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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

Cost of "pedigree" kittens?

53 replies

RiverFlowers · 15/04/2022 21:33

We sadly lost one of our cats recently - it was very unexpected and I haven't been coping with it particularly well. We have his brother still but he is very much my husbands cat in that, he isn't remotely interested in me but will follow my husband around constantly. We always joked about it but now my boy has gone, I am actually struggling with it as i feel like I have lost "my" cat.

I didn't really have any intentions of getting another cat at the moment but I did look to see if the breeder we got our boys from still existed and they do and it got me looking at kittens and older cats of that breed who need re-homing. However, I think I am very out of touch with how much kittens and cats cost these days - when we got our boys nearly ten years ago they were £400 each (think British Shorthair, Persian, Exotics) yet people seem to be trying to sell them for £1k now? Is that right?! Is that how much they cost now as that seems extortionate!

It also seems most breeders won't even tell you their prices anymore! I have looked at re-homing but as we have young children, they won't even consider us.

Has anyone purchased a British shorthair, Persian or exotic recently and can tell me what they paid?!

Thanks

OP posts:
AHungryCaterpillar · 15/04/2022 21:48

My kids have been asking for a kitten recently and I looked and standard moggies are £400 no special type of cat!! £400 😒 my cat was £40 7 years ago 😂 told the kids they won’t be getting one.

cansu · 15/04/2022 21:52

Some smaller cat rescues are less pernickety about kids. Ring around.

AnnaMagnani · 15/04/2022 21:56

There are a lot of backstreet breeders selling moggies for ridiculous prices.

Meanwhile rescues are overflowing.

I got Desert Cat in lockdown when everyone had gone pet mad, and I refused to pay £££ for a backstreet kitten, so ended up getting a rescue from Dubai. Not my original plan but he is definitely a character.

Onlyhereforchaletschool · 15/04/2022 21:58

Persian in November 2020 £700

Original poster
RiverFlowers · 15/04/2022 22:02

I won't be getting a moggy, we only have indoor cats and moggies just aren't suitable for that life!

Growing up as always had BSH, Persians or Exotics so I have just continued with that. I am only basing prices off some of those iffy looking sites like "pre-loved" and Pets4Homes as actual breeders won't advertise prices but no doubt some have whacked their prices up in the last couple of years.

I have tried every cat shelter I can find in about a 100 mile radius and none will consider us as our children are "too young" - despite the fact we have always had cats around them and still have a cat now!

OP posts:
Newnormal99 · 15/04/2022 22:03

@RiverFlowers

A lot of rescues will have cats for indoor homes only.

AnnaMagnani · 15/04/2022 22:10

I don't know, Silkycat is a moggie and she would very much like to be an indoor cat. She has complained to management many times about our extreme cruelty in making her go outside in the sunshine 'to be a real cat.'

She has a fiercely defended territory of one patio, summertimes only and not in the rain Grin

AwkwardPaws27 · 15/04/2022 22:15

@AHungryCaterpillar definitely try a rescue. My youngest cat was from the RSPCA as a kitten, £95 adoption fee but that included health checks, vaccines, microchip, deflead, deformed & 4 weeks insurance cover.

AHungryCaterpillar · 15/04/2022 22:17

No going to rescue one got young kids and they are too fussy in my area. (My sister tried to a few years back and they wouldn’t let her rescue a cat as she lived on a main road 😒) she gave up and bought one in the end.

AwkwardPaws27 · 15/04/2022 22:22

@AHungryCaterpillar I found the RSPCA process really straightforward. Filled in a form, followed by a quick home check.
It's worth trying a few rather than paying hundreds to someone who is just letting their cat have back to back litters. Different rescues have different criteria (frustrating, I know!) so if one says no it doesn't mean another won't say yes.

QuebecBagnet · 15/04/2022 22:23

I paid 1k for a bsh a few months ago. Some of the more unusual marked litter mates were £1400.

Ohmygoshyoudontsay · 15/04/2022 22:25

I've never paid for a kitten. You can still get cats for free from the farmers round here as cats go into their barns and have litters and they try to get local people to take the kittens off their hands. £1000 for a cat is crazy.

Nejnej · 15/04/2022 22:28

We've got a Maine Coon - adopted off a friend who was forced to rehome - but she cost £800 at birth and they're going for 1k+ now

Nejnej · 15/04/2022 22:29

Forgot to say - we'd love another but wouldn't ever justify it. We also struggle with rescues allowing us as we're out of the house for long shifts!

Toddlerteaplease · 15/04/2022 22:32

I paid a £200 adoption fee each for my rescue Persians. They'd ben appalling conditions as a breeding queens in a kitten farm. They have been worth every penny of the £22k vets bills they ran up partially as a result of their poor start in life. Be very careful when paying for 'pedigree' kittens. They might not be reputable breeders. One of mine had HCM and undoubtedly has passed it in to her kittens.

