Thread: New Owners what do you Expect-- Breeders what do you give

Originally Posted by WoodsideMaineCoons

Hi Debbie

I always expect new owners to visit a few times and wouldn't sell to someone that only ever visited on the day of pickup. I email at least one a week with updates and photos, normally more because I am always taking photos of the babies! I normally already have a relationship of sorts with the kitten owners as we run quite an extensive waiting list on our litters so most people email me to say what they are after and then stay in touch.

They normally stay for a good couple of hours and we too encourage them to bring the children - we have had mum and dad in laws too though! We always offer tea/coffee/drinks but I do think the british people are more reserved and don't always take us up on our offers!

We keep the kittens in the special kitten room for the visit so that they are in a nice enclosed area and every one tends to sit on the floor and play with them and the families with children usually bring some toys for the kittens to play with too. Once we have played with the kittens and mum, we then go and visit the other cats whether they are in other rooms or out in the pen and they always get to have cuddles with dad cat too.

On the day of pickup, the new owners only stay for about an hour as they are so eager to get their kittens home! We supply:

5 generation pedigree
Contract that states the living conditions and care we expect our kitten to have and some other rules and guidelines they have to adhere to.
A kitten care guide that we have prepared that also lists suppliers, helpful websites etc and gives all of our contact numbers - we offer a lifetime support service on all of our kittens.
A very nice kitten pack with bowls, a kitten blanket that has been in the room for a few weeks so has all the other kittens and mum cats scent on it, lots of toys, a very good supply of food and some vouchers for food too.
4 weeks free insurance
Vaccination and health check cards
A small bag of used cat litter that we advise the new parents to put in the litter tray when they get home so the kitten instantly knows where to go.

We don't register our kittens until we get proof of neutering/spaying from the owners.

We have been very lucky that all of our kitten owners have stayed in touch and we have become very good friends with quite a few of them. If I don't hear from them for a couple of weeks then I always send an email or text to see how things are going.

One of my favourite parts of breeding is having the new owners coming and visiting us and seeing how excited they are about seeing their new kitten and meeting all the furry family.

Louise

For got to add!!!

Also add maybe what you would change when you visit for either a second kitten and or another breeder..

From a buyers point of view I have always been treated by the three breeders & treated the breeders as you both have stated & would now expect it or would look again,I always send updates & pictures reguarly,two of the breeders come round,one because she is a friend who lives close & the other one when she visits this area,two of mine I class as foster MCoons because of the situation in which they came to live here & any health problems I run by the breeders,both of them know I will do the best for them but I still believe that as I didn't go,choose & pay for them they are leant to me for their life span & I woudn't assume what I do for them is what the breeder would have expected,also it is great to have understanding breeders to talk to for help,when you first bring kitty home any minor problem can seem a mountain to climb,I also like the fact that all my breeders state that if for any reason I can't continue to care for the cats they rehome them so they still know where their cats have gone{hopefully never to happen} Just as a matter of interest for me & the breeders, because all my cats are neuters, I have just had three of mine tested for the HCM gene,I picked one from each breeder because they all have lines that still are within breeding lines & was over the moon to have them all come back as normal,don't think the breeders thought I would really do it but curiosty got the better of me just hope the other line to this doesn't apply....!
It is great seeing what breeders offer & the new parents can be sure of having a healthy confident baby arrive in their home & the excitement of it all,would love to go through it again but.....

When we got our 1st MC in 1999 we stayed ................................ still there still very very good friends with his breeder.

We saw Louie when he was about 2 weeks old through the window into the nursery room, had lots of pics emailed of him over the weeks & he came with a 2kg bag of RC kitten food, 5 generation pedegree, pink GCCF slip, kitten contract 4 weeks free insurance & his vaccination card there was also a RC booklet with vouchers for food to. We did'nt take the litter & toys etc offerd as we already had them. We also get his MC food from his breeder as it is alot cheaper

Originally Posted by Louie-Louie

When we got our 1st MC in 1999 we stayed ................................ still there still very very good friends with his breeder.

We saw Louie when he was about 2 weeks old through the window into the nursery room, had lots of pics emailed of him over the weeks & he came with a 2kg bag of RC kitten food, 5 generation pedegree, pink GCCF slip, kitten contract 4 weeks free insurance & his vaccination card there was also a RC booklet with vouchers for food to. We did'nt take the litter & toys etc offerd as we already had them. We also get his MC food from his breeder as it is alot cheaper

I have made many friends through my cats.... and stayed friends some 20 plus years on..

