Is it ethical to buy kittens from a cat cafe?
I was in a cat cafe this morning. The cafe is really professional with their cats. They take good care of them and provide them with a clean and large space to live in. They also enforce some rules on customers to ensure the safety of the cats. All the cats are healthy and their coats are shiny and they are very well socialized. I had a really good time there.
There are some cages in a corner of the room for kittens and cats that need a place to stay in, but they look so beautiful and cozy that I prefer to call them “rooms” because they look nothing like cages. There was a pair of Maine Coon kittens in one room and they were meowing to get out. I used a spoon to play with them and they eagerly engaged in the game. I learned that all the kittens in the cafe are for sale. If I had enough money and means to take care of cats, I would buy that pair of kittens in a heartbeat.
But now that I think of it, there is a strong notion of “adopt don’t shop” and I totally understand why that is. But animal rescue is a relatively new concept in my country. So although there have been some shelters here, it isn’t guaranteed if they take good care of their animals and socialize them well, as my experience with the last cat cafe has shown me. That could create problems for owners who aren’t experienced with cats like me. Meanwhile, the kittens in that cafe may have been bred and shipped there instead of being rescued, judging from the exotic breed, but they are guaranteed to be great for the owners as they have shown themselves to be well-socialized and taken care of.
So if I was to buy the kittens, would it be ethical? Or should I go to a shelter to get a cat instead?
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
14 Answers
Time to ask the owners of the café about where the kitties come from.
If they are just kittens that born but not planned, feel comfortable adopting them. If they were bred and shipped there, then don’t buy any.
The big question/issue to raise is: are any kittens adopted from the café neutered/spayed, and are the ones that live there neutered/spayed?
Any way that a pet is acquired responsibly is a good way. If you buy from a breeder, then thoroughly vet the breeder beforehand. From the cat café, find out where they get their animals, and so on.
The “adopt don’t shop” mentality is so pervasive, but it doesn’t take into account that the bad guys are the ones who abandon the animals to either a questionable life in a shelter (where quality of care often depends on tax support and/or donations which may not be adequate) or to become feral.
Yes, it is ethical to buy a kitten from a reputable source.
Do they spay them? Do they give them their shots? Do they chip them? How much do they charge?
Usually not. The ideal way for cats to grow up:
1) Born in a safe home with humans intent on making sure they’re healthy. The family is loving to the kittens and takes excellent care of the mother. This means screening for genetic health issues and prenatal veterinary care, support during the birth, extra food, quiet, clean, and safe surroundings. It also means making sure the mother is able to raise kittens – for example, she should not be too young or too old. She should not have to give birth more than two or three times in her life. Ideally, the dad is checked out by a vet (especially for genetic compatibility) and has a loving family, as well. The kittens need several vet visits to make sure they are dewormed and immunized. They should be chipped, and they should not be spayed until they’re adults.
2) Handled from day 1, spaces to explore, lots of play with people and enough time with mum. I believe this means staying with their mother for 12 weeks, but I’m not at all an expert when it comes to feline development. I do know that ideal brain development is connected to the amount of pleasurable handling and play. Importantly, kittens do not fare well when they are overstimulated. They should be with their mum and siblings (and a few calm humans) for the first months of their life. Growing up in a pet shop is a bleak scenario. Their young brains are not stimulated enough in some ways (connection with trusted humans, surfaces, moving their bodies, exploring). In other ways, they’re stimulated too much (no quiet place to hide when they’re tired, sounds and sights all day long, scary and uncomfortable transport to the pet shop).
3) Being introduced to a carefully selected “forever family” and taken home. Basically, anyone who sells young animals without asking lots of questions is in it for the wrong reasons (money). Anyone who dumps their kittens or puppies in a pet shop or cat café is not interested in their fate. It’s unlikely that they were interested enough beforehand to provide the necessary care. Tragically, many animals get taken away from their mothers when they are far too young, to be shipped across the country for sparkly clean pet shops. The cruel transportation doesn’t leave visible marks, but I would never want to support this business. I once witnessed an illegal dog transport, and it ranks among the worst experiences of my life.
Maine Coones, by the way, are prone to some hereditary health issues. Again, not a cat expert. But I would do some research here and learn how to make sure you’re buying a healthy cat.
The cat cafe I know most about, Meowtropolitan in Seattle, seems well-run and very conscientious and has a main part of its mission to help local shelter cats get adopted. So I would say yes, with such a place.
They have several permanent resident cats who are very happy and are cats who are good with people, and who also serve to socialize the adoptable cats and help them become also good for adoption.
I wonder where the cat cafe gets their cats and kittens. Perhaps they get them from animal shelters.
Oh gosh a CAT CAFÉ?! How adorable! I would like to live there. Where can I find one? I must visit sometime sounds like heaven. Don’t know about being able to adopt from there but a shelter is where we got our two best friends.
^^ Next time we go to the beach we’ll have to stop at the Catnip Café. YAY!! :)
Regardless of the source, I would like an affectionate cat that was lovingly handled by people as a kitten. If it likes people, that’s a good cat for me. If it is skittish, no.
Thank you all for responding. Regarding all the issues being raised:
- Yes they do spay the kittens, at least that’s what the label on the cat room says. I have also seen a resident cat that has signs of a neutered cat. The resident cats also don’t display any hormonal aggressive behavior. All they seem to care about are eating, sleeping, cuddling and chasing everything that looks like a toy.
– Yes they also give them shots. They give every cat shots.
– They also clip their nails often. I have seen them do that with their resident cats.
– I have never seen the kittens with their mothers, but the cat rooms are equipped with food trays and litter boxes, and I’ve seen one kitten coming to the tray to eat, so it’s safe to assume they are old enough to leave mom.
– The resident cats range from aloof to loving. A few actually approach me and ask for petting. Even the most aloof cat doesn’t seem to hate human, just plain indifferent. The kittens don’t show fear toward human and they seem to understand the concept of play. When they attack my spoon there is no hissing or growling. They just extend their claws to grab the spoon.
– The kittens are sold much cheaper than the normal price in the market for that breed. With that price you can normally buy a domestic cat or a British Shorthair which are surprisingly common here.
I don’t think I can afford the kittens, but it’s interesting to fonder the ethics and practicality of adopting them.
The closest Cat Cafe over in SC gets their kittens/cats from their local animal shelter & then they sell them to cover the expenses involved in taking care of them. It helps to get some of the animals out of the shelter & into a decent home. It also encourages potential cat parents to get to know their fur baby before taking it home. It’s claimed to be a win/win according to the business. In the beginning, they also claimed that they were rounding up feral cats & socializing them but that didn’t work out very well. My point…here adopting a cat from the cafe is basically the exact same thing as going to the shelter. It’s just that the shelter has outsourced that job. Morally speaking, I do NOT buy pets from any breeder as you don’t know what you’re getting nor how they were raised. Breeders are notorious for mistreating animals due to their greed for the almighty dollar!!!
Either check with the owners or do some research into the business to see if you can find the source of their felines. If they are sourced initially from a shelter, I see NOTHING morally wrong with adopting from them!!! IF they are breeders, i say go to the shelter. From what you’ve experienced so far, I don’t think that they are breeders, but I could be wrong!!!
Response moderated (Spam)
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
