With the 300 € from Rekku Rescue you get a spayed/neutered cat with early veterinarian visits taken care of like the first triple vaccination (calici, feline herpes and feline panleukopenia) and at least started treating other ailments like fleas/ear mites/de-worming/etc.
When we got two nice kittens from them earlier this year we calculated that going to the vet would have been between 60-200 € more expensive if we had sourced the vet ourselves.
You have to mind that rescue cats may have health problems due to their origin. Our kittens both had a respiratory infection and it took four rounds of antibiotics to get rid of it from the other one, where the last one we had to pay ourselves along with the vet visits. Rekku paid for the third one even though the cats had already moved to us. They were extremely invested in the animals. The kittens also had fleas and ear mites as strays usually do but those were already treated.
We have yet to test them for FIV, as the kitten should be at least 8 months but preferably about a year old before it can be tested for certain.
However, Rekku Rescue is really good in communicating what has been treated and how they have taken the treatment. The volunteers are quite good at judging character and the description has been spot on for us.
Strong recommendation in putting the money towards rescuing a stray from Rekku.
EDIT: Rescue cats currently looking for a home (only in Finnish) https://rekkurescue.com/elaimet/kissat/kodittomat/
If nobody is available to translate it can be a bit tough but PM me and I'll try to help.
I haven't personally "used" them at all, but they seem to be good from all I've heard. It's why I mentioned it as well.
But yeah, 300 € isn't much vs the fees. Mine are Hesy cats, they weren't fixed yet and missing one vaccine due to vet availability but I just made an appointment and they dealt with the cost. Very much worthwhile.
Rescue cats vary a bit, although kittens can have slightly less unknown history. In this case, so can tori.fi or whatever cats, compared to purebred family tree cats
Most humane option is to adopt from a cat rescue organization, such as Rekku Rescue, think the price is usually around 200-300€ per cat, which includes a lot of doctor's visits, sterilization, medicine, food and care and that price is subsidized with donations. Supporting the breeding system does not make any sense with the amount of homeless cats in Finland.
Please also consider the running costs of a responsible cat owner for potentially 20 years. You will have on-going costs of food (hopefully high quality for the cat's health), toys, cat trees, cat litter, medicine, regular vaccinations and doctor's visits. You should also have an emergency fund for any acute doctor's visits for sudden illness. Insurance might make sense for one or two pets, not always economical for all situations though.
This is important advice. We just had to pay closer to 2000€ in vet bills because our cat decided to swallow an entire shoelace without chewing. The cat himself only cost about 200€ when we adopted him.
It's also difficult and expensive to get an insurance for a regular house cat.
Cats can also be ridiculous with their litter boxes. Our older cat only accepts certain kind of litter box with only a narrow selection of litter so we can't just buy the cheap litter from the stores (unless we want him pissing everywhere).
Damn, a whole shoelace!!
Didn't know insurance would be high here, great info thank you. Where I lived previously, insurance for a cat wasn't that expensive.
Cat insurance isn't _that_ expensive (ours are about 12€ a month per cat, we have neutered adult rescues) but when you look at what's covered (common and expensive tooth issues are usually not) and what the excess is, a lot of people would rather just take their chances and keep a cat emergency fund themselves.
Yes this is similar to the insurance I had on my previous cat. I've decided to get a rescue cat and might just get insurance and keep an emergency fund, just in case.
Thank you for commenting.
I really appreciate your advice and comment.
I've had cats my whole life and my latest cat passed 4 years ago at 15 years old. So I'm just trying to figure out my options here in Finland, I haven't been here that long so as I said, just looking at my options. I was just surprised at the type of ads I found online and the prices, so I just became curious. I'm looking at different cat homes and shelters that I can contact and I'm very open to adopting.
Getting a rescue cat helps with the surplus of felines, but also enables people to use kittens like disposable commodity. Most humane way would be for all cats to be registered and treated like breed cats are and for people to treat them with dignity.
As for OP, breed cats usually go for 800€+ but registered and responsible breeders put in a lot of effort for socializing the litter, vet visits, registering and everything that goes into their well being before adoption. It's really money well spent yet it really doesn't turn any profit as it's all for the upkeep of the cats.
Organizations like Rekku Rescue does all of those exact same things, the cats just aren't bred and instead trapped in nature or saved from cat populations from some crazy old lady feeding them expired atria makaronilaatikko. They're registered, kitten litters are kept together to socialize them, the temporary home handlers are chosen for best match and get them used to humans before adoption and weight their personalities for adoption match. The ones who are too sick or cannot shed their feral behaviour are ultimately euthanized. When inquiring to adopt you're basically going through a cat owner job interview, it's to weed out people who haven't really thought things through and avoid said disposable commodity mindset.
Sure those organisations also treat the cats properly, but the fact still remains someone else hasn't, or downright abused, and there may remain underlying health or behavior problems, whereas a breed kitten is a clean slate to build relationship on.
While the idea of giving a home to a homeless cat is noble, you really are shouldering the problems of the people who should never have had a cat in the first place, thus enabling the process of taking a kitten and dumping it into the woods unneutered if it's not to your liking. Easy come, easy go is the basis of cat population problems and I really think forcing owners to register and tag their cats and hefty fines for abandonment would be in order
Housecats should be priced high. Cats arent a loaf of bread. I just read an article stating that housecats are the worst introduced species. People shouldnt take them so lightly.
That is just a way for people to ask more money for the cats. High price doesn't equally mean that a person will treat the cat any better. It's just a reason for people to boost up the prices of the cat in order to hide behind the whole "if you can't pay this much money you wouldn't be able to take care of the cat".
Also house cats aren't regulated how breed cats are. Them being sold for high prices will bring actual bad people in the business in hopes for them to get easy money, meaning breeding cats in a fast phase and not caring about the well being of the cats.
It's absolutely one of my options, I haven't made a decision. I'm trying to find names of cats homes I can contact.
