02/08/2023
I had to copy and paste this from another group. This is something not really talked about and should be addressed. This is also why I am EXTREMELY picky for people I choose to have one of our kittens. This is a hobby, I don't NEED to give a cat to ANYONE. I will not respond if I feel it's not a right fit ๐คทโโ๏ธ
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Bad Buyers
This is a discussion that nobody ever wants to talk about. Everyone always goes on & on about bad breeders, but not a peep about bad buyers. Breeders are always having to put up with bad buyers. 95% of our buyers are wonderful, but that 5% makes breeding very frustrating at times.
Hereโs what bad buyers do. They take the kitten & make it part of their family. Then right around the time the contracted health guarantee is about to expire, sometimes even longer, weโre talking years, they come back on the breeder for some type of illness, sometimes itโs an injury, but they blame it on genetics. Some buyers fall on hard times & then regret their purchase & make up illnesses & try to extort money from the breeder & recoup what they paid for the kitten. Many breeders cave, and shell out thousands, in order to save their reputation, knowing that social media falsehoods can ruin a good cattery.
If youโve had your cat for any length of time, that cat is your responsibility. Itโs everyday care & medical care is your responsibility. Breeders canโt guarantee against every illness. These are living creatures & like all living things, they get sick, they get injured, they can pass away, from all sorts of things, that have nothing to do with the breeder. Breeders guarantee against genetic illnesses. We can do this because we know that the kittens we produce are from parents that have been tested clean.
If youโre having issues with your cat, take care of the issues. Donโt hold the breeder responsible. The cat has been out of our care & control, so we have no way of knowing what happened, what caused the issues, or even if the buyer is being truthful. Donโt blame it on genetics, claim itโs congenital, or that we knowingly sold you a sick cat. Thatโs the last thing any reputable breeder wants to do.
We test our breeding cats. Kittens are vet checked before leaving us. We try to do everything to ensure a positive experience for our buyers. Sometimes kittens get sick when they first go home, or something is missed. We are human & fallible. Or in some cases they develop stress induced illnesses, which clear quickly. In those situations, talk to your breeder. Most breeders will help you through treating & even pay for any meds needed.
Things not to do: donโt wait a year, 2 years, or even more & come at us saying the cat has been sick since the day you got it. We know thatโs not true. Donโt yell, scream, threaten, or blackmail. Donโt go straight to a breederโs page & post a negative review, then demand money to remove the review. We donโt care, we just shut off reviews & problem solved. We also have past communications, proving our side.
Things to do: be civil, state clearly what you want from the breeder, donโt be upset & retaliate in an unfair manner, especially if just trying to con money out of a breeder. If legit, send vet records. No breeder will take you serious, without documentation. Full vet records, not just pictures of the part you want us to see. Be sure identifying chip number is included on all vet records. Nothing redacted. Otherwise, how are we to know itโs not some feral cat that your trying to save? Be prepared to return the cat, if asking for money, or a full refund. A breeder is not going to refund a buyer, or pay their vet bills, without taking the cat back. Itโs obvious to us at that point, that youโre not capable of properly caring for the cat.
Finally, think of adopting any animal, the same as you would adopting a child. If you adopted a newborn, that developed issues at 2 years old, would you go back on the biological parents, the doctor that delivered the baby, or the hospital, demanding money, or would you just consider it your responsibility? Buy pet insurance, then you never have to worry about medical expenses!
Donโt be a bad buyer!!!