Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Kitten sellers taking the piss!!?

226 replies

Jamandbreadd · 04/05/2020 10:41

I am thinking about getting a cat after the lockdown eases, my cat is really in need of the company I think. Had a quick scan of gumtree London (where I got my cat 2 years ago, from a family home where their moggy had kittens). To be honest I was Hmm at the prices of cars. I haven’t been in the market for a cat for 2 years but I remember I paid £50 for a litter trained moggy kitten. Now every similar kitten on gumtree appears to be upwards of £200 each, and £400+ is equally as common! Am I missing something? They are either from private homes or I guess breeders, and it seems incredible to charge that much per kitten. A litter of 4 will net some of these people over £1000!
I’m a good pet owner- have good insurance for my cat, she has a de flea and de worm subscription from the vet, enough food and lots of attention. We don’t have a garden so were turned down by our local cat rescue when we contacted them.
I just don’t believe that people should profiteer from kittens like this. It’s mad.. and has definitely got worse since I got my cat 2 years ago.
£200-£400 for a moggy kitten?!? AIBU?!

OP posts:
3rdNamechange · 05/05/2020 09:48

OP has said she can't get one from a shelter because she doesn't have a garden.

Hingeandbracket · 05/05/2020 10:30

from the large pile of sleeping cats I see whenever I go round. Errrrrgh

PhilSwagielka · 05/05/2020 10:34

@3rdNamechange don't shelters have indoor cats? I got my current cat from a shelter and he's an outdoor boy, but I think the shelter has a few old ones who are quite happy being indoor cats. My last cat was an indoor one too, although I got him off a mate (who got him from a shelter, I think?)

EarlGreyT · 05/05/2020 10:35

OP has said she can't get one from a shelter because she doesn't have a garden.

Maybe the OP should think about why the shelter who are obviously keen to rehome cats, have the cats best interests in mind and have significant experience with cats have said she can’t have one of their cats. And then maybe she should decide she doesn’t know best and reconsider her selfish decision to get another cat because it’s clearly not in the best interest of either the cat she has already or the one she is considering getting.

ducksback · 05/05/2020 11:18

Ducksback. Oh do one you mad cat lady

Grin funny how people with no argument resort to insults isn't it?

ducksback · 05/05/2020 11:20

midnight I have a rescue Raggy and he would not more go outside that he would fly to the moon! They truly are the laziest and cuddliest of all of the cat breeds.

ducksback · 05/05/2020 11:20

than

Thurmanmurman · 05/05/2020 12:03

Ducksback. We have different views on the subject, you think I'm wrong, I think you're wrong. We won't convince each other either way so there was no point going back and forth, arguing about our superior cat knowledge! I've always had cats so I'm not totally clueless about them. Sorry for telling you to do one, that was rude of me, but you probably are a mad cat ladyGrin

ducksback · 05/05/2020 14:33

Actually I worked for many years in animal rescue and rehoming so am 'mad' about all animals. Hmm

thecatsarecrazy · 05/05/2020 14:44

get one from the cats protection. They come spayed vet checked and jabs paid for

thecatsarecrazy · 05/05/2020 14:45

cats don't need company. My 2 cant stand each other

RonSwansonIsBuff · 05/05/2020 14:57

Cats do no like other cats

This is definitely not always the case. I've got two cats and they are inseparable. If one is out and the other is in, they will sit either side of the door scratching at it until I let the other one out so they can go off together.

We had a boy first and then got a girl though as our boy is quite territorial with other males so I don't think it would have gone so well if we'd gotten another boy.

TimeWastingButFun · 05/05/2020 15:22

My Aunt got a couple of kittens recently, through Facebook, you could ask around on there? The lady whose kittens they were didn't want any payment for them - she did a house check and she was delighted they were going to a good, safe and loving home. You could try that, or Pets4Homes is where we got our puppy (registered breeder).

