Purebred vs Pedigree Dogs and Cats: What’s the Diff?

Purebred vs pedigree – surely when it comes to dogs and cats, it’s the same thing? The terms are used interchangeably quite often, but animal lovers (and English teachers) will know they don’t actually mean quite the same thing.

So next time you talk about your pedigree cat or purebred dog, here’s how to make sure you’re using the right lingo.

What is purebred?

In the purebred vs pedigree debate, let’s start with purebred. This refers to kittens or pups bred from parents of the same breed. The aim of purebred dogs and cats is usually to create a specific set of traits that all of the animals of that breed will display. These include physical traits as well as temperaments.

Usually, you’ll have a solid idea if your pet is purebred. They’ll look and act very similarly to other pets of their breed. But if you adopted or you aren’t totally sure, here’s how to tell if a dog is purebred here. The process is pretty much the same for purebred cats. So as an example, a Siamese kitten born from two Siamese parents would be a purebred Siamese cat.

Also, you might’ve heard about health issues in purebred pets. We looked into the common saying that mixed breed dogs are healthier than purebred to find out whether it’s true or not.

Side note: Did you know that the 1st May is National Purebred Dog Day? Read this ‘National Purebred Dog Day in NZ – Our Purebred Dog Heroes‘ article to learn more about this special day.

And pedigree?

The term ‘pedigree’, though often used instead of purebred, actually refers to the entire lineage of an animal.

If an animal is purebred it means the breeding history of a pet’s parents, grandparents and so on has been recorded. You can trace their bloodline back, just like a family tree. This is recorded in breeding registry, like Dogs New Zealand. Not only are they purebred, but their pedigree has been officially recorded.

Why would this need to happen? Well, the main reason is to note trends in traits, behaviour, health issues, and so on through several generations. That information can then be used to identify which animals consistently produced offspring with certain traits.

For example, some horses will always have offspring who are grey. Some specific German Shepherd lines might be more likely to develop hip dysplasia than others. Certain lines in a cat’s history might reliably produce very friendly or very athletic cats.

So how do pedigree dogs and cats become pedigreed? There’s an official process to follow to get your pup registered, which we cover in our article on how to prove your dog is purebred. If you have a pedigree kitten, the process is largely the same. However, breeders often sort this process out for pet parents. So kittens and pups from reputable breeders will often come with their papers in place.

Purebred vs pedigree: how are they different?

Both purebred and pedigree are used to describe the breed of an animal. But they aren’t quite the same term.

Purebred mostly refers to an animal’s parents. So to get a purebred means that both parents of the dog or cat in question are the same breed and that they’re purebreds of that breed. To get a purebred Boxer, the mum and dad would both need to be Boxer dogs.

So what would a pedigree Boxer be? Essentially, a pedigree Boxer would have a traceable lineage and family history back through generations.

While purebred refers to the parentage, pedigree refers to the entire genetic history and background. Where purebred vs pedigree pets becomes confusing is when you have a purebred Boxer who isn’t a pedigree Boxer. The same goes for other cats and dogs. The rule is basically that all pedigree pets are purebred, but not all purebred pets are pedigree.

Protection for purebred, pedigree, and mixed breed pets

Whether you have a proudly mixed breed, a dog with a lineage as long as your arm, or a purebred but unregistered kitten, we’ve got a pet insurance policy for them. After all, every pet is priceless.

At PD Insurance we have plenty of pet cover options for parents of all types of pets. Take a couple of minutes to find the perfect dog insurance or cat insurance plan, then sleep easy at night, knowing your furbaby is protected against illnesses, accidents, and more.