offered an eight week kitten but feeling a bit uneasy

[freshstart24]

I'm looking for a kitten. I've tried v v hard to get a rescue kitten but have had no luck. I would like to be able to get the kitten this week as I have 10 days off to settle it in.

We have a puppy arriving in a month and I really wanted kitten settled and comfortable before puppy arrives.

I've adopted lots of cats before, and lost my two beloved golden oldies recently at almost 20. I've always just adopted whatever cat pulls on my heartstrings!

However I'm less familiar with kittens. The owner been v helpful over the phone. She's happy for me to view kitten Wednesday evening and then collect on Friday at 8 weeks. She had two available and I'm
more interested in the black one she said people want black cats less, so I felt sorry for him! I didn't want to place deposit until I'd viewed and she was happy with that. However when I asked about defleaing and worming she told me that you don't do this until 12 weeks- which a quick google has suggested is not true, as they can be done earlier.

I'm worried that I'll get there on Wednesday and fall in love with kitten and take him home regardless of my gut feel.

What could I be letting myself in for? Is it not effectively rescuing a kitten and guaranteeing the little mite a loving home even if the owner is a bit dodgy? Or should I walk away?

Risk not rosy .

I will say this again. Rescues currently don't have many kittens because it's a little bit too early. In six weeks or so there will be thousands of them.

In six weeks when I am asked if I have a holiday planned I will have to say I have four days booked to go to Devon for my sisters wedding.

I have thought about this and am trying to time it to work best for a kitten.

IMO the difference between breeding puppies and kittens is that in the case of puppies if you want a specific breed then you need to go to a breeder, and the reality is that there are very few reputable ones out there so in truth most dogs have come from puppy farms or backyard breeders in some way shape or form.

Recently my mum's friend did all the research she could before buying a puppy. Then two days after she got it home it came down with Parvo virus. Turns out it was a puppy farm after all. And when I did some research I discovered that only 12% of puppies bred in the UK are to licenced breeders, so the reality here is that even those posters who say they did all the research into the breeder likely have a puppy farmed dog or at the very least one from a backyard breeder.

In terms of kittens though there is no reason what so ever why anyone needs to end up with their own litters of kittens. But in the event they do, there is a vast difference between acquiring a kitten from a friend of a friend and acquiring one from gumtree or the like from someone who can't even be bothered to worm or de-flea it.

As to what happens to the kitten if you don't take it. Harsh as it is, you can't think emotionally about these things. Because what happens to the other three/four/six kittens if you don't take those? And the litter after this one? And the litter after that one? People will forever produce animals they have no homes for, and unfortunately people who are taken in by the emotional thoughts of what will happen if they don't give them homes are the people who are creating this chain of supply and demand. Because there will always be a "what happens to it if I don't take it," person waiting in the wings.

Stop the emotional thoughts and think of the animals instead. If she doesn't rehome it perhaps she will keep it if she's a decent person. Perhaps if she's not she'll have it put to sleep or abandon it and maybe it'll end up in a rescue if it's lucky. But it may just spur her into having her female spayed if she realises she's going to end up with hoards of unwanted kittens in the future, as opposed to £££ in the bank.

I'm not sure £25.00 is quite £££ in the bank .

I would just get the kitten if you want the kitten, OP.

Give it a good loving home and look after it. Keep it inside for 6, 7 months until you've had it spayed/neutered.

As someone else said, there are fewer and fewer kittens at rescue centres because neutering programmes have been more successful, and because home-bought kittens will still cost £150 plus just for a kitten due to vaccinations, etc. IF you want a moggy kitten, and not a 'purebreed' of some kind, get your moggy kitten.

Someone is going to have that kitten, whether people approve or not. The kitten is already here. If OP can offer it a loving, safe home, she should feel free to do so.

This thread is so frustrating...

And when I did some research I discovered that only 12% of puppies bred in the UK are to licenced breeders

A dog breeder being licensed by their local council is actually a massive red flag. The vast, vast majority of councils only require a breeder to be licensed when they're producing litters at much higher volumes than anyone reputable ever would.