RainMustFall · 05/05/2020 17:58

My Aunt got a couple of kittens recently, through Facebook, you could ask around on there?

Please don't and that goes for pet shops too. Finding a cat in a rescue centre is going to be tough at the present time and although one turned you down, OP, maybe talk to another one, although I agree with those who say that if you get another cat there's no guarantee both will get on and you need to think how you're going to keep them apart if things get bad.

Nestofvipers · 05/05/2020 18:38

My Aunt got a couple of kittens recently, through Facebook

For fucks sake

Annabk · 05/05/2020 18:44

Your existing cat categorically does not want a new, unknown cat to be added to the household.
Cats are not dogs or rabbits in this respect.

Jux · 05/05/2020 19:43

I've lived with cats for nearly 60 years. IME, (friends with cats, as well as the many cats I have owned) if you get a boy then - even when neutered - a younger female will work out better. Always get a kitten younger than the one you already have, and preferably get boy then girl. Those are just the combinations I have seen work best.

If litter mates then clearly this doesn't pertain.

Chiyo666 · 05/05/2020 19:46

I’ve never paid for a cat! I might stretch to £30 that’s it. Put a post on buy and sell on Facebook and see if anyone’s had any kittens.

ducksback · 05/05/2020 20:22

Put a post on buy and sell on Facebook and see if anyone’s had any kittens

Fucking hell, it's relentless. How bloody depressing.

Meruem · 05/05/2020 20:31

Sorry but I think a lot of people on here are being hypocritical. If you are saying “please don’t buy a cat on gumtree” but then will happily sit down and eat a nice juicy steak. Then it’s hypocrisy. vegetarians/Vegans, yes you are living your values so what you are saying is in line with your beliefs. Everyone else, not so much. Is a cats (or dogs life) worth more than a cows or a lambs? At least those of us who buy a cat aren’t buying them to eat them! At least I hope not! Either you commit to animal welfare or you don’t. But don’t pick and choose what suits you. That’s hypocritical.

RedRed9 · 05/05/2020 21:21

Either you commit to animal welfare or you don’t. But don’t pick and choose what suits you. That’s hypocritical.

Not really. That’s like saying if you do one bad thing then you might as well do all the bad things. (Eg If you don’t strictly recycle then you might as well not bother.) It’s better that people make mostly good choices, even if they don’t always and strictly make the ‘best’ choice.

Meruem · 05/05/2020 21:32

I take your point but “preaching” to others is only really effective/acceptable, if it’s done by people who have made the “best” choice. Otherwise it’s just lecturing from those who are also not “perfect”.

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 05/05/2020 21:51

@Littlemeadow123 I should have said that our cat was three, not a kitten. I completely get it though. She’s the only thing I have ever got from Gumtree. All of us got very lucky. She’s currently sitting up a tree in the back garden, loving life, we adore her, and her previous family get regular updates and photos, and know she has a VERY sweet deal as queen of this household!

But honestly, I do understand. Before we visited her, I sent photos of our home and garden, and we spent time with her in her former home. They actually dropped her off here, so they were able to check us out properly. Without meaning to sound like an arse, I think gut feeling can be useful.

Here she is!

Kitten sellers taking the piss!!?
RedRed9 · 05/05/2020 23:20

@Meruem it’s often people who aren’t ‘perfect‘ who give the best advice as they’ve been there, done that and learnt from it.

Also, I hope you see the irony in your distaste for ‘preaching’.

Bistromamma · 09/07/2020 11:45

I’ve never bought a kitten off gumtree either, but like you, as the shelters are shut at the moment, (and I registers with 3), my thoughts turned to Gumtree. I responded to 4 adverts making general positive enquiries about the kittens, and have heard not a peep back from one of them.
I think it suggests that these are scams. It’s just plain rude. If you’re selling something, how difficult is it to write back ‘sorry, all sold’, or something similar.
I think I’ll wait a few weeks until the shelters are open again