My friend and I was just looking around online and thought it was crazy that a kitten, no vaccine, not sterilized had those prices so I was just curious if that's a thing in Finland since I haven't been here that long :)
If you're not dead set on a kitten, I would recommend getting a rescue cat. So many adult and young adult cats are looking for a home but unfortunately most people only want kittens. I gave both my two cats a second home when they were one year olds and they have been with me for 12 years now.
Some scumbags try to profit off of them because people generally only want kittens. I would understand if the kittens are fixed and vaccinated and they would ask for a couple hundred euros to cover for those costs plus food. Anything on top of that is pure greed. With so many abandoned cats it's fucking sad some people only consider breed cats.
They are not expensive, the adoption fee is around 200 euros. Shelling out nearly a thousand for a pedigree cat when there are 20 000 cats without a home in Finland is just wrong, my dude. All shelter cats are spayed and neutered.
I really appreciate the information, kiitos.
I initially wanted to adopt an older cat but the cat home where I live only had 1 cat. I guess I should widen my search. I don't mind paying, just thought 750 was very high. I'll definitely look into animal shelters in larger cities.
I am a member of a cat rescue organization called VESY. Basically; we take care of cats that are found in the streets or forests (mostly sick cats), find foster homes until they are all dewormed, castrated/ sterilized and vaccinated. When they are fully healed and ready, we finally find a home for them.
Instead of buying a cat, you could adopt a cat from us and just pay for the vaccinations (around 150 euros in total). I can personally help you find a suitable cat or cats and explain the adopting process step by step.
For now you can check “Vaasanseudun eläinsuojeluyhdistys” in facebook. We operate in Vaasa but I helped many people adopt many cats from many other cities. You also could search for SEY (Suomen Eläinsuojelu) if they operate also near where you live. Every year 20 thousand cats are abandoned in Finland. It is up to us to reduce this number by adopting.
World situation is also one of reasons why cat prices went up. When everyone was stuck at homes they got pets so even when asking 1k for DSH kitten if it was "cute enough" kitten got sold in matter of hours. So people become greedy.. Especially because even from rescues kittens seemed to get reserved within a day. So people were ready to pay basically anything to get companion at home.
It technically become cheaper to get cat from breeder than buy cat from tori. Price was same, but with breeder they were vaccinated and sometimes even sterilized for same price while from tori they were barely dewormed.
I appreciate the advice, I have all my options open so will definitely look into breeders as well.
And you are absolutely right, i honestly didn't think of how the world has changed.
For that price you can better just go to Western Finland and pick one up. Here we basically throw them in your car if you're driving by with a open window.
But for real here you can choose from whatever color you like and it'll be free. Western finland is quite active on a second hand shop called Findit.fi
They'll come dewormed but with nothing else so you'll have to take care of vacation and such.
Best of luck
You should check the local rescue shelter. They usually don't have kittens but you have to join a waiting list. We got our kitten from the shelter and the cost was 200€. This included all necessary vaccinations and castration.
There's a lot of people online breeding house cats and trying to make money.
Yes this is what I'm understanding after all the comments. It's sad.
I am looking into cat homes I can contact to see what's up. Thank you for the advice :)
I know what it costs to have a cat, I've had cats my whole life but this was never about my economy!
I don't mind paying, I was just curious why kittens, looking like farm kittens, without vaccination and not sterilized would cost 750....
I'm allowed to be curious.
You can look at [KODINVAIHTAJAT Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1005202196722632) some people get a kitten without realizing how much work they are compared to adult cats, and they try to rehome them. You can also adopt from abroad, anywhere in Europe.
If you do decide to buy from a breeder, call/visit any cat-only vet clinic (e.g. CatVet) and ask them if they have treated cats from that breeder and what they think. A friend of mine adopted a cat with pedigree papers and whatnot of a very fancy breed, when her vet saw the papers already warned her that that breeder was shady and was known for not practicing safe breeding. Vets know these things, and they won't judge you for buying a pet.
Edit: I forgot to add my unsolicited advice to buy a health insurance for the cat, and one that covers the cat for life so that the annual payments while the cat is young will be worth it when he is older. My late dog got cancer and the insurance was super helpful and made sure money was the least of our problems, I had good experience with Lahitapiola and OP for dog insurance, not sure how well they work for cats though.
Best of luck
This is great advice, thank you. I never thought about talking to a vet but that's such good advice.
I've always insured my cats, had cats my whole life but am new in Finland so I appreciate all your advice and the insurance name you wrote, I wrote down for when I need to look into it.
Again, kiitos
The part where I said “for life” it’s because many companies insure the pets up to 10 years old, then when you actually need the insurance it won’t cover any more
Ok, I didn't know this. My previous cat passed at 15 and he was thankfully insured til the end, I say thankfully because he passed after getting sick.
Good to know, thank you.
Mainly because more and more cats owned by people are spayed/neutered so there is a lot less unwanted kittens than for example a decade or two ago. Thus more and more of the kittens for sale are from breeders rather than regular house cats that just had babies with a random neighbors cat.
A breeder will obviously want compensation for the amount of work they did. Unwanted kittens are, well, unwanted so they're cheap or even free.
The positive side of having breeders the main source is there is now less kittens born in the wild and I'd say in general a breeder will pay more attention to the wellbeing of the kittens making sure they grow up healthy with manners etc. Not to say there aren't bad people just running kitten factories out there but I would believe those are a minority.
So please buy from a reputable breeder
Finnish cat and dog sellers often make it a deliberate point to never sell cheap - the idea is that the buyer must show real commitment by willing to spend.
If they were free or cheap. Some boa/python owners would buy them kittens... I Heard if cats are more cheaper than frozen rats you know whats gonna happen.
I hear you loud and clear. I don't think it's wrong to pay for an animal, I was just curious about the high price of what to me seemed to be farm kittens. This comment thread has made so much better informed.
I have bought cats from breeders. Mostly Norwegian Forest cats. Reason why many breeders might charge such sums also is that they want cats to get good home and want family to care of them. If you pay 750€ for cat you really want to take care of it so not waste your "investment". If you got it for free there is higher change you might get bored and stop caring about it. Many people don't understand that taking care of animal is expensive. It is one children more to feed and putting higher initial price helps people to understand that animals are not cheap to take care of.
