Cat Pedigree Papers: A Guide to Australian Pedigrees
If you're looking for a purebred kitten, the word "pedigree" is often part of the conversation. Pedigree documents in Australia are issued by long standing peak bodies and not-for-profit organisations as well as newer organisations and businesses — this page explains what a pedigree is and how cat pedigrees work in Australia.
- A cat pedigree is an official document drawn from a national stud book — not just a family tree on paper.
- A pedigree confirms the cat comes from a documented breed background — meaning temperament, behaviour, size, and appearance are generally more predictable than with an undocumented cat.
- In Australia, pedigrees from ACF and CCCA-affiliated cat councils are internationally recognised through the World Cat Congress, and ANCATS is affiliated with the World Cat Federation.
- A pedigree from one of these councils involves registered cattery prefixes or suffixes, compliance with formal breed standards, and breeder adherence to the issuing body's code of ethics.
Australia's three cat fancy councils
The three national cat councils:
- The Australian Cat Federation (ACF) was formed in 1973 and is a member of the World Cat Congress (WCC), operating through state and territory member bodies.
- The Co-Ordinating Cat Council of Australia (CCCA) was formed in 1980 and is a member of the World Cat Congress (WCC). It coordinates national breed standards, judges' training, and breeding and show rules across its affiliated state and territory bodies.
- Australian National Cats Inc. (ANCATS) — established in 1997 and affiliated with the World Cat Federation (WCF), operating as Australia's only national cat registry rather than through separate state affiliate bodies.
For more on each council and their member bodies, see our guide to Australia's cat councils.
International recognition
The World Cat Congress brings together major cat organisations internationally. ANCATS is affiliated with the World Cat Federation (WCF), which is itself a member of the World Cat Congress.
In practice, this means a cat with an ACF, CCCA or ANCATS pedigree can typically be shown at international events, exported with recognition of its lineage, and used in registered breeding programmes overseas. Pedigrees from a recognised overseas cat fancy body are likewise accepted for registration with the Australian councils, though acceptance and classification can vary by country, breed, and variety.
Newer organisations and businesses
Several newer organisations and businesses also issue documents called pedigree papers, including for crossbreeds and mixed breeds. These bodies have different histories and oversight structures, and operate outside the international networks used by ACF, CCCA, and ANCATS.
Breeder requirements also differ between the two systems. For example, all ACF, CCCA, and ANCATS-affiliated cat fancy bodies require kittens to be 10 or 12 weeks old before rehoming — above the 8-week state legislative minimum that newer organisations currently align with. See the Australian cat council kitten rehoming standards for council-by-council detail.
Confusion about what pedigree papers actually represent is widespread, and it can cost people money and heartbreak if it turns out that the standards they expected with pedigree papers aren't there.
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What a certified cat pedigree includes
A cat pedigree includes:
- the kitten's registered name (which incorporates the breeder's cattery prefix or suffix)
- breed, sex, date of birth, and colour
- microchip number
It also provides:
- a multi-generation family tree, typically showing four generations of ancestry on the full register
- the breeder's name and the council that issued the pedigree
The pedigree is a council-verified record of lineage. Without papers from a recognised council, the lineage isn't documented through a council's stud book — even if the kitten looks like a particular breed. With papers, the lineage has been registered, recorded, and can be checked against the issuing body's records.
To register a litter with their cat council, and have pedigree papers issued, a breeder must:
- Hold a registered cattery prefix or suffix — their unique cattery name — which is approved by their council and recorded against every kitten they breed
- Be a financial member of an ACF, CCCA or ANCATS-affiliated body
- Register every litter with their council
- Operate within their council's published code of ethics, which covers breeding limits, health testing, vaccination protocols, microchipping, desexing, and minimum kitten rehoming age
If you've been shown or given pedigree papers that don't look right — missing details, inconsistent registration numbers, a body you can't find online, or anything else that's suspicious — we can take a look for you. We have breeders with decades of experience reading pedigrees who can review the document.
Email a clear photo or scan to Perfect Pets Pedigree Check along with the breeder's name, contact details and the registering body shown on the document and we'll assess from there.
If in doubt, ask two questions: Which body issued the pedigree? And is the breeder registered with a cat council affiliated with ACF, CCCA, or ANCATS?
Frequently asked questions
What are pedigree papers for a cat?
Pedigree papers are an official document that records a cat's ancestry going back several generations. A pedigree is drawn from a national stud book maintained by a recognised cat fancy council — in Australia, the ACF, CCCA, or ANCATS — and shows that the cat comes from a recorded lineage of registered pedigree cats.
Are cat pedigrees from Australian councils recognised internationally?
Yes. Pedigrees from cat councils affiliated with the Australian Cat Federation (ACF) or the Co-Ordinating Cat Council of Australia (CCCA) are recognised through the World Cat Congress, which includes FIFe, CFA, TICA, WCF, and GCCF. ANCATS is affiliated with the World Cat Federation (WCF), which is itself a member of the World Cat Congress.
What is a Pet Only pedigree?
A Pet Only pedigree is a pedigree certificate used by some Australian cat registries or member bodies for kittens placed as pets rather than for breeding. It usually indicates that the cat is not to be bred from, and the cat may also be recorded as desexed or sold under a desexing requirement. Either way, the cat is still fully purebred and pedigreed.
How do I know a kitten is actually purebred?
The pedigree certificate is the formal record of who the parents and ancestors are. A pedigree from an ACF, CCCA or ANCATS-affiliated body records the lineage on a national stud book, with each ancestor traceable through registration numbers and cattery prefixes.
What is a registered cattery prefix or suffix?
A registered cattery prefix or suffix is a breeder's unique cattery name, registered with their cat council. Every kitten a breeder produces is registered under that name — appearing either at the start of the registered name (a prefix) or at the end (a suffix). Breeders use the same system consistently. To obtain one, a breeder must satisfy their council's requirements and maintain financial membership of their state body or ANCATS. It's one of the clearest markers of an established registered cat breeder.
Do pedigree cats need health testing?
Australian cat councils set health testing requirements for breeds with known genetic conditions. The specific tests vary by breed and by council, but registered breeders are bound by these requirements as part of their code of ethics. Vaccination protocols and minimum kitten rehoming age are also covered in council codes.
How can I check if a cat breeder is properly registered?
Ask which cat council the breeder belongs to and whether it's affiliated with ACF, CCCA, or ANCATS. You can confirm membership directly with the relevant body. For a guide to state government breeder registers, see our breeder verification checklist.
At Perfect Pets, we have always required that our cat breeder members are registered with ANCATS, or an ACF or CCCA-affiliated body. This has been our standard since we launched in 2013, and it hasn't changed.
Learn more about how to find a responsible breeder and how we verify every breeder before they're listed.