Cat in vet overnight two hours after purchase

I bought a Siamese kitten from a breeder yesterday as a companion to my 3 1/2 month old kitten Rocket. She seemed really small for a ten week old kitten (especially compared to Rocket who I got at 11 weeks old) but the breeder explained that Siamese cats are very slender and their kittens tend to be smaller.

Once the kitten arrived at home all she did was sleep. I was very concerned because Rocket expressed an interest in his surroundings from the moment I let him out of his crate. I called my vet, and although the had no appointments for yesterday, the told me to come in.
Danielle, my kitten, is very dehydrated they could not get her to eat anything. So on her first night away from her mother and brother she stayed at the vets overnight. I am probably going to pay a minimum of £200 for her treatment. The vet also thinks she is stunted.

I manged to get a hold of the breeder yesterday who seemed very shocked that this has happened. She provided me with her vets name and number which I passed on to her vet. She said that she had had Dannielle vaccinated yesterday and the vet commented that her tummy was a bit swollen. This makes me angry that she went and sold me her kitten when she was ill, as if just passing the problem on to someone else.

She has offered to pay part of the vet bill in the end but this does not seem enough to me. Please consider that I had owned this kitten all of 2 hours before I had to admit her. I already paid £350 for the kitten in the first place.

Poor Danielle!

What do you guys think?

If she had just had the kitten vaccinated sounds like it may have been a reaction to the vaccine. I would speak with this persons vet..any problems like this in the past? She is being good to work with it sounds, for offering to pay part of the vet bill

Maybe you are right and I am jut being angry and judmental because I'm worried. I just felt so bad for Danielle.

I just spoke to the vet and she seems to be getting a lot better. She rolled in the food and kitty litter they gave her that she needed a bath! They will have too keep her in all day and possible tonight but I am so happy to hear how much better she is doing.

I don't think anyone would deliberately sell a sick kitty, if they were giving you their vet info and offering to help pay for the bill. The breeder should have paid more attention to her though knowing she has just had a vaccine IMO. I am sorry your Danielle is sick!

Thanks for replying. I'm just glad that she is ok. I called the breeder to let her know and left a voice mail message. To be honest it was the vet who started to make me suspicious. When I told him that I had called the breeder three times without her answering he implied that I may never hear from her again and that she might not send her vaccine details. Maybe because he had come across so many horror stories himself. But even he admitted that he thought it was very decent of her to cooperate.

I am sorry for this, but offering part of a vet bill on her side is great. When I bought my kitten, the contract specifically said I will be responcible for any vet bill, not the breeder.
So, take it, it's more than most breeders would do.
Most breeders also have a guarantee that if the vet examines a kitten (ususally during 48-72 hours) and the kitten is sick, they would take the kitten back in and refund your the money, or replace it with another kitten. Did you have to sign a contract?

Actually after some research I have changed my mind. I really feel like I have been taken advantage of. Let me explain why:

According to the General Code of Ethics for Breeders and Owners (GCCF)

8 Breeders must not knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of the breed nor falsely advertise cats

She told me my cat was a Balinese which is the same thing as a Siamese. It was only at the vet that I was told she is a Siamese and that there is a difference between them.

The GCCF strongly recommends that no kitten should be permitted to go to a new home before 13 weeks of age. At least seven days prior to this, the kitten should have completed a full course of vaccinations, including a health check, given by a Veterinary Surgeon or by a listed Veterinary Nurse under the direction of a Veterinary Surgeon. The breeder should ensure that kittens are house-trained, inoculated and in good general health.

My kitten is Ten weeks old and I got her the day after her vaccine. I did not know the recommended age, she is the professional that was supposed to know better. My cat was not in general good health by the time I got her home she was weak with pus in her eyes. My vet says her dehydrated condition takes a few days to develop.

10a. When a cat or kitten is advertised or sold as a pedigree cat or kitten the breeder shall, at the time of sale, provide the purchaser with a properly completed pedigree signed by the breeder, carrying 3 generations at least, showing all the breed numbers and registration numbers, also the breeder's name and address.

I did not get any papers while I was there, as she promised to send them to me, whenever I call and ask her to do this she says she will send them "soon."

"The GCCF is the governing body of the Cat Fancy in the United Kingdom
- the feline equivalent of the Kennel Club. " http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...CATS/index.htm

Here is the link if anyone is interested: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...ATS/ethics.htm

Here in NZ nobody gets the owners papers until we have proof that the kitten has been desexed.

What length hair does the kitten have?

The breeder should have warned you that there might be some kind of reaction after the vaccine. I'll bet all that is.

She should pay all the vet bills, we would do.

Keep us posted.

Thank you for your support! She has short hair which makes her Siamese according to my vet. She didn't say anything about reactions to vaccines.

My other Kitten Rocket was vaccinated a week ago, while he did get sleepy, he did not get ill. She is the expert, while Rocket is the first cat I have owned--and only for a month at that, she should have known that kittens can react badly to vaccinations and said something.

Danni is doing a lot better! She actually ate liquid food today. They are discussing whether she can come home today.

We miss her so much! Its amazing how quickly you become attached, we only had her for an hour at home. Even Rocket misses her.

I don't know too much but I know balinese have shorter fur when they are babies? maybe it is yet to grow

anyway glad she is feeling better have you updated the breeder on her progress?

Balinese are longhair Siamese, but its fine hair. Not like a fluffy persian. If the coat is ultra short then it would be a Siamese, but if its a little longer, then it will eventually grow a longer coat.

I didn't let my rex kittens go to new homes until 4 months old with all their shots.

With no signed contract there is probably little you can do. Hopefully the breeder will pay for part of the vet bill, but don't expect it. Its verbal which really means nothing.

