Kitten$$$$

[£15]

Buyers need to take responsibility when they buy a dog and I suppose the same can be said for any pet. (But my take on it is from the K-9 side.) If they didn't pay stupid money for what are basically non-pedigree, fashion accessories, dogs with bred-in defects and sold with no health checks, then they are part of the problem. Do your research. Go to shows. Join clubs. Talk to breeders. Research the animal you want and ask questions. But they don't. They see a dog they like in the street, on TV, in a magazine, their neighbour has one and then go out and throw money at the first back-street breeder they find with 'stock', with no idea about the breed and what it takes to own one, or if it will fit into their lifestyle.

A responsible breeder will assess your ability to be an owner as much as you assess their ability to provide you with a healthy animal and on-going support. The number of times I have spoken to people that have spent £000s on 'designer' dogs (mixed-breeds) that have no idea about the lineage of the animal and have had no health checks, is scary.

A responsible breeder will chip the dog before letting it go and keep records of owners. Owners should be made to sign contracts that cover subjects like future use for breeding, neutering, healthcare, what happens if you change your mind or can no longer look after it, etc.

One of the problems is dogs that are now fashionable are those that have been bred to perpetuate and exaggerate what should be regarded as defects and actually bred out of dogs. I also agree that the breeding of some types of dog should be controlled to the point where they're not freely available. Why does a family of 5, in a two bed terrace house, need a dog that has been bred over generations to fight? It doesn't matter that it's not going to be used for that purpose and you're going to train it - it's been bred to encourage traits and physical characteristics to make it a better fighter/killer. Yes, any dog can be dangerous if nt properly trained and cared for, but you're already starting with a disadvantage.

Proper breeders, with a love of their breed, a desire to protect it, nurture it and control future breeding, are not out to make a fast buck and are there if you take the time to look.

 

[cainer]

This is gruffy my partners adopted Scottish fold who is happily terrorising Kazakhstan at the moment whilst we sort out getting him back to the UK

Surely that's a British Shorthair / Scottish Fold kinda cross?
This is my mums British Shorthair 'Barney', he's 4 or 5 years old,
think she paid around £700 for him

 

[FoxEye]

Buyers need to take responsibility when they buy a dog and I suppose the same can be said for any pet. (But my take on it is from the K-9 side.) If they didn't pay stupid money for what are basically non-pedigree, fashion accessories, dogs with bred-in defects and sold with no health checks, then they are part of the problem. Do your research. Go to shows. Join clubs. Talk to breeders. Research the animal you want and ask questions. But they don't. They see a dog they like in the street, on TV, in a magazine, their neighbour has one and then go out and throw money at the first back-street breeder they find with 'stock', with no idea about the breed and what it takes to own one, or if it will fit into their lifestyle.

A responsible breeder will assess your ability to be an owner as much as you assess their ability to provide you with a healthy animal and on-going support. The number of times I have spoken to people that have spent £000s on 'designer' dogs (mixed-breeds) that have no idea about the lineage of the animal and have had no health checks, is scary.

A responsible breeder will chip the dog before letting it go and keep records of owners. Owners should be made to sign contracts that cover subjects like future use for breeding, neutering, healthcare, what happens if you change your mind or can no longer look after it, etc.

One of the problems is dogs that are now fashionable are those that have been bred to perpetuate and exaggerate what should be regarded as defects and actually bred out of dogs. I also agree that the breeding of some types of dog should be controlled to the point where they're not freely available. Why does a family of 5, in a two bed terrace house, need a dog that has been bred over generations to fight? It doesn't matter that it's not going to be used for that purpose and you're going to train it - it's been bred to encourage traits and physical characteristics to make it a better fighter/killer. Yes, any dog can be dangerous if nt properly trained and cared for, but you're already starting with a disadvantage.

Proper breeders, with a love of their breed, a desire to protect it, nurture it and control future breeding, are not out to make a fast buck and are there if you take the time to look.

Absolutely this.

When I bought my wee lass she came with full documentation, chipped, and the breeder would not let me have her "intact", unless I could prove I was also a registered breeder. I said I wasn't interested in that, so the breeder had the op done, she stayed with her during her recovery, and I got her after that. Having her intact was not even an option (which is a good thing).

