Get a cat / kitten the right way...

Where's best to get a cat or kitten from?
DO:
​Head for a proper rescue centre or group as the best place to get a new cat from. It's ethical to be kind to your new cat, but for that to be extended to others by not adding to the overpopulation. And rescue centres and groups are staffed by knowledgeable and experienced employees and volunteers and so their cats will more than likely have had a vet check, and usually already be spayed or neutered, chipped, and have had a full or part-way vaccine course. That makes massive financial sense.
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Ask your local vet for a recommendation or search on (external sites):
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DONT:
​Don't support unethical breeding: a lot of kittens seem to be coming from less than ideal breeding sources. Often they are taken away from mum too early (they should be at least 8 weeks old)
A lot of home-bred kittens are coming from mums who are having litter after litter, with breeders making money off these girl cats who become pretty exhausted.
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Beware of misleading words like "family home" - it's still breeding. You're taking on a 15 year commitment, so please do it right.
How do I tell what a proper rescue kitten is?
Unfortunately breeders do sometimes take advantage of the good intentions of others and you may find yourself being introduced to kittens or cats described as "rescues" which are far from that. A genuine rescue scenario will be....​​​
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An owner may be directly rehoming a cat they can no longer keep, or a friend or relative doing so from a private home on behalf of someone who is unwell or has passed away.
Usually this will be older kittens, an adult cat, or a pair or trio. If this is truly genuine then you'll be seeing the cat in it's home environment, there will be information about why it's looking for a new home, and if there is payment asked for, it will be minimal. If there are multiple litters of kittens or you are asked to pay lots of money, this is not a rescue scenario and you need to pass!
Good rescue groups always provide enough space, protection from disease and provision for mental welfare for their cats.
Red flags to look for are rescues where litters of kittens, or in fact groups of unrelated adult cats, are routinely being mixed and housed together, or large numbers of cats are given free reign of houses.
Responsible rescues limit the number of foster cats or kittens in any one location (unless it is a cattery type setup in a garden) and also control contact between cats to limit the cats becoming unwell due to diseases or stress.