The cake and cookies has sold me ! Next time I'm coming to you Debbie !

But kidding aside, thats nice to read I wish the breeder we obtained Hank from remained in touch after the sale. We did email photo's of him to show her how he's doing but that was always our move and never by request. We never had any contact asking how he was doing which would have been nice.

Originally Posted by dave

The cake and cookies has sold me ! Next time I'm coming to you Debbie !

But kidding aside, thats nice to read I wish the breeder we obtained Hank from remained in touch after the sale. We did email photo's of him to show her how he's doing but that was always our move and never by request. We never had any contact asking how he was doing which would have been nice.

Hi Dave your on!! Yesterday my new owners had a choice of lemon cake and Chocolate cake..

I love it when they keep in touch and send us photos of the babies.. we send also every year the kittens a birthday card!! they seem to like this?/ or maybe I am a little ga ga

Originally Posted by debbie560

Hi Dave your on!! Yesterday my new owners had a choice of lemon cake and Chocolate cake..

I love it when they keep in touch and send us photos of the babies.. we send also every year the kittens a birthday card!! they seem to like this?/ or maybe I am a little ga ga

Ahhh that's nice and not over the top at all. I guess the larger the breeder the less likely they are going to keep in touch. I'd also like to see how Harry's siblings are getting on, the closest I got is Louise's "Star" who is from the same breeder, has the same parents but from the previous years litter ! I still love looking at the pictures on the breeders website, did so the other day and couldn't believe how much Harry is getting to look like his father, although they are different colours.

Originally Posted by dave

The cake and cookies has sold me ! Next time I'm coming to you Debbie !

But kidding aside, thats nice to read I wish the breeder we obtained Hank from remained in touch after the sale. We did email photo's of him to show her how he's doing but that was always our move and never by request. We never had any contact asking how he was doing which would have been nice.

Debbie and Louise you both sound like very good caring breeders. I have no complaint about the breeder we got Simba from but although I continue to send her updated photos I don't get any response back now so I presume she has no more interest in how he is doing. I'm happy if that is how she feels but with my dogs I am still in contact with their breeders three years later. One has become a good friend and I am always in constant contact with them. I enjoy showing them they made the right decision selling me their pups and showing them how well and happy they are. I'm not sure why Simba's breeder doesn't show the same interest.

What we got:
With him we got one month free insurance, small pack of kitten food, fresh litter and a small toy, a contract of what the breeder expected from us and a helpful sheet on a few simple basics on having a kitten, pedigree certificate, and he was also micro chipped, neutered, vaccinated and wormed.

All seemed in order so as I say no other complaints. We visited once before picking him up. Their cats seemed healthy and well cared for and they were a nice couple so as I say no complaints really - just proud of my boy

I would expect before buying a kitten
1)to meet one or both parents.
2)See where they live and what condition they are living in.
3)A pedigree certificate
4) vaccination certificate and proof of worming.

Apart from that anything else would be a bonus.

Originally Posted by Karena

Debbie and Louise you both sound like very good caring breeders. I have no complaint about the breeder we got Simba from but although I continue to send her updated photos I don't get any response back now so I presume she has no more interest in how he is doing. I'm happy if that is how she feels but with my dogs I am still in contact with their breeders three years later. One has become a good friend and I am always in constant contact with them. I enjoy showing them they made the right decision selling me their pups and showing them how well and happy they are. I'm not sure why Simba's breeder doesn't show the same interest.

What we got:
With him we got one month free insurance, small pack of kitten food, fresh litter and a small toy, a contract of what the breeder expected from us and a helpful sheet on a few simple basics on having a kitten, pedigree certificate, and he was also micro chipped, neutered, vaccinated and wormed.

All seemed in order so as I say no other complaints. We visited once before picking him up. Their cats seemed healthy and well cared for and they were a nice couple so as I say no complaints really - just proud of my boy

I would expect before buying a kitten
1)to meet one or both parents.
2)See where they live and what condition they are living in.
3)A pedigree certificate
4) vaccination certificate and proof of worming.

Apart from that anything else would be a bonus.

Thank you so much.... I do try, my thoughts are if you can not do the job properly you should not do it at all...

I love to see new photos and I have a couple page dedicated to my new owners... I have over the years many pages, Sadly I lost many of them in a computer crash before the days of external hard drives... now I back them up twice you just never know...