If you are buying or selling a cat or kitten, you should have a bill of sale to protect your rights and ensure the safe transfer of your pet to a new owner.
Use our Cat Bill of Sale template to make the sale easy and secure for you and your pet.
What Is a Cat Bill of Sale?
A cat bill of sale is used when buying or selling a cat or kitten.
The document records the purchase and sale of an animal from an individual owner or a cat breeder.
You might want to use a cat bill of sale for purebred or show cats, or whenever you pay for a cat, as proof of ownership.
When Do You Need It?
A cat bill of sale is a receipt of a deal. It is used whenever there is a private sale from the owner or breeder to a buyer.
You should have a formal bill of sale if you breed and sell kittens.
You may also want a bill of sale whenever you sell a cat for money.
Why Use One?
A cat bill of sale is essential for establishing proof of ownership and the responsibilities of payment and delivery.
This is needed to sell kittens who may be too young to leave their mother or may not be born yet in the case of breeders.
This helps protect you if your mother cat has fewer kittens than you expected.
How to Sell a Kitten
Selling kittens is a big responsibility.
Good cat owners, whether professional breeders or just owners of female cats who had a surprise litter, want to be sure the kittens go to a good home.
Please take a few extra steps so your kittens get the safe home they deserve and so you don’t waste time with useless phone calls from people who don’t want a cat.
Step 1 – Gather All the Necessary Information
Describe the kitten’s breed (even if it’s just shorthair or longhair), approximate age, weight, color, gender, and health conditions.
If it is an older kitten, mention if it has had its vaccinations and been spayed or neutered. Check the sales price for kittens sold in your area for comparison.
Breeders should check with a feline breeding association like the American Cat Fanciers Association to determine if there are any requirements for advertising specific breeds.
Step 2 – Put Up Ads
Your target market will determine where you advertise. You may want to limit your advertising to social media and email if you have purebred kittens.
Let friends, family, and co-workers know you have kittens for sale.
Community boards at schools, churches, and other locations are suitable for fliers and online marketplaces.
Step 3 – Screen Potential Buyers
Responsible cat owners and breeders should screen potential buyers.
Arrange for the potential buyers to meet the kittens (or the adult cat if the kittens have not been born yet) in person. See how they interact with the kittens.
Ask screening questions, such as why they want the cat, whether they have other pets, who the household members are, and what the home environment is like.
You want to ensure your kitten is going to a loving new home with the best life possible.
Step 4 – Create a Cat/Kitten Bill of Sale Form
Once you have agreed on a price, you can create a cat bill of sale form.
If you need a cat bill of sale form, our template will let you create one quickly and easily.
Essential information for the bill of sale includes the date of purchase, the seller’s contact information, the buyer’s contact information, and the purchase price.
The buyer and seller should both sign the bill of sale. These are the necessary details for any bill of sale.
The bill of sale should include a description of the cat, including the cat’s breed and pedigree information for purebred cats and the transfer date if the kitten hasn’t been born yet or is still nursing.
Step 5 – Notarize the Form and Complete the Sale
If the parties anticipate using the bill of sale for legal purposes, or the document involves a purebred or show kitten, they may want it to be notarized.
This can be done at any public notary’s office.
What to Include in a Cat Bill of Sale
Your cat bill of sale should include the following:
- Date of sale
- Seller’s full name and contact information
- Buyer’s full name and contact information
- Purchase price
- Cat Description:
- Age
- Breed
- Sex
- Color
- Weight
- Registration/Microchip number
- Transfer date (for nursing or unborn kittens)
- Medical history (including immunizations) and health conditions (for older cats)
- Deposit or payment plan
- Signatures of buyer and seller
Cat Bill of Sale Sample
Below is an example of what a cat bill of sale looks like.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a cat bill of sale and an adoption contract?
A bill of sale legally transfers ownership from the current owner to a new owner for “consideration,” usually money.
An adoption contract is used when the new owner takes a cat from an animal shelter or rescue agency.
Adoption contracts do not transfer absolute ownership.
Most adoption contracts have an extensive list of things the new owner agrees to do before they may take the cat, and the new owner agrees that if they are unable or unwilling to care for the cat in the future, they will surrender it back to the shelter.
Many animal rescue organizations offer adoption contractions you can use for your cat or kitten.
What other things should be included in a bill of sale?
You may want to include a “right of return” clause in your bill of sale. This is similar to the return clause in an adoption contract.
Although a bill of sale transfers ownership to the new owner, you may request that the new owner offer you the first right to accept the cat if they cannot keep it.
Breeders may request that nonconforming kittens be spayed or neutered to protect the bloodline.
Since a kitten’s confirmation of the breed cannot always be determined until the kitten is several months old, this can be included in the bill of sale.
