An animal groomer in the US has been ordered to stand trial on animal cruelty charges for selling "gothic kittens" with ear, neck and tail piercings.

Holly Crawford's home outside Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania was raided on December 17 after the county Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals received a tip-off, according to The Citizens' Voice newspaper.

In this December 17, 2008 file photo, Wayne Harvey, SPCA kennel attendant, holds a kitten that was taken from a home. Credit:AP

A prosecutor said Crawford inflicted pain on the cats, which were listed for sale for hundreds of dollars on the internet.

Crawford's lawyer said state law said nothing about piercing cats or docking their tails.

At a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Wilkes-Barre District Judge Paul Hadzick called it a grey area that needed to be decided by a trial judge or jury.

AP