UK Pet Marketplace
Welfare Intelligence
February 2026
1
UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Continuous market visibility
🌐
8 UK marketplacesAll major pet sales platforms
→
⚙️
Intelligence engineCollect · Dedupe · Analyse
→
📊
Welfare insightsCompliance · Enforcement · Advocacy
Scale
Size of the pet market
Sellers
Who's breeding, where
Compliance
License and welfare gaps
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
From data to action
📊
Market reportsQuarterly market sizing and trends
🚨
Enforcement leadsUnlicensed high-volume sellers
📍
Geographic hotspotsAreas for LA investigation
⚖️
Platform scorecardsAccountability comparison
📋
Policy evidenceData for regulatory advocacy
🔍
Deep divesBreed-specific or regional analysis
3
UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
PART 1
UK Dog Market
8 platforms · ~57k unique dogs
4
UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
~75% of first-time puppy sales in the UK are listed on these 8 marketplaces
57k
Total dogs
for sale today
for sale today
48k
First-time
puppy sales
puppy sales
(83.8% of dogs)
746k
Annualised
(28-day median turnover)
75%
Of UK market
1m puppies/year · Naturewatch 2025
8 Marketplaces analysed
Pets4HomesFreeAdsGumtreePrelovedPuppies.co.ukKennel ClubPetifyForeverPuppy
Methodology: Total dogs: 19.8k raw listings, -529 stale (>180d), -111 duplicates = 19.1k unique listings × platform-specific multipliers (P4H 4.11×, FreeAds 2.40×, Gumtree 2.59×, KC 5.97×, etc.) = 57k dogs. First-time sales: 83.8% of dogs (13.5% rehomes/resales aged 6+ months) = 48k. Annualization: 48k × (365 ÷ 28 day median turnover) × 1.2 seasonality = 746k. Market share: 746k ÷ 1m UK puppies/year (Naturewatch 2025) = 75%..
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
After deduplication and stale removal, 19.1k listings translate to 57k dogs
19.8k
Raw listings
across 8 platforms
19.1k
Unique & fresh listings
after dedupe & stale removed
57k
Unique dogs
for sale in February
-529
Stale listings removed
>180 days old529
Mainly Petify(46.5% stale)
-111
Duplicates removed
Within-platform0
Cross-platform111
×2.88
Dogs per listing
Most ads are litter listings with multiple puppies available, not single dogs.
Methodology: URL-based deduplication within platforms. Cross-platform duplicates identified by matching listing description and location. Dogs per listing multiplier: platforms with structured litter fields use actual counts (P4H=4.11×, KC=5.97×); platforms with sex indicators assume "Mixed Litter"=4 dogs, "Male"/"Female"=1 dog (Gumtree=2.59×, Preloved=1.98×). Conservative default=1.0× for incomplete data.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Specialist pet sites list litters, not individual dogs
Platform
Raw Listings
Raw Dogs
Dogs/Listing
Pets4Homes
7,718
28,268
4.11
FreeAds
7,427
15,884
2.4
Gumtree
2,013
4,646
2.59
Kennel Club
433
2,304
5.97
ForeverPuppy
539
1,912
3.98
Petify
430
1,873
4.89
Preloved
651
1,148
1.98
Puppies.co.uk
557
883
1.78
Total
19,768
56,918
2.88
50%
Pets4Homes share
Of all dogs listed
across 8 platforms
across 8 platforms
4.7
Pet specialists avg
Litter-based listings
(P4H, KC, Petify...)
(P4H, KC, Petify...)
2.3
Classifieds avg
Individual dogs
(FreeAds, Gumtree...)
(FreeAds, Gumtree...)
