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Authoritative sources first
Direct, appropriate evidence for the claim being made.
EDITORIAL STANDARDS · TRUST & TRANSPARENCY
Good information.
Better lives for cats.
The care we put into our words should reflect the care you put into your cat.
How we research, explain, review and improve Catopedia—so you can understand what you’re reading, where it comes from and what its limits are.
Effective Last policy review
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Welfare before promotion
Health and responsible ownership come before novelty.
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Context over certainty
A breed, registry or regional rule needs its context.
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Corrections stay open
Credible feedback helps us improve.
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WHY THESE STANDARDS EXIST
Useful knowledge. Meaningful limits.
These standards apply to Catopedia’s breed profiles, care guides, health and behavior resources, comparisons, directory explanations and other informational content. They explain how information is selected, described and maintained.
Catopedia is an educational publication. It does not provide a veterinary diagnosis, prescribe treatment or replace advice from a qualified veterinarian who has examined an individual cat.
THE CENTRAL RULE
Help readers make better-informed, welfare-minded decisions without overstating certainty or hiding meaningful limitations.
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THE EVIDENCE BEHIND THE WORDS
Start as close to the source as possible.
Source quality depends on the claim being made. Catopedia prioritizes the most direct, authoritative and current source reasonably available.
The foundation.
- Official breed registries and current breed standards.
- Veterinary colleges, professional associations and teaching hospitals.
- Peer-reviewed research and established clinical references.
- Government, public-health and regulatory publications.
- Recognized animal-welfare and health-screening organizations.
The wider picture.
- Established reference books and specialist organizations.
- Qualified expert commentary appropriate to the subject.
- Historical archives and reputable institutional records.
- Manufacturer instructions for a specific product.
- Local authorities for country or regional requirements.
What is not enough on its own?
Anonymous posts, social-media claims, copied marketing language, unsourced listicles and personal anecdotes may identify questions worth investigating. They are not adequate evidence for factual health, breed-standard or regulatory claims.
When reliable sources disagree, the disagreement or uncertainty should be explained rather than silently choosing the most convenient answer.
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A BREED IS A STARTING POINT
Describe the breed. Respect the individual.
Breed profiles follow a consistent structure so readers can compare subjects fairly. They distinguish among four kinds of information:
Official standards
Published descriptions and recognition rules from specific registries. Standards can differ by organization and region.
Reported tendencies
Traits commonly associated with a breed, offered as context rather than a guaranteed personality.
Health considerations
Documented risks and screening practices, without implying that every cat will be affected.
Individual variation
Genetics, development, socialization, environment and care all influence a cat’s size, health and behavior.
We avoid unsupported “best breed” claims, exaggerated size promises, guaranteed personality labels and language that rewards unhealthy extremes.
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EXTRA CARE WHERE IT MATTERS
Health information needs careful boundaries.
Incomplete or overly confident health guidance can cause harm. Catopedia’s health content should:
- Use plain language while preserving medically important distinctions.
- Distinguish risk, association, screening and confirmed disease.
- Avoid diagnosing an individual cat from symptoms described online.
- Avoid presenting genetic testing as a replacement for veterinary examination or appropriate screening.
- Encourage qualified veterinary guidance for diagnosis, treatment, medication, diet changes and urgent concerns.
- Include dates or updates when recommendations may change over time.
Education, not individual medical advice.
A veterinarian who knows the cat’s history and can perform an examination is the appropriate source for personal medical decisions.
A specialist or veterinary review label should appear only when that review actually occurred. These standards do not mean that every health page has been individually reviewed by a veterinarian.
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FROM A QUESTION TO A USEFUL PAGE
A repeatable process, with room to improve.
Catopedia’s publishing process is designed to remain repeatable as the encyclopedia grows.
Define the reader’s question
Establish the page’s purpose, scope and the decisions it should help inform.
Research the subject
Gather appropriate primary and supporting sources, including regional differences where relevant.
Draft in a consistent structure
Separate facts, standards, tendencies, cautions and practical explanations.
Check claims and presentation
Review names, measurements, dates, links, health language, internal consistency and source alignment.