JustBkind · 15/04/2022 22:36

What I would say is don’t get another cat to make up for the loss of the one you had and loved…I had a boy cat twelve years ago (black and white moggy) who I adored and he adored me, he was poisoned and I was heartbroken. I got another cat (Maine Coon) who I “thought” would replace him, he didn’t and he took to my youngest daughter instead. He tragically was hit by a car and we were all devastated. We then got another two cats (more Maine Coons as they have such a placid nature but cost a pretty penny) and decided to keep them indoors…they both took to the children and I still don’t have “my” cat. I’ve realised now that they are all so different and beautiful in their own way but will never replace my beautiful boy. His paw prints will just stay in my heart forever.

AwkwardPaws27 · 15/04/2022 22:36

@Toddlerteaplease

I paid a £200 adoption fee each for my rescue Persians. They'd ben appalling conditions as a breeding queens in a kitten farm. They have been worth every penny of the £22k vets bills they ran up partially as a result of their poor start in life. Be very careful when paying for 'pedigree' kittens. They might not be reputable breeders. One of mine had HCM and undoubtedly has passed it in to her kittens.
I hadn't realised your beautiful girls were rescues. Love seeing their pics on here Smile
Original poster
RiverFlowers · 15/04/2022 22:37

@Toddlerteaplease

I paid a £200 adoption fee each for my rescue Persians. They'd ben appalling conditions as a breeding queens in a kitten farm. They have been worth every penny of the £22k vets bills they ran up partially as a result of their poor start in life. Be very careful when paying for 'pedigree' kittens. They might not be reputable breeders. One of mine had HCM and undoubtedly has passed it in to her kittens.
We have rescued a BSH breeding queen in the past. We got her when she was about six years old and she was with us until she passed away age twelve. She also didn't have a great life, was a kitten factory essentially. Luckily, she didn't suffer any health complications.

As I have said, we have looked into adoption and rescue but because we have young children, they won't consider us - which is quite honestly ridiculous as my children have grown up with cats and we have a cat now!

OP posts:
Original poster
RiverFlowers · 15/04/2022 22:39

@JustBkind

What I would say is don’t get another cat to make up for the loss of the one you had and loved…I had a boy cat twelve years ago (black and white moggy) who I adored and he adored me, he was poisoned and I was heartbroken. I got another cat (Maine Coon) who I “thought” would replace him, he didn’t and he took to my youngest daughter instead. He tragically was hit by a car and we were all devastated. We then got another two cats (more Maine Coons as they have such a placid nature but cost a pretty penny) and decided to keep them indoors…they both took to the children and I still don’t have “my” cat. I’ve realised now that they are all so different and beautiful in their own way but will never replace my beautiful boy. His paw prints will just stay in my heart forever.
Absolutely, he will never ever be replaced. They are all individual. I guess I am just finding it hard at the moment and considering getting another cat (also as a companion to our remaining cat) but at the moment it's just a possibility, I don't want to rush into anything - plus if the prices are as stupid as they appear, we can't justify it anyway!
OP posts:
cstx89 · 15/04/2022 22:41

I got a British short hair, pure white and blue eyes. I paid £700

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 15/04/2022 22:42

@AHungryCaterpillar we have three moggies who all live inside just fine and I know loads of cat owners who have indoor moggies.

Why do you think they'd be unsuited for indoor life? Confused

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 15/04/2022 22:43

Gosh, we (and our families) only ever get cats by taking on the kittens of cats in our wider network who have been caught out before being spayed.

Only one person I know has a paid for cat, and it's a one that looks like a plucked chicken - sphinx is it? Bald. Expensive.

Who could bear to spend money on what is essentially a wild animal that only stays because it knows you open a tin of Felix once a day!

AHungryCaterpillar · 15/04/2022 22:45

[quote fairylightsandwaxmelts]@AHungryCaterpillar we have three moggies who all live inside just fine and I know loads of cat owners who have indoor moggies.

Why do you think they'd be unsuited for indoor life? Confused[/quote]
I think you are quoting the wrong person as I didn’t say that?

Nelliephant1 · 15/04/2022 22:47

Rehome a rescue. We've had three indoor rescues over the years and my in laws have had numerous moggies all of their lives and they have been amazing. You can't beat a rescue Heinz 57 💞

Original poster
RiverFlowers · 15/04/2022 22:48

[quote fairylightsandwaxmelts]@AHungryCaterpillar we have three moggies who all live inside just fine and I know loads of cat owners who have indoor moggies.

Why do you think they'd be unsuited for indoor life? Confused[/quote]
Well if you get them from a kitten, I suppose they won't know about the "great outdoors" and would be perfectly happy being an indoor cat. However, I don't think you can try and make a cat who is accustomed to going outside an indoor cat, they wouldn't like it.

OP posts: