Quote Originally Posted by IRescue452 View Post
I find with the economy going bad there are more people not altering their pets and also more people trying to make a buck by breeding them.

I do not like to think about paying for a cat since there are free cats all over, but if I fell in love with a specific one I don't think even $100 is a bad price for a long-lived companion animal. I paid that for my ferret after all. Dogs it depends. For an elderly dog I don't want to have to pay $300, but I would. I know what shots and food and altering an animal costs.
I'm fairly sure that those people that tried to claim the chocolate lab last year wanted to use her for breeding. They did not get her back.

I used to think that about cats until I personally vetted my cats. And it has become very expensive. The only reason I haven't adopted from a shelter is because I knew that a cat or two would cross my path that I would want to save and I might be at my limit. That has come true twice in the last two years.