We are getting ready to buy a kitten from Melinda (mindy) richards out of Oak Grove Ar (near branson mo)...anyawys just wondering if anyone has purchased from her and if shes legit. any advice on how to find out if we are getting a good kitten, before we drive 4 hours to get him????
i found her ad on ebay classifieds and some other pet classifieds, but no website. ive talked to her on teh phone briefly and emailed a few times..... she sent me pictures but hasnt really told me much except shes says they are registered but she hasnt got the paperwork back but will mail it to me when she gets it.... does this sound right?

any info ASAP would be awesome because we are suppose to leave in 9 hours to pick him up ...
THANKS A BUNCH!

Hi and welcome,

Ideally you should meet the breeder and the kittens before you make a decision. Sometimes I understand that can be difficult when distance is an issue, but you at least want to make sure that you have a list of questions to ask the breeder. Take a look at this thread, so that you are armed with the right questions and you know what conditions the kittens/cats should be kept in etc...


viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11816


It's very important that you ask what health testing this breeder does and what health guarantee she offers. Ask to see the parents and their pedigree papers, and make sure her cats are kept in clean conditions and the kittens are sociable and healthy. If you manage to see the litter boxes, look out for firm poops, as any sign of diarrhoea could indicate a parasite infection such as TF which is very common and extremely unpleasant for the kittens and for the new owner to deal with.


I would be slightly worried that the breeder doesn't have a website and also that she advertises on ebay. I don't know if this is the norm in the US but that would put me off tbh. If you're not 100% happy when you've visited this breeder then please walk away. You want to end up with a beautiful, sociable & healthy kitten that will be part of your family for many years, and a breeder that will be 100% supportive and responsible throughout the kittens life, so please don't let the distance influence your decision.

_________________
Best Wishes,
Maddy

Please don't be too hasty to get a kitten. That's part of how they get you, once you're already THERE to get the kitten, it's cute and you don't want to say no. But all kittens are cute, and since this is hopefully a 20 year commitment, you should go into it as prepared and knowledgable as possible. I'll admit that the ebay thing is a touch odd. HCM is a big condition in Bengals that should be screened for annually, and don't believe the breeder if they say something like "HCM isn't in my cats' line" because that isn't true. Ideally PK-def should be tested for as well.

I think it is a little concerning about the way she advertises... make sure the paperwork is legit. She said she doesn't have it back yet, and that could either be true, or it could be an excuse to not have papers and you'll never see them. In this case, also please be prepared to know what a bengal kitten looks like. We see so many people on here with regular tabbies that have been sold for high prices as bengals... so knowing what exactly the breed looks like can save you there.

I agree very much with what Tally-Isham and 7Deadly$ins have said so far. Just be very wary, and go into it armed with information. And no, in my experience I don't think it's a common thing for reputable breeders in the US to advertise solely on eBay and other classifieds... I think any good, responsible, established breeder should at least have their own website with information about their cattery, their breeding cats, their health testing, etc. You have to ask yourself, why do you think this person is breeding Bengals? Are they doing it just for the money, or because they strive to better the breed? If they are doing it for the right reasons, they're going to end up spending a lot of money to breed and raise the kittens properly, they're not going to be making money... Breeders who are proud of their cattery and their cats generally have a legit website at the least.

Can you show us links to this person's ads? If not, can you share any pictures they've sent you? If you don't mind me asking, how much is she charging for the kittens? 7Deadly$ins had a good point about making sure you know what to look for in a Bengal kitten, because it's not an uncommon thing for people to try and pass off regular domestic kittens as Bengals or Bengal mixes sometimes.

It's a good thing you're seeking advice before making this commitment, even if it is cutting it a bit close... We are here to help.

A bit of googling will come up with the following:

https://www.facebook.com/todaysthv/post ... 8030820254

"Research institutions that, to the best of our knowledge, continue to purchase “random source” dogs and cats from Class B dealers or that reserve the right to do so.

Arkansas
Bertek, Inc., Greenbrier, AR

Random source means that the Class B dealers can buy from anyone and those people can have obtained the dogs/cats by any means (for example) strays, "free to good home" ads out of the paper, shelters and/or even stolen pets! "

So I would run a mile and find someone that is reputable.

I just did a bit of googling myself, and I'll just say I didn't find anything *good* associated with that person's name/address...

I would strongly suggest actually locating a reputable breeder, des1982. Hopefully you're a little more informed now, and you know better what to look out for.

