Staying safe

The one rule

Never pay anything before you've seen the cat, on a live video call or in person.

See the cat, then pay. A payment through Purry is only ever a request the seller sends you in your conversation, processed through the seller's own Stripe account, so anybody asking you to pay before you have seen the cat, or some other way you can't reverse, is not following the rule.

That sentence is on every listing and in every first message we send, in those words, because kitten scams almost always work the same way: a photograph taken from somebody else's website, a story about why you cannot visit, and a deposit requested by bank transfer or gift card to a person who has no cat at all.

Deposits

Verified breeders often take a deposit to hold a kitten or a place on a future litter, and that's normal. Before you pay one: have a live video call where you see the cattery, the parents and the kitten if it's born; get a written contract that states the deposit amount and when it's refundable; and make sure the payment goes to the name you verified. Never pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency or wire transfer.

Individual sellers have had their ID verified, but no registry checks them. Don't send money before you have met the cat in person.

If anyone pushes for money before a live call, adds fees after the deposit, or insists on a payment method you can't reverse, stop and report the listing.

What a real seller will do

• Let you see the cat where it lives, in person. A video call showing the kitten with its mother and littermates is the minimum if you genuinely cannot travel.
• Answer questions about health testing by name (PKD, HCM, PK-def, whichever applies to the breed) and show you results rather than assuring you they exist.
• Give you a written contract, or explain plainly why there is not one.
• Say no to you. A breeder who asks nothing about your home is not screening anybody.

Warning signs

• Pressure. A discount that expires, another buyer arriving tonight, a kitten that must go this weekend.
• A price far below the range on the breed page. There is no bargain on a pedigree kitten; there is a reason.
• A refusal to meet, or an address that keeps changing.
• A request to move the conversation off Purry before you have arranged anything.
• Payment by wire transfer, gift cards, crypto, or a "pet courier" who needs a shipping fee first.

Verification, and what it means

Every seller verifies their ID with Stripe before they can publish anything. A breeder can also have their registry (TICA, CFA, ACFA or CCA-AFC in North America, and the national registries elsewhere) checked by a person, and it then shows the Registry Checked chip. Every seller verifies a mobile number too: one phone, one account, which is what stops somebody cycling throwaway accounts.

Purry only accepts carrier mobile numbers. Before a code is sent, we check what kind of line the number is, and turn away landlines and virtual numbers (Google Voice, TextNow and the apps like them), because a number anybody can create in a minute is not a check.

That is a real check and it is not a guarantee. Verification says who somebody is, not that every cat will be healthy. Meet the cat.

What Purry checks, and what it doesn't

Finding a cat should feel exciting, not uncertain. That's why Purry verifies sellers, checks a cattery's registration when the breeder adds one, and helps buyers and sellers connect with more confidence.

But verification has its limits. Here's what we check, what we don't, and a few things you should always look into yourself.

What Purry checks

Every seller is identity verified. Before a seller can publish a listing, they complete a photo ID check through Stripe and verify their mobile number. That's what our Verified on Purry badge means.

Cattery registrations are checked by a person. When you see Registry Checked, it means someone at Purry has checked the cattery's registration against the listed registry's records, such as TICA or CFA. It confirms the registration check, not the quality of the breeder.

Buyers verify their mobile numbers, too. Every buyer must verify a mobile number before messaging a seller. It's one more way we help keep fake accounts and spam out of conversations.

Reviews are tied to Purry connections. Only buyers who took a cat home from the seller, as recorded on Purry, can leave a review: the seller marked the cat Found a home for them, or they said the cat is home and the seller confirmed it or did not dispute it within seven days. Reviews aren't open to just anyone, although Purry doesn't independently verify every sale.

What Purry doesn't check

We believe in being clear about what our badges mean.

• We don't inspect catteries. We don't visit breeders or evaluate their facilities, breeding practices, or the conditions in which their cats are raised.
• We don't verify medical or pedigree documents. Sellers may share health tests, vaccination records, and pedigrees, but Purry doesn't independently authenticate them.
• Registration isn't an endorsement. Being registered with TICA, CFA, or another organization doesn't necessarily mean a breeder meets particular standards of care.
• We can't guarantee every outcome. Verification doesn't guarantee a cat's health, temperament, pedigree, or the outcome of a transaction.

A few things to check before bringing a cat home

Even with verified sellers, it's worth taking a little time to get to know the cat and the person behind the listing.

Meet the cat. Arrange a live video call or an in-person visit. For young kittens, ask to see their mother and the environment where they're being raised.

Ask about the parents. Learn about their health, temperament, and any breed-specific conditions. Ask to see them or recent videos when possible.

Look at the health records. Request vaccination and veterinary records, along with any relevant genetic or health testing results.

Understand the paperwork. Ask whether registration certificates, breeder slips, pedigrees, or other documents are included, and when you'll receive them.

Get the details in writing. A written agreement should explain what's included, any health guarantee, and what happens if something goes wrong.

Be careful with payments. Whenever possible, meet the cat before paying. Some sellers accept payment through Purry, which is processed through the seller's own Stripe account. Others arrange payment with you directly. Either way, Purry doesn't hold your money or provide payment protection. Use a payment method with buyer protections, such as a credit card, and avoid gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or other payments that are hard to recover.

Trust your instincts. Be cautious if someone pressures you to pay quickly, refuses a reasonable video call, or gives you conflicting information.

Something doesn't feel right?

We're here to help keep Purry a better place for everyone. If you come across a suspicious listing, misleading information, or behavior that concerns you, please report it to us.

Real cats. Real people. Better-informed connections.

Reporting

Every listing and every conversation has a Report link. It needs you to be signed in and it goes to Purry staff with the identifiers we need to act: the listing, the conversation, the seller and what you told us. Use it for anything that feels wrong; a report that turns out to be nothing is fine.

If money has already changed hands, report it to your bank and to the FTC as well as to us. We can remove a seller; we cannot reverse a transfer we never saw.