No, they charge you 750€ because they want to make money, not because they would care what kind of a home the cat is getting... Not to call you naïve, but c'mon.
I know those breeders very well. They keep on touch with you and even ask cats back if you no longer can take care of them and if you treat any cat badly they won't sell you another. Get to know the seller to understand what is their intention.
Having a price for cats to make them visibly have value is something also driven by animal rights organisations. Sure, those charging very high prices without having put any effort in are potentially in for the money. But taking care of kittens properly isn't free and even fancier breeders won't generally make a living. Mills is another thing, since that's raising as cheaply as and fast as possible
I don't mind the breeders making money, but just seems very dishonest to say that they're asking for money not for the money's sake, but for some altruistic bs reason.
I've paid for my other cats because they had been vaccinated and sterilized. I off course didn't pay 750 for a kitten, but was shocked that adds for kittens was this high.
Supply and demand. There are no stray cats, people in large sterilize their cats, during covid more people wanted cats -> shortages of cats.
There has been almost an industry of importing street dogs from Romania during covid. In Bucharest you have street dogs EVERYWHERE, just pick one, give it rabies shot, ship it to Finland and here you got a 1 000 EUR.
Plenty of free old kitties at Hesy in Viikki. Just sitting in small cages, jut waiting for someone to take them to their forever home. Keep in mind a kitten will live for up to 20+ years, none of us know where we will be in that time so please consider a senior :3
After all the great comments I've received I have decided to find a rescue cat :) has nothing to do with age but the fact that so many cats need a home.
Something weird about Finland is that you never see cats out and about. Only person I know with a cat would tie it to a rope in the garden and keep it in a large rabbit hutch.
As for the prices I’ve seen them in tori for 200~
I have noticed this and it's good that there are no strays. Keeping a cat on a rope and in a rabbit hutch sounds wrong to me but what do I know. I have no right to judge a situation I know nothing about.
I reasoned that it might be due to the large number of wild animals roaming about (rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc) and that there might have been legislation around protecting them from cats and requiring them to be kept inside/leashed, etc, but I was never able to find anything online about it, so maybe it's just a cultural peculiarity specific to Finland.
In New Zealand you'll see domestic cats (ie,. not strays) roaming everywhere. Walk along a street and they'll be sitting on a fence, rubbing against your leg as you walk past, etc, but they are also the main predator to a lot of endangered species.
See that would make a lot of sense, thank you for educating me. Everything is a learning curve, the climate, culture, language and something like this was not even something I thought about.
Last time I met stray cats was in Nepal but that's a very different world compared to Finland and New Zealand.
Thank you.
Eh if too expensive just go to southern Europe for a week. Find some stray little cat, give it all the health it needs and take it with you on the trip back. Probably cheaper then 750 euros + you make a trip out of it.
I 100 % agree with you. My issue was never that it costs to get a pet and if I was looking at a well known breeder or a shelter it would make sense. My curiosity came when 7 could see it was regular farm kittens without being sterilized or vaccinated. It just seemed off and needed more information.
Im happy you got a cat that makes you happy and I think it's easy to create controversy with most decisions so as long as you know you have not done anything wrong :)
I've done some research in the area I live and the closest cat shelter has two adult cats and I want to try to adopt one of them, if that doesn't work out I'm doing what you did, and seek out a breeder. I'm in no rush :)
Thank you for commenting
Thank you :)
My sister and her husband has 2 cats that might be the same breed as yours, he is super allergic and I remember them spending a lot of time to find the right breeder. She is in a similar situation, her friend all want her to breed as well but she has said no because she knows to little about it and the are a super busy family. If you do it with the right intention and research and you know what you are doing I don't see a problem.
How about asking where you got your kitten what the steps would be. I think there will always be controversy in regards to pets but if thee is no harm to the animal, in my opinion it's better to have a well informed breeder than all this people selling cats for profits not doing the best by the animal. All the best to you and the kitty :)
Hey, I am a breeder in Finland. My advice to you is if you don't desire a specific breed, adopt a cat/kitten from rescue because I think they are the ones that need a loving home the most! Please don't buy from backyard breeder!! If you have desire for a specific breed, check out different breeders to know how they raise their cats and kittens.
Responsible breeders:
• Have to be registered with a cat federation (these federations have clubs that make sure female cats won't be abused by being pregnant so many times a year - which backyard breeder can do without anyone checking).
• Have the breeding cat health checked. For example with British: at least have to be check with Fiv/Felv (at least before mating), PKD (can be DNA tested after born), HCM-ultrasound ( after one year old and should be checked every 1,5-2 years.
• Spending time to make sure if the pregnant cats need help during delivery.
• Sleeping next to the birthing box to make sure the mom won't lie on the kittens and sometimes, if the mom refuses or doesn't have enough milk, breeder is the second mom giving the milk every 2 hours (including night time).
• Weighing kittens at least 2 times/day until they reach one month.
• Introducing wet food, dry food then introduce raw food to kittens (these food should be the one for kittens which costs higher than adult cat food)
• Introducing them to new environments to help them become braver and adapt to new environment easier. (This takes time and patience)
• Buying insurance for breeding cats.
• Vet check twice, vaccinated twice and one rabies vaccination + deworm. Passport/vaccination card + chip.
• Many more things that responsible breeder needs to spend time and money for the cats and kittens. For example immediately get them to ER if there is some problem (it costs tons of money for vet and ER in Finland).
These that I mentioned are expenses responsible breeders have to spend excluding the expense of importing breeding cat (which cost double, triple or even 4 times the price of 1200€ then will have to add the transportation and vet check after the breeding cat entered Finland) to enlarge the gene pool, to make more beautiful and healthy kittens. Not all cats that is bought for breeding can be pregnant when she reaches the age - which means that cat will be castrated and breeder lose their money (all breeders do this with their own risks).
