# Kittens in the petshop :(



## fluffosaur (Dec 10, 2009)

The independent petshop in town currently have 4 little kittens in one of their RABBIT CAGES. It broke my heart. I asked how old they were and was told "8 weeks" and I asked where they came from and got "a local breeder".

I then asked a different member of staff who told me they have a breeder who breeds specifically for their pet shop.  They were just bogstandard domestic shorthairs, black and white colouring.  It's pretty much guaranteed they'll end up in the rescue system as they weren't even toileting in the tray and they were in a hutch covered with sawdust. It was horrible. They were charging £40 a kitten & it took all of my willpower not to buy them all! If I bought them and brought them home it would just feed into their supply & demand. Plus my boyfriend would be less than impressed with me.

Argh, it makes me so angry there is some silly woman out there in Nottingham breeding domestic shorthairs for a PET SHOP that keeps them in RABBIT CAGES and gives them sawdust to sleep on.  :crying:


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## RachyBobs (Oct 18, 2009)

omg  thats awful x


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## Tiggertots (Jun 29, 2009)

Is that sort of thing not illegal now?


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## doogpoh (Jan 8, 2010)

That's horrible, i remember when i was younger and i went on holiday to blackpool with my family, in a small petshop they had kittens and puppies in glass tanks, i think they were just large fishtanks with sawdust in, i think the puppies were £35 and can't remember how much the kittens were. i couldn't sleep that night cos it made me so sad. i remember asking my dad if i could have a puppy but he said no because it would just encourage them to keep doing it. it makes you mad to think theres people out there breeding these animals for petshops. and like you said will probably end up in a shelter because of the lack of socialisation they've had. :nonod: i don't think it's something that should be allowed, and something i was unaware of until i went in that shop. but thankfully i don't think it's something that happens very often anymore.


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## Gobaith (Jun 6, 2009)

that is awful !!


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## sootisox (Apr 23, 2009)

How sad! poor babies


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

I used to work in a pet shop that sold kittens. They said to customers that the kittens came from a "reputable breeder", but they obviously came from a kitten farm as about 12 came in a dog crate once, covered in their faeces. It was awful, and they sold the kittens for £90-£190.


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## amberpearl66 (Jan 11, 2010)

ithought it was illegal to sell kittens and puppies at pet shops? report them


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

amberpearl66 said:


> ithought it was illegal to sell kittens and puppies at pet shops? report them


no it isn't. it's very much legal, there are several pet shops that sell kittens and puppies, and the one I worked in sold both.


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## Tiggertots (Jun 29, 2009)

SEVEN_PETS said:


> I used to work in a pet shop that sold kittens. They said to customers that the kittens came from a "reputable breeder", but they obviously came from a kitten farm as about 12 came in a dog crate once, covered in their faeces. It was awful, and they sold the kittens for £90-£190.


That is utterly disgraceful!


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## becbec31 (Jun 26, 2009)

I would ring the RSPCA and get them to check it out, they may send an inspector round to check the place out, a sawdust covered rabbit cage is not the kind of enviroment any kitten should be in. My kittens are the most precious things form the moment they are born to the moment they leave me to go to new homes and the thought of them in a lonely pet shop is awful. It should be illegal or at the very least strictly monitored.


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## Jen26 (Apr 22, 2008)

How awfull, up to now Ive never come across it in this country. We were in America a few years ago and they had a shop that was selling puppies in glass tanks, with ''buy now pay later'' and mothly instalments as if they were just objects

just done a quick search and found it

Animal Kingdom -- Search results


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## Kalipha (Jul 15, 2009)

It's legal to sell them, but you need a license and there's rules about conditions they're kept in. That place sounds well below standard - call the local authority, if they're officially substandard conditions they'll get their license revoked.


