Buying a cat or kitten

If you're keen on buying a cat, we strongly recommend that you do so from a reputable breeder or seller. Before a kitten is rehomed they should stay with their mother until they are eight to nine weeks old. It is important that the kitten appears alert, sociable and with no other visible health problems. If you're buying a cat or kitten, here are a few things to consider:

• have you seen where the kitten lives and check it is well cared for?
• have the kittens in the litter been checked over by a vet? If so, you should be given details
• has the kitten been wormed or vaccinated? There should be documentation of this
• have you seen the mother of the kitten? Is the mother a healthy cat? Are there any hereditary illnesses or diseases? It is important to know the kitten's history before you buy
• where have the kittens been kept? Keeping kittens in a busy environment will allow them to be socialised and feel safer around people once they are adults