Methodology: Dogs per listing calculated using platform-specific logic. Structured data platforms: P4H uses total_available field (4.11×), KC uses litter_size (5.97×), Petify uses males+females (4.89×). Sex indicator platforms: "Mixed Litter"=4 dogs, "Male"/"Female"=1 dog (Gumtree 2.59×, Preloved 1.98×, FreeAds 2.40×). Conservative default=1.0× for incomplete data.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
32% of Gumtree listings are under 7 days old
Median Listing Age by Platform
Gumtree
10 days
Pets4Homes
14 days
Preloved
28 days
FreeAds
42 days
Puppies.co.uk
60 days
Petify
210 days
ForeverPuppy
No date field on site
Kennel Club
No date field on site
Fresh (<14d)Good (14-30d)Moderate (30-60d)Stale (>60d)
Age Distribution
Platform<7d7-30d30-90d>90d
Gumtree32%67%1%0%
Pets4Homes24%45%29%2%
Preloved24%28%24%24%
FreeAds6%39%37%19%
Puppies.co.uk8%25%31%36%
Petify2%5%7%86%
Petify — Stale Listings Warning
86% over 90 days old (median 210d). Age data is historical — puppies aged "8 weeks" at listing are now 38+ weeks. Stale listings not removed.
86% over 90 days old (median 210d). Age data is historical — puppies aged "8 weeks" at listing are now 38+ weeks. Stale listings not removed.
Methodology: Listing age calculated from published date to snapshot date (Feb 10-11, 2026). 95.0% coverage across 6 of 8 platforms (17,849/18,796). ForeverPuppy and Kennel Club excluded (no date fields on site).
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
95% of listings are puppies under 1 year
Age Distribution by Platform
Pets4Homes
9wk
ForeverPuppy
10wk
Gumtree
10wk
Kennel Club
10wk
Puppies.co.uk
14wk
Petify
34wk
Preloved
34wk
FreeAds—
No age data available
<8 weeks8-12 weeks3-6 months6-12 monthsAdult (>1yr)
Key Insights
92%
Marketplaces with age data (P4H, Gumtree) average 92% puppies under 1 year old
95%
Kennel Club, ForeverPuppy, Puppies.co.uk, Petify — puppy-focused platforms with minimal adult listings (<1%)
42%
Preloved skews adult — rehoming older dogs makes up over 40% of listings
Methodology: Age derived from date of birth and age fields. 7 of 8 platforms shown (95% coverage across 11,454 listings). FreeAds excluded (0% age data). Data from Feb 10-11, 2026 snapshot.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
100% compliance: 6 platforms protect all under-8-week puppies — 2 platforms cannot assess
UK Law: 8-Week Minimum
8
Weeks minimum age for puppies
Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018, puppies cannot leave their mother before 8 weeks. Early separation causes behavioural issues, anxiety, and health problems.
Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018, puppies cannot leave their mother before 8 weeks. Early separation causes behavioural issues, anxiety, and health problems.
Early Separation Compliance (Puppies Under 8 Weeks)
PlatformListings<8wkRTL≥8wk%
Pets4Homes7,7182,7252,725100%
Gumtree2,013474474100%
ForeverPuppy5399090100%
Petify4302020100%
Puppies.co.uk5579999100%
Preloved6516464100%
Kennel Club433——N/A
FreeAds7,427——N/A
Perfect compliance: 6 platforms at 100%
Pets4Homes, Gumtree, ForeverPuppy, Petify, Puppies.co.uk, and Preloved all enforce mandatory ready-to-leave dates. 3,472 of 3,593 under-8-week puppies protected (100% compliance). Zero violations found across platforms with RTL field coverage.
Pets4Homes, Gumtree, ForeverPuppy, Petify, Puppies.co.uk, and Preloved all enforce mandatory ready-to-leave dates. 3,472 of 3,593 under-8-week puppies protected (100% compliance). Zero violations found across platforms with RTL field coverage.
2 platforms: Cannot assess (N/A)
Kennel Club and FreeAds lack ready-to-leave field data. Cannot assess early separation compliance for 7,860 listings across these platforms.
Kennel Club and FreeAds lack ready-to-leave field data. Cannot assess early separation compliance for 7,860 listings across these platforms.
Methodology: Ready-to-leave extracted from labeled platform fields. Early separation analysis: 3,593 puppies <8 weeks analyzed across 8 platforms with age-adjusted calculations from date_of_birth and age fields. Total: 3,472 of 3,472 under-8-week puppies with RTL data at 100% compliance.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
99% of dogs ≥8 weeks declare microchipping — 64 not microchipped
UK Law: Microchipping Mandatory
8
Weeks — microchip deadline
Under the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015, all dogs must be microchipped by 8 weeks old. Non-compliance carries a £500 fine.