In pretty much every case a licensed dog breeder, even if they're not churning out puppies on an industrial scale, is going to be at best a high volume BYB and at worst a low volume puppy farm.

I thought I recognised the OP's name. You wanted to get a puppy and leave it in a crate in the office whilst you worked?!
Jeez.
This is a disaster waiting to happen.

No wolfie, I wanted to take it to work with me occasionally. To a quiet office, where messes are ok, noise is ok and chaos is ok- for a max of 1.5 hours a day. There was something that wasn't ideal which was that there were too many things in the office that could be chewed issue as we had paperwork lying around.

So we've fixed shelving above head height around the office. All paperwork is above this level and we've adjusted wiring to keep it out of reach.

I won't be taking the puppy in for at least three months, and then only occasionally for short amounts of time.

There is little point bitching and accusing me of all sorts of animal cruelty and irresponsibility. My pets have always been well cared for, and they always will be. Yes, I have things to learn and I will need to make adjustments along the way- but that is normal, and it's ok.

Save your bitterness for people who don't provide good care for their pets. You probably won't find them on here looking for advice though- I've asked advice on a number of things on both the cat and dog threads on Mumsnet and that is because I want to learn things and ask opinions, that is a good thing and people accusing me of all sorts of unjustified things won't help my pets.

"I've asked advice on a number of things on both the cat and dog threads on Mumsnet and that is because I want to learn things and ask opinions, that is a good thing"

Only if you take it though... I make it as 23 people have answered, 4 say get the kitten. (Might have missed some on either side)

There have been answers about why it's not the best idea to have a puppy and kitten together, why it's not a great idea to buy a kitten from someone who hasn't even wormed or deflead the kitten and then lies about why.

But you're still going, ah, but I want it...

Your thread asked if you could take a pup to work 9-3 and crate it.
No. You shouldn't do that.
You clearly want kitten and puppy. You need to work out the safest way of doing this and the way that is best for the animals. Get kitten if you must but say you can't have this puppy and leave it a while. (Maybe until you don't need to take it to work and leave it in a crate 9-3.)
You clearly don't actually want advice. You just want someone to say take the kitten. Rescue it. It'll be fine with a new puppy.

I have not said I am going to get the kitten. I've asked about the consequences of not getting it on the kitten, and I've mused over being surprised at how hard it can be to find a moggie kitten. Posters have explained that I'm early in the season and so now I understand why.

I may well not get the kitten. Doesn't mean that I'm not going to feel for it.

I've also listened to posters saying that the puppy or kitten could gravely injure each other. However as they will be kept separately and only introduced carefully and slowly, I cannot see how an injury would occur. If they don't get on, so be it- they will be kept separately. If they do get in they will only be in the same area under very very tight supervision.

I am listening, but posters are not listening to me. They are making assumptions and I am having to justify myself again and again.

These boards are for learning and discussion- not just bashing someone who you have decided is completely irresponsible.

Hi, just to add my view to fresh start..... when I was much younger and before MN/internet advice boards and so on, I got a kitten and a puppy a week apart as I had heard that this was a good idea.... they became (and still are) best friends 14 years later. We repeated this again 8 years ago and again, best friends. I know it is anecdotal but just wanted to share my experience.

Good luck.

Wolfie, those were my regular working hours and when dog is an adult I may take it for those hours twice a week. It will have regular short walks, playtime and a long walk part way through the day.

Whilst it is a puppy I will work far far less hours for as long as I need to. I am my own boss and can do this as required.

I said on my thread that I could take a crate of it helps. I intend to do that, but leave the door open in case puppy finds it a nice place to be. It won't be shut in.

I do not want someone to tell me to take the kitten.

I'm not sure why I'm even responding to your unfair accusations. I think that as a thoughtful pet owner who only wants the best for any animal in their care it is very frustrating to be accused of being negligent.

