If you are searching for cats or kittens you are unlikely to find a long list of addresses on the Internet. Few breeders will post their own, let alone a list of other personal addresses, but you should be able to email or phone the owner of each website. Some links to breeders' sites are listed in this section.

Breeders want to know where their kittens are going, and if they have any doubts they might refuse to sell. It will encourage a better response if you introduce yourself - this may seem obvious, but it's surprising how many prospective owners start off with "how much are your kittens?" - which is a little off-putting. The details breeders usually look for include your name, your location, any previous experience with cats, your reasons for wanting a kitten, and a little about yourself and your household.

Many breeders are friendly and helpful - I am good friends with the two who have provided me with my cats. They love it if you send at least the occasional letter and photo of your cat over the years.

There are club contacts who hold kitten lists, breeder lists (of members only), and who may also have details of older pedigree cats looking for homes. Clubs are there to inform, and a growing number have an Internet presence. Some club links are listed in this section.

You can visit local cat shows but don't expect to find any cats on sale - cat shows are exhibitions rather than markets. A list of forthcoming shows is available on the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) site, but remember that a few have been cancelled this year because of the foot and mouth outbreak. There are also forthcoming shows listed on the Cat Association of Great Britain (CA) site - it's a different organization, therefore it has different clubs, some different breeds, and different shows. There are no CA shows in Scotland at present, but this looks set to change.

If you visit any shows it's a good idea to buy the catalogues; apart from being souvenirs of your visit, they will help you identify who/what you are looking at and sometimes include a few advertisements. Without a catalogue in a GCCF show you will know nothing about the cats; the judges are not supposed to know who they are so there are no visible means of identification.

Sale of the catalogues helps to support the clubs and shows - the hobby is becoming more and more expensive, particularly over these last few years when petrol, penning, and hall rental costs increased dramatically. Some clubs and breeders are struggling financially, particularly in the north.

Check out the cat magazines but bear in mind that not all of the breeders you see advertised (by whatever means) are reputable and fair. You will need the correct documentation with the kittens - most breeders will see you right, but it is not such a bad idea to check on the GCCF and CA sites (depending on whether the kitten you want is registered with the GCCF or the CA). If a breeder withholds the correct documentation, you should inform the relevant cat organization.

It might be worth noting that, with GCCF kittens, the presence of a signed pedigree certificate on its own does not guarantee that you have bought a registered pedigree cat of the breed you wanted. You need a transfer certificate. This means you have a registered cat (either fully pedigreed, or a recognized outcross). If you send the transfer certificate to the GCCF, the cat is transferred from the breeder's name to yours.

Breeders talk! You will find quite a gathering of them on various chat lists. There is even a list especially for the homing of pedigree kittens in the UK. It is free to join, and I have a few potentially helpful chat list URLs listed in this section - all UK-based, although overseas members are welcome.

As I am interested in Oriental cats there is obviously an 'Oriental' bias to my collection of URLs, but if you let me know of good UK-based chat lists or sites for other cat breeds, I will gladly provide links for those as well - with permission.

Some pedigree cats and kittens turn up at rescue centres and sanctuaries, though usually without their papers. If breeders or breed clubs hear of a particular breed of cat arriving at a rescue centre, they may try to get it back and track down the original breeder, who is generally unaware of the cat's new circumstances.

Many breeders say to prospective owners: "I'm here to help. If it's not working out, please let me know; I will take the cat back or help to rehome it if you can't keep it for any reason." Often owners do not honour this request, perhaps out of embarrassment. If you find yourself in this situation, please do not be embarrassed - sometimes things just do not work out, and most breeders are understanding. The important thing is to ensure your pet goes to a good home; most breeders are part of a network and might know of someone looking for an older cat.

There is an informal 'breed watch' in operation, covering papers such as 'Loot' as well as some pet shops and rescue centres. Breeders know each other even from opposite ends of the UK. If you rehome a cat, its breeder(s) may hear about it anyway. Make them happy - tell them if you are unable to keep the cat for whatever reason.

You may have to do a fair bit of detective work, but it will be worth it when your dream kitten arrives to share your home. Don't expect your life to be 'raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens', however! Kittens can be little terrors (some grow up to spray yellow raindrops around the house or leave presents outside their trays). There is cat hair everywhere - you even transport it to your office chair! If you are very house-proud or strapped for time, a cat is not necessarily going to be the right addition to your family. You will probably lose a good few items of sentimental or financial value before your years together are through. Hopefully that will be many many years away, as your cat (pedigreed or otherwise) is your friend and companion, a unique character and an individual life - therefore priceless.