Breeder Giving Me the Runaround..

[mews2much]

Some breeders are jerks.
I am sure I can help you find a good ASH breeder.
I would never buy from a breeder that does not have a contract.
Sorry the other breeder will not talk to you.
You need to be very careful when choosing a breeder.

 

[fairy_kitten]

Originally Posted by Dan32

The cattery did finally pick up the phone and call this morning to relieve her conscience that I was not enroute to the airport, since I had not replied to her e-mail from last night, which by the way she had sent at 10PM. I said very little on the phone, but asked if there was any reason she no longer wished to place the brothers. She said "not at all". We left it that I would think it over and get back to her with a decision.

Does anyone think it is strange that two cats in a multi-cat cattery both have bacterial ear infections? I have never had any cats with ear infections of any kind other than the feral with ear mites.

I am not "up" on cattery etiquette (if there is any), just being an owner type person. When I acquired Kinney last December from another local cattery, I received no contract at all and assumed that being from a grand prize winning breeder that he was in good health. I did not isolate Kinney for a 10-day period, but instead released him from the back bedroom after three days after he had stopped hiding. He subsequently gave my other two cats very severe cases of the cat flu, which up until that time had been an unknown in the house.

I was chastised on this board for not getting a contract for him (none was offered) and not keeping him in quarantine for a long enough period. That breeder will no longer speak to me after several phone calls to her last year wondering what to do about my cat flu epidemic. She claimed that no cats of hers carried cat flu, but Kinney had come in visibly sneezing and hacking.

To a prospective owner, it is a strange business.

I don't believe it is uncommon for the kittens to both have ear infections.When I got my sphynx this past November the breeder had to hold off shipping my kitten for a few weeks due to one of the other kittens having a cold and passing it to the others,and my breeder called the day before my girl would have been shipped to let me know.We also communicated most of the time through email,with maybe 2 phone conversations. I do hope everything works out for you in the end and you get you kitties or your refund.

 

[dan32]

Update on my situation: I gave the breeder the benefit of the doubt and decided to wait the 14 days on the ear infection issue. Two weeks have now gone past, so I sent an e-mail query asking how they were doing.

The breeder replied today that one of the two brothers needed a few more days on the ear meds., but the second needs a week more on the ear meds + now has a new ailment. Breeder states that the skin on the inside of his legs is bright pink and is missing hair. The doctor is advising medicated baths twice a week and is running a skin culture.

She is offering to ship one now and one later, at an increased shipping cost to be split by us both? I don't think I would go for the "one now/one later" plan.

I'm starting to get the willies about this transaction. What do the rest of you think about this?

 

[atinsley]

If it were me I would cancel it.. It's not a good sign if the cats are going to keep getting sick plus you're already having problems trusting the breeder.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Too many "wrong" things now - I'd cancel both kittens and get your money back.

 

[mews2much]

That does not sound good at all.
Sounds like the breeder is just making excuses now.

 

[kai bengals]

Time to take them up on the offer of a refund.

 

[missymotus]

Agree with above posts, time for the refund now.

 

[dusty's mom]

Yes, get a refund. Also I believe that any business, including catteries, that sell over the internet or long distance should accept credit cards. Use a credit card next time (not a debit card) so your transaction is protected.

 

[cococat]

I would get a refund.

 

[dan32]

I gave it 10 more days from the "bald inner leg" issue excuse. Having not heard a peep from the breeder in the 10 days since our last correspondence, I finally sent an e-mail to her yesterday. I asked why no health status update was offered in that amount of time and that I was just hanging here without a clue as to what was going on. She flippantly replied that there was no change to the situation so did not feel like an update was warranted.

I stewed about this for the afternoon, then finally asked her to cancel the transaction and remit my money back since it had now been one month since she had cashed the check and still, no kitties. Without hestiation, she replied "OK, I will put a check in the mail today".

It just makes me wonder if she ever really wanted to place these guys. She has used every excuse in the book not to deliver. I am dumbfounded that she would just let me hang here waiting indefinately. By the way, this cattery and its owners are on CFAs ASH breed council and appear in the National American Shorthair Club's members. Just to say, seemingly reputable cattery.

 

[mews2much]

That is terrible.
You need to look somewhere else.
Sounds like she is just playing around with you.

 

[goldenkitty45]

When you've been in the cat fancy long enough, you find out (thru your own experience or thru others) who are the good and bad breeders - even if they are on an association's breed list.

I learned the hard way with who was good and bad Cornish Rex breeders!

 

[mews2much]

My sister learned the hard way also.