Publish, monitor and update
Correct errors, replace outdated links and revise material information when credible evidence changes.
Where appropriate, pages may identify authorship, specialist review, publication and update dates, and source links. Review labels must reflect work that actually took place.
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TOOLS SUPPORT THE WORK
Responsibility stays with people.
Technology, including AI-assisted tools, may support research organization, outlining, drafting assistance, formatting, comparison checks and quality-control tasks. It does not replace source verification or editorial responsibility.
Human accountability.
- Claims checked against appropriate sources.
- Human responsibility for publication decisions.
- Careful review of health and welfare language.
- Correction of invented, unsupported or misleading material.
False authority.
- Publishing unverified generated claims as fact.
- Inventing experts, quotations, studies or credentials.
- Using automation to disguise paid promotion as editorial work.
- Presenting generated imagery as documentary evidence.
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CLEAR SEPARATION
Payment does not purchase a conclusion.
Advertising, sponsorships, affiliate relationships and paid placements must not determine Catopedia’s editorial conclusions. Commercial relationships should be labeled clearly so readers can distinguish them from independent informational content.
- Payment does not purchase favorable health, welfare or breed claims.
- Sponsored material is identified in language readers can understand.
- Affiliate relationships are disclosed where they apply.
- Advertisers do not receive advance control over unrelated editorial conclusions.
- Corrections are not withheld because a subject is commercially connected to Catopedia.
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DISCOVERY WITH DUE DILIGENCE
A listing opens a door. It is not a guarantee.
A breeder, rescue or directory listing helps readers discover an organization. It is not a guarantee, certification or permanent endorsement.
Independently evaluate breeders, rescues, contracts, health documentation, registration, living conditions and local legal requirements. Organizations and circumstances can change.
Placement should be transparent.
Free, featured, sponsored or paid listing status should be identified where it could affect placement or presentation. Catopedia may establish eligibility, documentation and removal rules intended to protect directory quality and animal welfare.
Visitors remain responsible for asking questions, reviewing documentation and making their own decisions. No listing replaces due diligence.
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CONTEXT BELONGS IN THE PICTURE
Images should inform, not mislead.
Images should be owned, properly licensed, used with permission, in the public domain or available under terms Catopedia can follow. Required creator, source and license information should be displayed or retained as appropriate.
Captions and surrounding text should not misidentify a cat, imply that one photograph represents every acceptable breed appearance, or use a staged or generated image as proof of a factual event.
REPRESENTATION MATTERS
Materially illustrative or AI-generated imagery should be identified where its nature could affect a reader’s interpretation.
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ONE ENCYCLOPEDIA. MANY CONTEXTS.
A global perspective needs local detail.
Catopedia serves readers across countries where spelling, measurements, breed recognition, registry rules, health programs and animal-welfare requirements can differ.
- Name the relevant country, registry or authority when a rule is not universal.
- Avoid presenting one organization’s breed standard as the only international standard.
- Include metric and imperial measurements where useful.
- Consult current local authorities for legal or regulatory claims.
- Use respectful language and preserve important regional distinctions during translation.
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ACCURACY IS AN ONGOING COMMITMENT
Good information can get better.
Readers, organizations and subject specialists are encouraged to identify potential errors and provide supporting evidence. Requests are assessed according to evidence quality and relevance—not the status of the person or organization making the request.
Minor corrections
Spelling, formatting, broken links and clarifications that do not change meaning may be corrected directly.
Material corrections
Errors affecting meaning, health guidance, dates, recognition or responsible decisions should be corrected promptly and may receive an explanatory note.
Updates
Pages may be revised when standards, evidence, organizations, laws or recommended practices change.
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KEEP THE CONVERSATION OPEN
Questions about these standards?
Contact Catopedia to ask about a source, disclose a potential conflict, suggest an update or raise an editorial concern. Include the relevant page and supporting evidence when you can.
Contact Catopedia →A RESOURCE WE KEEP IMPROVING
Thoughtful questions.
A stronger Catopedia.
Spotted something that needs a second look? Share the page, explain the concern and send the best supporting source you have.
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