Under the Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015, all dogs must be microchipped by 8 weeks old. Non-compliance carries a £500 fine.
Microchipping Compliance (Puppies ≥8 Weeks)
PlatformListings≥8wkMicrochipped%
Petify430410365100%
Preloved651338290100%
Kennel Club433311311100%
Pets4Homes7,7184,9054,901100%
Gumtree2,0131,2681,25099%
Puppies.co.uk55745643495%
ForeverPuppy53924622491%
FreeAds7,427——N/A
Excellent compliance: 7 platforms at 91-100%
Petify at 100%, Kennel Club at 100%, Pets4Homes at ~100%, Gumtree at ~99%, Preloved at 97%, Puppies.co.uk at 95%, and ForeverPuppy at 91%
Petify at 100%, Kennel Club at 100%, Pets4Homes at ~100%, Gumtree at ~99%, Preloved at 97%, Puppies.co.uk at 95%, and ForeverPuppy at 91%
FreeAds: Cannot assess (N/A)
No age data available to determine which puppies are ≥8 weeks old (7,427 listings).
No age data available to determine which puppies are ≥8 weeks old (7,427 listings).
Methodology: Microchipping compliance calculated for puppies ≥8 weeks old (when legally required). Compliance calculated from listings with declared microchip status (Yes/No). Listings with no microchip field captured are excluded from assessment. Age from age and date_of_birth. 7,839 listings with declared status across 7 platforms; 7,775 microchipped (99%), 64 not. FreeAds excluded (7,427 listings with no age data).
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Examples of listings not declaring microchip status — well past 8-week deadline
ForeverPuppy — 20 weeks old, not microchipped
Puppies.co.uk — 56 weeks old, not microchipped
Screenshots captured 11 Feb 2026. Illustrative examples, not accusations against individual sellers.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Welfare data collected across 7 indicators — coverage varies by platform
Top 7 Welfare Indicators
IndicatorCount%
Microchipped17,83699%
Flea Treated9,24592%
Vaccinated8,64478%
Health Checked8,12684%
Wormed8,04693%
KC Registered3,12028%
Neutered1906%
Welfare Compliance by Platform (% Declaring "Yes")
PlatformChipVaccWrmFleaHlthKCNt
Pets4Homes100%78%93%93%83%26%—
Gumtree98%77%—89%88%18%6%
Puppies95%79%98%98%—21%—
Preloved96%73%——94%22%16%
Petify100%70%89%———5%
ForeverPuppy93%85%———28%1%
KC100%————100%—
FreeAds100%——————
Chip=Microchipped, Vacc=Vaccinated, Wrm=Wormed, Flea=Flea treated, Hlth=Health checked, KC=KC registered, Nt=Neutered. — = Not available
Pets4Homes and Gumtree lead the way
Pets4Homes and Gumtree collect the most welfare information from sellers, giving buyers and enforcers clearer visibility into microchipping, vaccination, worming and health checks than on other platforms.
Pets4Homes and Gumtree collect the most welfare information from sellers, giving buyers and enforcers clearer visibility into microchipping, vaccination, worming and health checks than on other platforms.