I completely agree that the buyer bears a lot of the responsibility. That doesn't mean we can't, or shouldn't, tighten the regulations around animal breeding. But the buyer has to do their homework, and they have a moral responsibility to ensure they are buying from a "fit and proper person" and not a backyard breeder.

e: It's also worth saying that breeding isn't a particularly profitable enterprise for those good breeders. The costs of caring for the animals properly, having them chipped and vaccinated, giving them a properly controlled and enriched environment.. it adds up.

The people making money selling puppies and kittens are those who are keeping costs down by not providing the essentials. And often these will be the people willing to sell them far too soon after they are born. Like only a few weeks old. Because these are the people who don't care and need to be barred from breeding.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Buyers need to take responsibility when they buy a dog and I suppose the same can be said for any pet. (But my take on it is from the K-9 side.) If they didn't pay stupid money for what are basically non-pedigree, fashion accessories, dogs with bred-in defects and sold with no health checks, then they are part of the problem. Do your research. Go to shows. Join clubs. Talk to breeders. Research the animal you want and ask questions. But they don't. They see a dog they like in the street, on TV, in a magazine, their neighbour has one and then go out and throw money at the first back-street breeder they find with 'stock', with no idea about the breed and what it takes to own one, or if it will fit into their lifestyle.

A responsible breeder will assess your ability to be an owner as much as you assess their ability to provide you with a healthy animal and on-going support. The number of times I have spoken to people that have spent £000s on 'designer' dogs (mixed-breeds) that have no idea about the lineage of the animal and have had no health checks, is scary.

A responsible breeder will chip the dog before letting it go and keep records of owners. Owners should be made to sign contracts that cover subjects like future use for breeding, neutering, healthcare, what happens if you change your mind or can no longer look after it, etc.

One of the problems is dogs that are now fashionable are those that have been bred to perpetuate and exaggerate what should be regarded as defects and actually bred out of dogs. I also agree that the breeding of some types of dog should be controlled to the point where they're not freely available. Why does a family of 5, in a two bed terrace house, need a dog that has been bred over generations to fight? It doesn't matter that it's not going to be used for that purpose and you're going to train it - it's been bred to encourage traits and physical characteristics to make it a better fighter/killer. Yes, any dog can be dangerous if nt properly trained and cared for, but you're already starting with a disadvantage.

Proper breeders, with a love of their breed, a desire to protect it, nurture it and control future breeding, are not out to make a fast buck and are there if you take the time to look.

The problem is idiots want rottweilers because they are aggressive. It makes them hard having a killer dog.

If there is a market for aggressive dogs chances are the people breeding them don't really care about the safety aspect of it all just the money.

How many kids are mauled by killer dogs every year?

I'm amazed that the only response is call the RSPCA. Who won't take anecdotal evidence seriously. Someone needs to get hurt before it's taken away and by then it's a police matter.

If you report a dangerous dog they are more interested in the health and welfare of the dog rather than its potential victims.

 

[DrToffnar]

All you need to do is make it illegal to sell a cat or dog for more than £500, you also need to be licensed which comes out of your pocket a d subject to regular inspections.

I've had to report a backyard breeder. He was breeding extremely aggressive rottweilers. Thankfully they have been taken off him.

He saw them only as money. He only ever swore at them and kept them in cages in his back garden. Cages with no roofs or shelter.

Also chip every puppy and then have a register for the owners. If a chipped puppy ends up in a shelter the last registered owner should be liable for their costs

Absolutely this. There are of course exceptions to some animals needing to be sheltered, but so many are there because owners don't bother to think through the responsibility of owning an animal prior to buying one, especially dogs. Once the novelty factors worn off, they realise that what they have is essentially something they don't have the time for. Absolutely pathetic. It's your responsibility to give that animal the best life you can until it dies, very few exceptions

 

[Stu999]

Surely that's a British Shorthair / Scottish Fold kinda cross?
This is my mums British Shorthair 'Barney', he's 4 or 5 years old,
think she paid around £700 for him

What a beauty

 

[Lopéz]

The problem is idiots want rottweilers because they are aggressive. It makes them hard having a killer dog.

