Purebreds in shelters?

[tammat]

This is a fascinating thread. Most nights before I sleep I read about cats or look up different breeds. It's just what I'm interested in but when it comes to genetics I am totally lost. Goes straight over my head. There have been some good points made here about not returning pedigrees back to the breeder. I am actually getting two pedigree kittens in two sleeps from a registered breeder. Yay! I am aware that I can return them because I've read it in several places. Maybe other buyers don't know this?

 

[StefanZ]

 I am aware that I can return them because I've read it in several places. Maybe other buyers don't know this?

I suspect the more common is they dont care, or - care too much, ie feel ashamed. They did their outmost to make a good show of themselves as a good home, and now they dont want to admit their failure...  So if they dont quickly find another good home, they try to solve this in the most easy way - surrending to a shelter.  Im sure such happens now and then.

A not unusual source are cats from senior citizens. Where the owner get sick, perhaps dies. The papers perhaps gone now. the breeder has lost track, now 10 years afterwards... And so, the shelter again.

 

[sivyaleah]

We nearly adopted a purebred Ragdoll this past year off of Petfinder.  I had suspicions, because, well, not a lot of purebreds do show up there.  However, as it turned out the cat WAS indeed purebred. 

I posted a long thread here about it, because I had various concerns once I met the cat - she seemed poorly socialized for a purebred and I suspected there may have been some kind of abuse involved.  We knew we were not capable of taking on the task of having her in our home, especially with a resident cat in the mix.  I saw the papers from the breeder and read their contract too (we were invited to the home of the owner to meet the cat). All of this was going to be given to me if I adopted the cat.  I took note of their name, posting it here in error (I didn't realize this was an inappropriate thing to do, I was new here).  

Thankfully, however, one thing led to another and a member here who knows many Ragdoll breeders on the circuit, intervened behind the scenes.  Also, thankfully, the rescue organization that I was dealing with is highly reputable and I had developed a nice relationship with the person who runs it.  In the end, the cat was placed back with the breeder, who was incredibly grateful that (and upset no doubt) to have the cat back.  I was recently in touch with that breeder, to find out how the cat was doing and there was a happy ending all around.  She was rehabilitated (they also suspected she was abused), and is back up for adoption with specific instructions that it be a home with no children and no other pets.

So, yes there are times where the owners will not contact the breeder even though the contract clearly states right of first refusal.  Some people don't realize what they got themselves into; aren't fit to be the owner of a cat and then apparently do feel guilty or whatever.  I guess it is easier to just toss them to the ASPCA/PetFinder/Craig's List, whatever, than to admit they were at fault in the rearing of such a valued and expensive pet.

Very sad indeed.

 

[physicsgal981]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mschauer I would imagine a true purebred could easily end up in a shelter if the owner moved some distance away from the breeder and didn't want to bother with the trouble and expense of returning the cat. I've wondered about how often this might happen.

All sorts of things can happen, often I think it's down to the adopters breaking the return agreement and taking things into their own hands (possibly through embarrassment, they don't want to tell the breeder). I know of one case where one breeder was alerted by another who had seen a cat advertised as free to good home on a free listings site - and recognised what lines it was likely to be from the look of the cat in the photo. It was confirmed that it was indeed one of that breeder's babies, and she tried to contact the family to get the cat returned to her, but never got a response and couldn't trace where the cat had ended up - it was an extremely distressing experience for her, not to know what had happened to one of her precious babies, and wanting it to come back home as things hadn't worked out.

I volunteer with the county shelter (so we have to take in everything that walks through the door).  The number of animals we have turned in that came from rescues (many of them local!) is shocking even though the rescues state very clearly in their contract that animal is to be returned to them at any time for any reason.  Thankfully due to microchips we are able to get these animals back to their rescue.  I imagine that happens to pure bred cats as well and if they aren't microchipped by the breeder then they can't be traced. 

 

[ritz]

In the cat sanctuary where I volunteer, a ragdoll was dropped off in the sanctuary's driveway with no explanation.  Being a purebred, he got adopted quickly.

In another case involving a hoarder, they got a pure bred Persian; he tested FeLV+ (the cat sanctuary has one room for FIV+ cats and a separate room for FeLV+ cats).  One of the friendliest cats there.

The cat sanctuary also has a policy where they will take back any cat they adopt out, regardless of how long ago that was and regardless of the circumstances.  They get some sick cats back--from people who should know better and who had the financial resources to take the cat to the vet.