Dealing With Kitten Enquiries: How to Find the Right Homes (and Dodge the Time-Wasters)

Your phone has been going non-stop for three days.

Texts. Emails. Facebook messages at midnight. A voicemail from someone who clearly didn’t realise they were still recording when they started talking to their partner about “the spotty one.”

You’ve got a litter of kittens approaching rehoming age, you’ve put a couple of adverts out there, and now half the internet apparently wants one. The problem isn’t finding people who want your kittens — it’s working out which of those people actually deserve one.

I’ve been doing this for over twenty years. I’ve had enquiries that made me laugh, enquiries that made me cry, and one memorable email that just said “how much iz ur kittens?” with no greeting, no name, and no punctuation. (That one didn’t get a reply.)

But I’ve also had enquiries that started with a single nervous sentence and turned into the best kitten homes I’ve ever found. So let me walk you through how I actually handle it — from the first ping to the moment you wave goodbye to a kitten you’ve raised from day one.

👇 Skip to the 8 things every breeder needs to know about kitten enquiries

Why Most Breeders Get This Wrong

Here’s the thing most new breeders don’t realise: dealing with kitten enquiries is not an admin task. It’s a sales process, an interview, and an audition — all at once. And you’re on both sides of it.

The people getting in touch aren’t just buying a kitten. They’re choosing a breeder. They’re sizing you up just as much as you’re sizing them up. If your first reply is cold, slow, or sounds like it was copied and pasted from a template — they’ll move on to the next breeder on their list before you’ve finished your cup of tea.

First impressions work both ways.

The Enquiries You’ll Actually Get

After twenty-odd years of breeding Siamese, I can sort kitten enquiries into about four categories without even thinking about it.

The Dreamers. These are people who’ve seen a photo of a kitten, gone “awww,” and fired off a message without really thinking about whether they actually want a cat. They’ll ask a couple of vague questions and then go quiet. Don’t chase them — they were never serious.

The Price Shoppers. “How much iz ur kittens?” — no greeting, no name, no context. They’re comparing prices across six breeders and they’ll go with whoever’s cheapest. These people are not your people. A polite “thank you for your enquiry, our kittens are £X” is fine if you want to reply at all, but don’t waste energy on a conversation that’s only about money.

The Nervous Ones. This is where it gets interesting. Some of the best kitten homes I’ve ever found started with a short, slightly awkward message. “Hi, I saw your kittens and I was wondering if any are still available?” — no life story, no essay, just someone who finds talking to strangers difficult. These people are often brilliant owners. They just need a warm reply to open up.

The Talkers. Then you get the ones who send you three paragraphs about their previous cats, their house, their garden, their children, and the fact that their last Siamese lived to twenty-two. These are usually (not always) gold. They’re already emotionally invested. They just need you to match their energy.

How I Actually Reply

Rule number one: never send a template. Ever. People can smell a copy-and-paste reply from a mile away, and it tells them you don’t care enough to write a personal response. If you can’t be bothered to read their message properly, why should they trust you with their money and their emotions?

Every email gets a personal reply. Even the short ones. Especially the short ones.

My standard approach for a brief enquiry is something like this:

“Thank you for getting in touch. We do have kittens currently available who will be interviewing potential new ‘slaves’ shortly. If you’d like to know more about them or have any questions, feel free to ring me on [number] before 9pm in the evenings.”

Notice what that does. It’s warm. It’s got a bit of personality (the “slaves” line — because let’s be honest, that’s what kitten owners become). And crucially, it moves the conversation to a phone call.

This is important. You can learn more about a person in a five-minute phone call than you can in twenty emails. Tone of voice, enthusiasm, the questions they ask, the things they mention without being prompted — all of it tells you whether this person is right for one of your kittens.

The Phone Call That Tells You Everything

I never sell a kitten purely over email. If someone won’t pick up the phone after being given a number, they don’t get a kitten. Simple as that.

That might sound harsh, but think about it. You’ve spent weeks raising these kittens. You’ve done the 3 a.m. feeds, the vet visits, the weaning, the socialising. You owe it to those tiny lives to make sure they’re going somewhere good. And you cannot assess that from a text message.