If there is a market for aggressive dogs chances are the people breeding them don't really care about the safety aspect of it all just the money.

How many kids are mauled by killer dogs every year?

I'm amazed that the only response is call the RSPCA. Who won't take anecdotal evidence seriously. Someone needs to get hurt before it's taken away and by then it's a police matter.

If you report a dangerous dog they are more interested in the health and welfare of the dog rather than its potential victims.

Rottweilers might look aggressive, but in my experience they are anything but.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Rottweilers might look aggressive, but in my experience they are anything but.

They are extremely territorial and more aggressive towards strangers than other dogs.

Also my experience has been I've heard the dog physically attacking anyone who went into the garden including family members and tradespeople.

So the owner then forced them into the cage so they could carry on with whatever they were trying to do.

It's also destroyed property including fences and fence posts.

They were used to pull carts hardly something you want to take any chances with.

Were they not used by the SS in world war 2? Because they are so good at attacking people.

 

[Steven Rimmington]

Our Kittens cost nothing. Not sure the breed of the gray kitten though, however she is lovely. By far the most timid, the others jump and run a mile if they see there own shadow. The dog however wasn't free.

 

[Energize]

They are extremely territorial and more aggressive towards strangers than other dogs.

Also my experience has been I've heard the dog physically attacking anyone who went into the garden including family members and tradespeople.

So the owner then forced them into the cage so they could carry on with whatever they were trying to do.

It's also destroyed property including fences and fence posts.

They were used to pull carts hardly something you want to take any chances with.

Were they not used by the SS in world war 2? Because they are so good at attacking people.

Think you are confusing them with Dobermans re the SS bit, they are very large and strong but as herding dogs Rottweilers are considered one the less territorial breeds and I haven't seen chavs owning many of them.

 

[mattyprice4004]

Our cat was free. A friend of a friend's cat got pregnant and they just gave them away. Got him chopped and chipped and has been good for the past 8 years.

I love my cat but its only use is pest control. Such selfish little beasts . No idea why anyone would pay large wedge for one.

A dog is completely different as they are man's best friend.

My first cat was like that, my second is like a dog and won’t leave me alone

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Think you are confusing them with Dobermans re the SS bit, they are very large and strong but as herding dogs Rottweilers are considered one the less territorial breeds and I haven't seen chavs owning many of them.

It depends entirely on how they have been introduced socially. Rottweilers kept in cages in a back garden never taken out for walks. Extremely aggressive due to no social interaction with other dogs or people from a young age.

I imagine had they been brought up with the right care and attention and lots of social interaction with other dogs and people they can be okay. But they are more aggressive than the average dog and extremely strong and powerful. It's a very dangerous combination.

Are Rottweilers inherently dangerous dogs?
Rottweilers are very strong dogs, easily able to knock a full-grown and muscular man to the ground. This strength makes the dog an excellent police dog, as well as a rescue dog – with the right training. 'Rotties' are predisposed to inherit a territorial instinct and to discriminate between known 'family' and 'strangers'. The breed is also known for its intelligence, and is characterized as one of the breeds of dog that is able to learn commands after only a few trials. Despite their size, fully-grown Rottweilers are also surprisingly fast and agile.[12]

Its temperament, in combination with physical prowess, makes the dog a natural watchdog for the home. However, when the dog is not properly socialized, these very same attributes can lead to serious injuries and even death to human beings who invade the dog's territory without an 'introduction' from the owner. Such a risk is greatest if the dog is physically touched despite its warnings to stay away. When powerful dogs with such a temperament are raised in isolation from human society, and are either not handled sufficiently during their first months of life by any person, or actually abused and taught to attack people and other dogs - then indeed, the Rottweiler, like almost every one of the working breeds, is dangerous. A good and typical specimen of the breed has the physical power of body and limb to bring down a man, a lacerating bite, and an instinctual capability to attack large prey in a lethal manner.

