FGC certification levels

United Pet Club splits Feline Good Companion™ certification by readiness rather than a single all-or-nothing test, because a cat's tolerance for handling and novelty builds gradually. The Kitten level covers the basics: carrier entry, being held briefly, gentle handling, calm gentle brushing, and litter reliability. The Companion level is the foundation test at any age, holding grooming to an adult standard and adding a brief stranger exam and short car travel. Advanced adds harness work, recall, and full cooperative care such as nail trims.

This matters most for adult cats. An adopted adult with no training history starts at Companion, the age-neutral foundation tier, rather than being pushed into the hardest test just because it is not a kitten. Companion asks the same core behaviors of a two-year-old cat that Kitten asks of a young one, held to an adult standard.

Start with whichever Feline Good Companion level matches what your cat can already tolerate, not its age alone. A cat under about 12 months tests at Kitten. A cat of any age with no certification history, including a newly adopted adult, starts at Companion.

Move to Advanced once your cat handles Companion's exercises reliably, including a brief exam by a stranger and short car travel without distress. Advanced assumes a cat that already tolerates being handled. It is not a starting point for a cat that still fights a carrier.

There is no rule requiring Companion before Advanced within a fixed timeline either. Some owners spend a year on Companion's cooperative care habits before their cat is ready for a nail trim done by a stranger, and that is normal, not a sign of falling behind. Others move through it in a few focused weeks. Testing at a level your cat is not ready for wastes a test rather than proving anything, so it is worth erring toward the lower level when in doubt.

Not sure where your cat fits? Contact us and we will help you figure out which level makes sense before you schedule a test.

All three Feline Good Companion levels use the same certification process: test in person with a certified evaluator, or submit a video online, whichever suits your cat better. The standard does not change based on how you test, only based on which level you are testing for.

For the full walkthrough of what to expect, from scheduling to a low-stress test day, see cat certification. If you want help preparing for any level, a certified cat trainer can work through specific exercises with you, though it is not required.

Feline Good Companion Advanced is the highest level your cat tests for directly. Beyond it sits FGC Master, an award rather than a test: an Advanced cat that also holds a verified title from a recognized organization, such as a documented behavior or performance credential. Master is never sold and never awarded on an unverified claim.