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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

£50 to £100 for a kitten!

145 replies

Lennybenny · 14/09/2021 21:07

One of my friends posted about some kittens. They were from one of her friends. We are looking so I said yes. Asked how much....£50 for friend of friend....I said sorry, I'm not willing to pay that much and she replies they were selling for £100 in May.
I'm happy to pay for a kitten but that's just too much and it sounds like she's selling them to make money.
How much are you willing to pay?

OP posts:
StarCat2020 · 16/09/2021 16:17

My cat is 14 tomorrow and when I got her she was £300

AnnieSnap · 16/09/2021 16:20

To those who were refused by CPL. What reasons did they give? It seems odd to decline a good home 🤷‍♀️

FatAnkles · 16/09/2021 16:25

£125 for a moggie.

Suzysuz · 16/09/2021 16:35

Just adopted 2 kittens through Cats Protection, £85 per kitten, that includes-
First and second vaccination
Neutering
Microchip
Fosterer doing first set worming/flea treatment (age and weight dependant)
4 weeks free basic PetPlan cover

I was really impressed as not all charities offer all this 👍

Peteycat · 16/09/2021 16:46

"16:20AnnieSnap

To those who were refused by CPL. What reasons did they give? It seems odd to decline a good home 🤷‍♀️"

They may in theory be a good home, however cats are very complex animals. A dog, or children aren't always suitable for some cats, and alot of animal rescue organisations are strict if you live near a main road. Some just refuse to home cats near main roads.

AnnieSnap · 16/09/2021 16:49

Fair enough @Peteycat

lilmishap · 16/09/2021 17:23

The advice you get is to be wary of anyone wanting the kitten cheap or free as there are some arseholes out there.

Those kittens being abused/killed online came from somewhere.

Kittens need worming fortnightly then monthly then neutering/spaying, jabs and they can hurt themselves in an empty room so an unexpected vet visit is a possibility. I'd be concerned you couldn't keep up with costs if £50 was an issue.

Your're buying something that should live10+ years

Peteycat · 16/09/2021 17:32

"16:49AnnieSnap

Fair enough @Peteycat"

It is a hard one. I know what people think there are loads of cats in rescue centres, but some of the cats I look after at our shelter despise humans. They were treated so badly that they will not engage with us. I try my best, but unfortunately it's just one of those things.

On a more positive note though, our charity rehomed 122 cats last year in lockdown which was amazing.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 16/09/2021 19:11

@Lunde

I got 2 kittens in April from a shelter and paid £500 for the pair - a slight discount owing to ongoing medical needs

If you are quibbling about £50 - how are you going to manage the ongoing costs of vaccination, micro chipping and medical care?

A lot more easily if you haven't been fleeced for over a week's wages in the first place.

My most expensive cat cost a zone 1-4 travel card and a box of cat food.

Divebar2021 · 16/09/2021 23:34

To those who were refused by CPL. What reasons did they give? It seems odd to decline a good home

It seems like people can be rejected for all sorts of reasons, young children, other cats / dogs, close vicinity to main roads or railway lines. The rescue I used didn’t visit our house due to Covid but they definitely checked the location out on Google maps.

RevolvingPivot · 16/09/2021 23:42

@HairyToity

Crikey. My parents are farmers, they've always given their kittens away, but a few years ago had all their cats neutered. They had too many.

They recently had a very cute kitten dumped on them though.

Why didn't they neuter them straight away?

As for giving them away those poor kittens could have ended up with anyone. Used for bait or god knows what!!

And they are farmers???

Peteycat · 17/09/2021 07:12

"11NeverDropYourMoonCup

Lunde

I got 2 kittens in April from a shelter and paid £500 for the pair - a slight discount owing to ongoing medical needs

If you are quibbling about £50 - how are you going to manage the ongoing costs of vaccination, micro chipping and medical care?

A lot more easily if you haven't been fleeced for over a week's wages in the first place.

My most expensive cat cost a zone 1-4 travel card and a box of cat food."

Not one's fault that happened, you can't use it as an excuse for people to give cats away like they aren't living creatures. Or not want to pay care costs. If you can't, don't have pets.

Toddlerteaplease · 17/09/2021 08:24

I paid £200 each for my two rescue Persians.

MrsSkylerWhite · 17/09/2021 09:13

SoloIsland

“Going to disagree. I am deep rural in Ireland and most of what you list is not needed. I was told by my vet years ago eg that vaccinations when I lived so remote were totally unneeded.
And all the rescues hereabouts get help from eg the SPCA with neutering vouchers . No fleas, ticks or worms either. And treatment surely not needed unless there is a real issue? No insurance and vets are almost never needed. And out here they are kind to rescuers

Oh before I left Kerry a local animal rescue had a FIX IT FOR A FIVER offer. I had been nurturing two fersls so was able to get them neutered.

