Are you & your lifestyle suited to cat/kitten ownership?
There are many different breeds of cat and each may require a different approach to care, are you looking for an indoors cat or an active outdoors cat, is your home suitable and safe? Do you already have another animal, if so please bare in mind that cats are by nature, solitary so the correct introductions to your current pets will need to be considered. If in doubt or if you have any questions, please contact a local vet or your cats protection centre before adopting a cat or kitten.
Introduce yourself and your family!
Say hi to your prospective new house mate but do so in its own home, be wary of sellers who offer to meet you in a train station or car park! A cat or kitten should always be seen its own home environment, if the seller refuses to allow this, think twice about adopting or rehoming from them.
Visit the cat or kitten at least twice to ensure you get on well, as your upcoming partnership should be for life, ask the seller any questions you have and don’t be afraid to be nosey, a genuine seller will not shy away from pertinent questions.
Check the animals veterinary records to ensure all jabs and microchipping are up to date.
Make sure the cat you see at the owners home, is the one you saw in the advert.
Check all the relevant paperwork:
Ask to see all the cat/kittens medical history, including those relevant for hereditary diseases and also (if pedigree is indicated) ask to check all paperwork related to this. If the seller cannot provide it, Petwise suggests that you do not proceed any further and simply walk away.
Cat neutering/spaying
If the cat you are viewing is 4 months + of age, ask if it has been spayed or neutered. A cat does not need to have “just one litter” and any unplanned or accidental mating can result in kittens being placed in rescue centres unnecessarily.
Please, please, please consider rehoming a rescue centre cat first!
Before purchasing a cat or kitten, please consider searching local rescue centres to rehome an animal in need, there are thousands available and many advertise directly through Petwise where we support them with free advertising and charitable donations, because at PetWise.com, we love pets!