Read about the various places cats are for sale. Information on cats for sale at animal shelters, various breeders and pet shops as well as advice on what to look for and questions to ask when looking at cats for sale.

Taking on a cat as a pet is a big commitment and should not be taken lightly. It will need attention, routine veterinary treatment, grooming and daily care.


Animal Shelters:

An animal shelter is a good place to pick up a cat. Look for a clean, healthy cat.

Talk with the people caring for the animals for any information on a particular animal they can give you; they can often tell you a lot about a cat's personality.

Don't overlook the adult cats. At the animal shelter, be prepared to pay a fee, answer some questions about the home you will give the cat, and perhaps give some references. This is normal.

The fee covers some of the costs of operating the animal shelter. The questions are meant to ensure that adopted cats go to good, stable homes.

Most will require that you have the cat neutered. Some will do it prior to adoption, others will require you to do so within a month or two of adoption.

Breeders

If you want to buy a purebred cat or kitten, you will need to look for a good, responsible breeder.

The advantages of buying from a reputable breeder is that breeding has usually been carefully planned with regard to producing robust, healthy cats of good temperament.

Many breeders will also offer some form of guarantee contracting to take the cat back if not suitable.

Try to talk to more than one breeder before buying a kitten. Look for honest breeders who care about their cats' welfare, and who have good-natured cats.

A good breeder asks you questions, too, to find out if you are a good home for a kitten.

If you are tempted to buy a kitten from a pet shop what should you look for?

How do you tell a good pet shop from a bad one? The first impression of the pet shop will usually indicate their standards.

A clean, tidy shop is often a good indication that the shop owners take pride in their shop and therefore are likely to take pride in the kittens they sell.

However, the kittens are unlikely to have come from a reputable show breeder.

They may have come from the pet owner with an unplanned pregnancy or could be from mass breeders and so there is some risk as to whether these kittens will be of good good temperament or health.

In any case an untidy or dirty shop is best avoided.If you are not satisfied with the pet shop, their knowledge or their kittens, walk out and find another one.