10/22/2026
Protect Yourself from Kitten Scams
Please Read Before Sending Money to Anyone
Unfortunately, kitten scams have become increasingly common.
Scammers know that people searching for a kitten are often excited, impatient to welcome a new family member, or sometimes grieving the recent loss of a beloved cat.
They take advantage of those emotions.
Their websites and social media pages may look convincing. They may have beautiful photographs, glowing testimonials, professional-looking logos, and adorable kittens supposedly ready to leave immediately.
But the kittens often do not exist.
The photographs have been stolen.
The breeder is fictitious.
And once the money is sent, it may be impossible to recover.
Before sending a deposit or any other payment to a breeder you do not know, slow down and verify who you are dealing with.
Common Warning Signs
🚩 Kittens Are Always Available
Responsible breeders do not manufacture kittens on demand.
Litters are planned, pregnancies do not always occur as expected, litter sizes vary, and responsible breeders generally produce a limited number of kittens.
Be cautious of a website that seems to have numerous kittens available at all times—particularly if the same kittens remain listed month after month without ever appearing to grow older.
Real kittens grow very quickly.
Website photographs sometimes don’t.
🚩 No Breeder’s Name
A legitimate cattery should have a real person behind it.
You should be able to determine who the breeder is, learn something about their experience, and communicate directly with them.
Be suspicious when a website contains beautiful kittens but nowhere identifies the actual breeder.
A cattery name is not the same thing as a person’s identity.
🚩 No Clear Location
You should know where the breeder and kittens are located.
Scammers frequently avoid giving a specific location.
Sometimes they will wait until you tell them where you live—and then suddenly discover that they or their “delivery agent” happen to be conveniently nearby.
Ask where the breeder is located before telling them where you live.
🚩 Prices That Seem Too Good to Be True
Purebred kittens from established breeding programs require considerable investment in health testing, veterinary care, quality nutrition, registration, breeding cats, shows, equipment, and proper kitten raising.
Scammers know that an unusually low amount attracts attention.
A kitten offered far below what established breeders typically request should make you stop and investigate carefully.
Remember the old rule:
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
🚩 Stolen Photographs
Look carefully at the photographs.
Do all of the kittens appear to have been photographed in completely different homes?
Do backgrounds, furniture, photographic styles, or image quality change dramatically from kitten to kitten?
Does the same “breeder” appear to offer several breeds photographed in entirely different environments?
These can be signs that photographs have been collected from legitimate breeders’ websites and social media accounts.
Scammers sometimes know so little about the animals in their stolen photographs that descriptions contain the wrong breed, s*x, color—or even references to “puppies.”
🚩 A Suspicious Social Media Profile
A social media account alone does not prove that someone is a breeder.
Look at its history.
Was the account created very recently?
Does it contain years of photographs showing kittens growing up, previous litters, adult cats, shows, owners, and normal everyday cattery life?
Or does it contain only a few recent photographs and advertisements for available kittens?
Established breeders usually leave a long digital history.
A scammer can create a Facebook profile in minutes.
The Video Call Test
This is one of the simplest and most useful ways to verify that a kitten actually exists.
Ask for a live video call.
Not another photograph.
Not a prerecorded video.
A live FaceTime, Messenger, WhatsApp, or similar video call.
Ask the breeder to show you the kitten you are considering.
A real breeder should normally be able to arrange this at a mutually convenient time.
You can even ask to see the kitten with its mother or littermates when appropriate.
Scammers often produce an astonishing number of excuses for why a live video call is impossible.
Their camera is broken.
Their internet isn’t working.
They are traveling.
The kitten is somewhere else.
They can send another video instead.
One excuse may be perfectly legitimate.
A never-ending series of excuses is not.
Do Not Let Anyone Rush You
A common scam technique is creating urgency.
“Someone else wants this kitten.”
“Send the deposit in the next hour.”
“The courier is leaving today.”
“We need payment immediately to reserve shipping.”
Do not allow excitement or fear of losing a kitten to override your judgment.
A legitimate breeder wants a successful lifelong placement.
That requires communication—not panic.
Never send money simply because someone is pressuring you to act immediately.
Be Suspicious of Unexpected Shipping Fees
Another common scam begins after the victim has already paid for the fictitious kitten.
Suddenly there is another charge.
A special crate.
Insurance.
A temperature-controlled carrier.
An airport permit.
A refundable transportation deposit.
Then another fee appears.
And another.
Be especially cautious if a supposed airline, courier, or transportation company contacts you demanding additional payments after you have already paid the seller.
If someone claims that an airline requires a particular fee or shipping arrangement, contact the airline directly using its official contact information and verify it yourself.
Do not rely on a telephone number, email address, or link supplied by the person selling the kitten.
Airline policies regarding pet transportation vary and can change, so always confirm the current rules directly with the carrier.
Verify the Cattery Independently
Before sending money, do some research.
Look for evidence that the breeder has existed for more than a few weeks.
Search the cattery name and breeder’s name independently.
Look for show results, historical photographs, registration information, previous owners, and references to the breeder from sources other than the breeder’s own website.
If the breeder claims membership or registration with a feline organization, verify that information when possible.
Remember that scammers can copy legitimate cattery names, photographs, pedigrees, logos, and even entire websites.
Finding the name online is therefore only the beginning.
You still need to make sure the person you are communicating with is actually that breeder.
Protect Your Payment
Before sending a deposit:
Make sure you know who is receiving your money.
Read the breeder’s contract.
Understand the deposit and refund terms.
Be cautious if the recipient’s name has no apparent relationship to the breeder or cattery.
And never send additional payments simply because someone suddenly creates a new “emergency.”
A legitimate breeder should be able to explain clearly what you are paying, why you are paying it, and what happens next.
Trust Your Instincts
You do not need to become a private investigator to find a kitten.
You simply need to slow down.
Ask questions.
Talk to the breeder.
Request a live video call.
Research the breeder independently.
Read the contract.
Verify transportation arrangements.
And never allow anyone to pressure you into sending money before you are comfortable.
A responsible breeder will not be offended because you are careful.
In fact, we believe you should be careful.
You are choosing someone you must trust with something very important—
the little life you hope to welcome into your family.
If You Are Unsure
If you are considering a Burmese kitten advertised elsewhere and something does not feel right, you are welcome to contact us.
We may not know the breeder personally, but if we recognize an obvious warning sign or can suggest something you should verify before sending money, we will be happy to help.
We would much rather answer a question than see another family lose money—or have their hope of welcoming a kitten turned into heartbreak.
Take your time. Ask questions. Verify first. Pay later.