My previous two cats lived to almost 20, I nursed them both towards the end, I gave them my all.

I posted about a kitten whose owner had given incorrect facts regarding worming. I've been accused of all sorts.

Save your bitching for someone who deserves it, or better still try being constructive.

Bitching?
I think I was just trying to get you to understand how bad an idea this could be for the animals involved.

oh dear god @ the pp

i got my kitten at 8 weeks from a woman whos cat had gotten pregnant. shes almost 3 now and amazing. not sure why anyone would recommend that you dont get a cat from an owner who hasnt got her cat neutered. the kitten will just go to a different home, and the poster is clearly quite capable of giving animals a loving home.

i have got my cat neutered, all her vaccines, she is flead and wormed regularly. she wasnt flead, wormed or given vaccines before we got her, and ive never heard of that before tbh.

its your life OP, dont let unfair comments stop you from choosing this kitten if thats what you want to do. id advise against paying a deposit before visiting the kitten though, but otherwise it all sounds fairly standard.

Ok to be fair it is of the sum of so many accusations from several posters that feels like bitching.

Posters who have said I'm definitely getting a puppy from a puppy farm ( I'm not), that it's parents aren't registered or health checked ( they are), that I haven't ensured both essential and 'good to have' genetic tests have been done (I have), that I will allow a puppy and a kitten to be in a situation where they will physically harm each other (I won't), that I'm getting this kitten regardless, and on and in about my irresponsible behaviour.

I think I'm getting nowhere with justifying myself. I will think twice before posting here for advice, or animal chat, which is a shame.

I have lots of experience of caring for elderly cats, nursing anorexic cats and helping kidney cats. I would be so pleased to help anyone looking for advice on these things. My take on these boards is that giving constructive advice and supporting each other is a good thing. I think I some posters prefer to point out what terrible pet owners some of us are, judging and criticising away- when constructive empathetic advice might be a far better tool to encourage a poster to be a better pet owner.

Thanks Eskimo. I won't be paying a deposit, that's good advice.

Glad to hear you got a lovely bundle and have had a good experience.

every rescue in this country tells people not to offer kittens, puppies, unwanted cats or dogs to free good homes as these are the ones that the dog fighters love, sounds like this woman may not know age for worming or fleaing and at our rescue we dont flea or worm till 8 weeks for kittens as the stuff is so strong , £25 sounds like she has thought about it not too low to attract the wrong people and not too high and certainly not kitten farmed prices, OP what i would do is go and look at the kitten you will either love him or you wont, and people saying not to have a puppy and a kitten at the same time , yes it will be hard work because you will have the kitten running round like a loonie a puppy that you are trying to house train but it will give you something to talk about in years to come

and when did litter tray get so AIBU used to be nice people who came in here who would give out good sensible advice not shout people down and tell them what bad potential owners they will be , if they dont buy the most expensive food online , and get their cat or kitten from a rescue all we see in here is words on a computer not the person behind the words and by the way to those who dont know me i work for a cat rescue and foster kittens too, and at the moment our kittens in foster are being put on hold almost as soon as their born vbecause at the moment supply is outstripping demand , and we rehome at 11 weeks , and all done as in chip,snip,jab, flead, wormed, vet checked

that should be demand is outstripping supply oops

"However as they will be kept separately and only introduced carefully and slowly, I cannot see how an injury would occur."

Because puppies are bitey little gits with horrible needle sharp teeth and 12 week old kittens are still tiny and delicate and expect puppies to play like cats do, when they really really don't and their main defence are claws to a puppy that won't yet have the sense to move out of the way's face.

An older dog would have commands you can use to intervene and either an older dog or cat would have a bit of experience and common sense about how to interact.

A puppy and a kitten don't have anything except sharp stuff and a load of instincts that don't interact well with each other.

Thank you For your thoughts Issy, it does feel like an AIBU post. Thank you for working so hard to help rescue cats and kittens.

Anorexic cats?!