Do you buy from pet shops that sell kittens/puppies?
Kia the Koala Lady asked:
I (along with all my friends) boycott pet shops that sell puppies and kittens. I am curious if anyone else holds this view, or if people don’t know/care about the issue. I just can’t give them any of my business. I would also be curious to see their sales records over the past 10 years as the mills have become more exposed. Just curious!
Gloria
Comments (16)
Dashawn
I don’t buy from the shop.
Jenifer
No – unless its an extreme emergency that I need pet supplies. I shop mainly at Petco/Petsmart or at cat shows for food/supplies. I do confess to going in pet shops to see just what they are ripping people off in their kittens/puppies, but don’t buy anything.
Mohamed
I too boycott buying kittens/puppies from pet shops. I just hope the government is going to do something about it. But in the end, I still feel bad for those puppies and kittens.
Johnna
I really don’t support pet shops selling cats and dogs, but have in the past bought a mixed breed cat one shop had from a litter someone dropped off on them.
He’s still with me, he’s 19 this year.
Maggie
I do not shop in those stores. It makes me a bit sick just walking by.
Paxton
Honestly I don’t know much about the issue. I usually get pets from craigslist. Someone that needs a pet gone but doesnt want them to be taken to the shelter. I bet more people would like to know the truth in pet stores, but you also need to give credit to the pet stores that truly care about the animals. I know there are probably very few, but they are out there.
Mari
I buy pet supplies from my local PetSmart. I don’t buy them from any other pet shops that sell dogs/cats. PetSmart, at least the one where I live, does sell cats, but they come from local shelters, and not the mills. And I support PetSmart in trying to find shelter animals forever homes.
Kayla
I don’t buy products or animals from pet stores that sell animals from mills.
However, there’s only one pet store near me that sells the type of food I feed my cats. It’s complete petmart. The brand of food is Merrick’s.
However, the cats they sell at the store are from rescues.
So, I don’t mind buying from there.
Bryan
No, I don’t buy from Pet shop. Since the puppies and kittens there: “price are high and quality are low in the pet shop”.
Ronan
Absolutely not! ‘nuf said.
Elisa
No! And, it’s been a long time since I have seen any pet shops selling kittens or puppies and that’s a good thing!
But what really bothers me, is seeing people in parking lots (like Walmart) selling kittens, rabbits, puppies, etc. How they get away with is beyond me. But at least where I live it is legal……..and that’s just wrong!
good luck!
Keely
Never ever ever. Not only are they supporting puppy and kitten mills, but all their products are horribly overpriced. I don’t know how these places are still in business.
Brennan
I’m quite sure that most kittens in pet stores were donated unwanted kittens or that the store is working with a shelter to find homes for them. Purebreds of course are another story. I have never seen a pet store that breeds non-purebred kittens to sell, but maybe some of them do, so it’s good to check where they get their kittens from before you buy. Other animals though are mass bred for a profit (puppies, ferrets, birds, etc.) and I strongly disagree with that practice, and I don’t buy from pet stores except in emergencies because I don’t feel right about giving them money.
Leon
I won’t buy from any pet store that sells kittens or puppies. This of course does not include those that allow rescues and shelters to showcase their animals there – that is a whole other story, those pets are for rescue, not for sale.
Darius
Hi Kia,
It breaks my heart about the sale of kittens and puppies in pet stores. Since almost 100% of them are sold to petstores through other channels from back yard breeders and worse yet, puppy and kitten mills, these poor “babies” are generally in such poor health and so poorly socialized that my heart breaks for all of them. It is not their fault that they end up for sale in stores like that, but there has to be a way for us to finally make this practice totally unprofitable for these irresponsible and uncaring breeders.
I do not financially support any pet stores. I will buy products from PetSmart because they do a stellar job in animal adoption. Otherwise, I buy my products online.
I get so angry and upset when I read about these mills.. and I am so glad that they are getting exposed for the true nightmares that they are.
I think that Doris Day hit song, “How Much is That Doggie in the Window?” sure contributed to the escalation of pet store sales, and I even think that the song should be banned from the public ear.
Sorry to rant.. but you hit a very sensitive spot in this animal lover’s heart.
People don’t realize the truth about where these “adorable” youngsters come from, and of course the store owners don’t tell the truth.. sigh. But the public is more and more becoming aware through the tireless work of those folks involved in animal welfare. Bravo to them.. and we each can do our part by spreading the word to family and friends.
Thanks for asking this question.
Troublesniffer
Owned by cats for over 40 years
Member: Cat Writer’s Association
Eva
I absolutely 100% agree with you. I’ll be the first to suggest adopting, and never even considering a pet shop/BYB.
I know a LOT of people who don’t even have the slightest idea about how pet shops are run, and where their puppies and kittens come from. It makes me so frustrated that the level of awareness about this is so low.
It’s sad that you have to include people that “don’t care about the issue”. Because you know there are people out there that just don’t.
Ugh. This is another topic, along with declawing and spaying/neutering that just gets me so infuriated, haha.
P.S.- regarding TroubleSniffer’s answer- You don’t know how many times a day I sing ‘How much is that Kitty in the Window’ at my cats, particularly when they are indeed sitting on their windowsill perch (complete with orthopedic foam mat). Oh gosh, I spoil my cats.
My RESCUE cats. From a RESCUE SHELTER.
=)
Haha.