should a kitten have a flea treatment before leaving breeder?

Cheryl d

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I am bringing a Siberian kitten home in a few days and have a few concerns about the breeder. I asked to see the kittens pedigree and asked if all his vaccinations would be up to date and if he would be wormed and have flea treatment she replied that she would message me a photo of pedigree wen she gets home and that he has only had 1 vaccination he has been wormed but won’t have any treatment to prevent fleas as the kittens are in doors. I believe the kitten dose need to have a flee treatment even if kept indoors? But however she has sent me videos of the kitten that looks like he is sometimes in a kennel type shed she is a dog groomer and am also concerned he’s not being brought up in the house like she said they were I have unfortunately payed a deposit wen he was only a few days old to secure him.
 

jefferd18

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Although I do agree with her that he/she probably does not need a flea treatment I am a little alarmed at some of her other behavior. How well do you know this breeder- does she have a good reputation? Have you seen photos of your kitten and how old will he be when you get him? And with the money that you are paying for him- why doesn't he have all of his vaccinations? He should not be leaving the breeder until he is 12-14 weeks old, plenty of time for her to get him vaccinated.


I hope other more experience members will chime in.
 

lutece

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How old is the kitten now? What vaccinations did it receive and at what age?

Normal practice for most breeders would be for the kitten to complete a series of kitten vaccinations before it goes to its new home (for example at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks). Many breeders will also spay / neuter kittens before they go to new homes.

Some breeders use worm medication and flea preventative on kittens, while other breeders maintain a parasite free cattery. Personally I would not be concerned that the kitten is not on flea preventative. If the breeder doesn't have fleas in the cattery it is not necessary to treat kittens with flea medication. You can always use flea medication at your home if you find a flea, that's easy to do. I would be more concerned about the kitten having received only one vaccination, which might indicate that the breeder sells kittens too young. Does the breeder register and show their cats? What else do you know about the breeder?
 

jefferd18

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How old is the kitten now? What vaccinations did it receive and at what age?

Normal practice for most breeders would be for the kitten to complete a series of kitten vaccinations before it goes to its new home (for example at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks). Many breeders will also spay / neuter kittens before they go to new homes.

Some breeders use worm medication and flea preventative on kittens, while other breeders maintain a parasite free cattery. Personally I would not be concerned that the kitten is not on flea preventative. If the breeder doesn't have fleas in the cattery it is not necessary to treat kittens with flea medication. You can always use flea medication at your home if you find a flea, that's easy to do. I would be more concerned about the kitten having received only one vaccination, which might indicate that the breeder sells kittens too young. Does the breeder register and show their cats? What else do you know about the breeder?

Un huh, everything I just said.
 

Columbine

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The breeder I got my guys from didn't do a flea treatment - she says she doesn't like doing it on little ones, and that makes perfect sense to me. She wormed, spayed/neutered and vaccinated them before they came home though. The boys came to us at 12 weeks old, and I think the girls were 13-14 weeks (Mala wasn't big enough to spay before that as she was the smallest in the litter by some way).

I, too, am concerned about this breeder's practices though. The alarm bells for me are (again) the fact that the kitten won't be fully vaccinated because of the age that implies he'll be, and that the breeder was demanding a deposit so young. Anything can happen at that age, and the breeder I went to won't take a deposit until you've actually met the kittens and she's met you. She allows visits from 8 weeks old, to make sure everyone is thriving and their personalities are more obvious when with strangers (some kittens, like small kids, can be shy with outsiders at first).
 
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Cheryl d

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Hi this message was wrote by my freind who is concerned about the breeder she was asking me for advice and I mentioned posting on the cat site as it’s really good. all advice I will show to her thank you :) she said she saw the add on a selling page and had only seen photos and videos of the kitten and it’s parents and after she picked the kitten and payed the deposit the breeder said a few week later the kitten was developing really well and could go at 9 week if she was ok with that. She asked about the vaccinations and worming and was told it would only have one vaccine and it’s her responsibility to get the second one once she had him and had been wormed but no flea treatment as kittens are kept indoors but She showed me a vidio of the kittens playing in a kennel and It did not look clean and could hear dogs in the back ground.I have said to my freind I am concerned about the conditions they are kept in and I would not bring the kitten home it’s too young.
 

jefferd18

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Hi this message was wrote by my freind who is concerned about the breeder she was asking me for advice and I mentioned posting on the cat site as it’s really good. all advice I will show to her thank you :) she said she saw the add on a selling page and had only seen photos and videos of the kitten and it’s parents and after she picked the kitten and payed the deposit the breeder said a few week later the kitten was developing really well and could go at 9 week if she was ok with that. She asked about the vaccinations and worming and was told it would only have one vaccine and it’s her responsibility to get the second one once she had him and had been wormed but no flea treatment as kittens are kept indoors but She showed me a vidio of the kittens playing in a kennel and It did not look clean and could hear dogs in the back ground.I have said to my freind I am concerned about the conditions they are kept in and I would not bring the kitten home it’s too young.

I still think that nine weeks is a little too young- she sounds like the typical backyard breeder. Oh well, what is done is done, and I hope your friend enjoys her little kitten. Please inform her that she not only bought a kitten, but judging by the conditions you saw, she also most likely rescued one as well.
 

Sarthur2

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Exactly! Consider that the kitten will be going into a much better and safer home! :)

However, the breeder should be able to provide paperwork to your friend that shows the parent cats’ registrations, along with the one vaccination the kitten has received. But if not, the kitten still deserves a loving hime.
 

StefanZ

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Indoors only kittens from reputable breeders usually arent defleased, and sometimes even not dewormed. Our latest residents werent...

Ps I wrote more. But it disappeared when the connection broke. Lutece said most lf what I wanted to say.
 
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jen

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Vaccines start at 8 weeks so that is totally normal for the kitten to only have had one vaccine so far. You are responsible for the rest. If this breeder is really going to sell it that young.... Typically kittens shouldn't leave until they are more like 10-12 weeks as lutece lutece and others mentioned in which they would have possibly had their 12 weeks shots also. The final is at 16 weeks in which they also get their rabies vaccine. Or some vets will give it at the 12 week appointment.
 

sivyaleah

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Our kitten came to us at just under 16 weeks (would have been exactly 16 weeks except I requested to p/u a little early due to my own work scheduling issues) with all vaccinations except rabies. We were responsible for that since we picked her her a little early. No flea treatment and none was necessary (our other cat is on Revolution). We started her on it several weeks later. She was not spayed either - there's a feeling in the Maine Coons community that they should be spayed/neutered later than sooner so we took care of that at 6 months (crossing our fingers she wouldn't go into heat!) and provided proof of the surgery to the breeder.

I agree with everyone that the breeder in questions sounds questionable. Sending a kitten to it's new home at 9 weeks is just, wrong.
 
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