Help! I need some advice . . .

Hey, y'all. OK, I need some advice. My fiance and I went to a Burmese breeder's house this weekend, just to look at the cats and see if a Burmese would be right for us. Overall, everything was fine, but a couple things happened that I thought were rather odd.

First, she does not require in her contract that we not declaw her cat(s). I had thought that it was pretty standard for a breeder to make sure their cats don't get declawed, as it is a fairly barbaric process.

Second, she seemed very intent on selling us on her cats. She has three kittens right now, which were born in December. I am only really looking to have one cat right now, and I can't take it til May because where I'm currently living doesn't allow pets. I made sure I explained all of this to her.

Today, I received an e-mail saying that she has another kitten from another breeder that she bought that is going to be a breeder/show cat. She said she doesn't want to bring it home til the other three kittens from her cattery are sold. One of the males was sold yesterday after we had gone. So, there is one male and one female left. She offered that if I will agree to adopt BOTH kittens and take them immediately, she will sell them to me for the normal price of one kitten. This seemed very strange to me, and made me a little uncomfortable getting a cat from her. She even said that "if I get caught with a cat, the worst they can do is give me 30 days notice to leave." Even if that is true, I'd rather not violate the conditions of my lease.

Finally, while everything was clean and the cats looked well taken care of, they were all (both adult cats and kittens) very skittish, which is very uncharacteristic of Burmese cats. They were not at all comfortable with having us pick them up, with the exception of the little girl kitten.

So, in my mind, those are reasons to beware of buying a cat from this lady. But maybe I'm being too critical. Would y'all mind sharing what your opinion is on this? Thanks a bunch.

Is there some kind of registry, where you can check this woman out? She sounds kind of fishy, to me.

I don't know really anything about things like this as Ashley and Cleo both came from the humane society, but I wouldn't be comfortable with someone who is pushy like that. It would make me wonder WHY she is being like that. Be careful!

Something is not right with this picture!!! I would avoid this breeder. No one with any ethical commitment at all would ask you to take cats with a lease that doesn't permit it!!!

Your question, however, is probably best addressed in the Breeder's forum... I don't know whether there's a registry or anything (and that was a great suggestion). Would you like me to move this thread over there? You'll get lots of advice from members of the Cat Lounge, but you'll probably get the most informed advice in the Breeder's Forum.

Just let me know....

Thanks,

Laurie

Thank you all for your advice so far. Laurie, is there a way to copy this thread to the Breeder's forum, and still leave it here? I know I might get more informed advice from the Breeder's Corner, but so many more people frequent the Cat Lounge that I'd like to have it here, too. Should I just make another post in the Breeder's forum, or can you somehow copy it so it's in both places? Thanks a lot.

If you have doubts, find another breeder. Go with your gut feeling.
I was talking with three different breeders for a couple of months before I chose to go with Nakita's breeder. It shouldn't be a rushed process at all. Every reputable breeder will want to get to know you and the future home of their cats. The contract I signed stated that if I ever have to rehome Nakita, that I will give the cat back to the breeder. I doubt this breeder you are talking about won't do this and probably will have no contact with you after you pay her. I'm still in close contact with Nakita's breeder after 10 months and still ask her questions which she is happy to answer for me.

Why would a reputable breeder be almost forcing 2 cats on you?? Plus, why are they so skittish and maybe not socialized correctly? How long have you known this breeder and how did you find her? I still find the best way to find a good breeder is to attend cat shows in your area and and ask questions! Find out how long they have been in business, what associations do they belong to, are they active in showing the cats and how well they are regarded in the breeding community. Also, always ask for references!!

From what you have stated, I would find another place to get your future feline. It doesn't sit well with me and sounds like she it trying to just push the cats out the door no matter what.