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## RockRomantic (Apr 29, 2009)

fluffosaur said:


> The independent petshop in town currently have 4 little kittens in one of their RABBIT CAGES. It broke my heart. I asked how old they were and was told "8 weeks" and I asked where they came from and got "a local breeder".
> 
> I then asked a different member of staff who told me they have a breeder who breeds specifically for their pet shop.  They were just bogstandard domestic shorthairs, black and white colouring.  It's pretty much guaranteed they'll end up in the rescue system as they weren't even toileting in the tray and they were in a hutch covered with sawdust. It was horrible. They were charging £40 a kitten & it took all of my willpower not to buy them all! If I bought them and brought them home it would just feed into their supply & demand. Plus my boyfriend would be less than impressed with me.
> 
> Argh, it makes me so angry there is some silly woman out there in Nottingham breeding domestic shorthairs for a PET SHOP that keeps them in RABBIT CAGES and gives them sawdust to sleep on.  :crying:


i went to a petshop where they had kittens in the exact same position two beautiful black ones...there were oin for £60 each i think...if i didn't have dos i would have bouht them =(


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## Clare Ferris (Nov 26, 2009)

There is someone by me who has entire moggies that are constantly producing kittens that then go and disappear never to be seen, I am sure they are one of those people who produce for petshops. It is disgusting but if you buy them you are just allowing more to come in. It is sad but it needs to be stopped. I would get the RSPCA involved but doubt they would do much to be honest. I have had expereince with them in a similar situation and nothing was done. I bet you felt like giving the pet shop owner a piece of your mind!


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

Thats awful  that website doesn't look any better. Anyone any idea what a laffon would be?


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## Jen26 (Apr 22, 2008)

Nicky10 said:


> Thats awful  that website doesn't look any better. Anyone any idea what a laffon would be?


Ive got no idea what a Laffon is???

What an awfull way to buy a puppy though, it musy be soo frightening for them.


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## fluffosaur (Dec 10, 2009)

Right! Advice taken & I've been busy on the phone this morning.

I called Nottingham Health & Safety offices and reported the kittens for sale & the standards they are being kept in (i.e. none). The poor little things didn't even have any toys or anywhere to hide!! I nearly started crying in the shop. :crying:

I then called up the RSPCA Cruelty Line and reported the kittens to them too.

Both said they would investigate the conditions the kittens were being kept in & keep me informed. The kittens were also separated from their mother before the age of 8 weeks which IS ILLEGAL and it was two members of staff who told me the kittens wouldn't be old enough to sell until later in the week. I'm willing to testify.  The poor little things still had BLUE EYES so they were definitely too young to be in the cage. They also told me that the kittens had been spayed which is ALSO ILLEGAL as you cannot spay a kitten under the age of 8 weeks old. It screams kitten farming.

If I wouldn't have been feeding into the supply and demand of the pet shop I would have scooped them all up yesterday and brought them home to rehome myself. I can't do that for every animal I see though otherwise I'd be in sooooo much debt. ;p

I might pop in to the shop later to check on the kittens. The poor things were shaking in the corner of the cage yesterday and it's just not fair people can get away with treating living breathing creatures like this.

How would they like to be locked in a cage and made to sneeze on sawdust all day ????


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

Hopefully they will do something but they have food, water and shelter so I doubt the RSPCA will bother. Poor babies must be so traumatised


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## fluffosaur (Dec 10, 2009)

They definitely were traumatised, they were just sat there staring & shaking. Not normal kitten behaviour at all !! They should still be learning from mum about socialisation, feeding & toilet training... not sat in some pet shop being gawked at all day.


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

And people will buy them because they're cute and then ditch them because they're not acting like kittens . I would have found it hard to leave without one


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## celicababe1986 (Jun 22, 2009)

SEVEN_PETS said:


> I used to work in a pet shop that sold kittens. They said to customers that the kittens came from a "reputable breeder", but they obviously came from a kitten farm as about 12 came in a dog crate once, covered in their faeces. It was awful, and they sold the kittens for £90-£190.


the sad thing is the pet shops only pay £5-£10 per kitten, so the "breeder" is not making any money out of it SO WHY DO IT!! because it sure not to produce good examples of the breed!! 
The fact is the "breeder" is too god damned lazy to get there poor cat spayed...and the pet shop are looking for an easy way to make money    grrr it gets me so mad.
there is a pet shop in Lewisham that sells unvaccinated moggies for 100 each!! and they are all kept in what looks like a large fish tank :crying:


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## celicababe1986 (Jun 22, 2009)

Jen26 said:


> How awfull, up to now Ive never come across it in this country. We were in America a few years ago and they had a shop that was selling puppies in glass tanks, with ''buy now pay later'' and mothly instalments as if they were just objects
> 
> just done a quick search and found it
> 
> Animal Kingdom -- Search results


I saw it in Spain...unfortunatly its all legit and thats how they treat there animals :crying:

You walked in to a massive store, and all the kittens and pups, baby birds and rodents etc....all set up in tanks according to breeds..all out on display. So even if the animal was scared there was no where to hide, just a big open space of saw dust and poo!!


