Buying from a Pet Store:
The Pros and Cons

PRO:

• ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY:
  Convenient to browse over a few different cats/kittens. However, they encourage impulse buying, so many people wind up unhappy with their choice and the animals suffer for it when they are selected on impulse.
  
  There is generally one in your local area without much traveling. Some pedigree animals are available. Kittens may be available.
• HEALTH WARRANTEE:
  Pet stores may provide a limited warrantee of health in writing.
• SCREENING PROCESS:
  Most generally ask no questions except "How do you want to pay for the kitten?" This may seem a pro since it's less hassle at the time of purchase, though the "screening process" that reputable rescuers and breeders insist on actually helps them ensure that the new feline family member will be an exact fit with your family’s expectations and desires. 

CON:

• COST:
  Prices must reflect store overheads, thus will often be considerably higher than kittens from other sources.
• IMPULSE BUYING:
  Pet stores displays of kittens encourages rash decisions without thinking about the responsibilities entailed and alternatives.
• SCREENING PROCESS:
  Kittens may be sold at very young ages without adequate vaccinations having been administered to protect them from illness when exposed. Even vaccinated, there is often increased risk of exposure to germs for which kittens have no immunity built up due the cats and kittens coming from varied sources and being stressed by the circumstances.
• SOCIALIZATION & TEMPERAMENT:
  Most cats and kittens for as sale at pet stores come from commercial breeding facilities. While commercial breeders may have scrupulously clean operations, with adequate veterinary care and food, there much is more involved in rearing a healthy, well-socialized, quality cat than just those factors. [Reputable breeders DO NOT sell to pet stores and instead choose to sell their kittens directly so that they can exercise more discretion in deciding the type of home environment that their kittens will be going to.]
  
  The pet store environment is not optimal for maintaining cats or kittens. Kittens can not be properly socialized while being kept in cages and only being handled by prospective buyers and the store’s animal maintenance personal.
• INFORMATION AND RESOURCE:
  Purchasing from a pet shop deprives the buyer of the one-on-one relationship with the kitten’s breeder or cat's rescuer, the very person most familiar with all the nuances and facets of the particular breed and a resource for advice on care for years to come. Most salespeople at pet stores are not knowledgeable about various breeds or cat care and cannot or do not teach new owners about these.