Buying a kitten unseen

Why??? Would you...

This is the new thing option offered by some breeders!!

Why would any one be so stupid, as to buy a kitten unseen why would they not want to go and visit the breeder and see the babies in the home situation, why WOULD the breeder offer her kittens to a owner who cannot be bothered to visit


One lady in Norwich/ Norfolk a hairdresser by trade is having her new baby delivered and she has only seen photos?? All I can say is I hope its what you wished and hoped for.

You opinions please..

Don't know why someone in Norwich would be quite that silly when there is two very good breeders very close by who no way would offer to just deliver their babies unseen,fingers crossed it is not one very big mistake,that is how a friend ended up paying a lot of money for a very definate "None MC"...
No I would not buy one that way is the answer Debbie,I would always want to see them in their home enviroment & would expect the breeder to want the same from me.

It sounds like someone wants a trophy cat and doesn't care about temperament or character! Very silly indeed. I just hope the poor thing is looked after properly.

:(

People in the US often end up buying kittens without being able to visit due to the distances that are involved. If I could get a kitten from a well known breeder off in another state or from a local person I knew nothing about but could visit? I would probably go for the well known breeder. I agree that it is nice to be able to go see the kitten and setup, but you can tell only so much from a brief visit. I can find out lots of information by looking at a breeder's website and by talking with them on the phone and by talking with other breeders. E.g., if I ask about HCM genetic testing and they don't do it or don't know much about it then I am done with them--the fact that the home setup is nice or that the person is nice is much less important. We have not actually visited the homes of either of the two breeders prior to selecting kittens (though it has always been understood that we need not accept the kittens once we get a chance to see them). In one case the breeder was living a couple thousands of miles away but was going to a cat show right near where we were going on summer vacation, so she brought the kitten and we met her there. Of course she sent lots of photos of the kitten beforehand and has a very extensive website with detailed health and other info, so we felt we already knew her and the kitten before we had even met. She also grilled us to make certain she thought we were suitable. The other breeder is one of the top MC breeders in the country. She also lives a long way from us, but had placed a kitten relatively nearby who was not fitting in well, so she encouraged us to go see him. Of course it was love at first sight when we did, and he is now a fabulous cat. I should not have gotten him because I couldn't visit the home of one of the best known breeders in the US first??

So what I would say is that people should be able to find out enough about a breeder to feel comfortable about the breeder. There is no single method for doing that though. I certainly would not get a kitten from a breeder I felt I knew little about, nor had concerns about, and if one will not let you visit then that should be a big red flag. But saying you cannot buy unless you can visit first is simply unrealistic in a large country like the US, and might restrict people to buying from less good breeders.

Maybe I have not put in what I should have? which may have pointed the feed back in the wrong direction though there are some very interesting contributions here, a couple of you say that you bought sight unseen from and I use the word as a grounding from """ reputable well known pre researched breeders""

What I am saying is google being the tool it is, with option to check on the Mainecoons...

For instance, there was a THREAD on here about delivery, which is a little bit different that buying sold unseen.



What are the pita falls from buying from a non reputable breeder then... sight unseen...

Maybe that would be a better question to ask..

I think there is a big difference also between sight-unseen but planned in advance versus impulse buying. The parents buying their wailing kids a puppy in the pet shop etc. That's plain wrong.

For those in a situation where travel is an issue, perhaps even those who are largely housebound and want companions, it is an option.

I bought both my kittens after only seeing their pictures and talking to the breeder. There were very few Maincoon catteries in our state, and I wanted to have a kitten within 3 months. I could not take any time off my high intensity job to have 5 hours flight ,spend 30 minutes with breeder and head back. My husband and I liked the website and kittens' parents therefore we were happy to have the option of shipping kitties by airplane. The breeder told us that kittens tolerate the flights better than adults. Ever since I thought it was the best decision. Have I decided to wait for a litter in our state, I would still be on waiting list.

Just to expand on the issues many US buyers might face...the closest MC breeders that we have been able to find are two hours from us. I certainly would do four hours of driving to go see a kitten prior to purchase/decision. However, from what I have heard from various sources, from looking at their websites, and from talking with some of them at shows, I would not feel comfortable purchasing from most of these breeders. The next closest set of breeders are 4-6 hours away. So we could be talking about 12 hours of driving and a couple of hundred dollars on gas and hotel to go see a kitten.

Another issue is that the best breeders generally have the lowest availability of kittens. Were you to limit yourself to one or two reasonably close good quality breeders, it might be a year or even more before you could get a male or a cat with a particular color. This is often not acceptable. In fall of 2009 we decided we needed to get a male MC kitten for our male Remy because the girl that had played with him no longer would due to his size. This pretty much meant finding a male in a short period of time--no waiting 6mos or a year. I think it is great that we have so much more choice in breeders being able to search the entire country, and I feel it is worth giving up the ability to visit the breeder and kitten in person.

