Prefix applicants agree to abide by the FASA Breeding Rules and the Rules Relating to the Registration of Cats reproduced from the legacy Prefix Application.
Code of Conduct and Rules for Breeders
New breeders applying for a cattery prefix, and existing breeders joining FASA, must be FASA members and hold a Dog and Cat Management Board breeder registration number renewed annually. They must read, understand, and agree to these rules.
Breeding
- The breeder or cattery must hold a registered FASA prefix and a current Dog and Cat Management Board Breeder Registration Number, applied for through FASA.
- The cattery or cat-housing area must be clean, free from undue odour, and comply with the South Australian Standards and Guidelines for Breeding and Trading Companion Animals.
- Cats and kittens must be healthy, happy, and active, with no more animals than the breeder and family can effectively care for.
- Cats and kittens must be raised with physical and mental stimulation, and kittens should be handled regularly and individually.
- Kittens should be placed only where the breeder genuinely believes the new owner will provide a life-long commitment to responsible pet ownership.
- Breeders must aim to improve or maintain the breed standard, not breed solely for commercial purposes, and remain familiar with relevant South Australian standards and guidelines.
- Breeders must not knowingly sell cats or kittens to commercial wholesalers or retail pet dealers, or allow them to be given as prizes or competition donations. Relinquishment to a shelter is a last resort.
- Female cats under 10 months of age must not normally be mated unless veterinary advice has been sought.
- Matings must be planned so that no queen produces more than two litters in a calendar year or more than eight litters in her lifetime.
- Cats must not intentionally be mated to a different breed or a domestic cat, except in a recognised FASA experimental breeding program or a CCCA-permitted outcross.
- Breeders must not knowingly misrepresent breed characteristics, falsely advertise, or mislead people about a cat's showing performance.
- Kittens sent interstate or overseas must be at least 12 weeks old.
- Breeders must not knowingly breed from cats carrying a genetically transmitted trait or defect that may affect breed health. They should know their breed's potential problems, test cats where possible, and remove carriers from breeding programs.
Sale of Kittens
The legacy rules note that South Australian legislation requires animals to be microchipped before sale and desexed by six months of age or within 28 days of the new owner taking possession. Registered breeders are exempt from mandatory desexing, but not mandatory microchipping.
- Kittens must not leave for a new home unless they are vaccinated, microchipped, in general good health, and at least 12 weeks old.
- Each kitten must have received at least two vaccinations before sale. The breeder must give the new owner a current vaccination certificate signed by the registered veterinary surgeon who performed the vaccinations and health checks.
- Breeders are strongly encouraged to desex kittens before sale. If a kitten is not sold desexed, the new owner must arrange desexing within 28 days unless it is purchased by a registered breeder under a breeding arrangement.
- Breeders should provide continuing advice and support, written contact and dietary information, and the signed vaccination certificate.
- Breeders should discuss responsible cat ownership, including identification, desexing, confinement, housing, stimulation, litter training, integration with other pets, and common behavioural problems.
- A sales contract should state the kitten or cat is in good health at sale, explain the options if illness arises within seven days, cover desexing and breeding restrictions, and state whether the cat is a neutered pet, neutered show cat, or intact breeding cat.
- Where applicable, provide a FASA registered pedigree showing at least three generations, colours, registration numbers, and the breeder's name and address, plus FASA and club membership information or a link to the FASA website.
- Breeders should encourage purchasers to make contact with questions or concerns and respond in a timely manner.
- When selling a stud male, the breeder must ensure the purchaser understands the care, responsibility, and facilities required. The purchaser must be a registered breeder with facilities that meet the breeding guidelines.
- Breeders must not knowingly misrepresent a breed's characteristics, falsely advertise cats, or mislead people about the health or quality of any cat or kitten.
Registration and Penalties
- All litters must be litter registered and all kittens individually registered. Where a cat or kitten is registered to the new owner, the paperwork must be sent to the Registrar as soon as practical and within two months of sale.
- Breeders must explain the meaning of breeding, non-breeding, pet, show, and not-for-show registration status. New owners must sign the relevant registration agreement, and both parties should retain signed copies of any other agreements.
Failure to comply results in a first warning. Further offences may suspend a breeder from registering cats and kittens with FASA for up to 12 months. A further contravention after suspension may result in a permanent ban; the Dog and Cat Management Board will be advised of suspensions.
Rules Relating to the Registration of Cats
1. Definitions
- Association means the Feline Association of South Australia (FASA); registered means registered in the FASA Register unless stated otherwise; and cat includes kitten where eligible.