Methodology: Welfare data from 19,768 listings across 8 platforms. 7 indicators: microchipped, vaccinated, wormed, flea treated, health checked, KC registered, neutered. Where these fields are present, declaration rates are high; the gap is in how many platforms expose them at all.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
French Bulldog leads with 4,355 dogs — Irish Wolfhound commands highest prices at £3,000
Top 10 Breeds by Dogs for Sale
#BreedDogs%
1French Bulldog4,3557.9%
2Miniature Dachshund4,1437.5%
3Cockapoo3,0165.5%
4Cocker Spaniel2,8655.2%
5Labrador Retriever2,6564.8%
6German Shepherd2,3454.3%
7Dachshund2,0103.7%
8Pomeranian1,7363.2%
9Chihuahua1,6213.0%
10Cane Corso1,4402.6%
Most Expensive Breeds (median price)
#BreedDogsPrice
1Irish Wolfhound41£3,000
2Pekingese31£2,900
3Griffon Bruxellois21£2,500
4Australian Shepherd54£2,500
5Australian Labradoodle105£2,500
6Bernedoodle58£2,500
7Norfolk Terrier32£2,500
8Flat Coated Retriever12£2,500
9Shetland Sheepdog14£2,350
10Italian Greyhound164£2,200
Methodology: Breed names normalised (hyphen→space + alias map) so variants (e.g. cocker-spaniel, Spaniel (Cocker)) aggregate. Prices from listing fields; outliers (<£50 or >£10,000) excluded; median used.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Zero banned breeds found — but ~10% are brachycephalic breeds with health concerns
Severe Welfare Concern Breeds by Platform (Total: 2,042 listings, 10.3% of all dogs)
BreedP4HFreeAdsGumtreePrelovedFPupPupsPetifyKCTotal
French Bulldog49570015037284244101,506
Dachshund76077616431575338751,954
English Bulldog14920330152550409
Cavalier KCS819411273017215
Pug3368982340127
BOAS TOTAL67797118960325053102,042
% of platform8.8%10.4%9.4%9.2%5.9%9.0%12.3%2.3%10.3%
✓
All platforms compliant
No banned breeds (Pit Bull, XL Bully, etc.) found across 20k+ listings.
No banned breeds (Pit Bull, XL Bully, etc.) found across 20k+ listings.
Why these breeds?
• BOAS breeds (French Bulldog, English Bulldog, Pug): Flat-faced structure causes breathing difficulties, overheating, exercise intolerance
• Dachshund: Long spine increases IVDD risk (spinal disc disease, paralysis)
• Cavalier King Charles: Syringomyelia (brain malformation causing severe pain)
• BOAS breeds (French Bulldog, English Bulldog, Pug): Flat-faced structure causes breathing difficulties, overheating, exercise intolerance
• Dachshund: Long spine increases IVDD risk (spinal disc disease, paralysis)
• Cavalier King Charles: Syringomyelia (brain malformation causing severe pain)
2,042 BOAS breed listings
10.3% of all dog listings are brachycephalic breeds. BVA/RSPCA have called for breeding restrictions. Highest on Petify (12.3%), FreeAds (10.4%), Gumtree (9.4%). Lowest on KC (2.3%).
10.3% of all dog listings are brachycephalic breeds. BVA/RSPCA have called for breeding restrictions. Highest on Petify (12.3%), FreeAds (10.4%), Gumtree (9.4%). Lowest on KC (2.3%).
Methodology: BOAS = Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome based on BVA/RSPCA welfare guidance. Data from 19,768 dog listings across 8 platforms (Feb 10-11, 2026).
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
London leads with 1,020 dogs — but small-town Wisbech ranks #9 nationwide
Top 10 Cities by Dogs Listed
#CityDogs%
1London1,0201.6%
2Manchester9031.4%
3Doncaster8081.3%
4Birmingham7531.2%
5Liverpool6611.0%
6Leeds6431.0%
7Nottingham5740.9%
8Bradford5600.9%
9Wisbech4840.8%
10Sheffield4750.7%
Top 5 Regions by Dogs Listed
#RegionDogs%
1North West7,35611.5%
2South East6,73110.5%
3East of England6,65510.4%
4West Midlands6,60710.3%
5Yorkshire and the Humber6,2749.8%
Wisbech Breeder Hotspot
Small town (pop. 35k) with top sellers
Ritchie — 8 P4H
justdogz — 5 FreeAds
Zoe — 4 P4H
glenys wilson — 4 FreeAds
JP Man K9 — 4 P4H
justdogz — 5 FreeAds
Zoe — 4 P4H
glenys wilson — 4 FreeAds
JP Man K9 — 4 P4H
Methodology: Location derived from listing postcodes and location fields. Cities and regions aggregated by total dogs listed.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Top 10 sellers: 7 breeders, 3 rescues
Top 10 Sellers by Listing Count
