What does it mean to have a family tree?

[lonelocust]

This is more idle curiosity than anything else. Not really sure if this is the right forum but didn't figure it really belonged in breeding/showing. 

I've been browsing my local Craig's List equivalent to help a friend who just relocated to my area with his older cat find another older cat friend (his second cat died a few years ago, and his cat is lonely at home alone when he's at work; and yes we are checking shelters also). I notice when people place breed cats they sometimes say the cat has a family tree and sometimes say it doesn't. That makes sense. But sometimes they say they cat doesn't have a family tree *but both of its parents do*, and you can get a copy of the parents' family trees. I don't understand that. I thought the family tree was, well, a list of all the cat's ancestors, so if you have that for both parents, you would have it by definition for the offspring as well. Do they mean they don't have a family tree that's been approved by a breed association (CFA or whatever)? 

(FYI, this won't make any difference to what cat my friend adopts. He's just looking for a cat of similar age to his who needs a new home and likes to snuggle with other cats, purebred/moggy notwithstanding.)

 

[Willowy]

I assume they mean pedigree, and registered. Some cats aren't registered but their parents are. Yes, the pedigree would be the same but if the cat isn't registered the pedigree isn't recognized.

 

[lonelocust]

Ah, yeah, it's actually not in English on the website I'm looking at. The literal word is family tree (same word you'd use as for talking about your human great grandparents and such). Looking up "pedigree" instead of "family tree" makes it make more sense. Context-dependent misunderstanding. You have solved the mystery for me. 

 

[posiepurrs]

 There are pedigree programs that breeders use to print them out for people. If you want a 'certified' pedigree you must order it from the registry. There is much less of a chance of a mistake being made on a certified pedigree. Most people don't are unless the cat is going to be used for breeding so the one printed out on the computer by the breeder is usually sufficient.