# Grrrr...Gccf prefix and club secretary certification



## AvaRags (Jan 5, 2013)

I'm having a bit of a panic and wondered if anyone could offer any advice.
I have been trying to sort out my Prefix Application Form and after realising I needed it certified by a cat club secretary, I contacted one of the Ragdoll cat clubs that I applied to be a member of to see if they would sign it and they said only after I have been a member for 2 years  !! I was quite shocked and now I don't know what to do. I have emailed the other one that I'm a member of but I've only been a member since the end of November and if they have to same rules what shall I do? :mellow:
Also, what will it mean for the kittens we should hopefully be expecting later in the year, does it matter? ....... I thought I was doing everything I should do and wanted to do it right and now I'm in a panic..... (time for a glass of wine I think )


----------



## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Unfortunately a lot of clubs do ask for you to be a longish serving member before they will sign prefix forms.

For your kittens they get an GCCF administrative prefix instead. Still registrable.


----------



## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

Area clubs don't tend to have that restriction - it's a breed club thing. Cov and Leic don't require a minimum membership for prefix app signing


----------



## Steverags (Jul 19, 2010)

The TRCS require you to be a member for a year i think? you can still register your kittens uder the GCCF yearly prefix until you are able to get the signiture and apply for your own prefix.


----------



## AvaRags (Jan 5, 2013)

Thanks everyone, feeling calmer now, I was more concerned about what it meant for the kittens we are hoping for later in the year, but if they are still registerable then that is the main thing. I will give the local cat clubs a try.
Out of interest do TICA have the same rules regarding needing a Cat Club signature?

Thanks again


----------



## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

TICA require nothing other than your money. The GCCF require nothing other than your money and proof you've paid some dues into a GCCF member club. This post shows how meaningless the whole thing is. Anybody who wants a prefix can tout around for a club which doesn't require any minimum membership and get a form signed for a GCCF prefix. They don't need to know anything about the rules regarding registration of kittens. They don't need to be known by anybody. They don't need to have an experienced mentor. They'll get some club to sign their application and then go on to call themselves a 'registered' breeder.

Unpopular as I know my opinion will be, I have believed for some time that new breeders should have to register two or three litters under the admin prefix before being allowed to apply for their own. If breeders are going to claim a prefix carries some implication of experience and high standards then that's exactly what they should show before having one.


----------



## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

AvaRags said:


> Thanks everyone, feeling calmer now, I was more concerned about what it meant for the kittens we are hoping for later in the year, but if they are still registerable then that is the main thing. I will give the local cat clubs a try.
> Out of interest do TICA have the same rules regarding needing a Cat Club signature?
> 
> Thanks again


Yep avarags you can reg them just not in your prefix name well thats is untill you get one then you can.


----------



## AvaRags (Jan 5, 2013)

havoc said:


> TICA require nothing other than your money. The GCCF require nothing other than your money and proof you've paid some dues into a GCCF member club. This post shows how meaningless the whole thing is. Anybody who wants a prefix can tout around for a club which doesn't require any minimum membership and get a form signed for a GCCF prefix. They don't need to know anything about the rules regarding registration of kittens. They don't need to be known by anybody. They don't need to have an experienced mentor. They'll get some club to sign their application and then go on to call themselves a 'registered' breeder.
> 
> Unpopular as I know my opinion will be, I have believed for some time that new breeders should have to register two or three litters under the admin prefix before being allowed to apply for their own. If breeders are going to claim a prefix carries some implication of experience and high standards then that's exactly what they should show before having one.


I think you have a good point although it is such a complicated subject that the process it is never going to please everyone.
You only have to spend (a lot of) spare time reading available info on the GCCF website (and others), as I do, to realise what an indepth subject it all is, with many rules regulations and proceedures and as someone who has owned cats all my life, including pedigrees but who is new to breeding it is mind blowing how much information there is to learn.
I do consider myself lucky as my breeder is always there to help me as are other contacts I have made in the cat world and not forgetting all the advice and cat chat I have found on this site, it all aids the learning process. It wouldn't really bother me if the rules were that I had to breed X amount of litters before recieving a Prefix, although I am not sure it would prove very much and wouldn't mean you had high standards for your cats/litters, producing X amount of litters doesn't make you a good breeder. My only concern would only ever be that the kittens were registered and their parentage acknowledged, and as they will be I am happy with that........... although I can't wait to have my Prefix  it would mean that our babies would have our family name and I would be proud to give them that.


----------



## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> producing X amount of litters doesn't make you a good breeder


Nor does paying a paltry membership fee to a club. Breeding for two or three years without known problems or complaints would be a fairly good indicator.


----------



## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

AR, you can put your chosen prefix after the admin one so that your kittens can be recognised if you don't manage to get an area club to sign your prefix application.


----------



## Chiantina (Oct 16, 2012)

Definitely check out the area club - I have joined the Shropshire Cat Club and they no longer have any minimum membership time. 

Sounds like we are at a very similar stage. I am also glad I have 2 established breeders acting as my mentors because it is such a steep learning curve!


----------



## Steverags (Jul 19, 2010)

havoc said:


> TICA require nothing other than your money. The GCCF require nothing other than your money and proof you've paid some dues into a GCCF member club. This post shows how meaningless the whole thing is. Anybody who wants a prefix can tout around for a club which doesn't require any minimum membership and get a form signed for a GCCF prefix. They don't need to know anything about the rules regarding registration of kittens. They don't need to be known by anybody. They don't need to have an experienced mentor. They'll get some club to sign their application and then go on to call themselves a 'registered' breeder.


Here Here


----------



## colliemerles (Nov 2, 2007)

_hmm interesting, abit confusing,lol,alittle different to the Kennel club were you can just send off for an affix, is there alot of difference between the GCCF and TICA ????_


----------



## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> is there alot of difference between the GCCF and TICA ????


TICA is an international registration body based in Arlington, Texas. The GCCF is a registration body based in the UK. There are others. The GCCF is currently the main one used in the UK but TICA is gaining ground. The main functions of either/both are to maintain a database and hold shows.


----------



## wicket (Aug 22, 2012)

carly87 said:


> AR, you can put your chosen prefix after the admin one so that your kittens can be recognised if you don't manage to get an area club to sign your prefix application.


Hi I dont think you can do this as I thought about doing it for my first litter this year - the rules of registration say you cant have the same word more than once when registering a litter which would rule out being able to put in what you are hopefully going to have as your prefix as the second word in each registration.


----------



## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> Hi I dont think you can do this as I thought about doing it for my first litter this year


Of course you can if you use a hyphen. The GCCF computer then only recognises a complete word.
You can't have
prefix kittena
prefix kittenb
but you can use
prefix-kittena
prefix-kittenb
prefix-kittenc
etc.

You'd best be sure you will get your first choice though


----------



## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

havoc said:


> Of course you can if you use a hyphen. The GCCF computer then only recognises a complete word.
> You can't have
> prefix kittena
> prefix kittenb
> ...


And that you don't exceed the allowed amount of letters - 18 including spaces if you need an administrative prefix


----------



## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

The trouble with using something like 'ADxxx Prefix Name' is you might not get your choosen prefix.


----------



## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Of course not, but if you don't use your own prefix, then you're guaranteed that those cats will not carry your name. At least if you use your chosen prefix, there's a chance they'll match.


----------



## wicket (Aug 22, 2012)

havoc said:


> Of course you can if you use a hyphen. The GCCF computer then only recognises a complete word.
> You can't have
> prefix kittena
> prefix kittenb
> ...


wow thats clever - wished I had asked on here first !


----------

