The coronavirus crisis has resulted in a huge increase in people wanting to get cats and kittens. And with us spending more time at home, it’s no surprise that many are looking for new additions to the household.

With some government guidelines on COVID-19 still in place, some people have been selling kittens online without offering the opportunity to go and see the kittens with their mum. Some unscrupulous sellers are going out of their way to make online selling of kittens a business, resulting in some cat lovers being scammed – either paying over the odds or receiving a kitten that is either sick, not yet ready to be homed, or not the kitten that was advertised.

Looking for kittens for sale during current COVID-19 restrictions? Here’s our guide to ensuring that you don’t get scammed and instead, receive a happy and healthy kitten.

Have you met mum?

Ideally, you’ll need to see the kittens with their litter mates and mum where they were bred, ensuring that they seem happy and healthy. Remember to ask questions about the mother cat, kitten’s health and their medical history – you can take the kitten checklist with you for more guidance.

Be wary of buying kittens via video

When there were more restrictions on travel and entering other people’s homes during the pandemic, those selling kittens resorted to using video to communicate with potential pet owners and to delivering kittens to the buyer without an opportunity to go and view them. You should avoid buying kittens purely based on a video as unscrupulous sellers can use this to their advantage, operating scams this way. In some cases, they may:

• bring in adult cats alongside litters that aren’t theirs

• show a litter of kittens for sale via video, then delivering a different litter

To avoid being scammed, go and view the kittens and make sure you ask lots of questions about the kitten.

Buy from a local seller

If you’re keen on getting a kitten, opt for sellers local to you. Transporting kittens long distances is stressful for them. Stay suspicious of sellers offering to source kittens for you, especially from outside the UK. These kittens may have been bred abroad in a poor welfare environment, smuggled in illegally and transported long distances.

Paying over the odds for your kitten?

COVID-19 restrictions have resulted in opportunistic sellers hiking up prices for kittens as the demand is currently high. Try to do your research when it comes to agreeing on a price, and be mindful that you may pay more currently. ‘Moggy’ kittens, such as tabbies, gingers, black and white, may previously have been sold for £50 and are now being advertised as much as £350 per kitten. Purebred pedigree kittens are being advertised in the £1000s, often double what was previously the expected price!

Does the seller have a licence?

If a seller is charging high prices for kittens and seems to be advertising regularly, they may be running a business. By law, commercial sellers must be licensed or registered by the local authority. To avoid being scammed:

• keep an eye out for a license or registration number, included in any online adverts
• research before buying – about the seller as well as the kittens themselves

Get proof of pedigree

Looking to buy a pedigree cats like a Siamese, Ragdoll or British Shorthair? Before you buy, think about the following.

• Do the research! It is best to seek out a registered breeder with a breed association such as Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) or The International Cat Association (TICA)
• Make sure you receive a formal registration certificate that evidences proof of pedigree when you purchase the cat. Only a certificate from a breed association is proof of pedigree
• Be aware of sellers offering to post the certificate to you after you’ve bought the cat, in case you are being scammed
• Don’t be fooled by ‘pedigree crosses’ either. Any cat advertised as a ‘pedigree cross’ is usually not a pedigree. It is common to see advertisements such as Bengal-cross or Ragdoll-cross. Although these crosses may have some pedigree ancestry, they are still a ‘moggy’ or non-purebred. Sellers often use this term to suggest pedigree status – and it is usually accompanied by a hike in prices!