Cat pedigrees for small catteries
A breeder's cat pedigree shows the kitten's own details (name, microchip or registration number, breed, colour and pattern, colour code, sex, date of birth) and then its sires and dams back three to five generations, each with its colour, code and titles such as CH or GC. It is the cattery's own record. A registry's certified pedigree is a separate document the registry issues from its own records. Choose Cat as the species in the pedigree maker.
A cattery's pedigree and a certified pedigree
Cat registries register a litter from registered parents: in one large registry the dam's owner registers the litter with both parents' registration numbers, with the sire owner's consent if they are different people, and each kitten is then registered individually. The same registry sells certified pedigrees of three to six generations, and issues one only when enough generations are recorded with it.
A breeder's pedigree does a different job. It goes home with the kitten, it shows the line as the cattery knows it, including ancestors recorded with other associations, and it costs nothing to print again. Say on it that it is a breeder's pedigree, not registration papers, and point the buyer to the registry for the certified one.
Cat fields: colour codes and titles
- Colour and pattern in words, for example Blue Tabby Point.
- A colour code if your registry uses one. The EMS system, for example, writes breed, colour, pattern and other traits as a short code such as BRI a for a blue British Shorthair.
- Titles as abbreviations. One large registry uses CH for Champion, GC for Grand Champion, PR for Premier, GP for Grand Premier, RW for Regional Winner, NW for National Winner and DM for Distinguished Merit.
- A microchip number where the cat has one, otherwise its registration number, as the identity box.
Titles and codes are free text here, so you can write them exactly as your registry does.
Keeping the cattery's records in one place
Small catteries often have ancestors registered with more than one association and outcross lines bought in from abroad. Keep every cat you know about in your herd, including ancestors you never owned, marked as ancestor only. Record each litter with its queen, its stud and the birth date, and the kittens take their parents from the litter. When a kitten goes to its new home, print its pedigree and a sale sheet together, and keep a backup file of the herd somewhere other than this computer.
Worked example: Pip, a British Shorthair kitten
In the demo herd, Pip is out of Storm (BRI a, CH) and Dusk (BRI c). His sire's sire Atlas carries the GC title. The three generation chart has 6 of 14 boxes recorded, with each cat's colour code and title printed in its box.
Print his pedigree and a sale sheet from the demo herd in the pedigree maker; the sale sheet adds his photo, his age in weeks and his parents and grandparents on one page for the new owner.
Common mistakes
- Handing over a breeder's pedigree as if it were the registry's certified pedigree.
- Mixing colour code systems in one chart without saying which registry each came from.
- Writing a title the cat has not been confirmed for by its registry.
- Leaving out the microchip number on a kitten that has been chipped.
Make the pedigree now
Type one pedigree by hand and print it, or explore the demo herd to see ancestors fill themselves in. Your herd stays in this browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no account.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free cat pedigree maker that works on a Mac?
Yes. This pedigree maker runs in any current web browser on a Mac, a Windows computer or a tablet, free and with no account.
Can I make a pedigree certificate for a kitten?
Yes, a breeder's pedigree certificate with your cattery name and logo. It is not registration papers; the registry issues those and its own certified pedigrees.
What does a code like BRI a mean?
It is an EMS code: BRI stands for the British Shorthair breed and a for the colour blue. EMS writes breed, colour, pattern and other traits in short codes.
Sources
Last reviewed 27 September 2026 against:
- Registration Overview, Cat Fanciers' Association, undated page, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Litter registration by the dam's owner with both parents' numbers, individual kitten registration, and registering cats from other associations with a certified pedigree.
- Certified Pedigrees, Cat Fanciers' Association, undated catalog page, read 27 September 2026. Used for: The three to six generation certified pedigrees a registry issues from its own records.
- Show Titles and Awards, Cat Fanciers' Association, page showing December 2025 season data, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Title abbreviations such as CH, GC, PR, GP, RW, NW and DM.
- EMS system, Federation Internationale Feline, page noting code changes from 1 July 2026, read 27 September 2026. Used for: What an EMS code describes: breed, colour, pattern and other traits in a short code.
This guide is our own summary, not a registry's rule book. If it disagrees with the current documents, the documents win. Hutchline is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the American Rabbit Breeders Association, the American Cavy Breeders Association, The International Cat Association, the Cat Fanciers' Association or any other registry or breed club.