I hope your little kitten is a lot better soon.

Originally Posted by Sims2fan

Actually after some research I have changed my mind. I really feel like I have been taken advantage of. Let me explain why:

According to the General Code of Ethics for Breeders and Owners (GCCF)

8 Breeders must not knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of the breed nor falsely advertise cats

She told me my cat was a Balinese which is the same thing as a Siamese. It was only at the vet that I was told she is a Siamese and that there is a difference between them.

The GCCF strongly recommends that no kitten should be permitted to go to a new home before 13 weeks of age. At least seven days prior to this, the kitten should have completed a full course of vaccinations, including a health check, given by a Veterinary Surgeon or by a listed Veterinary Nurse under the direction of a Veterinary Surgeon. The breeder should ensure that kittens are house-trained, inoculated and in good general health.

My kitten is Ten weeks old and I got her the day after her vaccine. I did not know the recommended age, she is the professional that was supposed to know better. My cat was not in general good health by the time I got her home she was weak with pus in her eyes. My vet says her dehydrated condition takes a few days to develop.

10a. When a cat or kitten is advertised or sold as a pedigree cat or kitten the breeder shall, at the time of sale, provide the purchaser with a properly completed pedigree signed by the breeder, carrying 3 generations at least, showing all the breed numbers and registration numbers, also the breeder's name and address.

I did not get any papers while I was there, as she promised to send them to me, whenever I call and ask her to do this she says she will send them "soon."

"The GCCF is the governing body of the Cat Fancy in the United Kingdom
- the feline equivalent of the Kennel Club. " http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...CATS/index.htm

Here is the link if anyone is interested: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...ATS/ethics.htm

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Well, it sure doesn't sound good. I got my papers the same day I got my two persian cats. I did get one of my persians at 10 weeks, and he was a big fine kitten, though. Some breeders do wait on giving customers paper until the prove of spay/neuter, but yours never told you that. Did you call the vet she give you the number of? Does such a person even exist? As for her promising you part of a vet bill, she could have just lied to you again.

Hmm does sound a bit fishy. I got my papers when I got my kittens. But of course my kittens were breeders... Some breeders do hold the paperwork til a proof of S/N

Im sorry to hear about your baby , it is very nice that the breeder is offering to help with the vet bill, i can relate to buying a sick cat , In april of this year i baught two cornish rex kittens from a breeder in n.c. , on the day i recieved them i noticed they were sneezing and cauhging , then i noticed that she wrote a little note that said they were getting sick, so she knew they were sick before she sent them, come to find out she sold all of her cats with feline herpes, which i know is common in catteries, but people with a concious wont sell you a sick cat knowing it is sick and will be contagiouse to all of your other cats, the cats i got gave two of my siamese the virus and as a result i had to get rid of four of my cats because i couldant have the rest getting the virus, if people would only think about what they are doing and what they put people through when they sell a sick cat because it is heartbreaking to have to loss a member of your animal family all at the expence of somebody elses greed and carelessness,
well i hope your baby gets well and i hope you enjoy it.

It's sad to say, but their are a ton of "breeders" like that out there!!! Yes I agree with your vet... It is good that she is willing to do something to help you out! Your your baby feels better soon!!

I am surprised a reputable breeder would sell a cat at just 10 weeks of age. That is not the norm nor is it recommended. Have you asked your breeder about that? I am glad to hear she offered to pay part of the bill but I am concerned that any breeder would be selling a young kitten - too young to leave its moma - and that she sold you an ill cat. Havr you reported her to the local Cat's Association? Local Cat Fancy group? What was her reputation prior to the purchase - in the event this is an an isolated incident on her part but the fact she'd sell you a kitten that young gives me bad vibes!

Originally Posted by CyberKitten

I am surprised a reputable breeder would sell a cat at just 10 weeks of age. That is not the norm nor is it recommended. Have you asked your breeder about that? I am glad to hear she offered to pay part of the bill but I am concerned that any breeder would be selling a young kitten - too young to leave its moma - and that she sold you an ill cat. Havr you reported her to the local Cat's Association? Local Cat Fancy group? What was her reputation prior to the purchase - in the event this is an an isolated incident on her part but the fact she'd sell you a kitten that young gives me bad vibes!

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10 weeks is not that young. I got my kit in 10 weeks and he was big and healthy.
That said, this woman doesn't sound like a reputable breeder at all.
The fact that she didn't give any papers with the kitten suggest that this kitten might not even be purebred and most likely isn't registered.

As far as papers, I never gave the registration papers on my kittens till they were spayed/neutered (as per my contract). They got a copy of the pedigree but not the regristration papers.

But I also had the contract signed by the new owner and myself; the OP doesn't have a written contract in this case.


BTW I'd like to know the cattery of the rexes (send me private message) - I raised cornish rexes - you don't sell them till 4 months old.

Originally Posted by ScamperFarms

Hmm does sound a bit fishy. I got my papers when I got my kittens. But of course my kittens were breeders... Some breeders do hold the paperwork til a proof of S/N

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I think most reputable breeders who have pet quality kittens hold the papers until they receive the S/N certificate...otherwise, how could a breeder enforce that the owner isn't breeding a pet quality kitten?

Katie

Originally Posted by TNR1

I think most reputable breeders who have pet quality kittens hold the papers until they receive the S/N certificate...otherwise, how could a breeder enforce that the owner isn't breeding a pet quality kitten?

Katie

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I got papers on both of my persians when I bought them. When the breeder tells you he/she will give you the papers later, turn away because something fishy is going on.
If the breeder wants to wait until you spay or neuter, that will be in a contract.
When you have no contract and no papers, do not buy from that person.