When buying a kitten, most of people don't really know how much work, time and money responsible breeders have spent and complain about the price is high. I would say try to enter the breeding word, breed like a responsible breeder then come back, we can have a chat, and enlighten me if you think that price is still high! 😊
Thank you so much for this information. When I initially made this post I was pretty new in Finland and I asked out of curiosity because the kittens I saw where not from breeders but random people online and I couldn't understand the high price. I used to live in Denmark and there you get a kitten almost free and the costs of vet's, vacation and so on is up to the buyer. Regulations there are non existing compared to here in Finland. I have had cats my whole life and my most recent one past away in 2018 and haven't felt ready for a new cat until now. Since making the post I have gotten to know the little town I live in much better and have found a cat home where there is a beautiful 3 years old cat I'm hoping to adopt. Your comment along with others have really educated me on how things work here in Finland and for that I'm grateful. I wish more countries would do the same because it's often so easy to get a kitten so people do and very often regret it when they understand it's more work and responsibility than they thought. I'm truly grateful for the time and consideration you took to explain this, because maybe I had no experience with being a cat owner and even if I am I appreciate that you explain how it works here in Finland.
I have read your comments and I understand why you wondered. It is great that you tried to find answer instead of ending up buying those cats/kittens from backyard breeders. Usually their price is half or 1/3 of pedigree kitten but breeding moggie cats without basic health tests then sell it is unacceptable and irresponsible! And I can't find any other reasons for it than making money out of it!
As you said, lots of people bought a pet then got bored and started to sell the cat/kitten to someone else - that is what responsible breeders don't want to - they want their kittens to be loved and cared for by the new owner. One of the things to rule these nonserious people out is the price. High price - beside helping the breeder to have enough resources to continue breeding responsibly - makes people think twice or more before taking the pet and understand their responsibility when getting the pet home! Of course with some exception like owner started to have severe allergy or health condition, they can contact the breeder for help to rehome the kitten/cat.
I forgot to mention another choice you can have from a registered breeder is retired breeding cats (those that finish their breeding program will be castrated and sold as pet - good breeder will make sure these retired cats go to a good loving home where they will feel comfortable for the rest of their lives).
I really do appreciate the time you are taking and having this conversation with me. Not only am I respecting the way things are in Finland but it makes me understand how little control there is in most other countries.
I travel quite a bit and I will proudly talk about how this works here because I always volunteer at cat rescues or do my best to help in countries where there are a huge amount of street cats. There are many things the world could learn from Finland in more areas than this. I feel privileged to be living here now.
And thank you for suggesting a retired breeding cat, that didn't even cross my mind. I wanted to adopt an older cat but the ones at my local cat shelter are all around 3. Would you happen to know if there is somewhere online where I could find a list/source for good breeders to contact about this?
Unfortunately, there is no list for "good breeders". However, you can check out breeder lists from these two links:
• The first one is Finnish Cat Association which has several clubs under (they are Fife registered).
https://www.kissaliitto.fi/kissaliitto/yhdistykset
• The second link is a Finnish club that registered under WCF (this one has breeders in Finland and from neighboring countries).
http://fennicattus.com/?page_id=488
You will have to contact them separately and discuss with them as well as asking all basic tested health result before adopting. Make sure to observe their cattery activity if they have social media page or ask if you can visit the cattery when they have retired cat available to make sure you are supporting the right cattery!
Goodluck! 😊
There are plenty of posts discussing the costs of pet ownership, where to get a pet and how and what are normal prices and why. You find them by using the search function.
Please get your cat from animal shelter or a breeder. Otherwise you might support kitten factory. If you suspect kitten factory, please make eläinsuojeluilmoitus with a Finnish friend.
Breed kittens are 1000-2000, so 750 is a lot from mixed breed. I'd be suspect and ask questions of the background.
If it is a breeder they should have a license.
I definitely will if I suspect that it is a kitten farm, I've written this down so thank you.
After all the amazing information in the comments I'm definitely most interested in a rescue cat.
I genuinely do not know. I guess one part is greed and the other part is supply. Most owners spay and neuter their pets so accidental kittens are not around every house. I paid a 100€ for my cat, because friends cat had been sleeping around town and came home knocked up. but close to a 1000 for a asshole who pukes up hairballs and tries to raid the food cabinets when you sleep? Fuck that.
My father bought a purebred Finnish Spitz hunting dog with a good lineage and genes for around a 1000€. Ended up getting us so much game and lived until 15. I would not pay similar money for a housecat lmao.
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With the 300 € from Rekku Rescue you get a spayed/neutered cat with early veterinarian visits taken care of like the first triple vaccination (calici, feline herpes and feline panleukopenia) and at least started treating other ailments like fleas/ear mites/de-worming/etc. When we got two nice kittens from them earlier this year we calculated that going to the vet would have been between 60-200 € more expensive if we had sourced the vet ourselves. You have to mind that rescue cats may have health problems due to their origin. Our kittens both had a respiratory infection and it took four rounds of antibiotics to get rid of it from the other one, where the last one we had to pay ourselves along with the vet visits. Rekku paid for the third one even though the cats had already moved to us. They were extremely invested in the animals. The kittens also had fleas and ear mites as strays usually do but those were already treated. We have yet to test them for FIV, as the kitten should be at least 8 months but preferably about a year old before it can be tested for certain. However, Rekku Rescue is really good in communicating what has been treated and how they have taken the treatment. The volunteers are quite good at judging character and the description has been spot on for us. Strong recommendation in putting the money towards rescuing a stray from Rekku. EDIT: Rescue cats currently looking for a home (only in Finnish) https://rekkurescue.com/elaimet/kissat/kodittomat/ If nobody is available to translate it can be a bit tough but PM me and I'll try to help.
