A waiting list that exists only in text messages, Facebook conversations, and a mental note about who said what back in October is not really a waiting list. It is a collection of expressions of interest with no structure, no accountability, and a high likelihood of falling apart at the worst possible moment — when a litter is born and you need to place kittens with confident, ready buyers.
I have been breeding pedigree cats since 2004 and I am a Full GCCF Judge. Waiting list management is one of the most consistent pain points I hear from breeders, and the problems it causes are entirely predictable: buyers who were interested six months ago have since found a kitten elsewhere; buyers who are still interested are uncertain whether they are actually on the list; and the breeder has no reliable record of who is committed versus who expressed vague interest and moved on.
A proper waiting list system solves all of these problems. Most breeders do not have one.
How most waiting lists actually work
The typical waiting list process starts with a Facebook post announcing an upcoming or recent litter. Interested buyers comment on the post or send a direct message. The breeder replies to each one individually, usually via Facebook Messenger or by text. A mental note is made — or perhaps a note in a phone, or a written list — of who has expressed interest and in what order.
Several months later, when kittens are available, the breeder works through this list. Some buyers respond immediately. Some take days to reply. Some have changed their circumstances and can no longer take a kitten. Some never reply at all. The process of placing a litter becomes a frustrating sequence of follow-ups rather than a smooth confirmation of arrangements made in advance.
The specific points at which this breaks down are consistent:
- Buyers who expressed interest via Facebook have since changed privacy settings, deactivated their account, or forgotten they messaged at all
- The breeder has no reliable record of the order in which interest was expressed
- There is no distinction between buyers who are genuinely committed and buyers who said “oh yes, definitely interested” as a reflexive response to seeing cute photos
- New buyers who enquire after the initial post have no clear way to join the list formally
- The breeder has no way to contact buyers collectively when circumstances change — if a litter is smaller than expected, or arrives earlier, managing multiple individual conversations is time-consuming
What a waiting list actually needs to do
A functional waiting list does four things. It collects contact information through a consistent channel so that every person on the list can be reached reliably. It records when each person joined and what they are looking for, so that allocation decisions are straightforward and defensible. It communicates with buyers at regular intervals so that interest remains warm and buyers feel confident they have not been forgotten. And it distinguishes between buyers who are genuinely committed — typically evidenced by a deposit — and buyers who are casually interested.
None of these four functions are well served by Facebook Messenger and a mental note. All of them are served by a proper waiting list page on a breeder’s website.
What a waiting list page on a website looks like
A waiting list page is a page on the cattery website that explains the waiting list process clearly and provides a form for buyers to register their interest. The form collects the buyer’s name, email address, phone number, what they are looking for (colour, sex, whether breeding rights are required), their home situation, and any other qualifying information the breeder considers relevant.
Because the form is on the website, every person who joins the list has provided the same information through the same channel. The breeder has an email address and a phone number for every person on the list — not just a Facebook username that may become unreachable. The responses are stored in the form system and can be reviewed in order of submission, giving the breeder a reliable record of position.
The page also explains what joining the list means: that it is an expression of interest rather than a confirmed reservation, that a deposit may be requested when a specific kitten is allocated, and what the buyer should expect in terms of communication. Setting these expectations upfront prevents the confusion that arises when buyers assume that joining a waiting list means they are guaranteed a kitten from the next litter.
The deposit as a commitment mechanism
A waiting list works better when there is a point at which casual interest is converted to genuine commitment. The most reliable mechanism for this is a deposit. A buyer who pays a deposit to join or hold a position on a waiting list is a buyer who has thought seriously about whether they are ready. Buyers who are not ready, or who are on multiple waiting lists simultaneously, typically do not pay deposits.
A deposit does not need to be large to function as a commitment mechanism. Its purpose is not primarily financial — it is to create a moment of decision that separates the genuinely committed from the vaguely interested. A buyer who has paid a deposit is also easier to reach when a litter arrives, because there is a concrete reason for both parties to maintain contact.
Not all breeders require deposits for waiting list positions, and there are reasonable arguments on both sides. But for breeders who regularly find their waiting list populated with buyers who have gone cold by the time kittens are available, introducing a deposit stage is the most effective single change they can make.
