Purebred in shelter?

I saw this ad on petfinder today

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/...?petid=8137864

They say it is a purebred Bengal surrendered by the owner because he couldn't get along with the other cats. Don't most of you breeders have a stipulation in your contracts that you have first rights to the cat if they can't keep it?

He's a pretty boy. Shame I have 3 months left before I can have a cat

He certainly looks to be all Bengal.
I hope his breeder somehow sees him.

this is just imo , but he dosnt look to be a full bengal?? he dosnt have alot of the features the bengal has. the long kinda pointed ears , he looks more of a lovely looking tabby mix? its his colouring that makes him look like there could be bengal in him? but then again im not a breeder nor have i owned a pure bred. but iv done alot of reading and seen countless pictures of this breed as i adore the bengal breed. and in the future i would love to own one.

I'm assuming they got the "purebred" from the owner that left him there, but don't know for sure. It doesn't say if he's papered. I'm tempted to call and find out. Would the papers list the cattery if he is purebred?

This really, really annoys me ... good, ethical breeders put so much effort into breeding cats and 99% of good, ethical breeders "sell" their cats with contracts. The cat should have been sent back to the breeder - NOT sent to a shelter.

Aaaarrrrrggghhhh! Is it soooo hard for the owner to pick up the phone and ask for the cat to be sent back???

Unless of course, the cat came from a BYB and all it entails.....

(sorry for ranting - it's nearly 3am for me!)

I'd call and find out. The breeder would probably like their cat back. He's pretty.

I sent an email to the contact listed, to ask if he had papers, so I'll let you know if I get a reply.

He looks like he hasn't had a happy life, poor guy

He looks like a pure Bengal to me, but very very far from show quality. He also looks really scared. I'd have to agree he looks like he hasn't had a very good life.

Maybe the person surrendering him bought him from a BYB, who doesn't care what happens to the kittens after they're sold.

When I see that cats pictures I get a very sad feeling.

Originally Posted by HopeHacker

He looks like a pure Bengal to me, but very very far from show quality. He also looks really scared. I'd have to agree he looks like he hasn't had a very good life.

Maybe the person surrendering him bought him from a BYB, who doesn't care what happens to the kittens after they're sold.

When I see that cats pictures I get a very sad feeling.

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He looks like a very scared Bengal to me It would be very good to know if he had papers, and therefore which breeder they got him from!

If I had a Bengal who was a lovebug and just didn't get on with the cats in my home, I have no doubt I would know someone who would love to take him off my hands for free and care for him properly.

Yes its in a lot of breeder's contracts. However, the owners don't honor that many times. So you wind up taking it to a shelter and dumping the cat instead of contacting the breeder.

At least when that happened to me in one or two kittens, I either took the kitten back or approved the new home (and followed up). Maybe the person lived on the east coast and the breeder on the west coast and felt they could not send the cat back (I know, poor excuse). I just wonder how the breeder would feel if they found their cat had been turned into the shelter.

I do know of a case where a himi had been sold to a person, the person lived in the same area; didn't want the cat and took the cat to a PET SHOP.

Someone else recognized the cat (breeder's lines) and checked to find out the cat was not only that breeders, but the papers were included - so she knew it was legit. She immediately called the breeder of the cat in the pet shop. The breeder was very upset, came down immediately and bought her own cat back before someone else got it!

The cat was lucky - it might not have had a happy ending.

If the breeder doesn't find out about this Bengal and get him back, than I at the very least hope a Bengal Rescue will get him out the shelter. He looks so scared. He looks like he needs a lot of love and socializing.

Originally Posted by XxtashaxX

this is just imo , but he dosnt look to be a full bengal?? he dosnt have alot of the features the bengal has. the long kinda pointed ears , he looks more of a lovely looking tabby mix? its his colouring that makes him look like there could be bengal in him? but then again im not a breeder nor have i owned a pure bred. but iv done alot of reading and seen countless pictures of this breed as i adore the bengal breed. and in the future i would love to own one.

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Bengals are supposed to have short, small round ears while long pointed ones are really not wanted. You may have mixed them up with Savannah cats which are supposed to have huge ears.

That cat looks like a bengal to me. Not a show quality one but a bengal nonetheless. It's very rare to get that clear contrast in mixed tabbies, and the head looks right as well.

Originally Posted by HopeHacker

He looks like a pure Bengal to me, but very very far from show quality. He also looks really scared. I'd have to agree he looks like he hasn't had a very good life.

Maybe the person surrendering him bought him from a BYB, who doesn't care what happens to the kittens after they're sold.

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I was gonna say he def does look like a bengal! Such a cutie, and that is soo sad

ok now i feel silly , thanx for that and putting me right i do hope either the breeder is contacted or he finds a loveing forever home.

I have had no response to my email. I will call them today on my break and ask. Does anyone know of a bengal rescue we can forward they info to, if he is purebred? I feel so bad for him, because he really does not look happy to be there. If I didn't have to wait 3 months till I move, I would go get him myself.

Ok this is the response I got.

Omar has papers, and he is neutered. We do not release the certifying documents with the animal due to confidentiality issues.

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So he is purebred, but if you adopt him, they won't give you his papers?? So no way to contact the breeder, unless someone at the shelter will do it...

A good breeder (and a good shelter or rescue for that matter) should ALWAYS take back a cat that is unwanted.

We had that policy at my shelter...we'd take back cats adopted from our shelter regardless of reason if the owner was unable or unwilling to care for the cat. However, that doesn't stop people from..I don't know...apparenty being to scared to face us or something, because we will sometimes get a call from the SPCA telling us to pick up our adopted cat that was surrendered to their facility.

as for purebreds in shelters....not a day went by when we didn't get at least one call about someone wanting to surrender their purebred (persians were number one, followed by bengals, then siamese) and they would often offer to give us the papers to prove how adoptable and valuable their cat is. My answer in that case was always the same: contact your breeder or if that doesn't work, a breed rescue.

I would contact her again and let her know about the contract most breeders have regarding taking kittens back.
They may not even be aware of it.
If they have his papers, they should be able to contact his breeder.

Originally Posted by PaulaS

So he is purebred, but if you adopt him, they won't give you his papers?? So no way to contact the breeder, unless someone at the shelter will do it...

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I believe that this is quite the norm - the not giving away the papers ... the owner of the cat wouldn't really want the breeder to know that the cat was given up would they? Or else, they would've just surrendered the cat back to the breeder instead!

Call back the shelter and explain the breeder situation to them. They want to get cats out of there as much as anyone since they don't have the space. You might put it also as that the breeder would be able to help find an appropriate home for the cat, since the presumably have a waiting list. Bengals don't fit into just any home.