Buying Kittens

jolivmmx

Hi,

I am looking to buy kittens.

I was wondering if anybody has tips? Where is the best place to look?

I don’t want to buy cats from anybody who treats the animals badly.

JayPS 2288

Why not rescue a feline friend?

I don’t believe in buying cats and dogs. There’s always friends in the pound waiting for a loving home.

jolivmmx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118954065#Comment_118954065

I was hoping to home a pair of cats that could keep each other company and be friends.

Would this be possible?

Could I get the kittens young in the pound? I would love to raise them from kitten hood

Alkers

Plenty around going for adoption, really don't buy

jolivmmx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118954112#Comment_118954112

I think that I will adopt.

Would it be possible to get a Ragdoll or a Norwegian Forest Cat? I love the fluffy ones.

Thanks a mill!

Mollyb60

Contact the rescues in your area and let them know you're hoping to rehome a pair of kittens or young cats. I'm sure they'll have plenty of options. My sister got 2 kitten siblings from a rescue in Kildare a few years back.

whisky_galore

I get wary when people look for specific breeds esp rare (for Ireland) ones. There are heaps looking for a home. Does it really matter?

Faith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118954146#Comment_118954146

Either of these breeds will probably cost you €1000 per kitten, FYI. They're certainly not hanging around for free!

You can adopt long haired cats that aren't a specific breed (usually called Domestic Long Hair). They're not too common compared to domestic short hairs though. Best bet is to reach out to local shelters, cat charities and rehoming pages on Facebook and to let them know what you're looking for.

Mollyb60

Also bear in mind that long haired cats might look pretty but they require a lot of maintenance like frequent (ie daily) brushing to maintain their coat. I've only ever had short haired cats and the amount of cat hair around the house is unreal. You could make a second cat with the amount of hair you'd gather from a long haired cat.

FlubberJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118955231#Comment_118955231

agreed, we've just taken a stray long hair in, to keep our short hair company... mega maintenance but he does have a great personality and very docile... so it balances out (bar the hoovering and brushing demands)

c.p.w.g.w

We tried to rescue, but apparently we we're suitable for the following reasons

+We both worked

+Too close to a main road

+We were going to let them out for short periods...

So we found 2 kittens on done deal for free, and they are 5 next month...

We let them out for a few hours most day(2-3 hours during the week, 5-6 hours at weekends), but they are indoor cats for the most part and then when outside, we call them and they come home like a dog

Faith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118955231#Comment_118955231

Yep, plus increased likelihood of painful matts, the need for occasional furball prevention/cleaning up, the nightmare situation of when they get diarrhoea and it's all over their leg hair, the twice-yearly shedding season... (Source: Have a Siberian Forest Cat).

I would agree with taking extreme care around letting cats outside. I saw a cat get hit by a car on Sunday and the driver just drove off. Thankfully, through Facebook and a lot of effort, we were able to help find the cat's owner who could then find the cat and bring it to the vet for (thankfully minor) injuries. We let our cat out in the garden but only under supervision and he's not allowed leave the back garden. Other animals also attack cats frequently so for a variety of reasons, it's worth considering keeping cats indoors. But if you do so, you'll need to provide huge amounts of mental and physical stimulation.

Basically, cats are not as easy as everyone thinks they are!