UK members pet kittens and puppies are being sold in famous London Department store!

sims2fan

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I saw something so sad in the store today they were selling puppies and kittens
they were behind glass windows were people were ooohing and aaahing. The puppies were sleeping on the floor with no mental stimulation. The kittens were a litter of Siamese kittens they were healthy and playing with each other but you don't know what they would be like with people. Isn't this illegall in the UK? I thought you couldn't get cats and dogs in pet stores anymore! What going on?

They could have had very little human contact and just seemed to ignore the people looking at them. The price per kitten was £700 (thats $1,321) when I asked if they were show quality they said no. I asked if the were neutered they said no. So Mr. and Mrs. X could decide to make there money back.

Hello BYB! It made me so mad!


I found a petition but I don't know whether to post it or not because it names the store.
 

pombina

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Maria that is disgusting
It is illegal in the UK. Out of interest could you PM me the name of the store?
I don't know what you do in situations like this, hopefully someone else will be able to advise you but there is surely someone you can report the breeders to. Displaying these animals like this, with no stimulation, un-altered is an absolute disgrace.
 

furryferals

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No I'm almost positive it is NOT illegal in England to sell cats in a petshop,don't know about a department store though


They can only sell them if they have a licence which they must get from their local authority.
If the do not have a licence they can't sell,simple as.

Check the store out with them.
 
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sims2fan

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I can't believe its not illegal! Even cats and dogs? I knew you could sell rabbits and hamsters and other small animals, but not cats and dogs!
 

Anne

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I would write a harsh letter to the store, with copies going out to the RSPCA and local politicians as well. Someone is bound to take up the cause and stop them from doing that.
 

furryferals

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Originally Posted by Anne

I would write a harsh letter to the store, with copies going out to the RSPCA and local politicians as well. Someone is bound to take up the cause and stop them from doing that.
Yes,I wholeheartedly agree with you there Anne


If anybody would like to make a complaint here is a link to e-mail Cats Protection UK

[email protected]


To contact the Mayor of London (Ken Livingstone) [email protected]

To report the story to the media News Of The World, [email protected]

and The Daily Star, [email protected]

And the link to the store itself...in their own words......ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!

http://www.harrods.com/Cultures/en-GB/homepageindex.htm

To contact them and complain click this link and choose Press Office from the drop down menu
https://www.harrods.com/msib21/Harro...ACHEHINT=Guest

Stop Harrods oops
...I mean H******........anything is possible......after all




ummm Do these animals have a designer label too


Al Fayed
= Very Rich Man
=
Does he really need to make money off exploiting animals????
 

urbantigers

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It is legal to sell cats in pet shops, although I think you need a licence? I've not seen cats/dogs in a pet shop for years though.

I agree with what the others have said re writing a letter to them and making sure cats protection etc know. The problem is that unless you can prove they are being kept in poor conditions I doubt there's much anyone can do, if it's legal.

re the siamese cats - it might be worth making waves by asking if they have papers. If they don't (and I'm guessing they won't) I wonder whether they are violating trading standards by calling then siamese cats and charging that much for them? You could try appealing to their better nature
by pointing out why they should not be supporting backyard breeders. If they do have papers, then the governing bodies over here would be interested in knowing who is selling kittens to a pet shop, albeit a posh one!
 
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sims2fan

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Originally Posted by urbantigers

re the siamese cats - it might be worth making waves by asking if they have papers... If they do have papers, then the governing bodies over here would be interested in knowing who is selling kittens to a pet shop, albeit a posh one!
Thats the thing, the DO! According to the teller. I asked what their prefix was she would not tell me. Apparently you get this info AFTER you have bought the kitten. You don't know how tempted I was to get one last night so I could get the info, maybe this would get the breeder banned from the GCCF? But of course I didn't it would be supporting what I am against and the little issue of the money
.
 
