The giveaway is not the price. It is the refusal of a live video call at the cat's current location, today. Anyone rehoming a real cat can point a phone at it for 60 seconds and show you the room, the litter box and an animal that moves. If that is impossible, there is no cat, and everything after that is a payment request.
Six red flags that keep repeating
- No live video, ever. Photos and short clips only, and the clips are always the same 3. A real owner will video call at 21:00 on a weekday.
- Money before the cat. A shipping fee of 150 to 600 USD, a crate deposit of 100 to 300 USD, airport handling, a vaccine reimbursement of 60 to 180 USD, all requested before you have seen the animal in person.
- The cat is always elsewhere. Another city, another province, a relative's house, a "transfer hub". Distance exists to make viewing impossible.
- Price far under market. A breed kitten listed at 80 to 200 USD that sells for 800 to 2,500 USD, or a papered cat at 300 USD. A real owner rehoming for free still asks about your home.
- Manufactured urgency. Three other buyers, a 30-minute deadline, a flight leaving tonight. Urgency exists to stop you checking.
- One social account and nothing else. No phone number, no address, no clinic, no contract, and a refusal to meet at a vet's office.
The 10-minute video test
Ask for a call at a fixed time, then run 5 requests in 1 session. Have them show the cat's left ear and the underside of its chin, because a stolen photo set never includes those 2 angles. Have them pick the cat up, hold it for 10 seconds and put it down, which no pre-recorded clip answers. Ask them to pan the room slowly enough to show the litter box and the food bowl, then hold today's date written on paper next to the cat. Finish with 2 questions only a caretaker can answer: which litter is in the box, and what the last vet visit cost.
Scammers fail on "pick it up" and "litter brand". They have photos, not a cat; they have a script for taking money, not details for keeping an animal. If the answer is "not convenient today" twice, the conversation is over. Do not negotiate, do not explain, and do not send a deposit to "hold" the cat.
What honest rehoming looks like
A genuine private rehoming usually asks 50 to 300 USD, itemised against money already spent, and is willing to meet you before payment. There is a vaccination book with a clinic stamp, and the clinic is happy rather than nervous when you call to verify. There is a 1-page contract with a return clause, and a microchip number transferred into your name for 10 to 25 USD. Someone may ask for a home visit or photos of your windows and balcony, which is a good sign, not an insult. Most offer a 7 to 14 day trial; a scammer never mentions one. For the documents to ask for, see what to check when adopting.
Red flags, and the check that settles each one
| Red flag | Money at stake (USD) | Verification (minutes) | What settles it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refuses a video call | 0 | 3 | Call at a set time; ask for the left ear, chin and a lift |
| Fee before meeting | 150–600 | 5 | Pay only at handover, after a vet check |
| Cat is in another city | 100–400 | 1 | Walk away; a cat you cannot see is not adoptable |
| Price 70–90% under market | 80–300 | 10 | Compare 5 local listings, ask why it is cheap |
| 30-minute deadline | 200–800 | 5 | Ask for 48 hours; a real seller agrees |
| One social account only | 50–300 | 10 | Get the clinic name and phone, call it yourself |
If you have already paid
The outcome depends on speed. Contact the card issuer or bank within 24 to 72 hours and dispute the charge as goods not received; debit card windows are shorter than credit card ones, and a wire transfer is usually gone. Report the listing and the account on the platform at the same time, and keep every screenshot, handle and receipt. Do not send a second payment to "release the cat" — that is the standard script. If the sum is large, file a police report and give the number to your bank. If you paid by gift card, crypto or a person-to-person transfer with no purchase protection, treat the money as lost, and remember that no legitimate seller asks for those 3 methods.
The risk inside a free rehoming
A zero-fee listing attracts people who do not screen at all. Cats obtained that way are resold, used to make an empty house look occupied, or worse, used as dog-fighting bait; unneutered cats are taken for breeding. Even a 75 USD fee filters out most of that traffic, which is why rescues charge one. See adopting vs buying for the logic. Black cats and cats over 5 years old are the most often targeted by the wrong people, and the bias described in black cat bias and adult cats is also a safety issue.
Three questions that end most conversations
Can we meet at your veterinary clinic? Will you sign a 1-page contract with a return clause? Can I see the microchip record in your name? A real rehomer answers all 3 in under 5 minutes and offers the clinic's number before you ask. A scammer answers none, then produces a reason why today is different, followed by a payment link. The whole exchange costs you 10 minutes and saves the 300 to 900 USD a fake listing typically asks for before the buyer gives up.
Frequently asked
Is it safe to adopt a cat I have only seen on a video call?
A live call is the minimum, not the finish line. Meet the cat in person, ask to see the room it lives in, and call the clinic named on the vaccination record before you pay anything. A seller who resists a clinic call or an in-person pickup is the real risk, not distance by itself.
How do I pay an adoption fee without exposing myself to fraud?
Pay in person, at pickup, after you have handled the cat. Use a credit card or a bank transfer that produces a receipt, and get a 1-page contract naming the amount, the return clause and the microchip number. Never use gift cards, crypto or a person-to-person app without purchase protection, because none of the 3 can be reversed.
What should I do if I already sent a deposit to a fake rehomer?
Contact your card issuer or bank within 24 to 72 hours and dispute the charge as goods not received, then report the listing and the account to the platform. Keep screenshots, handles and receipts, and file a police report if the sum is significant. Do not send a second payment to release the cat.