[akpe]

I would like to know your opinion on this:
doyou prefer adopting kittens from a pet shop or from someone who gives them away after his kitty gives birth, or do you prefer adopting kitties who live on the streets, near your house etc?

I personally think that a kitty from a petshop or owner will sooner or later be adopted, however a kitty "born on the streets" may never get the chance of a warm and safe house.

 

[koneko]

I would never get a kitten from a petshop. We've all heard about puppy mills... I imagine that there are kitty mills too.

I've always gotten my cats from the animal shelter, from someone I knew whose cat had kittens or found on the street.

Nikki was fullgrown when she started hanging out at my house. As soon as I offered her food she was my best friend. She was ALWAYS without fail there when I got up to go to school and there when I got home from school like she knew what time I would be there. She's the most loveable cat I have ever known. When I moved away and got married I took her with me because I considered her my oldest friend.

Mouser was adopted from the animal shelter. I went there in search of a kitten that would take care of the mouse and rat problem we had when we lived in the old trailer (we didn't move Nikki in until after we got Mouser) and I found my beautiful blue-eyed Mouser. Of course he would have been adopted but I feel lucky that I found him first.

Nori was from a litter of kittens that a friend of ours had. Both the mother and the father had blue eyes and I LOVE blue eyes so I decided that I must have one of the kittens. Nori was the only one that wasn't siamese looking. She's a diluted calico. But she was the friendliest kitten from the litter. She fell asleep in my hand while I was visiting trying to figure out which one I wanted so I had to take her.

Zoe was found by my husband on the local college campus. He had told me no more cats but Zoe was just too cute and friendly. She's a white manx cat with blue eyes! She spends a lot of time in my lap.

 

[Sol]

I would never buy a cat from a pet shop (which is impossible here in Sweden, it´s illegal). When I buy cats I search at animal shelters (if the breed isn´t importanat) otherwise I contact a breeder.

 

[Max&Ben]

My oldest Ben is a stray I found half frozen beside my doorstep. I was coming home at 3:00AM after an all-nighter and I heard a small "meow" from under the snow. There were 2 kittens. One I kept and the other was taken by my sister in law. I got Max from a quality breeder.

I still feed the street cats in my area since I am the only house around, it's my duty

 

[Bean]

opps - I voted pet shop cats by mistake....

 

[lexxie109]

I would never buy a cat from a pet store. Where the animal comes from is awful. I’ve heard so many horror stories about puppy mills and cat mills. Plus, you pay four times the price for exactly the same animal that is at a shelter. And another plus point for adopting from a shelter is that you’re saving the animals life! Strays for me!

 

[ears]

i actually got my two new cats from a petshop. however, they were there with a rescue group. the shop itself doesn't sell cats :wink:
my other cats i either rescued from the street or got from the pound.
i refuse to buy cats from a shop (or flea market!!!).
my fiance doesn't understand my conviction :roll:

 

[estelle58]

Moogy comes from a pet shop but Keiko and Pixelle come from a breeder. Pixelle's breeder is actually my brother in law's sister so she's almost family to me...

 

[lilaccat3456]

I also could not vote. Cylie came from a breeder and Cooper and Chloe came from an animal shelter. If I HAD to choose between the two, I would find a cat on the street and adopt it--too many cats in the world being destroyed to justify purchasing kittens from a pet store that is only then being encouraged to offer more animals for sale in their store. Also if a "street" cat allows you to bring them in and turn them into a housecat--you know that you have a friend for life and a cat that REALLY likes you. With pet store--you choose mostly based on looks because you do not have anytime to really get to know its nature.

 

[coaster]

I didn't vote for either because I don't see any difference between the two. Pet shop cats are mostly just street cats that are for sale. I'd prefer to adopt a cat from a shelter!! And if I wanted a pure-bred cat I'd get one from a reputable breeder.

 

[Sky Eyes Woman]

I think maybe the OP was talking about rescue and shelter cats available for adoption at a pet store, not mill-bred kittens for sale.

I didn't vote in the poll because I'll take either/or really. Yes, a shelter cat in a pet store adoption room DOES have a better chance of getting a home than one that hasn't left the street, but I'm thinking if one cat is adopted from the rescue or shelter through the store, that makes room for another street cat to go into the shelter or rescue.