#SellerListingsPlatformType
1Wiggle Waggle11Pets4HomesBreeder
2Maureen Luke11FreeadsRescue
3Ritchie10Pets4HomesBreeder
4pinkie329FreeadsBreeder
5Ckccc68FreeadsBreeder
6Zoe8Pets4HomesBreeder
7La'al Marras Rescue Group7FreeadsRescue
8Peter6FreeadsBreeder
9Michelle6Pets4HomesRescue
10The Canine Club6Pets4HomesBreeder
Breeder indicators
• Wiggle Waggle: 11 listings, 8 puppies / 3 adults (Pets4Homes)
• Ritchie: 10 listings, 9 puppies / 0 adults (Pets4Homes)
• pinkie32: 9 listings, 8 puppies / 1 adults (Freeads)
• Wiggle Waggle: 11 listings, 8 puppies / 3 adults (Pets4Homes)
• Ritchie: 10 listings, 9 puppies / 0 adults (Pets4Homes)
• pinkie32: 9 listings, 8 puppies / 1 adults (Freeads)
Rescue indicators
• Maureen Luke: 11 listings; 5 inferred adult (rescue/rehoming in listing)
• La'al Marras Rescue Group: 7 listings; 7 inferred adult (rescue/rehoming in listing)
• Michelle: 6 listings; 5 inferred adult (rescue/rehoming in listing)
• Maureen Luke: 11 listings; 5 inferred adult (rescue/rehoming in listing)
• La'al Marras Rescue Group: 7 listings; 7 inferred adult (rescue/rehoming in listing)
• Michelle: 6 listings; 5 inferred adult (rescue/rehoming in listing)
Methodology: Top 10 sellers, 82 listings. Listing count is per unique URL; same litter may appear as multiple ads. Age-based classification where we have age (Pets4Homes). FreeAds has no age field — for those listings we infer puppy vs adult from title, description and price. Rescue/Breeder from age where known; rescue inferred from content where stated.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
7 of 8 platforms collect breeding license data
UK Breeding License Requirement
3+
Litters per year
Requires a local authority breeding license under
the Animal Welfare Regulations 2018
Requires a local authority breeding license under
the Animal Welfare Regulations 2018
Platform Breeding License Collection
PlatformBreeding License
Pets4HomesLicense number✓
Kennel ClubLicense number✓
Puppies.co.ukLicense number✓
GumtreeBadge✓
ForeverPuppyBadge✓
PetifyBadge✓
PrelovedLicense number✓
FreeAdsNone✗
Best Practice
7 of 8 platforms collect breeding license data
Pets4Homes, Puppies.co.uk, and Preloved display license number. Gumtree enforces 2 litters/year limit + breeding license badge. Kennel Club, ForeverPuppy, and Petify identify licensed breeders via seller classification.
Pets4Homes, Puppies.co.uk, and Preloved display license number. Gumtree enforces 2 litters/year limit + breeding license badge. Kennel Club, ForeverPuppy, and Petify identify licensed breeders via seller classification.
The Regulatory Blind Spot
FreeAds doesn't collect breeding license data
With 7,427 listings (~38% of market), FreeAds does not display breeding license information. Sellers with 3+ litters/year should be licensed, but we can't verify compliance.
With 7,427 listings (~38% of market), FreeAds does not display breeding license information. Sellers with 3+ litters/year should be licensed, but we can't verify compliance.
Methodology: Breeding license tracking assessed by presence of local authority license number fields in platform data. KC registration (pedigree) is not the same as breeding license (commercial breeding authorization).
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
High-volume sellers without visible license
FreeAds — top-20 seller, no license shown
Pets4Homes — 8 adverts, no license shown
Screenshots captured 4 Feb 2026 from seller profile pages. These are illustrative examples, not accusations of illegal activity.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
PART 2
UK Cat Market
5 platforms · ~13k unique cats
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Online marketplaces capture ~18% of UK cat market
12.8k
Unique cats
for sale today
for sale today
162k
Annualised
(33-day avg turnover)
18%
Of total UK market
920k/year · PDSA 2024
5 Marketplaces analysed
Pets4Homes
FreeAds
Gumtree
Petify
Preloved
Methodology: Annualisation based on 33-day average listing age. Total market estimate based on PDSA/VetCompass data (920k cats/year).
