PET PEEVES
This page has been written to express our dismay at how some breeders are treated by Pet Buyers. Thus, the name "Pet Peeves", really applies ! I don't know how many times other breeders have told me some of their experiences with pet buyers that definitely were not appropriate or polite, to say the least. If anyone reads this page and thinks it is written about them, then those are the people we are trying to educate on proper Etiquette when either calling, emailing or visiting a breeders home. Many emails that are sent without any information and those who cannot even sign their emails, are most times ignored so think about what breeders want to know about you before those emails get sent.
Here is a list of do's and don'ts when contacting a breeder for a cat or kitten. It really is as clear as black and white. This list is a compilation of the comments many breeders have told me about that really put them off selling to particular people. Anyone who wishes to add their Pet Peeves here, are more than welcome to email me and I will add theirs also.
NEVER send us an email without introducing yourself
ALWAYS tell us about yourself, where you live, if you have other pets, children, if you work all day etc... We try to place our kittens in the best situation possible so by giving us some information, we can help you choose a kitten that will fit into your lifestyle.
NEVER send an email without signing it
ALWAYS remember to be polite. You would never write someone a letter without signing it so the people know who you are. We expect the same courtesy.
NEVER just email us one line saying "How much are your kittens"
ALWAYS inquire about prices after you have given us some background on yourself. You would not call up Wal-Mart and say "How much are your jeans" would you ?
NEVER ask any breeder to sell you a kitten that is only 6 weeks old.
Always be patient enough to wait the 12 - 16 weeks needed before you pick up your new kitten. That might be fine with barn cats to be ready at 6 weeks but purebreds need to spend more time with their moms to learn the important things in life.
NEVER email breeders asking for so called "TEA CUP" Himalayans. There is NO such thing and breeders who say they sell them, for HUGE dollars, are only producing genetically unsound animals who will have many health problems early or later on in their lives. These kittens are runts, nothing more. Here are TWO LINKS to articles on these so-called tea-cups. Thank goodness we have never had this problem with our lines, since most of our cats are well over 7 pounds, even our females. Any serious breeder would be highly insulted or just not respond if they got emails asking for tea cup kittens since those of us who stick to the standards required for our breed, would NEVER consider breeding for sickly kittens, no matter how cute they may seem at the time. A kitten that size could never even be shown due to the size. There can be enough problems breeding healthy animals, why add to the problems by trying to produce very tiny kittens that may not live long. That would only break the hearts of the people we sold to and that is not acceptable to do.
ALWAYS do the research on the breed you are interested in BEFORE you email us with silly questions. I have had people email me not knowing the difference between one breed or the other, one colour from another. We refuse to sell to people that know nothing about the breed and just want one because it is pretty !
NEVER buy a kitten if it is going to be alone during the day.
ALWAYS make sure you will have the time to spend with a new kitten or have someone who is home during the days. It is not fair to bring home a very scared young kitten, just taken from its' only known home and then not be there with it all the time, at least at first. Can you imagine how frightened a young child would be if you left him or her alone all day and only saw them at night before going to bed ??? I get so upset when people say they will lock my babies out of the bedroom since they want a good nights sleep !!! If that is your plan, please buy from someone else ! Cats are naturally snuggly creatures and love a nice soft bed as much as we do.
NEVER email a breeder asking if they breed another breed or colors they do not produce.
ALWAYS do your homework and READ the web sites you visit so you know what colours they produce before you email asking for a pure white Persian when the site states they only breed pointed Himalayans etc... That only makes you sound foolish and makes us upset that you don't even know who you are emailing.
NEVER email us saying, call me, call me, I want a pet kitten
ALWAYS call us if you would like to discuss buying a cat or kitten. We have many expenses already, just feeding and caring for the cats so do not expect us to call you trying to make a sale. If you are truly interested in one of our kittens, then it is up to you to call us. If you call and leave a message, that is another story, we do respond to those messages if they are polite.
NEVER inquire about getting a cat or kitten if you live in another country but are not willing to have it shipped.
ALWAYS pay attention to the breeders location before you email them.
NEVER call us first thing in the morning or expect to visit at 8 a.m.
ALWAYS give us a chance to get our kitty chores done in the morning so do not expect us to always answer the phone early in the day. You have to understand that owning a cattery is a full time job and does consume most of our time. Call or email us to make an appointment to come and see the kittens.
NEVER show up at a breeders home without notice
ALWAYS be prepared to be turned away if you show up at our homes unannounced ! With animals, there are always things to do before having company in the house, being dressed appropriately, cleaning litter, floors etc... so please make sure we have the time to present our cats and our home to you in the same condition it would be in if we were expecting visitors.
NEVER tell us what time you will arrive and then just not show up
ALWAYS be courteous and considerate. The least you can do if you cannot keep your appointment, is to call us and let us know. It is hard work keeping a cattery spotless for company and we would appreciate not having our time wasted.
NEVER come to our home right after being at another cattery
ALWAYS visit only one cattery at a time since many diseases can be brought into our home and affect our kittens, seriously at times.
NEVER wear your shoes in our home
ALWAYS respect us and our homes and treat them like it was yours. Shoes can break cats tails or paws so please think about the animals when entering our homes.
