Adopting vs. Buying Pure Breeds

I was curious as to what the thoughts/opinions are regarding whether or not to buy a pure bred kitten or to adopt a cat from a person or shelter. The reason that I bring this up is that there are so many wonderful cats, both young and old, that need to be adopted and placed into a good home. Unfortunately, there are probably a good many cats who are never adopted and end up being put to sleep. I know that a lot of this problem could also be controlled if more people took the responsibility to spay and/or neuter their pets.

There are a few breeds of cats that I would like to have such as the Maine Coon, Abyssinian, Egyptian Mau but I just can't bring myself to justify doing so when so many good cats need to be adopted already. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Bryan

some people don't know that you CAN find purebred dogs and cats in shelters...I will never, ever buy a dog or cat from a breeder.. because there are millions of cats and dogs waiting for their forever homes. plus, I volunteer at my local
no-kill
animal shelter and see so many animals needing homes. It's heartbreaking.

You'll find that a very large portion of people here have adopted cats from shelters. If you want a particular breed of cat, certainly don't feel bad about doing it, the decision is yours.

People love certain things about certain breeds, which is why they get them. If you just want a companion, certainly look at the shelters first - there's so many wonderful cats there, and I'm sure you'll find one with the traits you're after.

Of course, getting a cat fro ma shelter, you often don't know its health or behavioural history, but you do with a purebred.

Weigh it all up, and get whatever you think is best for you

I have 2 shelter cats, and my last 2 cats were rescues off the street. Of the two before that, one was a rescue after some horrible person tried to drown all the kittens at just a couple of weeks old, and the other was unwanted from a breeder friend who was breeding Siamese and got a pure black Oriental and wanted to find a good home for her. So we got her for free. I bought a Burmese once as well, who was wonderful, and she got hit by a car unfortunately

I certainly don't think the 2 purebreds I've owned have been any better personality wise than the rescues, just prettier at first sight

A lot of animal shelters actually let you "reserve" a specific breed, so if an rare animal comes, they can call you and you can have a first viewing.

Saves $1000 and an animal's life.

Not only can you find purebreeds in shelter, but there are pure breed rescues out there as well. Being owned by two cats that were both rescues, I was thinking about getting my third from a breeder. Yet, I opened my big mouth at work, and somehow talked myself into adopting a pure bread Tonkinese.

Truely, it doesn't matter to me how one comes about their furbabies. All I care about is that they are treated with love and respect.

Many times you can find putebreds at a Humane Society/shelter.Soemtimes their fee is a bit more and others they are the same price as a mixed breed.
I have bought Pure Bred Cocker Spaniels and to be honest, I have found our mutt is 100% better of a pup for my kids.He is more intelligent and more friendly. I am NOT saying anything bad about the Cocker breed.......just our experience.
I think as the previous poster posted, you need to weigh your feelings about it all and then decide what is right for YOU!!!
I myself have decided that moggies and mutts are the ONLY way to go for us.
I don't think paying the $$ for a purebred is as worth it, as paying for a moggie/mutt from a shelter and knowing that you are essentially saving that animals life and opening up another spot for one that may be on the street fending for itsself.

Every good, reputable breeder I have ever met is active in rescue as well, from making regular donations to being an active part of the area's breed rescue, to working with their local shelters.

There are people who simply want what they want. And that's fine, IMO, as long as they are providing a good home for the cats AND doing enough research to ensure that they are getting the cats from reputable breeders and not kitten mills.

I do have my "dream breeds" but because of what I do to educate the public on rescuing strays and ferals (see the links in my sig), I would simply have to take in a rescue. But I don't hold it against anyone who does decide to get a purebred cat from a reputable breeder.

As the others have said, there are purebreed rescues so you can have it both ways For instance, Manxalot Rescue posts about Manxes that are in shelters, currently awaiting adoption.
As for the Maine Coons, JC is a Maine Coon mix (my disabled daughter bought him and Joey as kittens, and because she couldn't afford to pay the asking price, the owner gave her a deal, an incredible discount, only $65 each, which is $10 less than the shelter. but we didn't get the papers.) and he is everything that I dreamed of owning in a Maine Coon. He's such a big, loveable guy with a coat like a lynx However, he is not a lap cat, although he loves to lie NEXT to you, and he is happiest as an inside/outside cat, which is very stressful, cuz he is such a TREASURE. Joey, although purportedly pure Manx, has tiny, Oriental shaped head and paws, but does have the Manx traits that I've always read about. So I can see why someone would want to buy a purebred cat, and I'm glad that some people can afford to buy them so the breeds keep in existence.