Looking at my seventeen year old rescue. Boycat. Never vaccinated. Never near a vet. Healthy. The rescue got SPCA vouchers for fixing

So I refute your last para... Totally. My seven get well fed and loved. Just food. In abundance. And love also in abundance. A watchful eye.

And I am a pensioner. And we need our critters and we care for them wondrously. No one should be deprived of the love and company of a cat .... When I first had one decades ago my GP in the UK said it was doing me so much good he was advising all his patients to follow suit.“

I respectfully agree to differ. Most people do not live in your very particular circumstances. So far, you have been fortunate. How would you feel if one of your beloved animals contracted feline enteritis, FIV or flu from a feral because you had not vaccinated? Am also sceptical about a vet who advises against protection.
Monthly Flea, mite and worm protection must cost you a pretty penny?
I’m glad your cats make you feel better but the GP’s concern and expertise is your welfare, not that of the cats so he/she is not qualified to comment in that respect.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 17/09/2021 20:42

@Peteycat

"11NeverDropYourMoonCup

Lunde

I got 2 kittens in April from a shelter and paid £500 for the pair - a slight discount owing to ongoing medical needs

If you are quibbling about £50 - how are you going to manage the ongoing costs of vaccination, micro chipping and medical care?

A lot more easily if you haven't been fleeced for over a week's wages in the first place.

My most expensive cat cost a zone 1-4 travel card and a box of cat food."

Not one's fault that happened, you can't use it as an excuse for people to give cats away like they aren't living creatures. Or not want to pay care costs. If you can't, don't have pets.

Care costs for the succession of permanently happy (and healthy, all died of old age) cats, dogs and other animals I've had since I was 19 have always been covered.

If you are implying that every pet I've ever had was being neglected because I didn't stump up hundreds of pounds upfront to prove my financial acumen (which I think would be somewhat suspect if I were in the business of buying animals like consumer lifestyle products or a second hand car), preferring to spend my hard earned money on the actual animals instead, you would be mistaken.

I don't want a lifestyle accessory. But if there's an animal that needs some mug to take them in and make the rest of their life safe, comfortable, caring and exponentially longer than it would have been otherwise, I'll say yes.

I could afford to buy one. Or ten. But I don't want to. Waifs and strays are my specialty - and they deserve the money spent directly on them, not being given to an ooops, my cat got out how much are they on Gumtree at the moment I have to charge this much to put off dog fighters really, it's just to be safe breeder.

SirYawnsAlot · 17/09/2021 21:19

I did a search on a selling site for a cat basket and some kittens came up, they were £70-£100 each, not pedigree.

cheesyunyin · 17/09/2021 21:20

Barfiab!

cheesyunyin · 17/09/2021 21:21

Oops

Bargain!

daytriptovulcan · 17/09/2021 21:26

How vile to pump money into an animal breeding business... That doesnt answer your question though, sorry.

Madwife123 · 17/09/2021 21:43

Depends on what they come with. If they are vaccinated, chipped etc. I’ll pay more. If they have done nothing for them then I would walk away at any price as I wouldn’t be supporting backyard breeding.

Madwife123 · 17/09/2021 21:47

@Froppysue

My daughters always dreamed of having a ragdoll….. they’re over a grand Shock
Where are they that expensive? My Ragdoll kittens don’t sell for anywhere near that!
Peteycat · 17/09/2021 21:49

"Where are they that expensive? My Ragdoll kittens don’t sell for anywhere near that!"

Are they gccf/Tica or Fife registered?

HunterHearstHelmsley · 17/09/2021 21:53

@Dumbledoresgirl

I paid £250 ( ie 125 each) for 2 ginger boys in July. For gingers, they were on the cheaper side. I agree it is a lot of money but even my local rescues, who would not let me adopt, were asking £80 per kitten.
I was given a ginger boy from a litter last week. Four other cats, all black and white. I was given mine, the black and white are being sold for £100 each.

It was from a pregnant stray and she is being spayed.

Fluffypastelslippers · 17/09/2021 21:56

I'm happy to pay but what are you paying for.....a moggie gets pregnant, apart from good food, milk etc for her and eventuallyfood for them, the kittens don't cost you £100 each.

Turn it around to the good old adage 'you get what you pay for' and ask yourself why you would want to support such 'breeding' practice. Surely if you are biting a kitten you want one who has been very checked, wormed and flea'd and who's mum had been taken care of with more than just food

Madwife123 · 17/09/2021 21:58

GCCF reg, HCM tested, fully vaccinated, microchipped, insured and with a kitten pack.

I probably could have sold for that during lockdown when prices when crazy but we stopped breeding temporarily as all our enquiries were from people who wanted a kitten NOW as they were bored with no thought to what happens when normal life resumes.

Now my current litter is being sold at our ‘normal’ price of £650 and still not all reserved. I need to move to these expensive areas then I can try and have a hope at covering my vet bills!