Debbie asks if it is worth getting a kitten sight unseen from a non-reputable breeder. I would say getting a kitten from a non-reputable breeder is always a big risk--whether you go see the kitten or not. There is really only so much you are going to find out by a brief visit and by seeing a very young kitten. In particular I don't feel you can judge their eventual look too well. What about personality? I would think that is probably the best reason to go visit, and yet I am skeptical that will tell you a lot. As kittens, ours have all been much more similar than different, but they all have very distinctive personalities as adults. Will you see the true personalities in an hour? What if some are sleepy while you are there? I think the breeders see differences being around them for weeks, so I would frankly rely more on their assessment than one I did quickly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NCarver

Debbie asks if it is worth getting a kitten sight unseen from a non-reputable breeder. I would say getting a kitten from a non-reputable breeder is always a big risk--whether you go see the kitten or not. There is really only so much you are going to find out by a brief visit and by seeing a very young kitten. In particular I don't feel you can judge their eventual look too well. What about personality? I would think that is probably the best reason to go visit, and yet I am skeptical that will tell you a lot. As kittens, ours have all been much more similar than different, but they all have very distinctive personalities as adults. Will you see the true personalities in an hour? What if some are sleepy while you are there? I think the breeders see differences being around them for weeks, so I would frankly rely more on their assessment than one I did quickly.

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Good Points.. and I understand the travel involved in the states, I have only bought 4 kittens unseen from reputable breeders 3 are fabulous my 2 chocolate abyssinians, and My Somali my British girl was well a disappointment but she went on to breed some fabulous kittens..

The question was general also to breeders too, I also understand what you are saying regarding kittens sleeping, but most people who come to me stary for a couple of hours so usually the kittens are awake I send photos and video which can also help...

Thanks for you input x

We didn't buy Darcy, she was a retired breeder cat and her mommy wanted her to go to a good home. They shared photos and gave us a full medical history and talked to OUR references. They had very very good reviews. But we had never met her before trekking 4 hours to get her. We got very lucky with her

Our next kitten we are planning on is much much closer and the breeder will allow us to come meet and see their cattery and everything.

Im in the UK and the closest breeder that I felt happy and could trust is almost 2.5 hours away

So I made the trek and selected her, however, I wouldn't be happy getting a cat from a breeder who I did not know whatsoever delivered without seeing the actual cat in person

I think if you know the breeder or built a relationship with them its a completely diffrent kettle of fish :smile:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Samantha

Im in the UK and the closest breeder that I felt happy and could trust is almost 2.5 hours away

So I made the trek and selected her, however, I wouldn't be happy getting a cat from a breeder who I did not know whatsoever delivered without seeing the actual cat in person

I think if you know the breeder or built a relationship with them its a completely diffrent kettle of fish :smile:

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Think with the UK and some of the lets just say not so nice and dedicated breeders, then it is a bit of a mine field.. I also agree if you build up a relationship with a breeder its good..

When living in the UK I have traveled over 7 hours one way to look at a kitten, but then I am a breeder so it is kind of different as breeders are looking for different things to pet owners.

What you should be looking for? when you can not visit

Photos of your baby with DATES from the day it was born.

Kittens that look healthy, and look to be enjoying them selves as they grow.

Check contracts and information sheets ask for them to be sent to you by email if need be also look at what you get with you kitten when you take it home.


NEVER even if you have seen this baby grow and become attached to it, take a kitten when you see it that looks unwell because you feel sorry for it..

Buying kittens off bad breeders makes them continue in their practice, as good bad or indifferent so long as they can sell the kittens they will.

Horror stories have just come to light, of sick kittens being sold, masked with drugs to cover their illness, Kittens that are at least 6 week older that what they are supposed to be. Kittens with out vaccinations being sold, the list is endless.. Do your homework ask lots and lots of questions!!


I had a couple drive a long way to me at the weekend to look at an Abyssinian Kitten they were informed they could not touch her she was too young but they came, they wanted to see certificates of tests done on parents, parents pedigrees, the parents them selves, known diseases and how to be sure their kitten would not have them like PRA PKD PL.

2 hours, of questions, and pleasant conversion. they reserved the kitten and we will continue to send them photos until she is ready to go..

This to me is a new PET owner doing their homework.

We got our Bruce by only a chance look at a photo but I had been to the breeders concerned with a friend who got her first breeding queen from there,so she had to be good, the 2nd kitten on the photo was another she was going to have,I had been waiting for a while for some news from someone else & a picture of the "Babe"that could be mine & it had still not arrived or heard anything well over the time period of when we should even have been able to see it & collect it so just seeing this red & white boy sitting there melted my heart,my friend thought he was still available,checked for me & the rest is history but I would not have just cold bought him if I hadn't known something about the breeder,my money is hard come by like most people & paying for quality meant thats what I wanted.Here in the UK I think we are all pretty lucky to have good breeders within a fair driving distance so have no reason to support what could be "dodgey"ones & what Debbie has put on about questions to ask & things to see is good advice.Yes I do agree that where some of you live it is more difficult but being able to Google sites like this must help & you can still ask a lot of questions,take notes,ask the same again a couple of weeks later & compare,if facts differ leave well alone...!