1. Cateur cats should be kept indoors only, surrounded by people. Keeping outside the home or in farm buildings is inadmissible.
2. Cateur cats cannot be caged except when being transported, participating in a cat show or housed in a veterinary clinic. Cages should be well ventilated and sized to allow the cat to stand up. A toilet, food and water must be provided in the cage. This obligation does not apply to short-term transport in a transport bag.
3. Cateur cats must be kept on area of no less than 20 m². It should allow the cat to move, play and enjoy home life.
4. Cateur cats should be kept in rooms with natural daylight and a temperature range of no lower than 15°C and no higher than 30°C. If necessary, additional heating or cooling should be provided.
5. Cateur cats should be provided with equipment for climbing, play and privacy - scratching barrels, posts, hollows, houses, beds, cat trees, etc.
6. Cateur cats must have all time access to a clean litter box, fresh drinking water (not bottled) and quality cat food according to their nutritional needs and the recommendations of veterinarian. The distance from the litter box to food and water should not be less than 1 meter.
7. Cateur cats must be provided with a safe home environment that prevents incidents such as:
   • a. Poisoning by chemicals, inappropriate food and plants;
   • b. Burns from heating installations and electrical appliances;
   • c. Falling from windows and balconies;
   • d. Life and health threatening incidents with other pets.
8. Cateur cats must not kept with reptiles, rodents, hunting and aggressive dogs, any type of wild cats, any cats with genetic malformations (e.g. Munchkin and Scottish Fold).

HEALTH AND HYGIENE CARE FOR CATEUR CATS

9. Cateur cats must be revaccinated annually against Feline Panleukopenia (FPV), Feline Calicivirus (FCV), Feline Herpesvirus (FHV) and Feline Leukemia virus (FeLV), unless otherwise advised by a veterinarian.
10. All Cateur cats are vaccinated against rabies first time at the cattery, the need for revaccination should be discussed with a veterinarian.
11. All Cateur cats should be dewormed monthly if possible or at least once every three months.
12. All Cateur cats must be subject to a preventive veterinary examination at least once a year, even if they have no symptoms of illness. In addition to the physical examination, the assessment of their health status must be substantiated with results from:
    • a. Blood count with leukogram and biochemical indicators;
    • b. Urine biochemical indicators;
    • c. Heart ultrasound at least once every two years.
13. Cateur cats should be taken to the vet care on time. It is unacceptable to treat them without consulting a veterinarian.
14. Only veterinary products should be used in the health and hygiene care of Cateur cats, unless otherwise advised by the veterinarian.
15. Bathing Cateur cats should be avoided. Other cleaning methods, such as wet pet wipes, should be tried as needed.
16. Care of the eyes, ears, oral hygiene and coat of Cateur cats includes a daily examination and, if necessary, actions are taken to improve their condition.
17. Grooming Cateur cats should be done with cat equipment - combs, brushes and gloves. The use of shaving devices and the Furminator® is strictly prohibited, unless it is part of a medical manipulation carry out by a veterinarian.
18. The premises, beds and blankets, the litter box, as well as the food and water bowls must be kept clean at all times. Chemical or thermal disinfection (≥60°C) must be carried out at least once a week.

HUMANE TREATMENT OF CATEUR CATS

19. Violence against Cateur cats is unacceptable, both by humans and other pets. If necessary, they should be provided with a separate room for privacy.
20. It is not permitted Cateur cats to be used for medical and biological experimental research or testing.
21. It is not permitted to change the natural appearance of Cateur cats such as removing the fur to the skin, painting, docking ears and tail, removing nails (onychectomy), placing implants in the scrotal sac or cheeks.
22. The use of accessories that change the natural appearance of Cateur cats such as collars, ribbons, jewelry, clothes and others should be for a short time and with an occasion, for example for a photo shoot on the occasion of a birthday or other holiday. It is unacceptable that cats should be forced to wear such accessories all the time.
23. It is inadmissible for Cateur cats to participate in sports competitions, ritual ceremonies, circuses and other performances. They can participate in cat shows, in the cinema or television, but only if they are provided with access to a toilet, food, water and places of privacy.
24. Except for medical care, Cateur cats should not be sedated. Pheromones and veterinary nutritional supplements can be used to reduce stress levels if necessary.
25. Only healthy Cateur cats can be taken out of the home except when they need veterinary care.
26. Cateur cats should enjoy daily human caresses and attention. If their owner is away from home for more than 2 days, his/her deputy should take care of them.
27. It is inadmissible for Cateur cats to live on the street or change their owner without the consent of the breeder. In case of longterm impossibility to keep a Cateur cat, it must be returned to the cattery.

CATEUR BREEDING

28. The breeding of Cateur cats is done only with British Shorthairs having purebred pedigrees going back at least three generations, entered in the LO register of the feline organization issuing the pedigree.
29. It is possible that Cateur cats are descended from experimental breeding ancestors that are listed in the pedigree publisher's RX registry.
30. The selection of parents ensures pure breeding of Cateur cats without inbreeding and crossbreeding. All Cateur kittens are eligible for entry into the LO register (Livre d’Origine fr. - Original book).
31. Only healthy parents are used to breed Cateur cats, which have been tested for the absence of:
    • a. Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD);
    • b. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM);
    • c. Cryptorchidism;
    • d. Feline Leukemia virus (FeLV);
    • e. Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV);
    • f. Infectious and other diseases during the reproductive time.
32. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, quarantine measures are implemented that last a minimum of 28 days after the first vaccination of Cateur kittens:
    • a. The mother and her offspring are isolated in a separate room;
    • b. Visits of outsiders to the cattery are suspended;
    • c. Daily hygienic disinfection of all premises is carried out;
    • d. All other cats are regularly dewormed and subject to immediate veterinary control in case of any symptoms.
33. Cateur kittens cannot leave the cattery until the full vaccination cycle has been completed in accordance with the regulations of the Republic of Bulgaria and the EU. This restriction does not apply to veterinary clinic visits.

ADOPTING CATEUR CATS

34. Cateur cats can be adopted under certain conditions, regulated in a bilateral contract between the breeder and the adopter. The Adopter agrees to care as a responsible owner for the Cateur cat in accordance witht these compliance policies.
35. The welfare of each Cateur cat is of paramount importance to the breeder. Every adopter goes through an interview with the breeder. The breeder may ask to visit the adopter's home to make sure the environment is suitable for keeping a Cateur cat.
36. Only healthy Cateur cats can be adopted. It is unacceptable to entrust cats with health problems to the care of the adopter.
37. Cateur cats are handover to their adoptive parents dewormed, vaccinated, with an international veterinary passport, with DNA test results and original pedigree. Additional medical tests can be done at the request of the adopter.
38. Cateur cats are handover to their adoptive parents neutered, unless otherwise recommended by a veterinarian or the cat will be used for breeding by a registered breeder.
39. Adopted Cateur cats cannot leave the cattery before the age of 4 months or 12 weeks of age if the foster home is another registered cattery.
40. Every adopter of a Cateur cat gets guidance from the breeder on the proper care of the cat, whenever necessary.