On the phone, I keep it casual. I’m not running a job interview — I’m having a chat. But within that chat, I’m listening for specific things:

Have they had cats before? What happened to their last one? Do they have other pets? Do they have young children? Is anyone in the house allergic? Do they live near a busy road? Are they planning to keep the cat indoors or let it out?

You don’t need to fire these off like a checklist. Start a casual conversation and 9 times out of 10, genuine cat lovers will tell you everything you want to know without even being asked. They’ll ramble about their last cat’s favourite sleeping spot, the toys they’ve already bought, the room they’ve set aside. You just have to listen.

The ones who only want to talk about price, colour, and how quickly they can collect? Red flag.

The Home Visit (Non-Negotiable)

Always — always — insist that a person comes round to meet you and the kitten before they’re ready to leave home. No exceptions.

This does two things. First, it lets you watch how they interact with the kittens. Do they sit quietly and let the kitten come to them, or do they grab and manhandle? Do they ask sensible questions about feeding, vaccinations, and settling in — or do they just want to take photos for Instagram?

Second, it gives the potential owner a chance to meet you. A responsible kitten buyer wants to see where their kitten was raised. They want to meet the mother. They want to see that you’re a proper breeder, not a kitten farm operating out of a garage.

If someone refuses to visit, or wants you to meet them in a car park somewhere — walk away. No kitten of mine has ever left without the new owner sitting on my living room floor first.

Questions to Ask (Without Sounding Like the Spanish Inquisition)

Nobody likes feeling interrogated. The trick is to weave your questions into a normal conversation so the person doesn’t leave feeling like they’ve just been through a police interview.

Start with the easy ones:

“Have you had a cat before?”

“What made you decide you wanted a Siamese?”

“Do you have any other pets at home?”

These seem simple, but they open doors. A person who’s had cats before will usually launch into stories. A person who hasn’t will ask more questions — which is actually a good sign. It means they’re taking it seriously.

The questions I really want answered — about busy roads, small children, hours spent at work, whether they’ll keep the cat indoors — usually come out naturally once someone starts talking. If they don’t, I’ll drop them in gently. “And are you in a fairly quiet area, road-wise?” sounds a lot less aggressive than “DO YOU LIVE NEAR AN A-ROAD?”

Red Flags I’ve Learned the Hard Way

After twenty years, you develop a nose for trouble. Here are the warning signs I watch for:

They only care about colour. “Have you got a chocolate point?” as the first and only question. They want an accessory, not a companion.

They want the kitten immediately. Proper breeders don’t release kittens before 13 weeks. If someone’s pushing for earlier collection, they don’t understand cat welfare — or they don’t care.

They won’t give you their full name or address. If they’re cagey about basic details, what else are they hiding?

They’ve had “lots of cats” but can’t tell you what happened to any of them. Where did they all go? Cats live 15-20 years. If someone’s been through six cats in a decade, something isn’t right.

They haggle on price. If the first conversation is about getting a discount, this person sees your kitten as a product, not a life. A kitten from a registered breeder costs what it costs — and it’s already a fraction of what the breeder spent producing it.

When to Trust Your Gut

I’m going to say something that might sound unprofessional.

Trust your gut.

After the phone call and the home visit, 9 times out of 10 I get a feeling about a person. It’s not scientific. It’s not a checklist. It’s twenty years of reading people who want to take home something I’ve raised from birth.

If something feels off, it probably is. You don’t owe anyone a kitten. You don’t have to justify saying no. A simple “I’m sorry, I don’t think this is the right match” is enough. You’ll get some grumpy replies. You might get called unreasonable. But you’ll sleep better knowing your kitten is in the right home.

And here’s the flip side — sometimes the person who ticks every box on paper just doesn’t feel right, and the nervous first-time cat owner who stumbled over their words on the phone turns out to be absolutely perfect. Trust the feeling.

▶ Finding the right homes for your kittens. (Ross: search YouTube for “how to screen kitten buyers” or “responsible cat breeder rehoming” or use one of your own Burnthwaites videos — replace VIDEO_ID above.)

