SCROLLING online, Sam Webb’s heart stopped as she recognised a picture of her recently deceased kitten being used to flog more sick and underage pets.
The 32-year-old, from Truro, Cornwall, first contacted the breeder – who she did not want to name – on Facebook about adopting a tiny animal last year.
But when Sam arrived she was forced to pay £30 to take “tiny, frail and limp" Franky who "couldn’t open his eyes”.
At the vets, it was discovered her kitten only four weeks old – UK law stipulates they must be over eight weeks to be sold.
Not only that, he had a neurological condition that demanded round-the-clock care for months.
Six months later, Franky had to be put down after his health deteriorated and now, Sam is fighting for better regulation of pet sales online.
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She told The Sun: “When I saw Franky’s photo after he died, it just made me so angry, she lied about everything.
“If she has a conscience she will stop now but I don’t hold out hope. She doesn’t care, she just wants to make money.”
The Sun has been told about numerous immoral breeders, who sell kittens as young as three weeks old to make a quick profit.
It follows prices skyrocketing and Cats Protection reported they are now sold for more than £460 – a 182 per cent price hike in the last three years, caused by demand for pets during lockdowns.
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12Pet sales on Facebook like 'the wild west'
We found multiple Facebook groups and pages advertising pets under the guise of being 'free' before sellers demanded a fee.
The sale of pets is not allowed on the platform, but Cats Protection claims not enough is being done and described it as “the wild west”.
There were hundreds of kitten listings and many looked too young and able to fit in the palm of your hand.
In posts, users asked “How much?”, or ‘HM’, and received the response “DM” or “PM” – direct or private message – presumably to barter out of public view.
Cat lovers are lured into bidding wars but in rare instances, sellers are called out for how young the pets look.
One wrote: “This kitty isn’t old enough to be off of its momma’s teet.”
Cats Protection exposed these sales – which also happen on Gumtree, Pets4Homes and Preloved – in their new documentary The Big Kitten Con.
Sam knows this dark side of the internet all too well and "couldn't believe how many adverts there were" on Facebook.
She said: “People were arguing over who deserved the animal more, one said ‘I’ve got a two-year-old’ and another replied, ‘I’m so lonely, I need this.’
“It creates this sense of urgency and even with Franky, his breeder told me all the kittens were sold before telling me there was one left but I had to go that same day.”
Soon, Sam realised the breeder "had clearly lied” because there were many adult cats and kittens “wandering in and out” of her property.
Before they met, she claimed Franky was 10 weeks old and sent photos where he appeared “healthy” – but the reality was shocking.
Sam said: “She pulled out this kitten from down the side of the sofa.
“His tail was tiny, his ears were slightly curled and he had bright blue eyes – signs he was under eight weeks old.
"I knew I had to buy him so I could take him to the vets.”
Franky had a neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia, which was caused by his mother having a virus during her pregnancy.
It may have been prevented had the adult been vaccinated, but unfortunately the kitten died in August.
'Kittens sold underage can die'
Vet Dr Fabian Rivers, star of CBBC’s The Pets Factor, explained that kittens should not leave their mother early as they are still learning to socialise.
He told The Sun: “It also gives them a good transition from their maternal antibodies on to their vaccinations, which start at eight weeks old.
“Selling kittens is so much more lucrative than it used to be, so now we have unconventional breeders and sellers getting involved because they are seeing the value in it.
“They are enormous amounts of money and so these living beings that have complex needs and requirements are becoming commodified animals.”
'Worst case we'd ever seen'
Dawn Chambers, who works with Cats Protection, was “heartbroken” after a tiny kitten named Cookie was brought in for urgent care in November 2019.
She told The Sun: “He was in such a mess, his eyes were sore and his fur was all matted with puss.
“We’d never had a cat with such a bad infection before. Our vet reckons he was three weeks old when he was sold.”
His previous owner bought him from Gumtree and then travelled to an address, where he was handed through a rolled-down window.
Dawn, a veterinary admin manager, said: “He is blind but he nearly lost much more than his sight, we didn’t think he would survive."
Cats Protection found that 68 per cent of all cats purchased last year were bought online.
Around 40 per cent of people from a 2,000-person survey spotted suspicious adverts on Facebook, Gumtree, Pets4Homes and Preloved.
One stank of smoke & another died in days
Amy Guthrie, 30, from Ashbourne, Derbyshire, paid a £100 deposit for her kitten Persephone on Pets4Homes before the seller vanished.
After tracking the lady down on social media, she had to pay a further £195, but after collecting her near Leeds she was left horrified.
Persephone had a "swollen stomach, multiple bald patches and reeked of cigarette smoke”.
She needed treatment for a “range of health issues including worms” and 24/7 care for weeks before she recovered.
Pets4Homes told us that the seller has been permanently blocked and advised others to follow their on-site checklist and guidelines.
Another lady, who asked for anonymity, was given “two hours to buy a kitten” or she would be sold to someone else on Gumtree.
She said: “The seller really pressured me. Kittens were selling so quickly online that I felt like I had no choice but to buy her.
“When I got Bella home, she looked so tiny and unwell that I took her to the vet. They said she was four or five weeks old. She died a couple of days later.”
'Breeders MUST be inspected to bring them out of the shadows'
Cats Protection believes the problems stem from a need for cat breeding regulations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland passed a law in September.
Madison Rogers, from the charity, told The Sun: “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."
She urged the public to report "anything suspicious" as it "takes less than 20 seconds" – but it appears that doesn’t always work.
Franky’s owner Sam reported the Facebook group where she purchased her kitten but it wasn't taken down until after The Sun contacted the platform.
The cat lover claims “there are hundreds more like that one” and others alleged similar things about other platforms.
Madison believes breeding laws will close the current loopholes.
She said: “Sellers have opportunities to exploit the current situation, misrepresent the animals they have and ultimately, put profit before welfare."
After being contacted by The Sun, Facebook’s parent company Meta took down multiple pages, groups and posts.
They told us: “Attempting to buy or sell animals is not allowed on Facebook unless by a legitimate business or shelter, and we will remove violating content when we find it.”
Gumtree told The Sun: “We take the welfare of animals extremely seriously and we share Cats Protection’s desire to prevent unscrupulous sellers from exploiting buyers.”
Pets4Homes said "only 0.4 per cent of pet rehomings required a subsequent discussion" with their Trust & Safety team.
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"However, one rogue seller attempting to exploit our platform – and the good intentions of our users – is one too many," they told us.
Preloved did not reply to requests for comment from The Sun.
For more information or to sign Cats Protection’s petition, visit www.cats.org.uk/kitten-con.
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