The blue cross are saying that their has been a massive increase in kittens being dumped,where i live i see them advertising for homes, and charging up to £50 per kitten,years ago they went to a good home for free...
The SSPCA have been recommending for a few years now that you don't give animals away for free unless you know the person taking them. This is to stop people taking a pet on a whim and abandoning it when the novelty wears off. I think folk are taking the mickey now mind you, a farm near me was charging £40 for one or £70 for two and they didn't have jabs and weren't wormed - they were also only 6 weeks which is too young to be away from mum.
On Breakfast TV this morning I caught the end of an interview with a girl from Blue Cross and I'm sure she said that before cats were rehomed they were neutered, chipped and wormed, if so a £50 pound fee is not unreasonable
Organisations such as the Blue Cross,and local shelters have to charge to cover their expenses...plus you are almost guaranteed that the animal you get will be healthy. What I think we are talking about here is private individuals charging for kittens that their unspayed moggies have had.