Purchasing A Russian Blue, Help!

thawkins777

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Hello,

I have been texting with a person who has two Russian Blue kittens for sale - $500 each. He says their mother is from a superb pedigree with many Champions and Grand Champions in her family tree, and their father is from a champion pedigree. Both the parents are registered as TICA active, so the breeder says the cat parents are legitimate cats for breeding.

The breeder also provided me pictures of the kittens, attached here. The breeder is asking for a $200 deposit to make sure I am serious. I will not be able to see the kittens in person until next Tuesday. He says the kittens (11 weeks old) have gotten all their shots, are TICA registered, have been health and vet checked, microchipped and will come with detailed medical record and a health guarantee. So far, I haven't seen any paperwork about the kittens or cat parents.

Does this all sound legitimate? I found his posting on a random classifieds website in California. I've been doing research on all the best Russian Blue breeders on the west coast, and I am just not sure about how legitimate this all is, compared to how forthcoming the best breeders are online.

I would love to hear your expert opinions since I am new to this and just want to protect myself while also getting a new member to add to the family! Thank you!
 

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abyeb

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Hi! Does the breeder have a website? I’d be happy to look around there and let you know what I think!
 

tabbytom

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thawkins777

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Hi! Does the breeder have a website? I’d be happy to look around there and let you know what I think!
Hi Abyeb,

Thanks for your reply!

No, they don't seem to have a website. At least not one they have mentioned to me. I did ask for the names of the parent cats at the time that I asked for pictures, but the breeder did not mention the names of the parent cats. I was hoping I could somehow look them up on the TICA website with at least that information. I also asked for their cattery name at one point, but they didn't give me that information either. Thank you for your offer to help. I suppose I may just have to not put down the deposit and then go visit them on Tuesday if the breeder will accept that...
 

abyeb

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That seems kind of weird that they won’t give you their cattery name- I would be suspicious as to whether they are actually registered with TICA, otherwise, I can’t think of a reason why they wouldn’t tell you the name of their cattery.
 

lutece

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First of all, $500 is a very low price for a Russian Blue kitten. At that price, you aren't going to be getting a kitten from a top breeder. What exactly are you looking for? Is it important to you that the kittens are actually registered, that the parents are quality pedigreed Russian Blues, and that the kittens grow up to look like Russian Blues? Or are you interested in the Russian Blue breed because you want "hypoallergenic" kittens? Or are you just looking for a couple of healthy blue kittens?

This breeder appears to be some sort of backyard breeder... some backyard breeders are nice honest people and raise healthy kittens, and some aren't so honest and sell kittens with problems. Looking at the pictures of the parents, the mother looks like a Russian Blue, and it is plausible that she could have a pedigree with a Grand Champion in it. The father, on the other hand, does not appear to be show/breeding quality. He could maybe be a registered Russian Blue from bloodlines that were not bred to standard.

It is possible that these people do not have a registered cattery name and that might be why they didn't tell you their cattery name... I believe it is possible to register a litter without first registering a cattery name?
 

GoldyCat

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I think I'd try to find a different breeder. Demanding a $200 deposit before they give you complete information on the kittens sounds iffy to me, especially if it's nonrefundable.

The mother does look like a Russian Blue, possibly show quality. The father and the kittens do not.
 

goingpostal

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I’m guessing this is a scam and there are no kittens, one of those pics came back linked to a different breed ad for sale in google. Way too many red flags. How much has the breeder questioned you about your home or cat experience or is he simply pushing cats for sale? Good breeders care where their cats go and have plenty of info out there available for buyers.
 

StefanZ

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Agree. Also why they send you pics of 5 weeks kittens where you really cant see they are russians, and not recent pics when 11w?

And now you would get a decent picture of their looks to come.

Very young russians arent much different from random sweet blue moggies. Not even mine own "grandchildren" were. :)
 

mservant

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I'm afraid I agree with others, there is something not right about this.
The price seems very low and asking for a deposit without giving you full access to the cattery's information for checking stuff like TICA registration is worrying.
As for the cats, I can't do the Google image search from my phone but reading the result it is not good. Also, while the dad looks reasonable as European/UK RB the mother is more TICA and that is odd. The first kitten looks to be of cobby build which is not right either. They should be long limbed and on the lythe, lean side.
If you were looking for blue, non-pedigree and no deposit so you could visit and decide on health and welbeing I would not be concerned but the situation as you describe it does not add up.
Sorry as we all know here how hard it is to hold back on kittens when you thi K you have found one / some.
Please be careful here.
 
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thawkins777

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Thank you all for your very thoughtful responses and impressive detective work! Based on your feedback and my gut as well, I have decided not to pursue these kittens. I am still on the hunt for the right "less allergen producing" kitten for my family, and I have actually just been in touch with a very reputable breeder in the city I live, not of Russian Blues, but of another breed. It is truly a night and day difference speaking with her versus this other, questionable breeder. I will update you on my journey with this new breeder and hopefully will be able to introduce you to my new feline family member in the coming weeks! Thank you all again. I really appreciate all of your help and support!
 

mservant

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Hope your search is fruitful and you find your new fur family soon.

Be aware that no breed of cat is guaranteed not to trigger your allergy. Make sure you spend a lot of time in their company before adopting as having to surrender new family after you all bond is truly heartbreaking.
Whether your allergy is triggered is such an individual thing.
 
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