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Puppy mills receive a lot of negative press, especially when one is found and shut down by local humane societies or animal rights organizations. However, there are also kitten mills, although they are less common probably because there are fewer breeds and less emphasis on having a pure-bred cat.
An animal mill is run by a breeder who is more interested in quantity than quality. According to the Humane Society, "The documented problems of mills include over-breeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of socialization with humans, overcrowded cages, and the killing of unwanted animals." A category of kitten mill that is more common than the large commercial breeders are called Backyard Breeders.
A backyard breeder is someone who breeds unregistered purebred cats and sells them as purebreds without papers, drastically undercutting the price of registered purebred cats. In order to sell the kittens at low cost, the backyard breeder cuts their costs in terms of veterinary care, accommodations, food, and socialization time.
A backyard breeder may also release kittens for sale at a younger age than recommended, sometimes as young as seven weeks. You can usually spot a potential kitten mill or backyard breeder by reading their classified or on-line advertising.
They offer purebred cats without papers at a cost significantly below typical prices. These kittens may not have vet records or the breeder will claim difficulty in finding them to show you. The kittens may be sick and because the time has not been spent to socialize them, they may be afraid of people and be difficult pets.
Backyard breeders sometimes sell their kittens to wholesalers/brokers or pet stores. You should not purchase kittens from either without doing a LOT of research about the kitten’s background.
There are many kittens available from reputable kitten breeders as well as your local humane society and rescue groups. Try those. The way to put kitten mills and backyard breeders out of business is to stop funding them through your purchase.
Reputable breeder:
* knows the standards for the breed
* screens for genetic diseases
* maintains a high quality care facility
* offers a written health guarantee
* and more ...
Back yard breeder:
* knows very little about the breed
* does not do genetic testing
* does not keep track of kittens they sell
* tries to convince you that their breed is right for you, no matter what
* and more ...
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