Unfortunately, we're not allowed to have duplicate posts in different forums. When we move the threads, it does leave a redirect so the title of the thread stays in the Cat Lounge and when members click on it, it automatically takes them to where the thread has been moved. However, I'll go ahead and leave the thread here as I can see the debate for this being in either forum. What I've done instead is to PM several of the Mods who are breeders. Hopefully the first one on-line will be able to help you with further advice about what to do about this type of person. To me, it just seems unconscionable - almost like this person should be reported to some agency somewhere. Like a better-business-bureau for cat breeders. I just don't know if there is one!

It's just such a shame. There have been such horror stories upon occasion about irreputable breeders. And everyone, including the cats suffer. I don't know if this situation is that bad, but like I said before - something sure doesn't seem right!!!

I personally would not get a cat from this breeder. With all my purebreeds (with the domestic it was a different situation) it's always been like the breeders have been checking me out, if they'd let me buy one of their dogs/cats. Of course I also check them out, but it's been more about whether I can provide a good enough home for their puppy/kitten, and that's the way I think it should be. The breeder of my Maine Coon talked to me for a few hours before making up her mind to sell me one of her kittens, and she then kept the cat for a few more weeks even though she was already old enough to go to a new home, because my situation was such that I wouldn't have had a lot of time for the kitten just then. And finally, she's the one that brought the kitten to my home, she always does this, so she can also see if my home is what I described it to be and everything looks good. She's been over (I invited her) a few times since then, and we stay in touch by email too. This what a good breeder does, IMO. Do you think this breeder would help you with any problems you might have? Take the cats back if for some reason you couldn't keep them? Is she making sure you have a good home for them? I mean I'm sure you do, but does she know that?

On the other hand, the skittishness may be a bad sign too (breeders usually have lots of people come in) but if you judged my cats by that, you'd think I was a terrible owner too. My cats are always a bit skittish at first when strangers come in. But combined with the other things, I would definitely not get a cat from this breeder, would not want to support that kind of "business".

AuroraViva, sorry! I'm new to being a Moderator, and I've heard from the other Cat Lounge Mods that this thread really ought to be in the breeder's forum.

I'm going to go ahead and move it there, but I'll leave a "redirect" so you can see the subject of the thread here in the Lounge (and you'll be able to bump it up if it drifts down ). That way visitors to the Cat Lounge will be able to see the thread, and they'll be able to easily link over to it.

Like I said - I could see the reasoning behind both. I'm glad you've already heard from a number of people who purchased their cats from breeders. But moving it to the Breeder's forum will enable you to get advice FROM breeders.

This way you'll benefit from both forums!

Thank you everyone for your help so far. I have replied to the breeder's e-mail, saying that I just can't get any cats until May, and that my fiance and I still haven't decided whether we would want two cats or not, but that I'll stay in touch.

Oh, one thing I forgot to mention . . . this lady is a vet. Interesting, huh?

Just my 2 cents, but....
If you have a feeling that it isn't right or there is something odd about it.. then find another breeder!

Oh, and just because she's a vet, doesn't mean that you can trust her or her breeding practices...

I am in total agreement with the above posters.

To have an uneasy feeling about a breeder so early on in your dealings with him/her is not a good sign. I'm sure with a little patience you will find another Burmese breeder that puts you at ease, and is more concerned with the home his/her babies are going to, rather than pushing them out the door.

Just out of curiosity, how old are the kittens she is selling?

The kittens were born in early December, so they are almost 16 weeks old. I really do think that I will go with a different breeder. The little girl kitty was very wheezy, too, which made me even more nervous. The kittens in that litter all have deformed noses; the breeder said it came from the mother. It makes me wonder if she knew about this defect from previous litters that the queen may have had. If so, why would she keep on breeding her?

It sounds as if you have made the right decision. It's really important for you to feel comfortable with the breeder. The biggest thing that bothers me is the defect. I don't know of any reputable breeder that will continue a line that produces an undesirable trait.
IMO, a good breeder should be asking you questions, being open to answer ANY questions,and making sure you would be a good home for a kitten. Also, health is an issue as well. They all should be alert and show no signs of an upper respitory infection.
Being a breeder, I try to do whats best for all my cats and kittens. If anyone would like to see what our contract looks like, it's listed on our website. There's a link for us on my Sig line