I didn't really think about it much when I got my last 2 cats. Dude was at my store in the adoption center after I lost Pearl and his cute face stuck in my mind. I knew he was a nice cat and I chose him because I knew most people who go in there want little kittens. Dude was already full grown and no one was interested in him. There was no question when the DustBunny came to me, though. That old lady who was toting her around in a plastic bag WAS NOT leaving the store with her, unh-uh, no way, no how...not happening!

 

[Pigsterz]

If pet shop cat means a rescue running adoptions out of a pet shop, then either works for me -- they all need a loving home. And as Sky Eyes Woman said, an adopted kitty from a rescue makes room for another that can be helped. Ixnay if pet shop is selling the kittens. I've adopted 2 from a rescue, 1 from the streets, and got 2 from a reputable breeder.

 

[coaster]

If pet shop cat means a rescue running adoptions out of a pet shop, ....

Yup, if that's what's meant, I'll go along with that. :wink:

 

[Stanky]

I picked street cat. Most of my cats in the past were street cats....they found me :wink: Stanky is a street cat but I bought Envy from a breeder.

 

[Birdgirl]

I would never buy a kitten from a pet shop. I ended up with my cats because they kind of adopted me. Kayla (who is no longer with us) showed up and had kittens... I kept all but one of her kittens. Raven and Buddy were born under my house to a feral momma. I took them in and tamed them. Molly was a stay kitten that showed up with her brother (don't know what happened to him).
I would rather adopt a cat from a rescue or take in a homeless kitty off the streets that needs a home.

 

[wookie130]

I have one cat from each situation.

Fergus is my stray. He found me when he scratched on my door one evening, crying, tail half-bit off, thin, wet, cold (it was about 30 degrees), paw wounded. He actually belonged to my neighbor at the time, who neglected and treated him horribly. He was only 9 months old when I let him into my heart and home...he is now 4 years old, large, tail-in-tact, and in perfect health. That neighbor of mine moved a long time ago, and I'm sure he knew that I had cat-napped Fergus. He didn't say anything to me, and seemed to care less...HIS LOSS!!!! Fergus is a wonderful boy, a loyal and affectionate lapcat, and a big baby. He will always be my special baby.

Ripley is a 3 year-old torti female that I bought from a local pet store...fortunately, the pet store gets their cats and kittens from an agreement through our Humane Society. All the cats and kittens have either been strays, or surrendered by previous owners. Ripley was only 8 weeks old when I brought her home...she had a URI, and conjunctivitus. She was found out in the country, where she and her littermates were dumped in a cardboard box...a common scenario here in Iowa. I adopted her when Fergus turned a year old, so that he could have a playmate while I worked during the day. They're great friends.

Captain Steuben is my latest addition to our family...he was born to a queen that was a barn cat...the farmer had 4 other separate litters from other queens that roamed his property. Unfortunately, the farmer was not well-educated in cat ownership, and did not spay and neuter his farm cats, and was giving the kittens away (for a measly fee of $7.50) at only 6 weeks of age...too young!!! I had the farmer reserve Steuben for me for a week, and I brought him home at the age of 7 weeks. He is now 11 weeks old, and is a joy. He will be neutered in about a week. He fits right in with Fergus and Ripley!!!

Anyway, all cats deserve a home, regardless of their history, and where they are from. I am strongly against the practice of kitten mills, and irresponsible breeding. But once the kittens arrive, they need to go SOMEWHERE where there is love and safety...because that is no less than what everyone deserves in life.

 

[estelle58]

When i bought Moogy from a small pet shop she has been there for 4 months... since she was older (6 months old) nobody wanted to buy her... they all wanted a kitten... i was only there to buy supplies for Cléo and as always i had to take a peek at the kittys that where on sale... they're always soo cute... when i saw Moogy i just fell in love with her... and when i asked the girl who worked there if i could hold her ... well... that was it... she never got back in that cage... she came home with us... i couldn't let her there... in a way it felt to me like i rescued her... the owner of the pet shop told me that he was even considering keeping her in a cage for breeding her since she was a pure breed and soo gentle... what an awfull live it would have been for my gentle little baby

 

[Nova]

I've never been in countries where you can buy animals in pet shops before, 'cause it's illegal here in Norway (and Scandinavia), so that's completely new to me... I've only seen it on TV. Anyway, I bought Shango at The Animal Protection Programme here i Norway. The only other way to get a kitty here is by knowing somebody with pregnant cats or contact a breeder.