Don't Give Kittens Away for Free

For one reason or another, you find yourself trying to find a home for some kittens. Perhaps your cat had an unplanned litter, or maybe you're moving and can't take them with you. Possibly you found a litter that needs homes, or maybe a neighbor of yours abandoned them. For whatever reason, you want to find someone to take them and give them a good life.

If you don't know anyone personally who can take them, try to see if there are any openings with local rescue groups. If you have a PetSmart or Petco near you, they usually have rescue groups in on the weekends who host kitten and cat adoptions. If you are unable to find a group that is currently taking kittens, also see if you have a no-kill shelter in your area.

At certain times of the year, aka kitten season, it can be almost impossible to find a group or shelter to take them because they are booked to the max.

Quite often, when in this situation, people are willing to give kittens away for free, as the most important thing to them is for the kittens to go to a good home. As warm-hearted as this sounds, it can also be the worst thing that can happen to the kittens.

Sadly, there are people who will take free pets for the wrong reasons. Sometimes people will take kittens and use them as bait for dog fighting. The kittens are bound and suspended to help teach dogs how to fight. Other times they are illegally sold to labs.

Free kittens are also used as a food source. I had heard of this before, but it really hit home when I was reading a local message board. A woman had posted a warning about giving any kind of pet away for free. Apparently her husband follows Craigslist and is always on the lookout for free pets to a good home.

This could be guinea pigs, rabbits, kittens, or puppies. He poses as a caring, potential pet owner to secure the pets, then brings them home to feed to his five snakes.

So how to avoid this from happening? The best thing is to charge a rehoming fee. It doesn't need to be a big amount. Most people recommend $50. For the most part, people looking for kittens for the wrong reasons won't want to pay the money, especially if they can find what they want for free elsewhere.

Also, don't be afraid to ask questions of any potential adoptive pet owner. Will this be an indoor or outdoor cat? What veterinary service will be used? Are there any other pets in the house, and any other questions you want answered that will make you comfortable giving a kitten to this person?

Now, let's say you're thinking about taking a free kitten from someone who's trying to rehome a litter. That's wonderful to offer your home to the kitten, and surely it will help out whoever has the kitten, but do keep in mind that most likely, the kitten hasn't been seen by a vet yet. 

That means that you'll have to pay for the vet visit, vaccinations, and to spay/neuter the kitten. If you have the money for this, fantastic! Just know that when you adopt a kitten from a shelter or rescue group, the kittens usually come with all the above already done, and the average cost for adoption is usually around $100-$150. 

This is way less expensive than if you have to do it on your own. Prices can also vary depending on the time of the year. During kitten season, some shelters have special rates as they have so many kittens that need homes.

We just adopted a kitten a few days ago from a shelter that has discounted adoptions due to having so many animals looking for their forever homes. He has brought a special light into our home. Some places also offer discounts to seniors, and sometimes older cats are discounted as well.

I am very passionate when it comes to kittens. My family was a foster home to them for over 10 years, and I just recently got back into fostering. I know how special kittens can be, and it breaks my heart to know that sometimes, people use them for such cruel acts.