The Hidden Cost of Cheap Kittens

Today a “potential client” responded to my price (which, by the way, is currently reduced because I am helping place several litters) with:

“This is too expensive. I can import cheaper.”

And then added:

“I bet you import and resell them yourself.”

Neither I nor my animals have ever received such an insult.

No one has ever accused me of being a reseller.

So I decided to write this post.

Let me explain what “cheap import” really looks like.

Right now, this is a system. A business machine. Every day, hundreds of animals are brought into the U.S. In airplane baggage compartments, pallets of carriers are loaded. One compartment is designed for around 150 crates.

One hundred and fifty animals in one cargo hold.

Before that, many kittens travel by train to the capital city for departure. Sometimes for days. Without proper care. Without proper feeding. Without clean bedding. Under extreme stress.

Then they are loaded onto a plane.

In those 150 carriers are animals from different places. Many are already sick.

No self-respecting breeder would ever ship their kitten like cargo. I honestly cannot understand how anyone can treat living beings like freight.

And even if a kitten happens to be healthy at departure — it does not arrive healthy from that environment.

These are viral infections.

Severe complications. Destroyed immune systems. Kidney damage from dehydration and stress. Death within the first weeks after arrival — and yes, this happens regularly.

People think they are saving money. In reality, they face massive veterinary bills and tragedy.

Yes, it is possible to bring a kitten from abroad. I have done it myself.

But only with a professional courier nanny.

Here is how that works:

The courier personally picks up the kitten from the breeder.

If the flight is the next day, the kitten stays at the courier’s home — cared for, fed, supervised.

The kitten flies in the cabin with the courier nanny.

It is fed, given water, bedding is changed.

It is transported like crystal.

Such a courier often costs more than the kitten itself. Because it means two flights, time, and real responsibility. And yes — it is expensive.

Would you put your child in a cargo hold for 10–15 hours without food, water, or access to a restroom?

I honestly see no difference between a child and a kitten.

I cannot respect this chain — from breeders who ship this way, to resellers, to buyers who support it, and to airlines that profit from it.

I feel deep sorrow for the animals who suffer because of this system.

The problem is not only resellers.

The problem is the demand for “cheaper.”

When people chase the lowest price, animals suffer. Think about it with your own head. You buy your kitten for joy, for love, to give it toys, a bed, a happy life. But why are you paying the ones who tortured it? Stop chasing those three cents. Buy from a responsible breeder. Think about it. You want a happy, healthy kitten — don’t pay for its suffering.