Don't put kittens on hold until you have a deposit

Now I know why deposits were invented haha, 2 kittens have been on hold for someone since they were born, then the person was complaining about money being tight and not being able to get the deposit but silly me was still holding them, then it clicked in my head, well if you cant pay a deposit how are you going to pay vet's bills?! So I have decided to not hold them any more and let other people come and view who can afford to buy and keep a pet. In future kittens will be available until a deposit is paid this way it saves arguments, at least I've learnt my lesson.

So sorry I just had to share it and get it off my chest

 

Dont worry we have all been there, I kept a kitten back from my last litter as they were busy then on holiday, all of a sudden the kitten was 14 weeks old ready to go and they found a cheap cross to buy!

Always get deposits now!

 

yes deposits are a must ...

 

Yep been there i never hold a kit now without a deposit,lol.

 

It must be awful to be let down like that. maybe next time previosnally hold the kitten for say 1 week to await the deposit? just an idea then maybe still take enquires and have someone who likes the kitten on stand by incase they dont send deposit. Its just an idea

 

yep deposits are defo a must mind you i have heard a few stories where people have left a deposit and still didnt come to collect the kitten !!

hope you find a home for the fur baby soon

 

I don't breed cats, but I'd never take a deposit for a puppy until I had met the owners. Firstly, I want to know that they are going to the right home, and secondly, a deposit is part of a legally binding contract. Once you have taken a deposit, you are duty bound to sell to them. What if when you meet and vet them you decide that it is not the right home for one of your precious kittens (or in my case puppies )

 

Although I am a breeder, I recall years ago when looking for my queen, I offered a deposit and felt a lot more comfortable when my offered deposit was accepted. That way, I know that the breeder is also "bound" in some way to sell me the selected kitten as promised. Doesn't always work though, as I learnt ... but it can help. I used to never accept deposits for my kittens as it seemed to me that, if you promise to buy, then I promise to keep reserved, the kitten a buyer selects. However, I am reading more and more stories of breeders whose potential buyers run off and get something inferior but cheaper ... and not telling the breeder until the pedigree kitten is much older.

 

Have you met the people? Do they seem like good kitten owners? Things happen which require people needing to fork out a large sum of money. They maybe had enough but now haven't for a very simple reason. I don't think you can automatically assume they won't therefore be able to give them vet treatment etc....

I have enough money to care for all of my cats so they want for nothing. But that doesn't mean I could afford £400 for a kitten. I'd have to save.

I'm just saying if you've met them and them seem nice then maybe it's wrong to assume.

But at the end of the day they are your kittens and if you want to take them off hold then I hope they get great new homes soon.

 

I had a bit of a situation with Mistys kittens. A man contacted me and liked the bi-colours I had. He asked if I could hold it for him, he didn't want to pay a deposit and couldn't visit as he was on holiday for 2 weeks.

Then a lady came to pick her kitten and wanted the 2 bicolours! I didn't know what to do but I liked the idea of them going together, so I said yes.

The man returned from holiday and emailed me. I am sad to say I ignored his first email as I felt so bad. Then he emailed again and he had a very nasty attitude, I emailed him back explaining I liked the girls going together and he had not paid a deposit and apologised but he was still quite nasty.

Quite please he didn't get a kitten to be honest.

 

Good for you - hope he jumps in a freezing lake. Your babies went to the right home - ie, not to him.

 

Nice way of putting it.

 

I never take a deposit, as I would rather the new owners came back because they wanted the kitten and not just because they would lose out on a deposit. In 7yrs of breeding, have yet to be let down. That said I wouldn't consider booking a kitten out from birth, because you can not tell whether the kitten is the right match with the new owner as you have no idea of his/her temperament. Very few pet owners will wait 13 weeks for a kitten.

 

I would of done the same no deposit no kitten,lol.

 

Well at least we learn from our mistakes!! xx

 

Why are some breeders taking deposits for their kittens from people they havent yet met? Where does the vetting part come into it then?

Surely its much easier to wait and see if the prospective buyer is going to be suitable first - that way you also avoid any complications that may arise when you finally do meet and you decide not to let them have a kitten. By accepting a deposit you virtually ARE promising them a kitten.

If interested buyers can't be bothered to come and meet my kittens first then they dont get one as it shows that they are not fully committed. When someone enquires that is quite a distance away from me I make it clear that I would like them to visit first, if they get 'iffy' about it then I tell them they should try for a breeder that is closer.

My viewings are from 9 weeks - after the first jabs as by this age they are all starting to show their individual personalities and I will have chosen the one I want to keep back. This is the stage where Im willing to accept a deposit if all goes well after the visit.

 

I also agree with Angeli in regards to vetting the people first before taking any sort of deposit, in my op i agreed to always taking a deposit but i hadnt realised the OP had not even met the owners.
cant really add anything more to what Angeli has already stated

good luck finding them homes

 

No lol I didn’t want him to send me money without viewing the kitten, he was saying he would come then changing his mind and saying oh well I don’t think I’ll get the money for the deposit, in my opinion it felt as if he was just leading me on saying he wanted them but had no way of paying for them but I was still holding them for him until I decided to say no, which was hard as I don’t like the thought of confrontation and when I had said no he did get nasty and implied I just wanted the money, well no because I’m only 18 and my dad and my brother paid for my cats and to get me set up for breeding , so I have many years of paying back to do before the money from the cats is mine but even then it will go on the cats boosters, food, toys and I’m wanting to start showing in the future and that costs a lot of money, I just hate it when people insinuate that breeding is an easy job and you rake a load of money in every litter, well you don’t. I wouldn’t pay a deposit without seeing a kitten first so I definitely wouldn’t let someone else do it, I’m glad they are not going to him though. Looking back conversations were a bit strange and he even asked for a picture of me :s hahahaha.

 

lol oh so had a lucky escape then

 

yeah deffo! lol