I think where you get your furbabies depends on your family needs. Me I got my cat from a pet supply that adopts out cats. But I got my rat terrier from a breeder. I have rescued dogs in the past but I wanted a particular breed. I plan on my next baby being a cat and being a rescue but I would love to have a siamese or a russian blue so I am thinking of contacting a rescue.

I feel the same way and would NEVER consider buying a pure bred when animals are being put to sleep in shelters. I could not live with myself if I did that, I would feel incredibly guilty, but that's just who I am. I would look into the shelter/rescue groups in your area and I'm sure you will find a purebred somewhere that has been brought in or a similar looking cat to what your looking for.... or a kitty even more beautiful and with more personality when you visit a local shelter.

I have a few purebreds that I would like ... One came from accidentally get a cross ( mix ) at the local shelter ...

I personally want an older one and likely will use the breedr/ rescue route ...

Ours all kind of just chose us, we have never gone looking for a kittie, but as people have said above, you can adopt from breed specific rescues and find purebreds in normal shelters (mine has a lovely pair of siamese whose owner is too sick to care for them - with papers). Sometimes you can even find a non pure bred lookalike as well (as HopeHacker constantly tells me about my Magnum)

We got our two girls off the streets and Twig from Dh cousins farm cat. Rocket came from a breeder at a cat show. To me No offense to Rocket in anyway, but there's no difference in the way they love you,and in the way of companionship, my four are equal in every respect. I adore my cats no matter what their backrounds are. I think though the next cat I will get from a shelter, I know there's alot of cats out there that need homes. Like my Isis and Luna they did nothing to deserve the situation they are in, so if I can help at least one, I am going to.

Originally Posted by Essayons89

I was curious as to what the thoughts/opinions are regarding whether or not to buy a pure bred kitten or to adopt a cat from a person or shelter. The reason that I bring this up is that there are so many wonderful cats, both young and old, that need to be adopted and placed into a good home. Unfortunately, there are probably a good many cats who are never adopted and end up being put to sleep. I know that a lot of this problem could also be controlled if more people took the responsibility to spay and/or neuter their pets.

There are a few breeds of cats that I would like to have such as the Maine Coon, Abyssinian, Egyptian Mau but I just can't bring myself to justify doing so when so many good cats need to be adopted already. Does anyone else feel the same way?

Bryan

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I have always adopted my cats. Annie was bought from a breeder though (Snowshoe) by my parents. I have her now. I would never buy a cat from a breeder. There are to many cats being PTS daily that I could never do it. If I wanted a certain breed I might look into a breed specific rescue though.

you know i often wonder about this with pets.
The first cat i ever had was a bombay from the APL that someone just dropped off becuase the owner had gotten ill. I still miss that cat after all these years.
No other cat could ever replace her, be they are pure breed or not.

i guess really what comes down to is what you want. I dont care if the kitty is pure breed or from the pound. As much as i love my animals i really cant see spending the money on pure breed cat. i love the looks of the bengal cats. but not the cost. Yes i can afford the 500+ but for me i know i would care just as much for the kitty that comes from the local APL for $55 dollars, and a unwanted kitty gets a home.

that is just my thinking.

Well As a breeder, I have found no diffrence in the way my cats love me and we have a house full mostly rescues. however, with my chosen breed (persians) each one has traits that i know to expect, and adore about them. the rescues. have always been more of a toss up. Now, None of my rescues have come from a Humane society, but we have given them a home. And I donate my time, Food, education and money when i can, to my local shelter.

I am gonna be long winded now, lol and make a list of how my kits showed up, lol to show our numbers:

Dutchy: Queen of the house, my first "Only my" cat. I was driving along on a rather busy highway when i swore i saw something small..but an animal in the grass off to the side...i thought no no.coulnt be. and i was just heading out for the evening..but. I stopped or it would have bugged me. Sure enough, sweet Dutchy, but a few weeks old..itty bitty and half her tail missing with a raw wound on the end.. I took her to a vet got my bottle feeding supplies And Wala A queen was with me,lol.

