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Questions to ask kitten buyers

post #1 of 13
3/29/09 at 11:17am
Thread Starter 
Im looking for a good solid list to ask people who want to buy kittens, I would love to keep them all but I know that is just not possible or fair to the kittens as I already have two cats and a dog and not enough space. For the people who have had kittens before, how do you know who to trust? Also how to make sure that their going to get the kittens fixed, as I don't want anyone to make the same mistake I did. I would get them all fixed myself but I don't have that kind of money even for the low cost clinics. Any ideas?
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post #2 of 13
3/29/09 at 11:52am
the kittens is a good first step. I always go crazy when I see "free kittens" signs. That is the mark of an irresponsible person. Anyone willing to buy a kitten shows that they want it more than someone just on a whim seeing something for free. I know what you mean, it is so hard to trust anyone these days. I would make every effort to see they go to people you know. Ask who their vet is and make an effort to contact the vet to see if they really are patients and how they treat their animals. If they don't have a vet, I would be hesitant to sell to them. Chances are, they won't get a vet and the animal could suffer for that. I'll try to think of more.
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post #3 of 13
3/29/09 at 12:09pm
Maybe you could contact a rescue and adopt them out through them.
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post #4 of 13
3/29/09 at 12:23pm
Write up a contract.

I would stress the importance of getting the kittens spayed/neutered by 3-4 months old. And follow up with a phone call to be sure the kitten has been done.

Get the name/address/phone number of their vet. Get their name/phone/address of the person adopting.

Ask them if they have owned pets before and what happened to their pets (how did they die). Ask if they would allow the cats outside unsupervised. Ask them for 2-3 references you can contact as to how good of an animal owner they are.

Ask if they have other pets and what kinds and ages of kids if any.

If you can ask a price of $40-50 for each kitten and offer a refund of $20 when the kitten is spayed/neutered, you might find good homes.

The thing is to try and stay in close contact for a few months after the kittens leave to be sure they are ok and they are spayed/neutered.
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post #5 of 13
3/29/09 at 12:31pm
Another idea for you is maybe to contact a vet office and have them post a sign for people who want to buy kittens. My friend did last year. He rescued a pregnant stray from the street and cared for her. She had 4 kittens and decided to keep 1. He asked his vet if he could post a flyer in the officer saying he was selling the kittens for a small price and vet agreed to discount alterings for the kittens. He ended up finding owners for the remaining kittens. They each paid him $50 for the kittens and made an agreement to have the vet alter them.
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post #6 of 13
3/29/09 at 1:46pm
Thread Starter 
yhea I know exactly what you mean, I have heard horror stories about people using young kittens as snake food! (yuck) what do you think about giving them to a pet store? we have pet stores that will take kittens give them all their shots and then sell them, anyone willing to buy a kitten for 75 dollars won't mistreat them right?
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post #7 of 13
3/29/09 at 6:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by calismom View Post
yhea I know exactly what you mean, I have heard horror stories about people using young kittens as snake food! (yuck) what do you think about giving them to a pet store? we have pet stores that will take kittens give them all their shots and then sell them, anyone willing to buy a kitten for 75 dollars won't mistreat them right?
Unless the pet store will spay and neuter them first, I wouldn't. How good is your local shelter? I once took a litter of stray kittens I found to the local Humane Society, since it was the only way I could guarantee thay would be fixed before adoption. Since it was early in the season, the shelter wasn't overrun with kittens yet, so I knew that unless they tested positive for FeLV, they'd be adopted. And they were. In the fall, the shelter is overrun and I wouldn't have taken the kittens there at that point.

If the shelter isn't an option, contact every cat rescue in the area. They might network with you to find good homes, and can provide a legally binding adoption contract.
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post #8 of 13
3/30/09 at 10:58am
You can also post an ad on petfinder.com. They will not accept any ad that says "free to a good home". Ask for an adoption or rehoming fee of at least $30, more if you're going to have them spayed/neutered yourself. Pictures always help. Don't put all your questions in the ad. Just describe the kitten's appearance, personality, socialization, litter box trained, shots, etc. You can ask specific questions when somebody contacts you. You are not required to turn the kittens over to the first person who answers the ad.

These are the questions I ask:
1. Do you plan to keep the kitten indoors only?
2. What do you plan to feed?
3. Do you plan to declaw?

If the answer to the third question is "yes", that's a deal-breaker for me.

Just ask the questions without adding any more information. You're more likely to get honest answers. If somebody wants a kitten badly enough they'll try to give you the answers they think you want, and then do whatever they wish with the kitten afterward.

Have the kittens already been born?
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post #9 of 13
3/30/09 at 3:20pm
I always asked 'What other pets do you have; species, sex and ages?' and 'What other pets have you had and what happened to them?' This last can be a real eye opener. If they tell you about the outdoor cat that disappeared or the puppy that was to 'stupid ' to stay out of the street and was killed by a car, you might want to rethink letting them take a kitten. Sometimes they will tell you about the animals they got rid of when there was a problem. Sometimes there are good reasons for rehoming an animal, but this can give you some idea about the level of commitment they feel towards a pet.

I asked the other questions others have listed, too.

Good luck for finding the kittens good homes.
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post #10 of 13
3/30/09 at 4:12pm
Ya, just make sure they will get vet visits, and they will get the cat spayed...other than that, use your wit. You can usually tell if someone will be a good owner or not...
Good luck!
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post #11 of 13
3/30/09 at 4:21pm
Hi,

the new owners should be able to come look at the litter at your place and choose which kitty they want to give a good home. But when it comes to them leaving the house you should bring the kitties to their new homes so you can get a look at the conditions they'll have there.

Many shelters here will check out the new home before the cat is rehomed or do a follow up visit after 2 -3 months.

Also try to re-home them in pairs or to a house hold with another cat, I find it very sad when a single Kitten is going to stay at home alone while the owners are at work. A cat needs a feline companion in my oppinion.


Christine
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post #12 of 13
3/31/09 at 4:24pm
Ask for the number of their vet...and call that number!!! Ask the vet if the person is a good pet owner who cares enough to seek treatment for sick pets. I wouldn't care if they didn't vaccinate yearly, as studies show that that's unnecessary and dangerous, but if they refuse treatment to a sick pet they wouldn't be getting any of my babies!
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post #13 of 13
4/2/09 at 7:15am
I charged 50 dollars, that weeds out anyone looking for kittens as snake food, or for people who want free kittens so they can sell them for medical research (I was told people can get 25-30 selling them to various companies/labs) so I put an amount safely above. I screened people by email about what other pets and their home life. I had people come to view the kittens, and then I dropped them off personally so I could see where they were going. I had one woman give me a brilliant idea, she said she wouldn't pay me for a kitten, she didn't believe in people selling kittens, but she would be more than happy to make a donation to the human society, or SPCA or shelter of my choice in exchange, which she did and brought me the receipt. So, I offered that option to people once I decided they would be suitable. Also, all of them were willing to give me the name of their vet, and they all had pets who got regular pet care and there was no concern. I also was lucky that people I knew well were looking to add another kitten to their family with two of Kateys kittens.
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