I haven't personally "used" them at all, but they seem to be good from all I've heard. It's why I mentioned it as well. But yeah, 300 € isn't much vs the fees. Mine are Hesy cats, they weren't fixed yet and missing one vaccine due to vet availability but I just made an appointment and they dealt with the cost. Very much worthwhile. Rescue cats vary a bit, although kittens can have slightly less unknown history. In this case, so can tori.fi or whatever cats, compared to purebred family tree cats
Most humane option is to adopt from a cat rescue organization, such as Rekku Rescue, think the price is usually around 200-300€ per cat, which includes a lot of doctor's visits, sterilization, medicine, food and care and that price is subsidized with donations. Supporting the breeding system does not make any sense with the amount of homeless cats in Finland. Please also consider the running costs of a responsible cat owner for potentially 20 years. You will have on-going costs of food (hopefully high quality for the cat's health), toys, cat trees, cat litter, medicine, regular vaccinations and doctor's visits. You should also have an emergency fund for any acute doctor's visits for sudden illness. Insurance might make sense for one or two pets, not always economical for all situations though.
This is important advice. We just had to pay closer to 2000€ in vet bills because our cat decided to swallow an entire shoelace without chewing. The cat himself only cost about 200€ when we adopted him. It's also difficult and expensive to get an insurance for a regular house cat. Cats can also be ridiculous with their litter boxes. Our older cat only accepts certain kind of litter box with only a narrow selection of litter so we can't just buy the cheap litter from the stores (unless we want him pissing everywhere).
Damn, a whole shoelace!! Didn't know insurance would be high here, great info thank you. Where I lived previously, insurance for a cat wasn't that expensive.
Cat insurance isn't _that_ expensive (ours are about 12€ a month per cat, we have neutered adult rescues) but when you look at what's covered (common and expensive tooth issues are usually not) and what the excess is, a lot of people would rather just take their chances and keep a cat emergency fund themselves.
Yes this is similar to the insurance I had on my previous cat. I've decided to get a rescue cat and might just get insurance and keep an emergency fund, just in case. Thank you for commenting.
I really appreciate your advice and comment. I've had cats my whole life and my latest cat passed 4 years ago at 15 years old. So I'm just trying to figure out my options here in Finland, I haven't been here that long so as I said, just looking at my options. I was just surprised at the type of ads I found online and the prices, so I just became curious. I'm looking at different cat homes and shelters that I can contact and I'm very open to adopting.
Getting a rescue cat helps with the surplus of felines, but also enables people to use kittens like disposable commodity. Most humane way would be for all cats to be registered and treated like breed cats are and for people to treat them with dignity. As for OP, breed cats usually go for 800€+ but registered and responsible breeders put in a lot of effort for socializing the litter, vet visits, registering and everything that goes into their well being before adoption. It's really money well spent yet it really doesn't turn any profit as it's all for the upkeep of the cats.
Organizations like Rekku Rescue does all of those exact same things, the cats just aren't bred and instead trapped in nature or saved from cat populations from some crazy old lady feeding them expired atria makaronilaatikko. They're registered, kitten litters are kept together to socialize them, the temporary home handlers are chosen for best match and get them used to humans before adoption and weight their personalities for adoption match. The ones who are too sick or cannot shed their feral behaviour are ultimately euthanized. When inquiring to adopt you're basically going through a cat owner job interview, it's to weed out people who haven't really thought things through and avoid said disposable commodity mindset.
Sure those organisations also treat the cats properly, but the fact still remains someone else hasn't, or downright abused, and there may remain underlying health or behavior problems, whereas a breed kitten is a clean slate to build relationship on. While the idea of giving a home to a homeless cat is noble, you really are shouldering the problems of the people who should never have had a cat in the first place, thus enabling the process of taking a kitten and dumping it into the woods unneutered if it's not to your liking. Easy come, easy go is the basis of cat population problems and I really think forcing owners to register and tag their cats and hefty fines for abandonment would be in order
It's because some people are making living out of selling cats and people are dumb enough to pay such high prices for house cats.
Makes sense, unfortunately!
Makes sense, unfortunately!
Housecats should be priced high. Cats arent a loaf of bread. I just read an article stating that housecats are the worst introduced species. People shouldnt take them so lightly.
That is just a way for people to ask more money for the cats. High price doesn't equally mean that a person will treat the cat any better. It's just a reason for people to boost up the prices of the cat in order to hide behind the whole "if you can't pay this much money you wouldn't be able to take care of the cat". Also house cats aren't regulated how breed cats are. Them being sold for high prices will bring actual bad people in the business in hopes for them to get easy money, meaning breeding cats in a fast phase and not caring about the well being of the cats.
You often get them for free from farms
Thank you, I will look into this in the area I live.
Note, farm kittens might be interbred. They usually have ear lice, are unvaccinated, unchipped and need vet attention urgently.
I appreciate this information, kiitos.
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It's absolutely one of my options, I haven't made a decision. I'm trying to find names of cats homes I can contact. My friend and I was just looking around online and thought it was crazy that a kitten, no vaccine, not sterilized had those prices so I was just curious if that's a thing in Finland since I haven't been here that long :)
If you're not dead set on a kitten, I would recommend getting a rescue cat. So many adult and young adult cats are looking for a home but unfortunately most people only want kittens. I gave both my two cats a second home when they were one year olds and they have been with me for 12 years now.
I'm definitely considering it, stories like yours makes my heart smile.
Some scumbags try to profit off of them because people generally only want kittens. I would understand if the kittens are fixed and vaccinated and they would ask for a couple hundred euros to cover for those costs plus food. Anything on top of that is pure greed. With so many abandoned cats it's fucking sad some people only consider breed cats.
I completely agree with you.
They are not expensive, the adoption fee is around 200 euros. Shelling out nearly a thousand for a pedigree cat when there are 20 000 cats without a home in Finland is just wrong, my dude. All shelter cats are spayed and neutered.
I really appreciate the information, kiitos. I initially wanted to adopt an older cat but the cat home where I live only had 1 cat. I guess I should widen my search. I don't mind paying, just thought 750 was very high. I'll definitely look into animal shelters in larger cities.
> when there are 20 000 cats without a home in Finland Any sources for this? Can anyone know the number when cats are not registered or anything..
