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"Pets at home"? It has been illegal to sell kittens via a third party since December 2018. Not sure what you mean by "tricky". Adoption centres will rightly need to check that you can provide a suitable home for the life of the cat. Obviously, there are difficulties caused by Covid-19 for breeders and adoption centres, but it is still possible to get healthy kittens from a legitimate source.If you buy from back street breeders and general websites, you run the risk at best of getting a sick or otherwise unsuitable animal and at worst losing your money. You are unlikely to have any come back if you do buy a kitten that is subsequently ill or has behavioural problems.Bear the following in mind when buying:You should see the kitten with its motherThe kitten should not be sold until it is eight weeks old; nine weeks is preferable by which time the first primary vaccinations should have been given (feline influenza, Feline infectious enteritis, feline chlamydophiosis, Feline leukaemia). A booster vaccination will be required 2-3 weeks later and thereafter annuallyThe kitten must have been fully weanedFind out what as been done to accustom the kitten to living in the environment which you will provide for itDo not buy a kitten unless you have original documents for worming flea treatment and vaccinations The mother and kittens should be willing to interact with youThe kitten should be litter trainedYou should be given a contract of sale, and a sample of the litter that the kitten has used and the food that it has been weaned on (you can change the food and litter gradually if it they are poor quality)Never buy a "singleton" kitten that has no litter mates or one that has been hand-reared: both can have serious, lifelong behavioural problemsThe PDSA has an excellent kitten purchase checklist here:http://www.bdch.org.uk/files/The_Kitten_Checklist.pdfCats Protection has a list of cats and kittens for adoptions here:https://www.cats.org.uk/adopt-a-cat/find-a-catBattersea Cats and Dogs Home has a list here:https://www.battersea.org.uk/cats/cat-rehoming-gallery

Charlotte Kasner ● 2196d