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169867 tn?1327598654

Pedigree kitten with URI

I have had a reservation on a pedigree kitten since before it's birth. It is now about 10 weeks old. I put down a non-refundable deposit when we visited the breeder and viewed and chose our kitten two weeks ago. It is the loveliest cat I have ever seen and I am so excited! I still have weeks to wait until we can collect him after his second vaccination. The litter should have had their first vaccination last week but the breeder has notified us that it has had to be postponed until the kittens are well as they have discharge from their eyes and noses. They have antibiotics and eye treatment from the vet. She didn't go into further detail.
I looked up these symptoms on the internet and came back with Upper Respiratory Infections/ Cat Flu/ Chlamydia.
Most sites state that 80% of cats infected with the more common viruses become carriers and can spread the  illness even when they appear healthy. It also states that some of these cats continue to have flare ups of the illness for months or even years. I intend to get pet insurance for the cat and I don't have any other cats at the moment (but may decide to add another cat to our family in the future).
I want a healthy cat that will live a long and happy life, I am concerned that I will be paying a lot of money for a pet who could come to us with already established health problems.
Am I being overly cautious?
Is a kitten (because it is still developing) more at risk of getting future health problems from these viruses than an older pet? Could the symptoms be something other than a URI?
Should I be concerned?

Thanks



3 Responses
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228686 tn?1211554707
No worries. Let me know how the whole thing works out, and if you have any other questions. Animal breeding has the best an the worst, just like every other industry. The law is finally catching up in terms of regulation, but it does still need some work.
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169867 tn?1327598654
Thank you so much for your reply. It has been incredibly helpful to me.
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228686 tn?1211554707
Yes, you should be concerned. first, be sure your breeder is a certified breeder, fully licensed. Some of them will claim to be, but when you get them into court, they use a trick where they state they aren't a breeder, they only have 12-14 animals they sell a year (this is an attempt to get around the laws dealing with breeders. Most states vary, but above a certain number of animal sales, they're considered breeders. They attempt to cicumvent this with these claims).

Second, demand to see the vet report that states the kitten has been cleared of all diseases and illnesses, hereditary or otherwise. I'd check the paperwork you signed to see what it claims as well.

You're in the unusual position of having paid a deposit and the breeder is stalling for reason that may or may not be legitimate (supposedly non refundable).

The law states that a non refundable deposit in a contract is returnable if either party is in breach. In this case, there's a reasonable expectation that the kitten will be given to you after it's second vaccination.

If this health issue is due to a simple cold (it could be) then it should be cleared up in a week. now, it's up to a judge to interpret, but most would say if 4-8 weeks have gone by and you haven't received the merchandise (kitten), then the breeder has violated the spirit of the contract and the refund must be returned.

Be aware that the law provides only about 14 days from the actual receiving of a pet to do a return. There's a whole section of legality I won't get into here in a case of a pet that is "past the expiration date" or a pet that has an illness, and suing for vet costs, etc... that I won't get into now (hopefully you won't have to deal with that!)

But since you haven't received the kitten yet, this doesn't apply. Provided this IS a breeder.

This is important; if the breeder and you decide to go with a DIFFERENT kitten, you must redo the contract. DON'T roll over the refund. This time, read it carefully. If he won't do that, demand your money back. In this case, HE is in breach of contract and the non refundable status is void.
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