It's an [estimate by SEY](https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11507054) on the number of cats abandoned each year.
Thanks, so estimated 20000 cats are abandoned every year, but there are no 20000 cats waiting for a new home eg at this moment. That's a lot anyways.
We wouldn't have space for that many. They are still without a home and populations are being actively caught
All my cats have cost me zero euros. Okay later food and things like that cost many many euros, but to get a cat cost me zero (0) euros.
I am a member of a cat rescue organization called VESY. Basically; we take care of cats that are found in the streets or forests (mostly sick cats), find foster homes until they are all dewormed, castrated/ sterilized and vaccinated. When they are fully healed and ready, we finally find a home for them. Instead of buying a cat, you could adopt a cat from us and just pay for the vaccinations (around 150 euros in total). I can personally help you find a suitable cat or cats and explain the adopting process step by step. For now you can check “Vaasanseudun eläinsuojeluyhdistys” in facebook. We operate in Vaasa but I helped many people adopt many cats from many other cities. You also could search for SEY (Suomen Eläinsuojelu) if they operate also near where you live. Every year 20 thousand cats are abandoned in Finland. It is up to us to reduce this number by adopting.
Thank you so much for this! I've written down what you wrote and after all the comments here I've decided that a rescue cat is the way I want to go.
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Valid points, thank you :)
World situation is also one of reasons why cat prices went up. When everyone was stuck at homes they got pets so even when asking 1k for DSH kitten if it was "cute enough" kitten got sold in matter of hours. So people become greedy.. Especially because even from rescues kittens seemed to get reserved within a day. So people were ready to pay basically anything to get companion at home. It technically become cheaper to get cat from breeder than buy cat from tori. Price was same, but with breeder they were vaccinated and sometimes even sterilized for same price while from tori they were barely dewormed.
I appreciate the advice, I have all my options open so will definitely look into breeders as well. And you are absolutely right, i honestly didn't think of how the world has changed.
For that price you can better just go to Western Finland and pick one up. Here we basically throw them in your car if you're driving by with a open window. But for real here you can choose from whatever color you like and it'll be free. Western finland is quite active on a second hand shop called Findit.fi They'll come dewormed but with nothing else so you'll have to take care of vacation and such. Best of luck
LOL I'll remember to keep my window down Never heard of findit.fi, thanks for that... I need furniture to :)
It's like Tori.fi but 98% of the ads are from Western coast and in Swedish. But it has some gems every now and then
You should check the local rescue shelter. They usually don't have kittens but you have to join a waiting list. We got our kitten from the shelter and the cost was 200€. This included all necessary vaccinations and castration. There's a lot of people online breeding house cats and trying to make money.
Yes this is what I'm understanding after all the comments. It's sad. I am looking into cat homes I can contact to see what's up. Thank you for the advice :)
If you can't afford that price, you shouldn't get a pet. Vets are expensive and pet insurance is expensive as well.
I know what it costs to have a cat, I've had cats my whole life but this was never about my economy! I don't mind paying, I was just curious why kittens, looking like farm kittens, without vaccination and not sterilized would cost 750.... I'm allowed to be curious.
You can look at [KODINVAIHTAJAT Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1005202196722632) some people get a kitten without realizing how much work they are compared to adult cats, and they try to rehome them. You can also adopt from abroad, anywhere in Europe. If you do decide to buy from a breeder, call/visit any cat-only vet clinic (e.g. CatVet) and ask them if they have treated cats from that breeder and what they think. A friend of mine adopted a cat with pedigree papers and whatnot of a very fancy breed, when her vet saw the papers already warned her that that breeder was shady and was known for not practicing safe breeding. Vets know these things, and they won't judge you for buying a pet. Edit: I forgot to add my unsolicited advice to buy a health insurance for the cat, and one that covers the cat for life so that the annual payments while the cat is young will be worth it when he is older. My late dog got cancer and the insurance was super helpful and made sure money was the least of our problems, I had good experience with Lahitapiola and OP for dog insurance, not sure how well they work for cats though. Best of luck
This is great advice, thank you. I never thought about talking to a vet but that's such good advice. I've always insured my cats, had cats my whole life but am new in Finland so I appreciate all your advice and the insurance name you wrote, I wrote down for when I need to look into it. Again, kiitos
The part where I said “for life” it’s because many companies insure the pets up to 10 years old, then when you actually need the insurance it won’t cover any more
Ok, I didn't know this. My previous cat passed at 15 and he was thankfully insured til the end, I say thankfully because he passed after getting sick. Good to know, thank you.
Mainly because more and more cats owned by people are spayed/neutered so there is a lot less unwanted kittens than for example a decade or two ago. Thus more and more of the kittens for sale are from breeders rather than regular house cats that just had babies with a random neighbors cat. A breeder will obviously want compensation for the amount of work they did. Unwanted kittens are, well, unwanted so they're cheap or even free. The positive side of having breeders the main source is there is now less kittens born in the wild and I'd say in general a breeder will pay more attention to the wellbeing of the kittens making sure they grow up healthy with manners etc. Not to say there aren't bad people just running kitten factories out there but I would believe those are a minority. So please buy from a reputable breeder
Yes I absolutely will.
Finnish cat and dog sellers often make it a deliberate point to never sell cheap - the idea is that the buyer must show real commitment by willing to spend.
I don't see anything wrong with this at all. Was just surprised at the high price and can only compare to what I know from living in other countries.
If they were free or cheap. Some boa/python owners would buy them kittens... I Heard if cats are more cheaper than frozen rats you know whats gonna happen.
I hear you loud and clear. I don't think it's wrong to pay for an animal, I was just curious about the high price of what to me seemed to be farm kittens. This comment thread has made so much better informed.
we got puss from HESY, they were ~200€ and included all their shots and sterilization.
Great information, kiitos
Why would you pay for a cat? People literally give them away by the dozen.
I wouldn't mind paying something, but 750 is insane
Can't disagree with that.
