New Here! But Had A Question.....

[Cattified]

Hello, My name is Michaela and i'm from Atlanta, GA. I'm new to cat parenting and i'm looking forward to receiving a Flame point Himmie from a cat breeder. I'm excited about this new experience but I've been having a situation with the current breeder i'm suppose to be getting my Himmie from.

The situation is I've been waiting to receive a kitten since November 2016 and it is now June 2017. We did sign a contract and put a deposit down for a Flame point boy. The first litter that was born back in December didn't have a flame point so we waited for the next litter. The next litter was born in January 2017 so we waited until March for pick up time only to be told that the kitten he secured for us was sick and that we would have to choose from the next new litter. So the next litter was born in April and we were told we would be picking up our new kitten in June. In this litter there were 4 flame point boys born and 1 Seal point. So we were patient enough to wait up until this point only to be told that the new kitten he secured for us has a URI and that we would have to wait 3-4 weeks for either a new kitten or for the sick one to get well again. (The new kitten he showed is 6 weeks old and has more of a peked face but he was willing to give him to us for the price of the doll face we originally requested.)

So at this point we chose to wait again but me and my husband decided to come up and visit on the day we were suppose to pick up our kitten just to see the environment he's raising these kittens in and to see if we should continue business. As you may tell, this is quite frustrating for us since we kind of got our hopes up to receive a cat quite a few times. My husband called him to discuss the situation. He did ask about the other kittens in that litter but was told they were all sold to other parents but we just felt that we weren't much of a priority since we've been waiting for over 7 months. Do you guys think I should go up and visit the kittens he has and continue to wait or do you think I should ask for a refund and move on.

Sincerely,

Frustrated new cat parent.

 

[denice]

Actually I think the experience that you are having could be an indication of a good breeder. A responsible hobby breeder doesn't have a lot of kittens each year. You then have specific requirements like the flame point and it could be awhile. URIs are fairly common in kittens, even kittens in good homes that are well cared for. I think the fact that he wants to keep the kitten until he is well is a good sign.

 

[Cattified]

Actually I think the experience that you are having could be an indication of a good breeder. A responsible hobby breeder doesn't have a lot of kittens each year. You then have specific requirements like the flame point and it could be awhile. URIs are fairly common in kittens, even kittens in good homes that are well cared for. I think the fact that he wants to keep the kitten until he is well is a good sign.

Thanks for your response! I see what you're saying. I was wondering how often these things occurred too because I am new to owning a cat and dealing with breeders. The one thing me and my husband were kind of ranting about was when he showed us this new litter with 4 baby flame points and 1 seal, The breeder pretty much chose a cat for us. He told us that he was choosing the "best one" out of the litter being that they pretty much all look alike but we felt like well I don't know if that's the case because this was the second time he secured a sick or unhealthy cat which forces us to wait even longer while everyone else who reserved probably a lot earlier than we did gets to receive and go home with their babies on the specified date they were given.

I will say that I do appreciate his honesty and carefulness of his sick kittens. He could've have sold us a sick cat and went on about his business but idk if this is considered "first come, first serve."

 

[arouetta]

Why did you choose to wait a third time instead of waiting for the cold to clear up? URIs are very easy and very quick to get better from.

 

[Cattified]

Why did you choose to wait a third time instead of waiting for the cold to clear up? URIs are very easy and very quick to get better from.

Well technically all three times were for different issues. The very first litter that was born didn't have flame points so we were fine to wait for the second litter. When the second litter was born there was one flame point and like 3 seal points so he secured the flame point kitten for us. When it came time for pick up he told us that the kitten had some form of head tilt which was related to a vestibular infection of the inner ear. So we had to wait for the next born litter. This next litter had 4 flames and 1 Seal and he reserved one of them for us but the same week that we were suppose to pick him up he told us that our kitten had a URI and needed to stay with him. Thing is though, he would send us pictures of him every week up to this point and then sent us a picture of a new kitten and told us we could either take this kitten when he's ready to be picked up in a month or we can wait 3 or so weeks for the kitten he reserved for us to get better. Either way we would have to wait but idk..it just all seems a bit ridiculous to me..

Sorry if it's all confusing but that's kind of the situation we're going through lol..

 

[arouetta]

I understood the first, I can see having your heart set on a particular cat, though I'm more of a "whatever's at the shelter" owner. The second, you initially just said sick, so I was thinking something serious like a heart defect, not an ear infection. The third was the URI. My confusion is why wait for a new litter months down the road, and hope the type of cat is born, rather than just wait a month or so for an acute illness to clear up?

 

[Cattified]

I understood the first, I can see having your heart set on a particular cat, though I'm more of a "whatever's at the shelter" owner. The second, you initially just said sick, so I was thinking something serious like a heart defect, not an ear infection. The third was the URI. My confusion is why wait for a new litter months down the road, and hope the type of cat is born, rather than just wait a month or so for an acute illness to clear up?

The first one couldn't be sold to us unfortunately because he couldn't be CFA registered. I believe he said that it was a vestibular syndrome which is actually more so a disease but I was told though that type of thing can be cleared up after some time so I will ask the breeder how he's doing but he pretty much told me to choose from the next new litter. So we waited up until this week which is when he told me our new kitten has a URI.