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
After deduplication and stale removal, 6.8k listings translate to 12.8k cats
7.0k
Raw listings
across 5 platforms
6.8k
Unique & fresh listings
after dedupe & stale removed
12.8k
Unique cats
for sale in February
-276
Stale removed
>180 days old276
-8
Duplicates removed
Cross-platform8
×1.9
Cats per listing
Most ads are litter listings with multiple kittens available.
Methodology: URL-based deduplication within platforms. Cross-platform duplicates from matching description and location. Cats per listing from platform-specific logic (total_available, males+females, or sex indicators).
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Pet sites list litters, not individual cats
Platform
Raw Listings
Raw Cats
Cats/Listing
Pets4Homes
2786
5437
2.0
FreeAds
2653
5006
1.9
Gumtree
733
1310
1.8
Petify
577
1131
2.0
Preloved
289
402
1.4
Total
7049
13286
1.9
39%
Pets4Homes share
Of all cats listed
across 5 platforms
across 5 platforms
2.0
Pet specialists avg
Litter-based listings
(P4H, Petify)
(P4H, Petify)
1.6
Classifieds avg
Litter + individual
(Gumtree, Preloved)
(Gumtree, Preloved)
Methodology: Cats per listing calculated using platform-specific logic. Structured data platforms use total_available or males+females. FreeAds parses kittens_in_litter text. Sex indicator platforms: Mixed Litter=3 cats, Male/Female=1 cat.
23
UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
95% of Petify listings are over 90 days old (median 211 days)
Median Listing Age by Platform
Gumtree
8 days
Preloved
13 days
Pets4Homes
22 days
FreeAds
42 days
Petify
211 days
Fresh (<14d)Good (14-30d)Moderate (30-60d)Stale (>60d)
Age Distribution (Coverage: 99.9%)
Platform<7d7-30d30-90d>90d
Gumtree44%55%0%0%
Preloved22%44%20%14%
Pets4Homes16%45%36%3%
FreeAds8%35%38%19%
Petify0%0%5%95%
Petify: Stale listings dominate
95% of Petify listings are over 90 days old (median 211 days). Platform doesn't enforce listing expiry.
95% of Petify listings are over 90 days old (median 211 days). Platform doesn't enforce listing expiry.
Methodology: Listing age calculated from published date to snapshot date. Coverage: 6,759/6,765 (99.9%).
24
UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
57.5% of cat listings are kittens under 6 months
Age Distribution by Platform (Coverage: 60.0%)
Gumtree
12wk
Pets4Homes
17wk
Petify
34wk
Preloved
43wk
FreeAds
—
No age field on site
<8 weeks8-12 weeks3-6 months6-12 monthsAdult (>1yr)
Key Insights
57.5%
Kittens under 6 months — Gumtree and P4H sell mostly young kittens.
12.1%
Under 8 weeks — potential early separation concern (veterinary guidance recommends 8+ weeks)
63%
Petify: Age data is historical — reflects age-at-listing. With median 211 days since posting, actual cats are 7+ months older.
Methodology: Age parsed from labeled age fields. Coverage: 4057/6765 (60.0%).
25
UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
100% of P4H, Gumtree, Petify & Preloved have ready-to-leave dates
UK Guidance: 8-Week Minimum
8
Weeks minimum age for kittens
While not legally mandated for cats, veterinary guidance recommends kittens stay with mother until 8 weeks minimum.
While not legally mandated for cats, veterinary guidance recommends kittens stay with mother until 8 weeks minimum.
Early Separation Compliance (Kittens Under 8 Weeks)
PlatformListings<8wkRTL≥8wk%
Pets4Homes
2740
373
373
100%
Gumtree
721
102
102
100%
Petify
410
2
2
100%
Preloved
285
15
15
100%
FreeAds
2609
0
0
N/A
Strong compliance: 100% across all platforms
Strong compliance: 100% across all platforms. 492 kittens under 8 weeks analyzed. Pets4Homes 100% compliant, Gumtree 100% compliant, Petify 100% compliant, Preloved 100% compliant. Only 135 borderline cases (7.6-7.9 weeks).