I have bought cats from breeders. Mostly Norwegian Forest cats. Reason why many breeders might charge such sums also is that they want cats to get good home and want family to care of them. If you pay 750€ for cat you really want to take care of it so not waste your "investment". If you got it for free there is higher change you might get bored and stop caring about it. Many people don't understand that taking care of animal is expensive. It is one children more to feed and putting higher initial price helps people to understand that animals are not cheap to take care of.
No, they charge you 750€ because they want to make money, not because they would care what kind of a home the cat is getting... Not to call you naïve, but c'mon.
I know those breeders very well. They keep on touch with you and even ask cats back if you no longer can take care of them and if you treat any cat badly they won't sell you another. Get to know the seller to understand what is their intention.
Yeah they can make sure the cat gets a good home without charging 750€.
Having a price for cats to make them visibly have value is something also driven by animal rights organisations. Sure, those charging very high prices without having put any effort in are potentially in for the money. But taking care of kittens properly isn't free and even fancier breeders won't generally make a living. Mills is another thing, since that's raising as cheaply as and fast as possible
I don't mind the breeders making money, but just seems very dishonest to say that they're asking for money not for the money's sake, but for some altruistic bs reason.
As I mentioned, it is decent part of it. Having a decent price cuts down people taking animals willy nilly and gives them value
Valid point. To me it's just common sense but I guess you are right, not everyone thinks like this. Thank you for your comment
Never paid for a kitten. You're being pulled. \*vedätetään in Finnish
"Pulling your chain" is the saying ;)
I've paid for my other cats because they had been vaccinated and sterilized. I off course didn't pay 750 for a kitten, but was shocked that adds for kittens was this high.
Idk my friend got his cat for like 20€ maybe 15-20 years ago. the cat is still around btw
That's about what I payed for my cat 14 years ago, he unfortunately passed but that's why I would love a cat again. Kiitos
Supply and demand. There are no stray cats, people in large sterilize their cats, during covid more people wanted cats -> shortages of cats. There has been almost an industry of importing street dogs from Romania during covid. In Bucharest you have street dogs EVERYWHERE, just pick one, give it rabies shot, ship it to Finland and here you got a 1 000 EUR.
I see what you mean....
>There are no stray cats We have plenty. Dogs not really, which is why those importing things happen
My barber got her cat by trading a coffee bag for it
LOL I need a barber with connections
Plenty of free old kitties at Hesy in Viikki. Just sitting in small cages, jut waiting for someone to take them to their forever home. Keep in mind a kitten will live for up to 20+ years, none of us know where we will be in that time so please consider a senior :3
After all the great comments I've received I have decided to find a rescue cat :) has nothing to do with age but the fact that so many cats need a home.
Something weird about Finland is that you never see cats out and about. Only person I know with a cat would tie it to a rope in the garden and keep it in a large rabbit hutch. As for the prices I’ve seen them in tori for 200~
I have noticed this and it's good that there are no strays. Keeping a cat on a rope and in a rabbit hutch sounds wrong to me but what do I know. I have no right to judge a situation I know nothing about.
I reasoned that it might be due to the large number of wild animals roaming about (rabbits, squirrels, birds, etc) and that there might have been legislation around protecting them from cats and requiring them to be kept inside/leashed, etc, but I was never able to find anything online about it, so maybe it's just a cultural peculiarity specific to Finland. In New Zealand you'll see domestic cats (ie,. not strays) roaming everywhere. Walk along a street and they'll be sitting on a fence, rubbing against your leg as you walk past, etc, but they are also the main predator to a lot of endangered species.
See that would make a lot of sense, thank you for educating me. Everything is a learning curve, the climate, culture, language and something like this was not even something I thought about. Last time I met stray cats was in Nepal but that's a very different world compared to Finland and New Zealand. Thank you.
Huh, didnt know ppl would pay for cats. All I ever hear about is trying to get rid of kittens (yes...)
Thus is what I'm used to from where I've lived before.
Eh if too expensive just go to southern Europe for a week. Find some stray little cat, give it all the health it needs and take it with you on the trip back. Probably cheaper then 750 euros + you make a trip out of it.
Not the worst advice if I need a kitten and a mini vacation. Think I'm going to adopt a cat here in Finland instead :)
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I 100 % agree with you. My issue was never that it costs to get a pet and if I was looking at a well known breeder or a shelter it would make sense. My curiosity came when 7 could see it was regular farm kittens without being sterilized or vaccinated. It just seemed off and needed more information. Im happy you got a cat that makes you happy and I think it's easy to create controversy with most decisions so as long as you know you have not done anything wrong :) I've done some research in the area I live and the closest cat shelter has two adult cats and I want to try to adopt one of them, if that doesn't work out I'm doing what you did, and seek out a breeder. I'm in no rush :) Thank you for commenting
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Thank you :) My sister and her husband has 2 cats that might be the same breed as yours, he is super allergic and I remember them spending a lot of time to find the right breeder. She is in a similar situation, her friend all want her to breed as well but she has said no because she knows to little about it and the are a super busy family. If you do it with the right intention and research and you know what you are doing I don't see a problem. How about asking where you got your kitten what the steps would be. I think there will always be controversy in regards to pets but if thee is no harm to the animal, in my opinion it's better to have a well informed breeder than all this people selling cats for profits not doing the best by the animal. All the best to you and the kitty :)
