Buying a Kitten from a Pet Shop

Like most things there are good and bad pet shops, but the biggest problem with all pet shops is that they cater for the impulse buyer who falls in love with a kitten they have seen in a shop window. The notion of researching the breed, being realistic about their personal situation and everything else I have already mentioned goes out the window. Many cats, and owners, who start their relationship under these circumstances, also end their relationship at the door to a rescue shelter.

People can sometimes feel compelled to ‘save' kittens from some of the conditions in bad pet shops. While this is understandable, it also creates a market that supports shops that do not care for their animals properly. If you want to save a kitten or cat, please consider giving a cat from a rescue organisation or shelter a home.

In most countries you may be able to purchase a purebred kitten from a pet shop but not one with pedigree papers, as most cat councils do not permit the sale of registered kittens to pet shops. It is considered the responsibility of ethical, genuine breeders to organize the sale of their own cats and kittens. It is largely this fact that has led to an upsurge in the sale of moggies by shops.

Many pet shops turn over large numbers of kittens. The environment of a pet shop can also be very stressful for young kittens. The lack of quarantine facilities and the constant influx of new "merchandise" means that pet shops that sell pets are high risk areas for the transmission of feline infectious diseases. There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching a kitten die from a preventable disease. When I worked in a cat shelter it was very common for pet shops to offload their unsold kittens to us at the end of the week. Many of these kittens were in poor condition and already suffering from cat flu or enteritis.

Kittens suffering from an infectious disease

Kittens suffering from infectious disease.

 __________________________________________________________________

For all of the above reasons, to my mind the best sort of pet shop is the one that doesn't sell pets! If you feel this way also, please just support pet shops that only sell pet supplies. These are the ethical pet shops and we as responsible pet owners should support them in preference to the animal traders.

Kitten Farms and Backyard ‘Breeders'

Most pet shops get their stock from "mills" or "farms" - eg. People who are pumping out the puppies and kittens for profit and usually with little concern for genetics, health and breed issues or even the welfare of the animals. Other sources of stock are the back yard breeders who do not breed for profit but simply allow their cats to run wild and breed indiscriminately. If you buy a kitten from one of these places you are encouraging inhumane practices and risking buying a kitten that has a dubious genetic background. It will also be more prone to developing one of the serious feline infectious diseases.

"Free to a Good Home"

Backyard bred kittensThis could be a local family or someone you know who has a litter of kittens to give away. Whilst the conditions that the mother is being kept in are probably better than that of many kitten farms, these kittens will still be an unknown risk. Consider that someone who allows their cat to continually breed probably does not vaccinate their cats. A cat allowed to roam and breed is also at risk of contracting FIV (feline aids) which can be transmitted to their kittens. If you do know someone who allows their cat to breed and believes it's not a problem as they never have trouble finding good homes, please encourage them to sterilise the mum after this litter. You could encourage this by offering to pay for the kitten with a voucher from the local veterinarian that would pay for the sterilisation. Every litter this cat has displaces a potential home for a shelter cat and adds to the problem of cats breeding out of control.