kitten from a pet shop .....?

Question

is it true that the kittens bought from the pet shops are not healthy , as they are not raised with proper care , , ! i have talked to many people about this , and they also agree with this ? ,,,

Answer 1

Purchasing from pet shops in many cases results in bad dealings. No, not all pet shops are bad, but often times they get their kittens/puppes from puppy/kitten mills - unresponsible breeders breeding for the sole purpose of making money. There was even one pet store I found online, and they stated that every pet they sell in the store was raised by them. They had several breeds of dogs, domestic cats, reptiles, birds, etc. I don't know how they could raise so many breeds & species at once. Real, responsible breeders raise cats/dogs to preserve the breed. Let me tell you, responsible breeders do NOT make money! All the time, effort, love, devotion, and yes, lots of money spent on giving their cats/dogs excellent care is what they do - money spent on feeding excellent food, vetting, showing, general care of raising babies, etc. Money from selling pet quality kittens/puppies all goes back into the cats/dogs. Pet shops often sell kittens & puppies WAY too young. You usually see them there when they are 6 weeks old. Too young! We raise show cats, and none of our babies are ever placed with a new family until they are at least 14-16 weeks old. They have lots of socialization, potty trained - their mom teaches them alot of stuff - eating well, have vaccinations, worming, health check, etc.
It has been found that many pet shops have their own 'vet', and many times the paperwork is faked, or forged ahead of time.
CFA does not allow breeders to place their cats/kittens into pet shops, and if they are caught, they either get a suspension, or can be banned. Places like PetSmart & PetCo do not even sell cats or dogs (at least not any I have been to, which has been many). Sometimes, they hold 'adoption days' from the local shelters. Your best bet is to adopt from a shelter, or adopt from a REPUTABLE breeder. Breeders know the history behind their cats/dogs, do all kinds of health/genetic testings, etc. Many pet shops also lie about many things with the puppies/kittens.
My aunt had purchased a few years ago a toy poodle from a pet shop, and only after a very short time having the puppy, it was discovered she had bad hip/knee problems. This puppy was 'cleared' by the pet store vet. I believe the pet store did end up help paying for surgery on the one hip, but not the other.
We also used to have this tiny pet shop near us....it was very disheartening how the place was kept, and all the 'new breeds' of pets they brought in. They even had a sign up stating 'if you don't see the breed you want, we can get it for you!'. Thankfully they are no longer there.
JMHO. :)

Answer 2

they're not all going to be unhealthy, but they are bred for sale as a commodity and if you ask me, that's not right and often means they are kept in bad conditions, taken away from their mothers too early and have any early health problems ignored. I had 2 cats from a pet shop when I was young and although they lived to good ages, they were very nervous and not that friendly. One of our cats had kittens and because they were brought up in a loving home they were alot more healthy and friendly and confident. The 2 cats I have now I got from a friend whose cat had kittens, and again, they are very healthy and confident, having been well treated as kittens.

My advice to you would be avoid petshops - the kittens are likely to have socialisation problems and health issues. In the spring alot of people's cats get pregnant unexpectedly and its these kittens I would go for
completely agree with Cassian - go for rescue places or homes where the cats will have been well loved and cared for and don't support pet shops

Answer 3

I don't know why a mixed breed puppy would cost more than a purebred at a pet shop. I think kittens usually come from breeders. I have always gotten cats from shelters and from people who needed to find a home for kittens from a litter. People should spay/neuter their cats and dogs! Pet stores and puppy/kitten mills mean more pets will go unadopted at shelters, and more unwanted pets will be put down.

Answer 4

I manage a pet shop and we get plenty of kittens and they are well cared for. Sometimes it is the people who take them who treat them wrong. I had a woman once who bought 2 and brought them back a week later saying they had constant diarrohea. I asked her what she was feeding them and she said someone told her to give them natural yoghurt so this is what she was feeding them. No wonder they had diarrohea. I took them back and within 2 days of being on a proper diet they were fine. Also I get people who try to give me kittens and tell me if i dont take them they are going to drown them. I have had kittens dumped in a box at the front door, which really annoyed me because we always take them when we are asked, providing we have room. Our kittens are kept in a big cage with cat litter tray, nice cushions, plenty of toys and always have food and water, and when we are not busy we let them run around the shop, which sometimes can be fun trying to catch them again. Although i realise that not all kittens are kept in good conditions like this I feel it is unfair to say they are all not healthy. I have been selling kittens in my shop for 10 yrs and have had absolutely no problem with them healthwise.

Answer 5

I have taken kittens to pet shops. The truth is that they are often abandoned or unwanted and would otherwise have been put down. I think they are a good buy; generally it is how you care for them that makes a difference. they are quite robust at 6 weeks - surprisingly so. Just make sure they are wormed and flea'd and neutered, and give plenty of quality food - you'll have a healthy strong cat sooner rather than later!

Answer 6

I'm sure some pet shops are not as clean as others, probably because they don't have enough help. If you found a kitten that you like in a pet shop, adopt it. Then take it to the vets for its shots and a complete checkup. Chances are the kitten will be O.K.

Answer 7

i have worked in pet shop for 3 years and the animals get nothing but the best, treats, play time and brushed. we only gave animals out to responsible parents and if customers had proof of proper cages, bedding etc, there is some pet shops which treat there animals bad so if you notice any animals that look unhappy or unwell or if cage is not spotless everyday, PLEASE REPORT this, animals deserve respect, I have two cats which were abandoned and were put out in the street. Every animal deserves a home whether its from pet shop or rescue centre, its not the animals fault were it comes from, please don't let that put you of. If everyone thought like that no one would buy them and you don't know what could happen.

Answer 8

Buying from a pet shop is bad cause people breed them and they can get many diseases and illnesses from being bred. Like FIP and genetic problems. Which some are fatal others just cost alot of money and they do alot of suffering.
If you adopt a pet you are saving a perfectly healthy animal from being killed because there is not enough homes.
Shelter pets need a home more than breeders and pet stores need your money. SAVE A LIFE AND ADOPT A PET!

Answer 9

omg, i have to agree with this, i stupidly bought my kitten form a pet shop in October and so far he has cost me over £300 in vets bills to get him better after he contracted something which im presuming he got from the pet shop, maybe they didn't clean and disinfect the cage out properly i don't know, which means also the poor kitten he was sharing with is probably suffering from the same problems, stick to the RSPCA or Cats Protection League or any other well know welfare charity where you know the kitten will have been well looked after and will be in good health, Ive certainly learnt my lesson and thank god for insurance!

Answer 10

Most pet shops are very good, though there's bound to be the odd one that isn't.
However, I'd suggest you speak to the animal shelters, the RSPCA for instance in the UK, who almost always have unwanted cats & kittens looking for a good home. They won't let them go unless they're happy they're fit and healthy, and they'll be inoculated etc. The RSPCA do "home visits" too, to make sure everything's okay.

Don't forget to have your kitty "seen to" by the vet when he/she's old enough.