Nothing is 100% safe in this world. When selecting a cat for a forever home, where are the best places to adopt a heathier cat?
Pet Smart helps the SPCA, by allowing them to bring cats into their stores for adoption. They do take them out of the cages and let them rome around the warehouse in the back. I visit these cats from time to time. I had never seen one in there who looked sick. That doesn't mean that all of them were healthy. I did notice the SPCA staff going out of there way to make sure that the cats had their space. The thing is with all of this said, they could be sick. That has been the case with a lot of pet store adoptions.
Private adoptions could be better because you are usually getting the cat from owner. If you test the grounds really good on craigs list, this might work.
I'm thinking that your local Humane Society, Popcorn Zoo or the foster cat shelters are the better places to adopt a cat. because they usually provide shots, paying or nuetering. Opinions?