_________________
Best Wishes,
Maddy

It sounds like you live near me. I've never heard of that breeder. Sending you a PM.

des1982 hasn't responded at all since this thread was created. And he/she said they were planning to go get the kitten within 9 hours... I wonder what happened? =/

Hey everyone,
thanks for all the good replies! we ended up driving to see the cat and we did end up taking him home. i talked with the breeder at length about her background and her cattery and it seemed like she was legit. she provided the parents paperwork...altho now im looking it over after we've gotten home and it seems like the owners of the parents are 2 diff people...is this normal??

Ive heard of some breeders who use someone elses male or female just to mate but both? idk she seemed legit after i talked with her but now im even more worried!
here is a link to her ad:
http://springfieldmo.ebayclassifieds.co ... d=15240321

here are pics of the actual kitty....

Gosh he seems tiny... How old is he?

Did you receive a pedigree detailing family history?

The paperwork she showed you, what was it exactly?

It is very normal for breeders only to have the queen and use an outside stud. *It could be that she owns both cats but bred neither herself.

_________________
Lollo

He is darling. I don't know what to think of her ebay ad other than I just don't understand selling animals on ebay. He does look a little young. How is he settling in? Are you happy with him?

Well here is the news. I probably should have listened to my original instincts. We've had the kitten (who we named Jackson) for 3 days and he is darling. So adorably cute altho very tiny, she said he was 10 weeks old. All the paperwork she gave me was basically an excel spreadsheet printed out with his shots/worming on it and a copy of the parents TICA paperwork - which i honestly find kind of unlegit. but i was trying to keep hope. well he's had major diarrhea since we got him, i mean he's crying in pain when he poops and its like shooting watery diarrhea...very very sad. other than that, he seems fine. plays well, runs jumps etc. like i said, hes so adorable. my dog absoultely loves playing with him already. well we take him to the vet today just expecting some easy diagnoses like stress....first alarming thing, the vet says well he looks like a bengal on his markings but he's really quite fuzzy for a bengal, ive never seen one like that, are oyu sure he's full blood? then he tested positive an extreme case of Tritrichomonas foetus which is apparently nto only hard to treat but just the first month costs $200...and the vet said this is something that will either go away or just wont ever go away and will stick around forever. and on top of it, can infect our other animals....needless to say, we cant keep him. im heartbroken! i know we've only had him 3 days but all i can think is if we give him back he's going to dye from the diarrhea, dehydration, etc and its breaking my heart! But theres no way we can keep him, for the $ and safety of our other animals, its just not possible. not to mention we spent a TON on him and a 9 hour drive round trip to get him and he's basically a money pit.

So, lesson here: trust your instincts. We contacted the breeder and she said we could return him for our money back but to be honest, i wont get too happy here until we've made the exchange... she's suppose to callus back to meet up, we will see.
Does anyone know what i can do to possibly make sure this little guy is taken care of? can i call someone after i return him? what should we do?

Please take a look at this thread:


viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3876


TF is treatable with 'Ronidazole' Did your vet mention this? Jackson really needs to be treated ASAP as he is such a tiny kitten. Your other cats may or may not have been infected, but they can be treated too. I'm not sure what your vet means re. the first month costing $200, but RDZ is normally just a one-off treatment and costs on average £50 here in the UK which is approx. $80. Did Jackson have the correct PCR test for TF? Have you thought of finding a different vet? Some vets are more knowledgeable with TF than others. In the meantime please make sure Jackson is drinking plenty, it's important that he stays well hydrated whilst he has diarrhoea. I'm sure your vet has told you this.

I really urge you to reconsider keeping Jackson rather than returning him to this breeder. He may end up in another unsuspecting pet home who again return him and he'll potentially have to endure being pushed from pillar to post. Worst case scenario, this breeder may not want to pay for his treatment and he will be euthanized. It does happen. I really do hope you keep him.

_________________
Best Wishes,
Maddy

Poor Jackson, you sound like a decent person so please now listen to the very good advice you've been given.
You made the decision even not being sure to get Jackson - now you have him - TF is easy enough to get rid of - do your research. Unfortunately this is a prime example of what happens when research isnt done when acquiring a kitten - that is not the kittens fault!

Im sorry if I upset you in anyway with what ive said, it isnt my intention, but that baby right now needs to be looked after, loved and well cared for. If there is any doubt in your mind he will not get the proper care then dont return him. Did you pay full price for him? if so demand she cover the vets fee's or you will report her to trading standards for fraud.