At Wightbay animal welfare is our passion and we follow the minimum standards for pet advertising set by PAAG. We have plenty of advice to give customers thinking of welcoming a new pet into their home, and we have worked hard to develop ad moderation tools on the site, to ensure scammers and puppy farmers cannot use Wightbay to advertise.
Remember that buying a pet is a real commitment, and takes very careful consideration. An animal can live for up to 15-20 years, so you should never rush into buying one without putting proper thought into the decision.
Do you have the right kind of home for the pet you are considering? For instance, unless there is a welfare reason for keeping a cat indoors, most cats should have plenty of access to the outdoors. So if your living space doesn’t have access to outdoors, then you may have to look into buying a different pet.
You should always carry out plenty of research into the animal you are buying as different pets and breeds have different temperaments and some have very specific requirements.
To ensure that the ad is genuine you should always make sure that the photo displayed is that of the animal being advertised.
If you are looking into buying a pet then you should always try and buy locally to avoid distressing long journeys for the animal.
Before you make a final decision and buy the animal, you should always check that it is in good health and ask for a copy of all of its medical records.
Never buy a kitten or a puppy that is under 8 weeks old. If you are buying either of these then you should ensure that you see the kitten or puppy with its mother.
If you are buying a cat that is over four months old then you should check to see that it is neutered or spayed.
Make sure that if you are buying a cat, it is microchipped, and ask for the relevant paperwork. If the pet you are looking at is a pedigree breed, then you should make sure that all of the registration papers are available.
If you are still looking for some more information regarding buying a pet, or you want some advice on looking after your pets, then the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) can help.
There is a wealth of useful information here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buying-a-cat-or-dog