Loki: Loki was from a breeder, whos black persian female got out his two siblings had been orange, and loki was the black cat, no one wanted him. not sure why but the "breeder" was about to toss him out onto the street, at only about 4-6 weeks(she couldnt tell me so i use the term "breeder" lossely!") I asked her to give him to me..she wouldnt just give him to me, so i had 10 bucks on me. and offered her that, she handed me the cat than..and I took him home (this was but a few weeks after finding dutchy) so there were two.

Jellie & Bellie They were born Barn kitties,their mom was run over by a tractor when they were 3 weeks old. A friend told me about it, So I went and picked them up from their barn, and took them in..my mom was convinced they woulnt live. But they did

Jade: Tortie with Tude. Basset hound Athena brought her home. I thought "Oh NO OMG she brought a dead cat home" (dont ask me how that rotten hound ran out of the yard lol) but she dropped the cat..that cat looked up at me and went "Mew" she hasnt stopped talking since!

Callie, Halen, Gwenie and Arthur: My oppsy babies. We were suppose to just "watch" a boy for an ex co worker. He was big furry and supposedly fixed (my girls were set up for their spays in the coming weeks) well...turned out the boy kitty was not..and we ended up with some litters. We rehomed 3 of the babies born,and kept the others because we could give them a home and another kittie out there who needed saving could get the home my oppsies may have taken. And Callie, was always going to stay..she was born with a deformed leg.

Little A: A mircale in his own right. His daddy was my purebred male, his momma my SPAYED Jellie....(well supposedly spayed. last time i use that vet) but we love him to bits.

Maia: A purebred Persian, rescued from a "breeder" she has IBS and if she eats ANY kind of kibble she gets very bad stools. She needs Raw diet only. they didnt know what was wron with her..and didnt wanna spend the money to find out. She was skin and bones when I got her. Shes happy, healthy and FAT and FURRY now

Lilly, Lace & Lyla:My only breeder girls. I love my sweet Persian girls. but you will see they are way out numbered.

My rainbow Boys

LG: the bad boy male. Who was fixed after we ended up with the oppses. His owner never did call for him..and he sadly passed.

Ares: My purebred boy..who had a Liver Shunt. Poor boy.

So now i wrote a novel. LOL but you can see from a breeders POV just how the scales tip in this house, LOL

I loved your novel. But please keep that dog fenced up. He has obviously noticed you are collecting cats and dogs are often so helpfull.
I would never buy a pure bred cat for the simple reason that other animals keeps moving in.
I think that breeders are important though. They educate first time cat owners and spread the interrest about cats to more people. They increase the status of the cat as a species. They open the market for good cat-insurences and better vetrinary care. More money is invested in veterinary medicine because people owns expencive pets who needs care - and all cats benefit from from the new knowledge.
For most people that first cat opens their hart to cats in general and there will be more cats in their lives. In that way I even think breeders generate more places for cats in need than there would be without them.

I used to think that I would never buy a purebred cat and I would always have moggie rescues until I read a post on this site. It was written to someone who had been in rescue work for a long time, wanted a purebred Birmin, and was feeling guilty about it. Even though you aren't rescuing a cat from being put to sleep, if you buy from a reputable breeder you are in a sense still rescuing an unwanted though not unloved cat. Reputable breeders really have no use for pet quality cats and especially with some breeds there are a large percentage of pet quality cats. For those of us not interested in breeding or showing a cat there is absolutely nothing wrong with a pet quality purebred cat.

As many people have mentioned it is a very personal choice whether to adopt a shelter cat or buy a purebreed. For myself I have two rescue cats, one stray and one purebreed. The next cat I get will be a purebreed from a reputable breeder and probably will continue with this breed for the rest of my life. Yes I will pay for my next kitten but the breed has characteristics that my husband and I have fallen in love with. I have looked into rescue for this breed but there are not that many out there. The breed I like has only been around for about 50 years and I would like to see it continue for a long time so I will support the efforts of a reputable breeder that shows their cats.

Tricia

You can do both - I have both a rescue moggy and a purebred (somali). As much as I want to do my bit for cat rescue, I love somalis so much I want to keep them going - a world without smiley somalis would be a poorer place to me. Not many somalis in rescues (over here at least) so a reputable breeder is the only place to get one from.