10 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Dog or Cat

By Your Health Magazine

Your Health Magazine

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10 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Dog or Cat

Getting a new pet is a decision that comes with both excitement and concern. For many people, having a pet is a vision that exists in the mind’s imagination for years – a dog sleeping at the feet or a cat curled up in a sunny spot on the couch. Yet before anyone can allow excitement to drive them to hand over the deposit on a new pet home, there are some important topics that must be discussed.

The difference between a pet that lasts 15+ years in the home versus one with hidden issues or knowledge that is not readily available to the would-be pet owner is in the questions asked prior to adoption.

Here are the ten most important questions to ask before getting a pet.

1. Are You a Registered Breeder?

This should be the very first question, and the answer matters more than most people realise.

In Australia, most states and territories require breeders to be registered and hold a breeder identification number. But beyond legal compliance, registration with a reputable organisation is one of the clearest signals you’ll get that a breeder takes what they do seriously.

Look for breeders who are members of Responsible Pet Breeders Australia (RPBA), a government-recognised body that covers all breeds — pedigree and non-pedigree alike. RPBA members are vetted by an in-house veterinarian, must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics, and can be verified directly through RPBA’s online Verified Breeder tool. If someone claims to be registered but you can’t verify it, treat that as a red flag.

An unregistered breeder isn’t automatically a bad person, but there’s no accountability. No one checking on the conditions. No code of ethics to hold them to. When things go wrong, you have very little recourse.

2. Can I Visit and See Where the Animals Are Kept?

Never buy a pet from an animal you haven’t met in person, and avoid any breeder who won’t let you visit their home or their property.

A willingness to have you come and see the animals is an indicator of a breeder with nothing to hide. The environment in which they keep their animals can tell you a lot about them – are they clean? Are the animals relaxed? Is there enough space for the pets to enjoy themselves? Are the adult dogs or cats healthy and well-socialised?

Breeding puppies and kittens and delivering them to a car park or a petrol station is a practice commonly used by puppy farmers and dealers to obtain their animals from other parts of the country. Responsible breeders will want you to see them, their animals, and to leave with the knowledge that your pet has been cared for from a young age.

3. Can I Meet the Mother — and Ideally the Father?

Seeing the puppy or kitten is one thing. Seeing the parents tells you even more.

The mother, in particular, should be on-site and available to meet. Her disposition will tell you a lot about the breed and the puppy or kitten’s disposition. If she’s nervous and you can’t see her or find her to be “available,” that may be something to consider.

The father might not necessarily be on the premises, but good breeders will be able to show you the father’s pictures and health certificates. If they can’t tell you much about the father or the mother, that’s something to consider when purchasing the kitten or puppy.

4. What Health Testing Has Been Done?

This question will separate the serious breeders from everyone else.

Many dog and cat breeds have a genetic predisposition to certain health conditions. Breeders should be aware of these conditions, testing their breeding animals for these conditions prior to the production of their litter. They should be able to present certificates proving that these animals have been tested for such conditions.

Ask: Have the breed’s parents been tested for any conditions associated with the breed? What were the results? Ask to see the paperwork.

If a breeder states that the breeding animals have not been tested for any conditions, or that the breeder has “never had any problems” with the breed, the breeder likely has not followed up with the owners of the animals themselves to ensure that they are not developing these conditions.

5. Is This Litter Planned, and How Many Litters Does the Mother Have Per Year?

This will tell you if you are working with a responsible breeder or with someone who is utilizing their female dog or cat as a production line.

Responsible breeders will ensure that a female dog does not have more than one litter per year, and no more than a handful throughout her lifetime. The same standards should apply to cats. If a breeder has several litters of different breeds available for adoption at once, that raises eyebrows.

A good breeder will take in any puppies or kittens that do not sell. A less scrupulous breeder might not have a very reassuring answer to that question.

6. How Have the Puppies or Kittens Been Socialised?

The first few months of a pet’s life are foundational. Between roughly 3 and 12 weeks of age, puppies and kittens form their understanding of the world around them.

A breeder who puts the effort into socializing their puppies and kittens will expose them to a variety of sounds, textures, other animals, and children during this time. Ask them about it. Have their kittens been handled? Have their puppies been exposed to vacuum cleaners, traffic, and other voices? Have they been around other animals?

Puppies and kittens raised in a sterile environment with little exposure to the outside world will be more anxious and reactive than those exposed to a variety of stimuli from an early age. Regardless of how well owners may raise their pets after they come home from the breeder’s, the breeder has established the foundation for their behavior.

7. Is the Animal Microchipped, Vaccinated, and Up to Date on Parasite Treatment?

These are the baseline requirements for puppy and kitten breeders, not the extras.

Microchipping is legally required in most Australian states before the sale of a puppy or kitten. The breeder should have a vaccination record for the puppy or kitten, a certificate that states the animal has been treated for worms and fleas. These documents should be presented to the prospective owner by the breeder.

RPBA members are required to provide the new owner with the puppy or kitten’s health records. If a breeder does not have access to these documents or attempts to convince the owner to deal with the care of the animal themselves, then the breeder is not meeting the minimum requirements of the breed club.

8. Are You Registered with Your Local Council or State Authority?

This is separate from whether or not they are members of the organisation.

In some states of Australia, breeder’s will require that they hold a specific breeder identification number, be registered to a pet registry, or even have approval from the local council to own breeding animals. For instance, in Victoria all animals listed for sale must hold a source number from the Pet Exchange Register. Similarly, both Queensland and New South Wales have similar regulations in place.

Ask for their identification number and verify it with the authority in your state. If they are not able to provide one to you, or if they become defensive when you ask for it, then you should walk away from them regardless of how attractive the animals may be.

9. What Happens If It Doesn’t Work Out?

A question many buyers don’t consider until they require the seller’s assistance with returning a pet:

Life changes. Just as quickly as pets and owners may seem to connect, there are times when circumstances do not allow for the pet to be kept. Reputable breeders will offer buyers a return or rehoming guarantee. Members of the RPBA go a step further by promising lifetime rehoming assistance for any animal bred by themselves.

In addition to lifetime rehoming promises, reputable breeders will offer buyers a three-day cooling-off period to return the pet should the buyer change and no longer be able to keep the pet.

Buyers who refuse to discuss return policies or who seem uncomfortable discussing the return of a pet are breeders who are not prepared to stand behind the products they sell.

10. Can You Provide References from Previous Buyers?

You wouldn’t hire a tradesperson for your home without checking out their reviews. The same is true of dog breeders.

Find out if the breeder can connect you with some of their previous buyers. A reputable breeder will be happy to provide you with references from customers who are also happy with the breeding program. If they don’t want to provide references or it’s impossible to get in touch with their previous buyers, that’s a reason to think twice about working with them.

Do some research on their own. Search for their name on the internet to see what comes up. Additionally, check out RPBA’s Verified Breeder database to see if they show up as one of the verified breeders, and if there are any complaints against them.

What Good Answers Look Like

A reputable breeder won’t be put off by any of these questions. In fact, the better ones will be relieved you’re asking — because it shows you’re serious about giving their animal a good home.

What you’re looking for isn’t perfection in every answer, but honesty, transparency, and a clear sense that this person cares more about where their animals end up than about making a quick sale.

If a breeder gets cagey, dismissive, or pressures you to decide quickly, trust your instincts. There are good breeders out there — take the time to find one.