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## Clare Ferris (Nov 26, 2009)

fluffosaur said:


> Right! Advice taken & I've been busy on the phone this morning.
> 
> I called Nottingham Health & Safety offices and reported the kittens for sale & the standards they are being kept in (i.e. none). The poor little things didn't even have any toys or anywhere to hide!! I nearly started crying in the shop. :crying:
> 
> ...


I seriously doubt they are neutered the breeder wont have been paid much so why would they pay for neutering. Besides I dont think any vet would do them at that age. I think they are trying to con people into paying more for them tbh. Hope they shut them down and find homes for them. It is disgusting how anyone can do that and the people that work there, manager obviously do not care about animals in the slightest.


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## fluffosaur (Dec 10, 2009)

Update !!

Nottingham Health & Safety called me this morning and said she'd been to visit the petshop yesterday but that ALL the kittens had been rehomed!!   So she couldn't check out the condition of the cage they were kept in !! 

She said there is no minimum age for sale of kittens so these 7 WEEK OLD KITTENS were able to be sold without any legal consequences provided they were weaned, which they are. She said it is a friend of the owner who BREEDS THEM FOR THE PETSHOP.

It sickens me but I'm very pleased somebody actually went and checked them out. Grr.

So basically ALL FOUR KITTENS sold in less than 24 hours.  I suppose I should be happy but I just know they'll get to their respective homes & piss & **** everywhere (like they were in the cage) and end up in the RSPCA or chucked out in the snow to die. :crying:

£40 for a kitten is not enough for people to care about the animal. :crying:


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## Cat Lover Chris (Jan 11, 2009)

celicababe1986 said:


> I saw it in Spain...unfortunatly its all legit and thats how they treat there animals :crying:
> 
> You walked in to a massive store, and all the kittens and pups, baby birds and rodents etc....all set up in tanks according to breeds..all out on display. So even if the animal was scared there was no where to hide, just a big open space of saw dust and poo!!


The Carrefour supermarket near Gibraltar off the A7/A340 has an outlet within the main retail unit which does exactly the same. Everytime I go in there I want to take the kitties home. We have a herd of ferral cats living close to my flat. A couple of the younger ones (6-9 months) have got a bit braver and will come onto our patio and eat. Considering they live generally by scavenging, they manage to survive. Guess it is the laws of nature; only the fittest survive.


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## Acacia86 (Dec 30, 2008)

I am not a huge fan of selling any live animal in a pet shop to be honest.

Over here, rabbits and Guinea pigs are sold in pet shops from homes that sell the bun and pigs that wouldn't make ''winning show'' quality. 

So most are from homes that show, most buns/pigs are kept in good conditons and only the pets quality are sold in shops. The shops even have signs saying that although they sold in these ''pet shop'' cages they are to be kept in proper conditions once bought and they give the minimum cage requirements.

Life over is so different we don't have pups or kittens sold here in shops, i don't think we ever have!

The only place you can buy any reptiles here is the Aquaruium, no shops. Baby Tortioses can be sold here in shops but again they are mostly from good breeders.

Pet shops sales here are not frowned upon, they are mostly from good people.

So buying a pet from a shop here is like buying from a breeder!!


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## Izzie999 (Nov 27, 2008)

LittleBuddy said:


> It sounds terrible!! Does the law not pay attention to whats happening there?


There are few laws protecting animals in Spain, if there was protection for animals then Bullfighting would have been banned years ago.

The Spanish people always seem very cruel towards animals. We holidayed there once and happened to discover a market with all sorts of birds stuffed into tiny cages,it was was very distressing.

It is time there was something done about such barbaric practices.

izzie


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## fluffosaur (Dec 10, 2009)

I just spoke to the health & safety person (getting back on topic, ahem) and she said all of the kittens had been sold by 9:30am yesterday. They all went to females who live alone in flats. Un toilet trained kittens? Living in a flat? It's a recipe for disaster.

The RSPCA haven't called me back & are now too late to do anything anyway.


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