The Deadly Reality of Kitten Mills

You heard about puppy mills, it’s not different for kittens

If you’re an animal lover, you have most probably heard the term “puppy mills”. That’s where most of the puppies in pet shops come from. However, have you ever wondered where the kittens from the pet shop come from?

That’s right, there are kitten mills, also called kitten farms or kitten factories, out there in the world, and they are easier to hide from public view compared to puppy mills. As more puppy mills are getting more exposed and criticized worldwide, farmers and breeders are now switching to breeding other species, such as felines.

Purebred cats are the usual victims of kitten mills. Especially popular breeds that are in high demand such as Persian cats or Scottish folds.

Just like puppy mills, this industry prioritizes profit at the expense of the welfare of animals. Cats are bred and sold by the masses and raised in filthy cages where they are abused and neglected. Because of this, it is very common to find cats in kitten mills suffering from ringworms and other fungal infections that are contagious.

In kitten mills, the breeders mainly focus on the number of cats they can breed and sell instead of the cats’ health. Many kittens are resulted from inbreeding - mating closely related cats - and this causes several genetic diseases and deformities.

Kitten mills are also very often overcrowded with cats. This can affect the cats emotionally and mentally while they are developing, leading to future issues such as separation anxiety and depression.

These cats often receive very minimal veterinary care and poor quality food and shelter, increasing their chances of obtaining diseases.

And just like dogs in puppy mills, cats in kitten mills are forced to live in tiny wire cages that are stacked on top of one another. This is to minimize waste clean-up. Due to the wire cages, these cats usually are found with injuries to their paws and legs.  

The cats at the bottom of the stacked cages would have it worse, as pee and poo from kittens above them would fall into their cage. The build-up of manure in a confined space can lead to the build-up of ammonia which can cause serious respiratory issues in these cats. The lack of natural lighting can also cause their eyes to be extra sensitive.

In order to save more money, kitten mills are usually low in staff. Due to this, the cats receive very little human interaction, adequate exercise, and poor socialization. This can lead to behavioural problems such as aggressiveness (bitching, scratching or hissing) in some cats in the future. However, others may channel their poor socializing skills into fear and anxiety and may take a while to warm up to people.

Kittens are also removed from their mothers at a very early age which can cause impairment in their development. This is because breeders want to sell their kittens as soon as possible before any serious signs of illnesses start showing up.

Adult male and female cats in kitten mills are repeatedly bred every chance they get in order to keep producing kittens, often until they are 10 years old. This causes serious health issues in mothers and they may not be able to reproduce as they get older. Because of these, mothers are often discarded either by killing them or selling them to rescues or organizations.

Unfortunately, kitten mills are a lot easier to hide compared to puppy mills. Therefore it is not as easy to uncover kitten mill operations. Kitten mills can be easily hidden in a house that may appear normal from the outside.

The only way to completely stop this cruel industry from continuing is to stop buying animals from pet shops. You may think you are helping the puppy or kitten in the shop but in reality, you’re only supporting and encouraging breeders to continue their exploitation of these animals.

The truth is, such industries run on supply and demand. Once these kittens are purchased at a lower rate and the demand drops, pet stores will start losing their profits and purchase lesser animals.

If you would like to do your part to help bring an end to this cruel industry, the simplest thing you can do is to adopt a pet instead of buying one and to also educate your friends and family of the horrors that go on in kitten and puppy mills.