NEVER bring children if you cannot stop them from running through our homes
ALWAYS have your children under control at ALL times. We would never let our kids run rampant in your homes so give us the same courtesy please. Do not let your kids enter rooms or pick up or grab kittens without our permission first. We do not let people handle our kittens until after they have had 1 or 2 vaccinations for their own protection.
NEVER let your children chase our animals
ALWAYS treat our animals kindly. You would be terrified if a stranger was running after you and grabbing at you, the same goes for our animals.
NEVER follow us from room to room without being invited to do so
ALWAYS remain in the room you are invited into and not follow us into bedrooms etc... This is simply rude behavior and will not be tolerated. We will bring the kittens to you, you do not have to hunt for them yourself.
NEVER go around grabbing every cat you see
ALWAYS think about what our animals are feeling when strangers come into the house. Let our cats come to you, not the other way around. Grabbing at them just scares them since they do not know you.
Never expect to come and visit half an hour after you call us
ALWAYS give us time to present and meet you in a clean and organized manner. We would never just drop in on you either so please return the favour.
NEVER expect us to have every cat bathed before you arrive
ALWAYS give us an idea of what you are looking for before you arrive. That way, we can properly groom the kittens you are interested in, not every cat in the house. Grooming is very time consuming and we do not want to groom every cat just in case you might want that one. We are always busy cleaning and do not need the extra work for no reason. Also do not expect to take a kitten home the same day you choose one. Our cats are always bathed the day before they go to their new homes.
NEVER expect OUR cats to jump into your arms after seeing you for 3 minutes
ALWAYS remember what it is like when you meet a new person. You would not want them to be all over you in the first 5 minutes. Some cats are shy around strangers, others want to be the centre of attention, they are all individuals and will come to you when THEY want to.
NEVER insult a breeder by saying this kitten or that kitten is ugly, homely or whatever words you choose to use.
ALWAYS keep those rude insensitive comments to yourself as we breeders think every one of our kittens is beautiful, even if it is a pet quality kitten who may not be as stunning as some others. Look beyond the beauty and choose a kitten for its' overall personality as well as having the look YOU like. Many breeders think of their kittens as family members, just with permanent fur coats :) A breeder would NEVER comment on how homely your child is so please do not do that to our felines that we adore, regardless of looks.
NEVER say you want to put a deposit on a particular kitten unless you are 100% sure that is what you want.
ALWAYS remember that once you make a deposit, it is NON refundable. Many times people walk in and change their mind about what kitten they want, never realizing that we have held onto the kitten they first chose and probably lost sales on that kitten because you WERE sure it was what you wanted. The first kitten is then older and sometimes much harder to place.
NEVER over stay your welcome
ALWAYS try to remember our time is very valuable, as I am sure yours is. As much as we love presenting our feline family to you, it is a lot to expect us to spend 3-4 hours with you, especially if you have come just to look and pet ! Be respectful of our time. If you live locally, there are always other times you can come back to visit again if you are truly interested in a cat or kitten.
NEVER ask us to drop our prices and then expect us to deliver the kitten for free also
ALWAYS think of our cats as our family members. They are not commodities that you bargain for. It costs us hundreds to raise a litter of kittens so please do not insult us by trying to get a purebred cat for as little as possible. When you do that, it just tells us that you could not afford to feed or look after the kitten if an emergency came up. If you cannot afford a purebred cat, PLEASE go to your local Humane Society and obtain a cat from there that would otherwise be doomed.
NEVER show up to take your kitten home without a carrier
ALWAYS be prepared when you pick up your new kitten. That means bring a carrier, a nice soft blanket in the carrier, not a cardboard box either. If you are traveling any distance, make sure you also have a litter box, food and water if the cat desires it. If it is winter, have a blanket to cover the carrier since young kittens can get colds very easily from being in drastic temperature changes.
NEVER think our home is a Pet Shop or a Petting Zoo
ALWAYS visit a cattery if you are serious about buying a kitten. Our cats are not here for you to maul, tease or annoy for hours on end. You do not need to see every cat we have or touch every cat you see.
NEVER ask a breeder to make an exception just for you about offering stud service if you have already been told the breeder will not.
Always think about what is best for the animals. Offering stud service has it downfalls, like bringing severe illnesses and genetic flaws into breeding programs. We have to think of the health of our animals first. If you want to breed your female, do what we do and PAY to buy a male of your own.
NEVER email us if you are not seriously considering getting a cat or kitten
ALWAYS email us at any time if you have a serious inquiry. Most breeders are very proud to show off their cats and kittens but if you are not serious, please do not waste our time. I repeat, breeding cats is a full time job that requires a vast amount of our time so please let us care for our animals instead of entertaining you for hours just for something to do. Trust me, we have LOTS to do every day.
I sincerely hope I did not offend anyone who read this page but a lot of breeders are getting tired of being treated as mills, where buyers think that our kittens are mass produced, sold as cheaply as possible, treated like a commodity that they can buy at a department store. Nothing is farther from the truth, walk a mile in our shoes and you will find out for yourself how devoted you have to be to become a cat breeder !
Sincerely
Bonnie McNamara - Sole Owner of Shaded Tails Cattery