Rottweilers are threatening in a manner that smaller and weaker dogs are not. A toy terrier may regularly growl at, and even snap at or actually nip, visitors to the home. That behavior may be annoying, but a 120-pound Rottweiler behaving in the same way would not be perceived in the same manner, and, if allowed to nip, would be more than an annoyance. Unlike toy terriers, poorly socialized Rottweilers cannot be tolerated in human society.

 

[£15]

e: It's also worth saying that breeding isn't a particularly profitable enterprise for those good breeders. The costs of caring for the animals properly, having them chipped and vaccinated, giving them a properly controlled and enriched environment.. it adds up.

The people making money selling puppies and kittens are those who are keeping costs down by not providing the essentials. And often these will be the people willing to sell them far too soon after they are born. Like only a few weeks old. Because these are the people who don't care and need to be barred from breeding.

Totally agree. I have a pure-bred pedigree and know it's family tree going back generations, including all their health scores: I paid significantly less for what I regard as a 'real dog' (sorry, I know this will offend lots of people, dog owners and otherwise, but I have become a bit of a snob in the last year or so) than the guy in work that paid nearly £3000 (during lock-down!) for cocka-****-chu-poo, or wtf it is. My breeder made a loss on her dogs because her primary concern is the breed and making sure everything is 'proper'. My mates breeder was the opposite. It's obvious from talking to him that his breeder was in it purely for the money, but he doesn't see it. And he's part of the problem.

I'd like to add that I've met several owners over the last year, going to dog training and shows, of dogs like Rottweilers, Dobermans, Huskies, etc and they're all responsible owners and their dogs are amazing! Not all owners of such dogs are bad - I want to stress that. But they're not casual owners; they're invested in the breed and I respect them for taking on what I think can be very difficult dogs to raise.

 

[Nitefly]

I think we paid £650 for each of our kittens (now cats).

I was looking up a St. Bernard pup this week and they were £2000+

 

[Nasher]

Even if you adopt from a rehoming center it's about a £75 fee. But they do all the jabs etc first I guess.

 

[Holst1981]

Even if you adopt from a rehoming center it's about a £75 fee. But they do all the jabs etc first I guess.

This is where we got our kittens from.
Cats protection do all the jabs and microchips for you and you only have to pay <£100.
Much cheaper than buying from a breeder and definitely checked by a vet.

 

[ubersonic]

About 15 years ago my mum brought 2 kittens when we were kids. She paid £16.

Having a look now online and they are £350 for the cheap ones. £1500 for what I assume must be tricky performing, beer bringing, gold pooping ones.

When I was a kid my dad paid £3k for a used Vauxhall, looking on Autotrader there are now used Vauxhalls for £50k and some used Ferraris cost over £100k!

It's the same apples/oranges scenario, you can still get kittens for less than a tenner (usually free to a good home) you're just being a lot more picky with breeds/etc than your mother was.

 

[FoxEye]

This is where we got our kittens from.
Cats protection do all the jabs and microchips for you and you only have to pay <£100.
Much cheaper than buying from a breeder and definitely checked by a vet.

The only people who should be buying from a breeder are people who have done their homework, and know exactly why they looking at that particular breed in the first place.

I'm somewhat saddened that anyone would say, "It's cheaper to get one from a shelter." Minimising the cost shouldn't be anywhere near the top of your considerations. You're not buying a new rug or a light fitting.

If a few hundred quid is "expensive" then how the heck are people going to afford to feed and care for them afterwards? The cost of vet bills, or insurance, toys, food, etc, it's at least a grand a year on average.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Dog prices have gone through the roof too. Last year I was looking to buy a Shiba Inu and was looking at around £1500 to £2000. They are now £3000 to £4000.

I know 2 people with Shiba Inu's and they were both bought because of a character in one of those Japanese Anime things and the dog is called Tarot Warrior.
Apparently they are not easy dogs to keep, don't get on with other dogs, aren't very loving, cry a lot and they have problems with their back legs.
Have a picture of the remaining 3 of my mate's litter of 5 which caused such a massive argument the family now don't talk to each other -

 

[McBain]

£900 for my British short hair, thankfully I didn’t have to pay extra for the times he winds me up