Discussing The Many Benefits Of Adopting A Kitten As Opposed To Buying A Kitten
Bringing a Kitten or cat into your home and your family is a truly wonderful experience. However, it’s important to consider where you’re getting your Kitten or cat from. Should you adopt from a shelter or purchase from a pet store/breeder? This article will cover the main differences between adopting and purchasing a Kitten or cat along with discussing how adoption can provide more benefits for everyone.
Full Disclosure
This article is based on our opinion and we have the utmost respect for people who choose to purchase pets as opposed to adoption. Providing any pet with a loving and caring home is something we celebrate here at CoolCatsCatSitting. The purpose of this article is to highlight all of the positive things that come with pet adoption as opposed to the negative things associated with pet breeding operations.
Purchasing A Kitten Or Cat
While there is nothing wrong with purchasing a pet, there are some slight downsides. Typically speaking, purchasing a specific breed through a breeder will cost you a pretty penny. For example, a Bengal cat typically costs anywhere from $3,000 to $25,000. If you have a large budget, then go for it. However, it’s important to remember that the price of a pet doesn’t determine their worth.
Additionally, some pet breeders are obsessed with the idea of a “pure bloodline” which usually leads to inbreeding. These “purebred” cats can often suffer from debilitating genetic conditions. These conditions make them more prone to health complications as a result. This includes things like kidney disease, cataracts, asthma, and cancer. For a more comprehensive breakdown on purebred cat health problems, check out TheWildest.com.
Adopting A Kitten Or Cat
Every year about 3.2 million cats enter animal shelters across the U.S. according to the A.S.P.C.A. Out of those 3.2 million cats, an average of 530,000 of them are euthanized. This is because they weren’t adopted and animal shelters have limited space, volunteers, and resources. However, these numbers can be changed. By choosing to adopt a cat or kitten you’re not just giving them a good life, you’re saving their life. Adoption is important because it gives these shelter animals a second chance at life.
Benefits Of Adoption
When you adopt a cat or kitten, you are helping a lot of people. You are obviously helping the pet, but you’re also helping your community. Adoption helps lighten the burden on your local animal shelters allowing them to help more animals in need. Thus, more homeless animals can be taken off the streets, put into shelters, and potentially become adopted. It only takes one adoption to start the cycle of helping.
The Dangers Of Cat Breeding Operations
While not all cat breeders are alike, it’s important to mention the downsides and pitfalls of the cat breeding business in general. Many cat breeders engage in what is known as kitten farms (equivalent to puppy farms). Most kitten farms can be described as a breeding facility that focuses on producing as many kittens as possible with minimal expenses and is purely profit driven. These facilities are often unsanitary, have little space, and provide little to no care for the animals.
Mother cats are bred over and over until they can no longer produce litters and are quickly disposed of. The kittens themselves are often malnourished and not given proper medical attention when needed. The kittens that survive these harsh conditions are then sent off to pet stores to be sold at nearly twice the price. While this is not the case at all cat breeding operations, it is far more common than most would like to think. Always double check your sources when purchasing a kitten to ensure they come from a responsible source.
You Decide
Whether you purchase or adopt a kitten/cat is ultimately your decision. We only hope this article helps you make a more informed decision about adoption versus purchasing. Bringing a cat or kitten into your home/family is a truly wonderful experience that will change your life for the better. No matter where they come from, you are making a positive difference in their life by giving them a place to call home. If you enjoyed this article be sure to check out our other pet related articles under the blog section of the Cool Cats Profesional Cat Sitting website.