The Bit Nobody Talks About

Letting go is hard.

You’ve had these kittens since they were born. You’ve bottle-fed the ones who struggled. You’ve wiped up more kitten sick than you care to remember. You’ve watched them open their eyes, take their first wobbly steps, and demolish their first bowl of solid food.

And now you’re handing them to a stranger.

It doesn’t get easier. Not after twenty years, not after fifty litters. The day you stop feeling a pang when a kitten leaves is the day you should probably stop breeding.

But here’s what makes it bearable: when you get the photos. The first night curled up on the sofa. The first Christmas in a Santa hat (the kitten, not the owner — although I’ve had both). The update six months later saying “she’s taken over the entire house and we couldn’t love her more.”

That’s why you do this properly. That’s why you spend the time reading every enquiry, making every phone call, insisting on every home visit. Because when you get it right — when you match the right kitten with the right person — it’s one of the most rewarding things about breeding cats.

Keeping in Touch After They Leave

My job doesn’t end when the kitten walks out the door. I always give new owners my number and tell them to ring me any time — day or night — if they’re worried about anything. First-time owners especially will have a hundred questions in the first week, and I’d rather they rang me than panicked alone or googled something terrifying at 2 a.m.

I also ask for updates. Most people are happy to send photos and let you know how the kitten’s settling in. Some of my best breeder-owner relationships started with a kitten enquiry and turned into years of friendship. One family has been sending me Christmas photos of “their” cat for fourteen years now.

The breeders who treat kitten sales as a transaction and then cut all contact are missing the point entirely. These kittens carry your prefix. They represent your breeding programme. Looking after their owners is looking after your reputation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I respond to kitten enquiries that are just “how much?”+

You can reply with a brief, polite message giving the price and inviting them to call if they’d like to know more. But honestly, a one-line price enquiry with no greeting or context rarely turns into a good home. Don’t lose sleep if you don’t reply at all.

Should I use a questionnaire for kitten buyers?+

Some breeders use formal application forms, and they can be useful for screening large numbers of enquiries. Personally, I prefer a phone call and a home visit — you learn far more from a conversation than a form. If you do use a questionnaire, keep it friendly and not too long, or you’ll scare off perfectly good owners.

How early should I start taking kitten enquiries?+

Most breeders start advertising at around 6–7 weeks, once the kittens are established and you know how many you’re keeping. Some start a waiting list before the litter is born, especially for popular breeds like Siamese. Just make it clear that no kitten leaves before 13 weeks and that a deposit doesn’t guarantee a specific kitten until you’ve met the buyer.

What age should kittens be before they go to their new homes?+

Thirteen weeks minimum. By this age they’ve had their vaccinations, been socialised properly, learned litter-tray habits from mum, and are emotionally ready to leave. Any breeder releasing kittens at 8 weeks is cutting corners — and it shows in the kitten’s behaviour later.

Should I take a deposit for kitten reservations?+

Yes — a non-refundable deposit (usually £100–£200) after the home visit confirms that the buyer is serious. Make sure you give a receipt and put your terms in writing: what happens if the buyer changes their mind, what happens if the kitten develops a health issue before collection, and when the balance is due. Clear terms prevent arguments later.

How do I say no to a kitten enquiry without being rude?+

Keep it simple and kind. “I’m sorry, I don’t think this is the right match for this particular kitten” is enough. You don’t owe a detailed explanation. Most people will accept it gracefully. The ones who get aggressive about it are proving you made the right call.

What information should I give new kitten owners when they collect?+

A kitten pack with: registration papers, vaccination records, a sample of the food the kitten’s been eating, a blanket or toy that smells of mum and littermates, a written care guide covering feeding, worming, flea treatment, and vet check schedule, your contact number, and clear instructions to call you if they’re worried about anything at all.

How do I deal with kitten enquiries on social media?+

Social media generates a lot of casual interest — people see a cute photo and message on impulse. Reply politely but move serious enquiries to email or phone as quickly as possible. Facebook Messenger conversations get lost, and you want a proper record of who’s enquired and what was discussed. Never agree to sell a kitten based on a DM conversation alone.