Woman trades cat for iPad on Gumtree
The cat featured in the online trade-off. Photo: Melton Leader
A technology-crazed Melbourne woman has taken online trading to new heights by offering to swap her cat for an iPad.
The Melton woman posted the bizarre advertisement on the popular auction site Gumtree yesterday, volunteering to exchange her eight-month-old purebred Russian Blue for the tablet computer.
The advertisement, which has now been removed, told bargain hunters an iPhone 5, $700 or the nearest offer would also be accepted in return for the animal.
The cat's owner, who did not want to be named, said she decided to trade her pet after her landlord threatened to evict her.
She said she wanted to find a good home for her 'beloved' cat.
"If I take her to a shelter, she could get put down if no one takes her... all I'm doing is giving people the opportunity to buy her, who might not be able to afford it," she said.
The woman’s desperate attempt to hunt down an iPad has alarmed animal rights groups, with RSPCA spokesman Tim Pilgrim labelling the ad 'distasteful and inappropriate'.
"It's very concerning that people think they are able to trade a living creature for an electronic item," Mr Pilgrim told media.
