Читать книгу The Cat Handbook - Karen Leigh Davis - Страница 31

Although pet stores usually deal in purebred animals, some do take in unwanted mixed-breed kittens from local residents and sell them as a goodwill gesture. Others will house random-bred cats and kittens for local humane societies to improve their chances of adoption.

If you consider buying a cat from a pet store, ask how and where the shop acquired him. Try to find out as much as you can about the cat’s history. If you’re not satisfied with the answers you get, look elsewhere.

The staff should be able to tell you the age and sex of the kitten and give you correct advice on cat care. If you are satisfied that the staff seems knowledgeable, that the environment is clean, and that the cat or kitten appears healthy, then the pet store may be as good a place as any to acquire your new companion. Just make sure the written purchase agreement includes a medical and vaccination history, as well as a guarantee that you can return the kitten if he develops health problems within a specified period of time.

What to Look for at the Pet Store

Select a pet store that houses its animals in large cages comfortably furnished with beds, litter pans, toys, and food and water dishes. The accommodations should be clean and odor-free and closed off in such a way–preferably behind glass windows–that customers can look but cannot constantly disturb and handle the kittens.