CBBC vet warns of kitten con artists in documentary

Vet Fabian Rivers has appeared in a new Cats Protection documentary seeking to raise awareness of online mis-selling of kittens.

Dr Rivers, who is one of the stars of CBBC’s The Pets Factor, features in The Big Kitten Con, which features accounts from two women duped into buying kittens below the legal age for commercial sale, which is eight weeks. Both kittens died from debilitating illnesses.

Advice from Dr Rivers includes asking to see kittens with their mum at least twice and asking for clear evidence the kitten is at least eight weeks old.

Online sales

Of the 500,000 cats bought in the UK in 2021, 340,000 were found on sites including Facebook, Gumtree, Pets 4 Homes and Preloved.

However, in a survey of 2,000 people, 42% noticed a suspicious advert for a cat or kitten on the sites and a quarter (23%) said they were not confident about the right questions to ask.

Dr Rivers said: “Every day as a vet, I see more cats come through my door that are set up for failure from the very start. It’s so important that we take these living, sentient, amazing beings much more seriously – especially when they are young and vulnerable. They are not accessories or toys and they have to be treated with much more respect.”

Legislation

Cats Protection is calling on cat lovers to sign a petition for regulations for cat breeding in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, to bring them in line with Scotland, where legislation was introduced last in 2021.

Madison Rogers, the charity’s acting head of advocacy and government relations, said: “We want anyone who breeds two or more litters of kittens in a year to be licensed, which would make them subject to regular inspections. This will bring unscrupulous sellers out of the shadows, and help protect helpless and innocent kittens.”

To watch the documentary and sign the petition, visit the Cats Protection website.