jamers asked:
I have endless genetic problems with my 2 - F4 savannah kittens that are only 8 months old. I was just wondering if any of you have any stories that you would like to share about your exotics and whether or not you were able to “report” the breeder and how you would do that.
I dont mean behavior issues, I mean issues that the cat cannot help but having, due to poor breeding. My cats have hip and knee problems, IBS, heart murmurs…
I have endless genetic problems with my 2 - F4 savannah kittens that are only 8 months old. I was just wondering if any of you have any stories that you would like to share about your exotics and whether or not you were able to “report” the breeder and how you would do that.
I dont mean behavior issues, I mean issues that the cat cannot help but having, due to poor breeding. My cats have hip and knee problems, IBS, heart murmurs…
December 1st, 2008 at 8:46 pm
My mother in law is a cat breeder. Unfortunately some breeders really don’t care about genetics and are just in it for the money.
If the breeder is registered you may be able to report them. Try contacting the cat breeders association in you’re state, they will be able to advise you of what to do.
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:58 pm
lots do have problems,a good breader will check for these if they show up as kittens
December 4th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
This is what a reputable breeder would do: Any cat that has any defect whatsoever would be altered so it could not breed. In some breeds such as Scottish Folds, a fold-ear should only be bred with a straight-ear because experience has shown that this is the only correct way to prevent hip and leg problems. If the breeder of your Savannah kittens has them registered somewhere, the problems you’re experiencing should be reported to the “fancy” where they’re registered. If you can find an association of Savannah cat breeders, that might be a good place to start, too. What you’re describing can happen in any breed — exotic or domestic — when a cat with a known defect is bred. Sometimes a breeder will only breed for looks, which is wrong. We should look for temperament and health, too. Most people who breed cats do so to promote the breed, not to make money. I’ve found that if you do it right there is no way to make money. It’s a hobby and should be done because you love the cats.
Have you talked to the breeder about the problems you’re having? Breeders have taken back kittens that couldn’t be cured of hidden diseases they had when I got them. That should be your first step.
Under no circumstances should these cats be bred (8 months old is considered an adult). You wouldn’t want to pass the physical problems along in the future. You have my sincere sympathy.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:35 am
My best friend bought a purebred snow spotted Bengal kitten from a supposedly reputable TICA registered breeder for 1,000 dollars, not including shipping. She had searched high and low for what she thought to be a good, breeding quality kitten as she wants to do shows, and she finally thought she found the perfect one.
When her kitten arrived (she was shipped in) my friend immediately noticed that she was too small for a normal Bengal kitten, and had diarrhea. She took her to the vet only to find out that the kitten had a very bad case of Coccidia.
Almost 2,000 dollars in vet bills later, the kitten died within the week.
The breeder apologized profusely and said that he had no idea how that happened, and that she kitten seemed healthy. He said that he couldn’t give her a refund but offered her a new kitten to replace it, which my best friend accepted.
A few months later the kitten came, at two pounds and four months old, the kitten was less than half the weight she should have been and completely feral. Again, the kitten had Coccidia.
More vet bills and an innumerable amount of problems later, the kitten is now doing better and is just beginning to accept humans.
She called the breeder to inform him of what happened with this kitten as well, and the breeder’s only response was that he was going to change vets. My friend is considering legal action to get her money back.
I know it is possible to find a good breeder over the internet, heck, I bought a english mastiff puppy from a great breeder that I found on the internet and she arrived in perfect condition, complete with vet papers, AKC papers, lots of socialization and an incredibly sweet disposition; but I won’t ever trust a cat breeder who doesn’t give me at least five references, and the phone number their vet so that I can check and double check.
A frighteningly high number of so-called reputable breeders are breeding for money first and looks second; instead of health, soundness, and temperament being top priority with looks being somewhere down the list. It disturbs me how often people think that only dogs need check-ups before being bred. Any cat should be spayed or neutered immediately at the first sign of a congenital defect of any sort.
Good luck with your Savannahs, I hope you find some way to make the breeder recompense you for what you’ve been through with them; that must have been incredibly difficult for you. How are your kittens doing now?