Is Jennifer Lopez’s new kitten a rescue or did she buy it from a breeder?

Jennifer Lopez stepped into a debate among cat lovers when she announced on Twitter over the weekend that she added a new addition to her family.

And, no, the new addition isn’t boyfriend Ben Affleck, but a bright-eyed, big-eared kitten she said was named Hendrix. J-Lo’s cat-loving fans wanted to know if Hendrix (named after JImi?) was a rescue, or did she do the annoying celebrity thing of spending lots of money to pay a breeder for a designer feline with a certain cool look?

Hendrix briefly appeared in a video that shows Lopez’s family Christmas tree in a well-appointed living room that could be part of an Architectural Digest spread. The song “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” is playing in the background.

Introducing … #Hendrix!!!! ????‍⬛ ???? pic.twitter.com/EqPTNFmPaV

— jlo (@JLo) December 11, 2021

Her cat-loving fans proclaimed that Hendrix is “adorable” and excitedly pounced on the idea that Lopez shares their devotion to felines, but they also very much wanted Hendrix to be a rescue cat adopted from a  shelter who was in desperate need of a home. As of late Sunday, Lopez hadn’t clarified whether Hendrix was a rescue or purchased from a breeder.

Looks like there’s fur furniture throw on your couch, which is very cruel and unnecessary because of the animals who were killed to create it. And now, although your kitten is very cute, you could have adopted a shelter cat and encouraged all your followers to do the same.

— andy lee (@andylee44742215) December 12, 2021

Lopez’s cat fans also suggested that Hendrix could be a Devon Rex, an unusual and “visually striking” breed “known for their impish faces, tall ears, and slender frames,” according to the website Daily Paws. “These wide-eyed cats” are intelligent, “super social,” “adore people” and “do great with older children and other pets,” Daily Paws also said.

Devon Rex cats can be found at shelters, as Lopez fans pointed out. The site Adoptapet.com also recommended that people “rescue a Devon Rex (or any cat) before you buy a kitten from a breeder.”

“There are millions of homeless cats across the country, many of which are purebred and who need homes,” the site oontinued. “Adopting a Devon Rex can be life changing — not only for the cat, but also the adopter.”

Buying a Devon Rex through a breeder can cost $1,000 or more, Adoptapet.com said. That amount wouldn’t be prohibitively expensive for Lopez, although it might be for other people.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has come down hard on other celebrities who have publicized their purchases of designer cats from breeders. That includes Justin and Hailey Bieber, and Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, who have come in for harsh criticism for purchasing part-wild, hybrid cats from upscale breeders.

Bieber paid $35,000 in 2019 for a pair of Savannah kittens from breeders. In a statement, PETA denounced Bieber and his supermodel wife, saying that the pop singer “could inspire his fans around the world to save a life by adopting a cat from a local animal shelter — rather than fueling the dangerous demand for hybrid cats (and) contributing to the animal overpopulation crisis.”

In 2021, PETA scolded Alec and Hilaria Baldwin for purchasing an exotic Bengal cat from a breeder for their 7-year-old daughter. The purchase was particularly aggravating because the Baldwins like to position themselves as environmentalists and animal welfare advocates who have been longtime supporters of PETA.

After Hilaria Baldwin boasted about the cat’s purchase on Instagram, Moira Colley, a PETA spokesperson, tried to give the couple the benefit of the doubt by saying: “Knowing the Baldwins as we do and given that they have spoken out against cruelty to wild cats and bears, wearing fur, animal experiments for cosmetics, and more, there is no doubt that they didn’t realize what the impact of buying a cat from a breeder is.”

Colley continued: “Had they known, we’re sure that they would have gone to an animal shelter and adopted a cat who might otherwise die for the lack of a good home.”