‘Free’ China cat adoption scams which tie people into long-term pet-product spending plans under attack
- Pure-breed cats offered for free, shops lock people into spending ‘deal’
- Adopters must buy litter, food every month, even if pet dies or is lost
The recent exposure of a pet shop adoption racket has sparked controversy and a backlash on mainland social media.
Due to the large cost of buying a pure-breed cat, many feline enthusiasts have been lured into so-called “free cat adoption” schemes.
It sounds like the perfect solution, allowing adopters to experience the joy of pet ownership and helping animals find homes, without a large single outlay.
However, the schemes are a money-making opportunity for unscrupulous businesspeople who offer “pet instalment” plans.
One such shop in Guangzhou, in the southeastern province of Guangdong, that claims to offer “free adoptions”, has a tag attached to each animal showing an amount of money that must be spent in the store as a condition of taking the pet.
Adopters must agree to spend a certain amount of money each month on pet products from the shop’s online store before taking the animal home.