 

[arouetta]

One of my cats has had a URI twice. A bit of anti-viral medicine and she was fine in about a week both times. My advice is to wait out the URI and take the cat once the vet clears him/her instead of waiting for a new litter. It really is like a child catching the common cold.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

First, let me welcome you to TCS! We are so glad that you found us!

I, personally, have no experience with purebreds and breeders. That said, there is a forum here called "Showing and Ethical Breeding." Folks who do have experience in that area tend to watch that forum, and you may actually get a faster answer there. Have you called CFA to ask about the reputation of that breeder? They may have something on file, or be able to refer you to another breeder, should you decide to go that way. Seven months seems a long wait to me, especially as you have been disappointed by this man, not once, but two or three times. Have you made the trip yet? That should tell you SO much!

Best of luck with getting your kitten. When you have him (or her) be sure to post some pictures for us! We'll have all sorts of information and advice, should you need it!

 

[Cattified]

One of my cats has had a URI twice. A bit of anti-viral medicine and she was fine in about a week both times. My advice is to wait out the URI and take the cat once the vet clears him/her instead of waiting for a new litter. It really is like a child catching the common cold.

Yea URI's aren't super serious so when he told me 3 weeks I thought that was pretty extensive but hopefully he'll be okay soon and will continue to wait it out. Thanks for your help!

 

[arouetta]

Yea URI's aren't super serious so when he told me 3 weeks I thought that was pretty extensive but hopefully he'll be okay soon and will continue to wait it out. Thanks for your help!

I actually can understand the three weeks. Cats are finicky creatures of habit that stress when routines change, and stress can aggravate an existing illness or make the body more susceptible to get sick from something new. Changing homes and losing the littermates will be a HUGE routine change and therefore lots of stress. Waiting 3 weeks to make sure there's no lingering viruses that will flare up once the move happens is very, very smart. Also that gives time to treat any secondary infections that might pop up (like when you have a cold and then come down with bacterial bronchitis before the cold's over). Plus while you are new cat owners other people might be adding a second or third, so a blanket three weeks policy protects the other cats that an owner may already have. They'll be stressed too and 3 weeks means there won't be any viruses ready to hop from cat to cat.

 

[Willowy]

This is not a guarantee that it's a bad breeder. . .BUT, telling people they're going to get a kitten, having them put down a deposit, and then---oops, that kitten is sick! We'll have to wait a few more months! is a common scam technique. Google this guy's name and the name of his business, and all variations, very thoroughly. I mean, he totally could be telling the truth and is a good conscientious breeder, but that's such a common scam that it really throws up red flags for me.

If making a personal visit is possible, yes, I'd recommend doing that. Many good breeders won't let you near the kittens until they're vaccinated, but you can get a look at the place and see if it's blatantly a kitten mill or if it's a fake address or whatever.

 

[abyeb]

Would you mind posting a link to their website so that we can look at it? 1CatOverTheLine knows a lot of breeders, so he might be able to help out too.

 

[abyeb]

Hey Cattified! I just responded to your other thread. Would you mind posting a link to the breeder's website so that we can look at it?

 

[tabbytom]

Hello Cattified , welcome to TCS

Glad that you've joined the site and am sure you'll have your questions answered Feel free to ask questions if you any.

This site have many nice and helpful cats around and also hope to see around too

 

[Cattified]

Thanks for the responses! Yes I do have his website it's Danielsdencats - Himalayan, Persian, and Exotic SH (Shorthair) Cats and Kittens of Augusta GA He does have a facebook page and he did give us an address to visit the kittens. He says he lives in Augusta, GA which is about a 2 hours drive from where we are. I'm sure he's a definite real breeder but I haven't done any background check on his website or anything.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
This search:

"of danielsden" - Google Search

tells the whole story. His breeding stock is all from other catteries; it appears that he doesn't show at all:

Danielsdencats - Himalayan, Persian, and Exotic SH (Shorthair) Cats and Kittens of Augusta GA

This is the cattery from whose cats he's breeding primarily:

Persian kittens, Himalayan kittens, Exotic kittens, Furrbcats - White Blue Eyed Persians, Himalayan Cats, Short Hair Exotics, Persian kittens, Furrbcats

Furrbcats - Furrbcats cattery - misleading customers with Photoshop

.

 

[abyeb]

I haven't heard of this breeder or of the breeder they got their cats from, Furr-B. None of Danielsden cats are CH or GC. Apparently, their foundation cats, as indicated in the "about us" section were pet-quality. Their cats are all PKD negative, which is a good thing, though.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

.
Michaela - I suppose that Mount Airy, Maryland is too far away? Yep - just checked - it's six hundred miles.

Well, in any event, when you examine a breeder's page, you should see foundation cats - cats bred by the breeder and shown as a part of the cattery. As an example, here's Lyn Knight's (Burnbrae Cattery) "Our Cats" page:

Welcome to Burnbrae Cattery

Being able to claim more than 50 Grands in thirty-two years certainly isn't a necessity, but it doesn't hurt either (except for the cats Lyn competes against, of course).

.

 

[Anne]

I moved the thread to our Breeding and Showing forum as suggested and you should now be able to post in this forum Cattified . Welcome to TCS !