We’re here to educate buyers, and part of this education is showing them – this is what a great breeder looks like! The TBC Certification program serves to emphasize the importance of health testing to prospective kitten buyers, while ensuring Certified breeders show up at the top of results within our Directory.
If you’re a breeder who strives to do things right and you always have the best interest of your cats at heart, you’re exactly who we’re looking to highlight.
What we Look For
How would you demonstrate to a buyer that you’re trustworthy, you do things by the books, and you take excellent care of your cats?
You would be helpful and provide them with information, you would show them the type environment you keep, and you would tell them all about your program. You would ask them questions about their home, showing you care where your kittens end up. If asked, you would willingly provide documentation of testing and health records.
We are working hard to teach buyers to be more and more diligent when searching for a kitten, just as breeders need to be diligent about finding good homes. We’re here to do what we can to support diligent buyers and breeders alike.
We know that nothing is black and white, that no one is perfect and we have ALL made mistakes. We’re not trying to judge against a perfect standard. We’re just looking for identifiers that when combined, generally mean that we can promote a breeder with confidence.
Specifically, we check for the following:
1) Agrees to the TBC Code of Ethics
How to qualify: Read and agree the TBC Code of Ethics.
2) Has an appropriate “Going Home Age”
Why: Kittens that are weaned too early are prone to lifelong behavior issues, including fear and aggression.
How to qualify: Verify that you do not allow your kittens to go home earlier than 12 weeks of age; preferably 14+ weeks
3) Proactively screens for HCM
Why: HCM is a devastating disease that causes heart failure. By regularly screening our breeders and their parents, we can work to reduce the prevalence of this disease within the breed.
How to qualify: Submit echocardiogram reports completed by a certified cardiologist for any current breeders, or provide other evidence that you keep heart-healthy lines.
4) Tests for PRA-b
Why: PRA-b is genetic condition that causes blindness. It is easily tested for to ensure you don’t pair 2 carriers together.
How to qualify: Submit any supporting PRA-b DNA reports for your cattery.
5) Tests for PK-Def
Why: PK-Def is genetic condition that causes anemia and other blood-related issues. It is easily tested for to ensure you don’t pair 2 carriers together.
How to qualify: Submit any supporting PK-Def DNA reports for your cattery.
How to Become TBC Certified
In order to become TBC Certified, you will need to submit a TBC Certification Application and wait for a manual review. This should be complete within 7 business days, depending on how much additional communication is required. After submitting your application, you’ll also need to upgrade your package to “TBC Certified Breeder” which costs $197/year.
Step 1: Submit your application
Step 2: Upgrade your listing
You will need to either upgrade an existing listing or create a new listing, and select the “TBC Certified Breeder” package for $197/year.
I have an account with an existing listing to upgrade:
Log in and click “Edit Listing” from your Dashboard. Edit your listing like normal, but select the new package. Allow the page to refresh with new fields and fill out the form.
I don’t have an account yet:
You will need to either create a new listing or claim an existing listing.
- Is your cattery already listed?
Click here to view the directory, and then search by breeder name to look for your cattery, or zoom in on your location. If you found yourself, click to view your listing and click the “Register to Claim” button to get started. - Not listed? Go ahead and create a new listing.
To add a new listing, click here. You will need to create an account (register) or log in to view and fill out this form.