Communication between enquiry and litter
The gap between a buyer joining a waiting list and a litter becoming available can be six months to a year or longer. During that time, a buyer who hears nothing from the breeder is a buyer who may lose confidence that they are actually on the list, find a kitten from another breeder, or simply move on with life.
A brief update every two to three months — a short email that says the queen is confirmed in kitten, or that the litter has been born and the breeder will be in touch once the kittens are old enough to assess — keeps buyers warm without requiring significant effort. If the waiting list is managed through a form system that collects email addresses, these updates can be sent as a single message to all current list members rather than individually.
Buyers who feel informed and considered are buyers who remain committed. The waiting list that communicates regularly places kittens more smoothly than the one that goes silent for six months and then reappears asking for a decision within a week.
Getting the system in place before the next litter
The best time to build a proper waiting list system is before the next litter is announced, not after. A waiting list page built while a queen is in kitten, or launched alongside a litter announcement, catches new enquiries through a structured channel from the start. Existing enquiries from the Facebook post can be directed to the form for a formal registration.
The system does not need to be complex. A page that explains the process, a form that collects the right information, and an email address that receives the submissions is enough. What it needs to be is consistent — every new enquiry goes through the same channel, creates the same record, and receives the same expectations.
If you would like a waiting list page built as part of your cattery website, get in touch via the contact form below. It is one of the most practical additions any active breeding cattery can make.
Frequently asked questions
How should a cat breeder manage a waiting list?
Through a dedicated page on the cattery website with a form that collects name, contact details, preferences, and home situation from every interested buyer. This creates a consistent record, provides a reliable contact method for every person on the list, and establishes clear expectations about what joining the list means. Managing a waiting list through Facebook messages alone is unreliable because buyers become unreachable, order is hard to track, and there is no formal record.
Should I require a deposit to join a waiting list?
It depends on how often you find buyers have gone cold by the time kittens are available. A deposit creates a moment of genuine commitment that separates serious buyers from casual enquirers. It does not need to be large — its function is decisional rather than financial. Breeders who have recurring problems with waiting list attrition typically find that introducing a deposit stage significantly improves the rate at which kittens are placed smoothly when a litter arrives.
What information should a waiting list form collect?
At minimum: full name, email address, phone number, what the buyer is looking for (breed, colour, sex preference, whether breeding rights are required), current home situation (other pets, indoor or outdoor, experience with pedigree cats), and approximate timescale. This gives the breeder enough information to assess whether the buyer is likely to be a good match before any conversation takes place.
How often should I contact people on the waiting list?
Every two to three months is generally sufficient to keep interest warm without creating an expectation of constant communication. A short update when a queen is confirmed in kitten, when a litter is born, and when kittens are old enough to be allocated covers the key milestones. Buyers who are genuinely committed appreciate being kept informed. Buyers who have moved on will typically remove themselves from consideration when prompted.
What should I do if a buyer on the waiting list goes quiet?
Send one follow-up message asking whether they are still interested and giving a clear deadline for a response. If there is no response by that deadline, remove them from the list and contact the next buyer. A buyer who cannot respond within a reasonable window is not a buyer who will respond reliably when a kitten needs to be placed quickly. Document the attempt to contact them in case they come back later claiming they were still on the list.
Is it acceptable to have buyers on multiple waiting lists simultaneously?
Buyers doing this is common and largely unavoidable. A breeder can reduce the impact by requiring a deposit for a confirmed position and by communicating regularly enough that buyers who have found a kitten elsewhere identify themselves before a litter arrives. Some breeders include a question on their waiting list form asking buyers to confirm they are not on another breeder’s list for the same breed, though this relies on honest responses.
How does a waiting list page on a website differ from taking names on Facebook?
A website form provides a consistent email address and phone number for every buyer, a timestamped record of when they joined, and a clear record of what they are looking for. Facebook Messenger provides none of these reliably. Buyers who deactivate Facebook, change their message settings, or simply become hard to reach on the platform cannot be contacted through Facebook alone. An email address collected through a website form remains valid regardless of what the buyer does on social media.