- Month means a calendar month. CCCA is the Coordinating Cat Council of Australia. Pending means paperwork has been submitted to the Registrar and awaits processing.
2. The Register
- FASA keeps and maintains a register of cats and may refuse a registration application without assigning a reason.
- The person named as owner in the register is deemed the owner. In a partnership, both parties are co-owners and both signatures are required unless a statutory declaration is accepted when one signature is unattainable.
- Registration, transfer, prefix, and related forms are available from the FASA website or Secretary. A cat may be dual registered in South Australia with both control bodies.
- To gain points for FASA Annual Awards, a cat must be registered with FASA and its owner must be a financial FASA member.
3. Eligibility
- Only the breeder may initially register a cat, unless the association approves otherwise.
- Unless approved otherwise, a cat must be litter recorded; have sire and dam registered; have a dam registered in South Australia; have a sire registered with FASA or a FASA-recognised body; and be microchipped with the number supplied for individual registration.
- FASA will not accept cats registered with a control body not recognised by CCCA, or cats deregistered by a CCCA Member Body. CCCA Members will be notified of deregistrations.
4. Registration Numbers and Names
- Each registered cat receives a unique number and identifier comprising the breeder's registered prefix, a name of no more than 25 characters including prefix and spaces, and the registered number. Numerals cannot be used in the name.
- A cat name must not duplicate or closely resemble a name in the same breed. A registered name cannot be changed except to correct an error or duplication, which must be recorded by the Management Committee.
- Colour or pattern reclassification after individual registration requires assessment by three qualified judges for that group, with the required signed documentation.
5. Breeding or Non-Breeding Designation
- Individual registrations should be marked Entire, Show Neuter, or Pet Only. Entire cats may be bred and shown; Show Neuters may be shown but not bred unless written permission is given before neutering; Pet Only cats may not produce registrable progeny without written permission rescinding the restriction.
- Breeders may place other sale conditions in a written contract signed by both parties.
6. Transfers
- A transfer requires the original FASA certificate, the correct FASA form, and the appropriate fee. Cats from recognised control bodies must be transferred to the South Australian owner before FASA registration.
- Applications require the current registration form, a three-generation pedigree showing registration numbers, colours, and breeder signature, and the fee. Transfer must be applied for within 30 days of ownership change or the fee is doubled.
- Cats must comply with the FASA breeding rules and complete transfer through their original registering body. CCCA transfers retain their original registration number followed by the registering body initials; the registrar-stamped certificate acts as a certified pedigree.
7. Litters
- Litter registration requires a completed stud form signed by the stud owner, a four-generation pedigree showing colours and registration numbers, and the fee.
- Litters and individual kittens should be registered by six months of age. Late registrations may be refused or, if accepted, charged at double fee. Registration after 12 months requires Management Committee approval and, if accepted, a double fee.
8. Cattery Prefix
- The applicant must be a financial FASA member, apply for a Breeder Registration Number through FASA, and agree to FASA rules and policies.
- A prefix application must be one word of no more than 12 letters, with no hyphens or apostrophes. Supply six sufficiently different choices; the total registered cat name, including prefix, must not exceed 25 letters.
- The Registrar clears a new prefix throughout recognised Australian control bodies. Applicants must not use a chosen name until they receive official notification from the FASA Registrar.
9. Experimental and New Breeds
- Breeders proposing an unrecognised breed, colour, pattern, or hair length must apply to the Management Committee with the breeding background, standards, and proposed program. The Breeds and Standards Subcommittee considers the proposal and may establish a program.
- Experimental kittens must be registered by six months or, if accepted late, incur a double fee. Experimental exhibits must show their proposed breed and generation on the application form.
10. Leasing
- A lease is a contractual arrangement giving the lessee the rights of ownership for its term. The application requires a letter signed by the registered owner and lessee stating the term and conditions, a pedigree, original registration certificate, and fee.
11. Showing
- Pedigreed cats and kittens over six months must be registered to be shown. Only cats registered with control councils recognised by FASA may be entered, and registration numbers must be included on entry forms.
- Number pending is allowed for pedigree kittens under six months where paperwork has been submitted. Unregistered pedigreed cats and kittens may not enter Companion Cat classes.
12. Copies
- A duplicate registration is issued only when the Registrar is satisfied the original was genuinely lost. It is marked as a duplicate and attracts double the normal fee.
13. Fees
Refer to the FASA website or Secretary for current fees.
By completing the declaration below, the applicant agrees to abide by these rules and acknowledges the stated penalties for non-compliance.