【新手篇】Where to buy a healthy cat?

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“Are you ready to raise your own cat at home?” A great deal time & thought should be put into this decision. Are you prepared to commit to a cat for its lifetime? So you have decided you are ready to bring a kitten into your life. Making the decision to bring a cat into your life is a very exciting time. But before rushing out to bring your chosen cat home it is important to slow down, take your time and really do your homework. 

There are several places you can obtain a cat from including cat breeders, animal shelters, pet shops, classified ads, veterinary hospital. We will look at the pros and cons of each.

  Shelter   

A great option to consider is the shelter. Both purebred mixed breed animals are at shelters although the purebreds do tend to find homes quicker. This is also a cost effective way to adopt a cat through shelter. Cats will leave micro-chipped, vaccinated, de-wormed and flea treated.

  Breeder 

There are professional breeders who have devoted many years to breeding their chosen breed of cat. Some breeds of cat can be prone to specific medical issues.  Once you have decided that you want a certain breed, it is a good idea to look up any possible health problems them are prone to investigate whether these conditions can be tested for.  Backyard Breeder/home breeder is another choice for you, you can ask for visiting the breeder's house and seeing the pets in their home environment. Are the conditions clean and sanitary? Do the animals look well cared for? Actually, the situation mostly is quite desirable, since the numbers of cats they need to take care are lesser than those professional breeders.

Pet Shops 

Many people assume that a pet shop is the natural place to buy a pet from. You won't know the history of the parents, and generally won't get follow up support & can often pay considerably more than you would have had you gone to a breeder or shelter. But now, some of the pet shop pay more attention on after sales services, and pet health control, it is really a good news to all cat lovers.

Classifieds

Either online or in newspaper, many people assume that a pet that is free to good home is the cheapest option. This is not always the case, especially with younger animals. Remember you may not be paying for the animal but you will have to pay to have it neutered, micro-chipped, vaccinated etc. This can often end up costing considerably more than had you purchased the animal from a breeder or shelter.

Veterinary

Another good place to check is your nearby veterinary hospital. They often take in homeless or abandoned cats that are looking for a new home. Even if they don't have cats available, they often have bulletin boards where people can list animals looking for a home.