Should I adopt a kitten or should I buy a kitten from the store?

Question

I was thinking of buying a kitten but my friend suggested I adopt one. She said that it would be cheaper and the cat would be healthier. I agreed that it would be nice to adopt from a shelter but It seems whenever I call a place (just to ask about the cost and how I go about adopting) they say they I have to feel out a lot of papers and see what cat I want before they tell me a price. My friend said that the price should be around 30 to 60 dollars but the few prices that different places have given me were more like 200 to 300 dollars. If I bought one it would be around 100 even. I'd have to take it to the vet afterwards anyhow (I trust no one who says everything is great with a kitten, I want to take it to a different vet just to make sure...people tell you anything nowadays) and buy other stuff for the kitten and I'm in college too so I'm looking for the best possible deal. What are your ideas on adopting from shelters vs. buying from the store? Thanks in advance for your help!!!

Answer 1

I don't know what you mean by "buying" a kitten. I live in NYC and when you buy a kitten here, it means the kitten is a pedigreed animal, and usually costs around a thousand bucks. If someone has a kitten "for sale" and it is not a purebred kitten, then even if they call it "buying" the kitten, I would consider it more like an adoption, just because of the price. Oftentimes people who rescue cats or kittens "sell" them in part to recoup the costs of veterinary care and food, and part to assure that the person who "buys" the animal doesn't want it for research purposes or something like that.

Lots of times shelters get in pedigreed animals as rescues, and some animals have required a lot of care to get them adoption-ready. Oftentimes, shelters charge more for these, although a pedigreed animal rescued from the streets no longer has papers, and must be spayed or neutered. Even so, 200-300 bucks for an adopted animal is very steep. Who on earth is going to charge an adoption fee like that?

I think it's like $75-$100 here in NYC. What Gold Coast do you live on? Jeez.

To find a kitten, you can try going online to
www.petfinders.com
It will be much more reasonable.

You are wise to plan on taking your pet to the vet, but reputable shelters, when they adopt an animal out, provide the new owner with 30 days of free veterinary care -- because an animal can come to you incubating something from the shelter, or in the stress of adjusting to its new home, can come down with little things and need care. A responsible shelter will help you with this during the adjustment time.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Adoption is best in my opinion. I adopted a cat and I only paid $75, that was for all the medical care(she was current on all her vaccinations and had been spayed) she had received and boarding, she had been at the rescue for one year. She had been well taken care of and loved. There maybe differences in price between state or county shelters and rescues. I'm also a firm believer in adopting older cats they need love and care just like kittens. As far as vets are concerned try places like Banfield, they offer packages that are reasonable. However if money is a major issue, think twice before getting a pet. The reason shelters have you fill out paperwork is to make sure you are able to take care of the animal. Good luck!!

Answer 3

Adopt! Adopt adopt adopt! I know the paperwork from a shelter seems tedious, but that is because they want to make sure their animals are given to a home that will be well-suited to them and to a person that will take care of them well. Also, if you get an older kitten or a young cat, they may already be litter-box-trained. I don't know if it's the same with cats as with dogs, but we got a purebred boxer from a shelter for about $250 where they charge $2000 for one at a pet store.

Answer 4

I'm big on adopting - that's where my two cats came from. The cats are not necessarily healthier (some have upper respiratory infections that they have caught from other cats because they're all housed so close together), but I feel better knowing that I can't save them all, but I've saved two of them.

If you are interested in getting two (so your kitten has a companion to play with when you're gone), many shelters have a buy-one-get-one-half-off deal (pay full price for the adoption of one, get the second adoption fee half off). It cost me about $100 to adopt both of mine. Of course, then I had to get them spayed/neutered, so that was more, but the shelter sometimes gives you a coupon for getting that done at participating vets for half price as well.

If you're looking at buying one through a pet store, remember that sometimes they are there by way of a shelter as well. Good luck with your decision!

Answer 5

my wife found our kitten while she was cleaning this yard for habitates for humanities. when she first brought it home i told her that if she wanted it that she will have to take care of it even when it's all grown and she said she would. now that the cat is over a yr now she doesn't like it. she wanted to take out to another neighborhood and let her loose. i told her no. me i love the cat. i have a bad day at work and hate the world, but then i get home and my cat actually attacks me...it's crazy. she'll chase me around the house and hide from. when i'm not looking she'' jump at me again. really it takes my troubles away. i spend lots of money on her(vet, flea stuff, toys..). i don't think you can put a price on a pet. i don't know how much cats go for at a pet store or a shelter, but either way i do hope you find what you are looking for. i know my little story doesn't help, but i thought it would move you.

Answer 6

well you could search for local animal shelters on google or something, then they give you their sites (most of them do have sites) where you can view a petlist.

then you could get an idea of a cat you want, you can even go in and visit the kitten/cat.

i used to work at an animal shelter, and they have a website and they would let people go in and interact with the animals.

plus in an animal shelter mostly they are up to date on shots and such, and at pet stores animals are more likely to get worms, because they are not up to date on shots.

the cats at the animal shelter i worked at were about 60-some dollars.

and you do have to fill out some paper work-but it will be worth it.

I Mean seriously you have a chance to give an animal a better life, take the advantage!

i wish you good luck.

Answer 7

I would recommend adopting one from your local shelter. In addition to getting an adorable little kitten, you are helping out the shelter. Many shelters, if not most, are short on space for all the animals they must care for. You may be saving a life when you adopt from a shelter too.

Answer 8

Animals in pet stores are often abused- they are bread in mills and are not healthy.

200? In NYC, which is very expensive, it's 75 bucks. This includes (depending on the shelter) 30 days vet care, a free visit, or health insurance. If you buy at a pet store, it's 100 bucks and they don't help with care- so it's actually a lot cheaper at a shelter.

Please don't support animal abuse and kitten mills by buying at a pet store.

Answer 9

You can also look in the paper for kitties to give away. Not such an over abundance of them right now but every spring around where I live there are several dozen to choose from. My one sis has 2 cats that are a year apart but are brother and sister (same Mom who's just had another litter).
Our local shelter is $90 for a cat. Includes fixing and up to date on shots. But they too ask for a bunch of papers before you can even take one out of the cage to look at.

Answer 10

Several people that i know have bought kittens from pet stores, and the kittens ended up dying, because they turned out to be really sick , so i would suggest adopting a kitten , rather then buying one from a pet store , because pet stores only want to make a profit , so they usually don't care if the kittens are healthy or not.