Adopting a cat from a breeder or a shelter? Advantages disadvantages

Do you want to adopt a cat and do you hesitate to go to a shelter or a breeder? If these two solutions allow you to welcome a little tomcat in your home, the conditions differ between these two possibilities and each has advantages and disadvantages. To help you make your choice, we suggest that you take stock of the characteristics of these two sources of adoption for our feline friends.

Adopting a cat from a shelter: the pros and cons

Shelters represent almost a third of cat adoptions in France. It is a solution favored by many individuals who wish to give a second chance to abandoned tomcats, kittens, adults, or seniors.

The principle is simple. All you have to do is contact a shelter or an association that collects abandoned animals. In general, the future adopter is invited to visit the tomcats looking for a home to find the one he likes and which suits his way of life. If adoptions of kittens are possible, adult cats are more numerous, but their character and their specificities are known, which facilitates compatibility between adopted and adopter. It is thus a good way to avoid unpleasant surprises and to promote the reception of cats whose way of life is well suited to that of their future owners.

Once the choice of the cat has been made, the new owner can welcome it into his home after having paid a reduced fee, which generally corresponds to the price of the identification and castration/sterilization of the tomcat. It should also be noted that these rates are often lower than if the owner carried them out himself with a veterinarian because shelters and associations benefit from preferential rates from practitioners.

Some associations also offer to become host families. This is an interesting option for adoption candidates who wish to ensure that the cat they have chosen is compatible with their expectations and their way of life.

Benefits of shelter cat adoptions

• Adopting a cat from a shelter is a good action that allows an abandoned cat to benefit from a second chance.
• This solution is less expensive since you only pay the costs relating to the identification and sterilization/castration of a cat, with preferential rates. Count 80 to 100 euros on average.
• Cats in shelters are animals in good standing. You are thus guaranteed to welcome a cat already identified, vaccinated, sterilized, or neutered, and whose health is monitored.
• The cats in the shelter are known to the members of the shelter or the association which takes them in. Consequently, if you outline your needs, your expectations (a cuddly cat, an independent cat, an elderly cat, a calm cat, etc.) and your way of life (homebody, absent, present, etc.), these can direct you to compatible animals or advise you against certain others that may not suit you.

The Disadvantages of Shelter Cat Adoptions

• If the health of cats is monitored in shelters, you should know that tomcats coexist permanently and that viruses, microbes, and bacteria spread easily between animals, as well as parasites. In general, these animals are monitored and cared for, but the risk of adopting a sick cat is not zero.
• If the members of the shelter know the character of a cat, they cannot have a complete vision of its past. Some abused or abandoned cats have experienced traumatic moments that can cause behavioral problems as they age or during certain events that awaken painful memories.

Adopting your cat from a breeder: the pros and cons

Nearly a quarter of cat adoptions are carried out within professional breeders. These adoptions are usually purebred cats, as this is the ideal way to welcome a cat of a chosen breed.

To do this, prospective adopters contact breeders of a chosen breed. These professionals make sure beforehand that they are familiar with the characteristics of the target breed to avoid an unsuitable adoption. Several meetings can be organized for the future adopter to meet his future little life companion.

The breeder then gives the new owner his animal's LOOF entry, which includes the names of his ancestors and their characteristics.

The benefits of cat adoptions from a breeder

• The cat adopted from a breeder is an animal in good standing and whose health is monitored because breeders are passionate professionals who ensure animal well-being.
• If you wish to adopt a purebred cat, the breeders will give you the certificate from the LOOF (Official Book of Feline Origins) which guarantees the origins of your cat and the other members of the litter.
• The breeder accompanies you in your adoption. You can visit its cattery and choose your future little companion according to the affinities you have with the litter. This professional will also be able to provide you with sound advice to facilitate the reception of your cat.

The Disadvantages of Cat Adoptions from a Breeder

• If adopting a cat from a shelter is inexpensive, adopting a cat from a breeder has a price… very high. Indeed, a purebred cat can be very expensive, from several hundred to several thousand euros. This price includes in particular the costs relating to registration for the LOOF.
• Genetic flaws are possible within farms, including the most serious ones. Indeed, breeders breed purebred cats to guarantee the continuity of their genes. Consequently, the risk is not zero.
• Before committing yourself, check the quality and skills of the breeder you are contacting. Indeed, while most are passionate, honest, and qualified professionals, some do not hesitate to engage in animal trafficking or to lie about the origins of cats.