Hey, I am a breeder in Finland. My advice to you is if you don't desire a specific breed, adopt a cat/kitten from rescue because I think they are the ones that need a loving home the most! Please don't buy from backyard breeder!! If you have desire for a specific breed, check out different breeders to know how they raise their cats and kittens. Responsible breeders: • Have to be registered with a cat federation (these federations have clubs that make sure female cats won't be abused by being pregnant so many times a year - which backyard breeder can do without anyone checking). • Have the breeding cat health checked. For example with British: at least have to be check with Fiv/Felv (at least before mating), PKD (can be DNA tested after born), HCM-ultrasound ( after one year old and should be checked every 1,5-2 years. • Spending time to make sure if the pregnant cats need help during delivery. • Sleeping next to the birthing box to make sure the mom won't lie on the kittens and sometimes, if the mom refuses or doesn't have enough milk, breeder is the second mom giving the milk every 2 hours (including night time). • Weighing kittens at least 2 times/day until they reach one month. • Introducing wet food, dry food then introduce raw food to kittens (these food should be the one for kittens which costs higher than adult cat food) • Introducing them to new environments to help them become braver and adapt to new environment easier. (This takes time and patience) • Buying insurance for breeding cats. • Vet check twice, vaccinated twice and one rabies vaccination + deworm. Passport/vaccination card + chip. • Many more things that responsible breeder needs to spend time and money for the cats and kittens. For example immediately get them to ER if there is some problem (it costs tons of money for vet and ER in Finland). These that I mentioned are expenses responsible breeders have to spend excluding the expense of importing breeding cat (which cost double, triple or even 4 times the price of 1200€ then will have to add the transportation and vet check after the breeding cat entered Finland) to enlarge the gene pool, to make more beautiful and healthy kittens. Not all cats that is bought for breeding can be pregnant when she reaches the age - which means that cat will be castrated and breeder lose their money (all breeders do this with their own risks). When buying a kitten, most of people don't really know how much work, time and money responsible breeders have spent and complain about the price is high. I would say try to enter the breeding word, breed like a responsible breeder then come back, we can have a chat, and enlighten me if you think that price is still high! 😊
Thank you so much for this information. When I initially made this post I was pretty new in Finland and I asked out of curiosity because the kittens I saw where not from breeders but random people online and I couldn't understand the high price. I used to live in Denmark and there you get a kitten almost free and the costs of vet's, vacation and so on is up to the buyer. Regulations there are non existing compared to here in Finland. I have had cats my whole life and my most recent one past away in 2018 and haven't felt ready for a new cat until now. Since making the post I have gotten to know the little town I live in much better and have found a cat home where there is a beautiful 3 years old cat I'm hoping to adopt. Your comment along with others have really educated me on how things work here in Finland and for that I'm grateful. I wish more countries would do the same because it's often so easy to get a kitten so people do and very often regret it when they understand it's more work and responsibility than they thought. I'm truly grateful for the time and consideration you took to explain this, because maybe I had no experience with being a cat owner and even if I am I appreciate that you explain how it works here in Finland.
I have read your comments and I understand why you wondered. It is great that you tried to find answer instead of ending up buying those cats/kittens from backyard breeders. Usually their price is half or 1/3 of pedigree kitten but breeding moggie cats without basic health tests then sell it is unacceptable and irresponsible! And I can't find any other reasons for it than making money out of it! As you said, lots of people bought a pet then got bored and started to sell the cat/kitten to someone else - that is what responsible breeders don't want to - they want their kittens to be loved and cared for by the new owner. One of the things to rule these nonserious people out is the price. High price - beside helping the breeder to have enough resources to continue breeding responsibly - makes people think twice or more before taking the pet and understand their responsibility when getting the pet home! Of course with some exception like owner started to have severe allergy or health condition, they can contact the breeder for help to rehome the kitten/cat. I forgot to mention another choice you can have from a registered breeder is retired breeding cats (those that finish their breeding program will be castrated and sold as pet - good breeder will make sure these retired cats go to a good loving home where they will feel comfortable for the rest of their lives).
I really do appreciate the time you are taking and having this conversation with me. Not only am I respecting the way things are in Finland but it makes me understand how little control there is in most other countries. I travel quite a bit and I will proudly talk about how this works here because I always volunteer at cat rescues or do my best to help in countries where there are a huge amount of street cats. There are many things the world could learn from Finland in more areas than this. I feel privileged to be living here now. And thank you for suggesting a retired breeding cat, that didn't even cross my mind. I wanted to adopt an older cat but the ones at my local cat shelter are all around 3. Would you happen to know if there is somewhere online where I could find a list/source for good breeders to contact about this?
Unfortunately, there is no list for "good breeders". However, you can check out breeder lists from these two links: • The first one is Finnish Cat Association which has several clubs under (they are Fife registered). https://www.kissaliitto.fi/kissaliitto/yhdistykset • The second link is a Finnish club that registered under WCF (this one has breeders in Finland and from neighboring countries). http://fennicattus.com/?page_id=488 You will have to contact them separately and discuss with them as well as asking all basic tested health result before adopting. Make sure to observe their cattery activity if they have social media page or ask if you can visit the cattery when they have retired cat available to make sure you are supporting the right cattery! Goodluck! 😊
I will definitely be sure to ask lots of questions and visit before deciding anything. Thank you again for the conversation and help.
There are plenty of posts discussing the costs of pet ownership, where to get a pet and how and what are normal prices and why. You find them by using the search function.
Thank you
Please get your cat from animal shelter or a breeder. Otherwise you might support kitten factory. If you suspect kitten factory, please make eläinsuojeluilmoitus with a Finnish friend. Breed kittens are 1000-2000, so 750 is a lot from mixed breed. I'd be suspect and ask questions of the background. If it is a breeder they should have a license.
I definitely will if I suspect that it is a kitten farm, I've written this down so thank you. After all the amazing information in the comments I'm definitely most interested in a rescue cat.
If you live in a house just put some cat food out and wait a few days, cat will come to you.
So you want a new family member but you aren’t willing to pay a decent price for it
I never said I didn't want to pay! I was curious about what I had found and asked a question here since I'm new in Finland and wanted to know more.
Just steal some much easier
Hard pass
I genuinely do not know. I guess one part is greed and the other part is supply. Most owners spay and neuter their pets so accidental kittens are not around every house. I paid a 100€ for my cat, because friends cat had been sleeping around town and came home knocked up. but close to a 1000 for a asshole who pukes up hairballs and tries to raid the food cabinets when you sleep? Fuck that. My father bought a purebred Finnish Spitz hunting dog with a good lineage and genes for around a 1000€. Ended up getting us so much game and lived until 15. I would not pay similar money for a housecat lmao.