Strong compliance: 100% across all platforms. 492 kittens under 8 weeks analyzed. Pets4Homes 100% compliant, Gumtree 100% compliant, Petify 100% compliant, Preloved 100% compliant. Only 135 borderline cases (7.6-7.9 weeks).
FreeAds: Cannot assess (no age field)
FreeAds has no age or ready-to-leave fields on site. 2609 cat listings.
FreeAds has no age or ready-to-leave fields on site. 2609 cat listings.
Methodology: Ready-to-leave extracted from labeled platform fields. Compliance rates from platforms with assessable data.
26
UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Cat breeding is unregulated — platforms still adopting dog welfare standards
Dogs vs Cats: Regulatory Gap
RequirementDogsCats
Breeding license (3+ litters)YesNo
MicrochippingYesYes*
Min. sale age8wkNone
*England only (Jun 2024) — not Scotland/Wales/NI
Top 5 Welfare Indicators
IndicatorCount%
Flea Treated323048%
Wormed264739%
Microchipped238335%
Health Checked226634%
Vaccinated186428%
Also tracked: Neutered, Registered
Welfare Compliance by Platform (% Declaring "Yes")
PlatformChipVaccWrmNeutFleaHlthReg
Pets4Homes65%52%85%0%85%65%—
Gumtree53%39%—19%81%61%15%
Petify25%28%76%2%76%——
Preloved38%14%—14%—17%10%
FreeAds——————0%
Chip=Microchipped, Vacc=Vaccinated, Wrm=Wormed, Neut=Neutered, Flea=Flea treated, Hlth=Health checked, Reg=Registered. — = Not available
P4H & Gumtree lead — P4H: 6/7 fields (85% wormed/flea treated, 65% microchipped/health checked). Gumtree: 5/7 (81% flea treated, 61% health checked).
FreeAds: Zero fields — No welfare data across all 7 indicators.
Welfare data from 6,766 listings across all 5 platforms. 7 welfare indicators analyzed.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
British Shorthair leads at 17.0% — Abyssinian commands highest price at £1,300
Top 10 Breeds by Listings
#BreedListings%
1British Shorthair108617.0%
2Maine Coon67310.5%
3Ragdoll4487.0%
4Bengal3906.1%
5Scottish Fold1682.6%
6Persian1262.0%
7British Longhair1211.9%
8Sphynx921.4%
9Siamese681.1%
10Bombay570.9%
Most Expensive Breeds (median price, 10+ listings)
#BreedCountMedian
1Abyssinian39£1,300
2Devon Rex20£1,300
3Burmese14£1,000
4Maine Coon673£1,000
5Oriental16£925
6Munchkin20£925
7Exotic25£895
8Savannah35£825
9Sphynx92£700
10Russian Blue57£650
Methodology: Breed names normalised (hyphen→space + alias map) so variants aggregate. Prices from listing fields; median for breeds with 10+ listings.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Gumtree and Preloved ban welfare concern breeds — 0% vs 8.1% on Pets4Homes
Welfare Concern Breeds by Platform (Total: 332 listings, 4.9% of 6765)
BreedGumtreePrelovedFreeAdsPetifyP4HTotal
Scottish Fold003811121170
Sphynx0333560101
Savannah001402236
Munchkin00501621
Manx001023
Pixie Bob001001
TOTAL039216221332
% of platform0.0%1.1%3.5%3.9%8.1%4.9%
Impact of Breed Bans
Why these breeds?
Scottish Fold (arthritis), Munchkin (spinal issues), Sphynx (HCM/skin), Savannah/Pixie Bob (wild hybrids), Manx (spinal defects). Refused by major cat registries.
Scottish Fold (arthritis), Munchkin (spinal issues), Sphynx (HCM/skin), Savannah/Pixie Bob (wild hybrids), Manx (spinal defects). Refused by major cat registries.
Gumtree & Preloved: Effective bans
3 listings combined. Gumtree: 0 (100% ban). Preloved: 3 Sphynx only.
3 listings combined. Gumtree: 0 (100% ban). Preloved: 3 Sphynx only.
Pets4Homes & FreeAds: No bans
No breed restrictions. 313 banned breed listings combined (4.6%). P4H: 221 (8.1%), FreeAds: 92 (3.5%).
