What is classed as a small hobbie breeder?

I am having a little problem regarding getting a refund off a breeder or a replacement kitten because of a problem with a kitten which went back to the breeder as they say they have not got the money yet because they have spent it on other things yet still bringing in more breeding queens.

Any 1 got any suggestions as my next step could be a drastic step which i dont really want to take, communication with the breeder is when they have time to reply due to having family commitments and 20+ cats and 2 full time jobs.

If they are registered you can always report them to the gccf. Where you given a pink slip when you bought the kitten?

It shows this breeder isn't actualy making any money out of breeding kittens though if she's having to sort out paying you back - people do not realise how expensive it is to keep queens and studs x

what was wrong with the kitten and why aren't you having a replacement?? x

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It would also depend on what the problem with the kitten was, for example if you just changed your mind, or found out a member of the family was allergic, or the kitten misaimed the litter box once or twice, then I would at least deduct your deposit from the refund. Could you tell us more about the circumstances

The kitten had an eye problem which i was not happy with and dont think i was given all information from the breeder and after 2 days i told the breeder this but it took them a week to pick her up. they had had an earlier problem in the litter with other kittens getting some infection which they said this kitten had not caught at the time but had put back the date of innoculations. I was not allowed to come and see the kitten during the 13 weeks as they was either too busy or had too many litters of kittens on the go and didnt want me to disturb them

They was very quick to come to me when i said i would pay more on the kitten before i needed to so they could bring another cat in otherwise they would not of got the cat they desperately wanted due to lack of funds.

They have had other kittens available but already committed to other buyers.

My whole experience with this breeder is that it was an effort for them to even keep sending me pictures of the kitten as it was growing over the period of been born to me getting her at the age of 16-18 weeks and 1 e mail reply i got was we do have lives as well as the cats

oh dear, i think my alarm bells would of started ringing straight away, every breeder that i have ever had a kitten or puppy from, has allways made time to give me a week by week update, with pictures and info, and chats on the phone, yes they do have family life, but still need to keep updating new owners to be, from what you have written it doesnt sound to good,

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To be honest I have no idea why you got a Kitten from these people in the first place and I highly dubt you will get any of your money back.

ok, kittens DO sometimes get eye infections, it can result from just something silly as mum washing their eyes after washing her privates!! xx

secondly, sometimes with newer queens you can end up having a few litters at a time if they al call at the same time and if they need to be bred sometimes it's not easy to do anything about it and you just have to mate them - if a young queen isn't mated after 3-4 calls it can result in nasty complications for the girl that breeders will not chance happening as we know it isn't nice if it happens x

so having a few litters can be something very normal, and not wanting to have problems with the others aswell is an obvious thing, most breeders will not let you see kittens until 9 weeks of age after they have had the first innoculations x

The breeder was honest with you about the problem with the kitten, some wouldn't be, so this shows morals in that respect x

what people don't realise is just how much time kittens take up, and then you also have housework, kids, sometimes a job etc to deal with too - i barely have time to sort pictures sometimes but i make time where and when i can - i however do not have kids or a job x

yes it sometimes does not work out smoothly but if its just an eye infection in the kitten and nothing else then there is no reason why antibiotics won't be the end of it and you could have enjoyed the kitten x

also on them not picking up for a week, again it's very hard work when you have kittens - i do not actually get out of the house until kittens are up to 4 weeks old + x

I am sorry if you do not agree with anything i have said but i have done both sides of this, picking up my pedigree neuters that i have still and also being a breeder aswell x sometimes things do not run smoothly, it's just the way it is hun xx

I am sorry you didn't have the best experience with your breeder though, with everything i have said i do agree it wasn't the best experience, but i can see the other point of view x

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I have just sent them an email

I have been chatting with a few breeders regarding the situation with either getting a refund from you or another kitten and they say i should contact the gccf if i don’t have any joy regarding the situation as you have got x back and a refund should of been given at that time rather than wait until you have kittens available.

Not sure what to do really.

Please advise accordingly


I now await for them to contact me

Eye infections in kittens are incredibly common and invariably resolve themselves with no lasting effects whatsoever - at least, the ones I have seen always do. If that is your only reason for concern then stop worrying, I think you will be unlikely to find a kitten that hasn't had an eye infection, unless you can find one that is from the breeder's first ever litter or has been raised entirely in an outdoor pen.

The lack of communication would cause me more concern but we are of course only hearing one side of the story. Raising kittens IS expensive especially if anything goes wrong and it is quite possible that they really do not have the money right now. Whether they should have spent the money on another queen is another matter but sometimes it is difficult to get queens and I can certainly understand the temptation to get one and worry about money later.

Liz