Are you going to buy a cat or a kitten?

Before having a kitten, you must be prepared for the responsibility you are assuming. A kitten is not disposable, you cannot get rid of it if the cat becomes a problem for your lifestyle. You are responsible for caring for your cat throughout its life. No cat is perfect, everyone will have accidents on their carpet until they learn to use the litter tray and scratch their favorite sofa or chair if left unattended.

It is your responsibility to monitor the cat and train it properly. There are no bad cats, but there are inexperienced pet owners who fail their pet by not properly training their cat. The cat or kitten should not be penalized for their lack of skills. If you are not an experienced pet owner, you should talk to cat owners to learn what is needed and learn how to teach. Pets cannot learn everything they need to know in just one day training your pet is a constant process, and it is your responsibility.

You will also need to find out where you are getting your cat from. If you have made the decision and are determined to get a purebred kitten, you should look for a good breeder. They also do health checks on their kittens before raising them. These health checks evaluate problems that may affect your kittens. You may want to go to a rescue group for purebred cats of your breed of cat. Note: Rescue cats or even kittens are not bad cats. They are kittens that were bought by irresponsible owners who had no idea or understood the kind of responsibility they were assuming.

Some of the kittens were neglected; abused, or handed over to the rescue group due to their owners moving, having children, etc. Rescue groups carefully evaluate each cat and make sure they are suitable for you and your lifestyle. A rescue group will not allow you to adopt a kitten from them unless they feel that you are the perfect match with the cat. When you get a rescue cat, it will already be spayed or neutered when you get it, and it will have up-to-date vaccinations.

You can also get your cat from your local shelter. Getting a cat or kitten from a shelter is very similar to getting one from a rescue group. They will already be spayed or neutered or you will receive a coupon to do it for free. They will be up to date on their vaccinations.

A backyard breeder is someone who raises their pets that have not even had health screenings to check for problems that some breeds have, and the kittens are not titled (registered) in anything. With a cat from this type of breeder, you will generally have health problems for the life of your kitten, and may also have temperament problems. Sure these kitties may be cheaper to buy, but trust me, you will pay more in the long run. A pet store is the worst place you can get a pet. If you are sensitive to animal abuse, don’t read on.

Some pet stores obtain their kittens through a pet factory. A pet mill is a facility that keeps your cats in small cages 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cats are left lying in their own feces; they are fed economically mixed with dry cat food. They are bred every time the season rolls around and receive little to no veterinary care during their lives. When the cats can no longer reproduce, they are beaten to death or even drown. Buying a pet from a secluded pet store keeps this process going. If we can all stop buying kittens from these stores, they will no longer supply them.