No breed restrictions. 313 banned breed listings combined (4.6%). P4H: 221 (8.1%), FreeAds: 92 (3.5%).
Methodology: Gumtree-banned breeds identified from platform policy. Welfare score from seller declarations. Total: 6765 listings.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
London leads with 4.5% of cat listings — Greater London 14.0%
Top 10 Cities by Cat Listings
#CityListings%
1London3074.5%
2Birmingham1852.7%
3Manchester1512.2%
4Bradford1011.5%
5Leeds831.2%
6Sheffield751.1%
7Nottingham661.0%
8Glasgow590.9%
9Bristol580.9%
10Liverpool560.8%
Top 5 Regions by Cat Listings
#RegionListings%
1Greater London95014.0%
2North West81712.1%
3West Midlands73110.8%
4Yorkshire and the Humber68210.1%
5South East6629.8%
Bradford Breeder Hotspot
#4 city by cat listings
101 listings (1.5% of UK). Concentration of cat listings in Yorkshire.
Methodology: Location derived from listing postcodes and location fields. Cities and regions aggregated by total cat listings.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Top 10 sellers: 4 breeders, 6 rescues — 103 total listings
Top 10 Sellers by Listing Count (Verified)
#SellerListingsPlatformType
1Nadia8Pets4HomesBreeder
2Sittingpretty Cats7Pets4HomesRescue
3Chloe Sim6FreeadsRescue
4Leo Cattery6Pets4HomesBreeder
5Queenanne Cats6Pets4HomesBreeder
6The cats mother.6Pets4HomesRescue
7Dee Streak6FreeadsRescue
8Jelena K.5Pets4HomesRescue
9Shyla A5Pets4HomesBreeder
10Alice Williams5Pets4HomesRescue
Rescue vs Breeder (Top 10)
CategoryListings%
Adults (6+ months)6159%
Kittens (<6 months)4241%
Top 3 breeders
• Nadia: 8 listings — 4 kittens / 4 adults (Pets4Homes)
• Leo Cattery: 6 listings — 3 kittens / 3 adults (Pets4Homes)
• Queenanne Cats: 6 listings — 5 kittens / 1 adult (Pets4Homes)
• Nadia: 8 listings — 4 kittens / 4 adults (Pets4Homes)
• Leo Cattery: 6 listings — 3 kittens / 3 adults (Pets4Homes)
• Queenanne Cats: 6 listings — 5 kittens / 1 adult (Pets4Homes)
Top 3 rescues
• Sittingpretty Cats: 7 listings — 7 inferred adults (Pets4Homes)
• Chloe Sim: 6 listings — 6 inferred adults (Freeads)
• The cats mother.: 6 listings — 6 inferred adults (Pets4Homes)
• Sittingpretty Cats: 7 listings — 7 inferred adults (Pets4Homes)
• Chloe Sim: 6 listings — 6 inferred adults (Freeads)
• The cats mother.: 6 listings — 6 inferred adults (Pets4Homes)
Methodology: Age-based classification (<6 months = kitten, 6+ months = adult) applied to top 10 sellers' 103 listings.
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UK Pet Marketplace Welfare Intelligence — Feb 2026
Recommended actions
For Platforms
• Ensure all platforms add welfare fields (microchip, RTL, breed type)
• Mandate license display for sellers with 3+ active listings
• Add breed welfare warnings at point of browsing for BOAS/flat-faced breeds
For Policymakers
• Investigate geographic hotspots (Wisbech dogs, Bradford cats) where listing volumes suggest unlicensed commercial breeding
• Strengthen local authority enforcement capacity
• Prepare for post-import-ban supply shift (Autumn 2026)
• Extend breeding regulations to cats
For Welfare Organisations
• Use monthly tracking to build the puppy & kitten-to-rescue pipeline model
• Campaign for breed-aware purchasing at point of browsing
• Publish platform accountability scores to drive competitive compliance
This analysis is fully automated and repeatable monthly across all platforms. Longitudinal tracking enables trend detection, enforcement targeting, and policy impact measurement.
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Thank you
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