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sims2fan

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Ok I called the GCCF and they said their constitution say the strong ADVISE breeders against selling kittens to petstores. So basically they can but should the petstore get in trouble for mistreating the cats the breeder can get it trouble (banned I guess).

Oh well. As the cats themselves seemed happy it would be hard to prove they are mistreated. The problem is although they seem happy now together we don't know how they will be one on one with a human.
 

lizmarie

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The Association of breeders of Siamese might be interested in this (or not). Also, the GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy) should be informed. This isn't the sort of thing that should happen. Reputable pedigree kitten breeders have their litters at home and, any prospective purchaser goes there to look. If the breeder doesn't think the prospective purchaser is suitable, then they dont sell to that person - but a shop.......they'd sell to anyone!!! Poor little kitties. Send them to me, I'll have them all!!!!
 

hopehacker

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I have a question, are these kittens and puppies allowed to interact with perpective buyers at all before the purchase. In other wards is an interested person allowed to pet and hold the kittens and puppies?

The store that is selling them is a very repectable store, so maybe they are pedigree. One wonders why the breeders would prefer selling them through the store, unless it's just easier for them, and probably quicker.
 

epona

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They have long sold all kinds of pets in that particular department store. I know that they definitely used to allow interaction with interested prospective owners, as I saw a young girl being allowed to handle a guinea pig to see whether they got along ok before her parents purchased it. Yes they are expensive, but that is what the store is known for - it's almost a prestige thing to sell all their 'goods' at much over the market price.

I don't agree that any shop should be allowed to sell animals, but tbh I think there are far worse offenders than this particular store. My local pet shop is not the worst, but they sell kittens, puppies, and exotics, the staff are very surly and do not, I believe, offer good advice. The puppy area used to stink, but they have now put in a glass partition. This is definite BYB territory. They have had a senegal parrot for sale in there for over 3 years in a tiny cage, and if he was ever hand-tame, he certainly isn't now. They are charging the same for him as for a hand-reared baby of the same species. This poor guy should go to a large aviary or a small breeder where he can interact with other birds, because he would no longer make a good pet. I really feel for him.

I think that the store you refer to is not the worst out there - they have a license, and there are far poorer conditions for animals in many many small pet shops up and down the country. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying that it's not the worst around.
 

urbantigers

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Originally Posted by HopeHacker

One wonders why the breeders would prefer selling them through the store, unless it's just easier for them, and probably quicker.
And profitable, no doubt
I guess I don't understand why anyone would want to pay £700 to buy a siamese cat from a store when they could pay less to get one from a reputable breeder where they would be able to see the kittens interacting in a home environment, see the mother etc. And that way the breeder can check out prospective owners too, and do the usual re providing a neutering contract etc. My main worry with cats in pet shops is that people will buy them on impulse instead of after researching the breed. As to the store not giving information about prefix/breeder prior to purchase - that's just wrong - breeders are supposed to show you the kitten's pedigree prior to purchase. I'm sure there's something on the GCCF guidelines about that. I know I was shown Mosi's pedigree on my first visit to see him.
 

furryferals

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Originally Posted by urbantigers

And profitable, no doubt
I guess I don't understand why anyone would want to pay £700 to buy a siamese cat from a store when they could pay less to get one from a reputable breeder where they would be able to see the kittens interacting in a home environment, see the mother etc.
Probably because shops like that appeal to the kind of people who have more money than sense,buy things they don't really need and buy things on a ' whim ' just because it may be ' Fashionable ' and When it is out of fashion or the kids don't want their new ' TOY ' anymore they are discarded on the streets like trash and left to breed in the gutter like vermin



Thanks Sims2 Fan for highlighting this
 
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sims2fan

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No problem you guys. No luck with GCCF or with Cats Protection. Gave up on RSPCA (was on hold for like 8 hours).


I know there are worse places and I am glad that they let you handle the pets before buying. I am still stumped by why people would want to buy cats this way. How is that teaching children to be responsible with pets when it is comparible with buying a teddy bear from the toy department.
 
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