Beware of this Ragdoll breeder

I just bought a ragdoll kitten for $600 from weepurrs (Phyllis
Mikesell) in Calgary. The kitten has been diagnosed with Feline
Infectious Peritonitis, which he got from his mother and will kill him.

The breeder has a one year health guarantee but has refused to return
any of my calls. The vet says he sees this all the time and that I will
probably never see my money again. Worse, I have two children who have
to probably put their beloved kitty to sleep.

Her house smelled TERRIBLE when I picked up the cat. Being an
unexperienced cat buyer I thought this may be normal for a cattery but
IT IS NOT!

Please do not make the same mistake I made. If you have a bad feeling
about the breeder, walk away.
And DO NOT buy a cat from this cattery.

Thanks

in article ,
at wrote on 1/6/05 6:24 PM:

I just bought a ragdoll kitten for $600 from weepurrs (Phyllis
Mikesell) in Calgary. The kitten has been diagnosed with Feline
Infectious Peritonitis, which he got from his mother and will kill him.

The breeder has a one year health guarantee but has refused to return
any of my calls. The vet says he sees this all the time and that I will
probably never see my money again. Worse, I have two children who have
to probably put their beloved kitty to sleep.

Her house smelled TERRIBLE when I picked up the cat. Being an
unexperienced cat buyer I thought this may be normal for a cattery but
IT IS NOT!

Please do not make the same mistake I made. If you have a bad feeling
about the breeder, walk away.
And DO NOT buy a cat from this cattery.

Thanks

Report her to Animal Control. Go to the shelter and adopt a cat. I really am
sorry about the little one though. FIP sucks

wrote in message
oups.com...
I just bought a ragdoll kitten for $600 from weepurrs (Phyllis
Mikesell) in Calgary. The kitten has been diagnosed with Feline
Infectious Peritonitis, which he got from his mother and will kill him.

The breeder has a one year health guarantee but has refused to return
any of my calls. The vet says he sees this all the time and that I will
probably never see my money again. Worse, I have two children who have
to probably put their beloved kitty to sleep.

Her house smelled TERRIBLE when I picked up the cat. Being an
unexperienced cat buyer I thought this may be normal for a cattery but
IT IS NOT!

SNIP

THAT SUCKS!!!! I'd say report the biz to the Canadian SPCA, the Better
Buiseness Bureau & your local health inspector. A call from a laywer or the
RCMP informing her you're intending on filing a complaint might just get
your money back. Good Luck... Let us know what happens.
--
Mathew
Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat
En Vino Veritas

wrote in message
roups.com...
I just bought a ragdoll kitten for $600 from weepurrs (Phyllis
Mikesell) in Calgary. The kitten has been diagnosed with Feline
Infectious Peritonitis, which he got from his mother and will kill him.

The breeder has a one year health guarantee but has refused to return
any of my calls. The vet says he sees this all the time and that I will
probably never see my money again. Worse, I have two children who have
to probably put their beloved kitty to sleep.

Exactly how was this kitten diagnosed with FIP? FIP is very difficult to
diagnose, and the majority of cats diagnosed with FIP do not have it. If the
vet is just going on the basis of the so-called FIP test, that actually only
indicates exposure to the feline coronavirus. In a few cats, the coronavirus
will mutate into FIP, but most cats that test "positive" (a high titer) for FIP
do not have it and never develop it.

If the kitten is not currently sick but just has a high titer, it's unlikely he
will develop FIP. I would also question how the diagnosis of FIP was arrived at
with the mother, if she is in good health.

There were extremely high levels of total protein in his blood, and his
health is generally poor. (Gingivitis, ear infection, sneezing and
sleeping all the time.) We are still waiting for the results from the
corona titre. He will not be put down until he shows true symptoms of
FIP, if he is still in my care. In the meantime, I have to keep him
away from my other healthy cat so that she doesn't get infected.

I didn't see the cattery nor the parents, (this was all in the basement
of the house) but the stench of cat urine was overpowering when I
visited her home, and the vet agrees that this indicates poor health
practices to begin with. I have no way of knowing whether the mother
has FIP (because I can't contact the breeder), but the vet thinks
that's probably where he got it.

Another reason that I believe that cat is probably sick with this
disease is that the cattery owner has not returned my calls. I would
guess that this is not the first time this has happened to her and her
"hiding" from me shows that she doesn't care about the cats or her
clients. It is appalling to me that such a devious person is not just
caring for animals, but is also a mother herself. Her daughter has been
answering the phone and just keeps telling me her mom is not there and
she doesn't know when she will return. Great life lesson for a little
girl.

I didn't see the cattery nor the parents, (this was all in the basement
of the house) but the stench of cat urine was overpowering when I
visited her home, and the vet agrees that this indicates poor health
practices to begin with. I have no way of knowing whether the mother
has FIP (because I can't contact the breeder), but the vet thinks
that's probably where he got it.

Another reason that I believe that cat is probably sick with this
disease is that the cattery owner has not returned my calls. I would
guess that this is not the first time this has happened to her and her
"hiding" from me shows that she doesn't care about the cats or her
clients. It is appalling to me that such a devious person is not just
caring for animals, but is also a mother herself. Her daughter has been
answering the phone and just keeps telling me her mom is not there and
she doesn't know when she will return. Great life lesson for a little
girl.

This is a kitten mill. Please, please e-mail me the name and address and I will
make some phone calls to see if I can get a local Humane Society to send their
abuse team to investigate. I won't mention your name.

Sherry

"Sherry " wrote in message
...
This is a kitten mill. Please, please e-mail me the name and address and I
will
make some phone calls to see if I can get a local Humane Society to send
their
abuse team to investigate. I won't mention your name.

Sherry

Sherry, here it is, she posted it before. Oh wait, it was just the name,
but it's a start. Weepurrs in Calgary. I hope someone can get their fast.
If this woman feels she's in danger of being found out, she may start
getting rid of the cats/kittens. Having them put down, releasing them in
different areas.

--
-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
"Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG

"Sherry " wrote in message
...
This is a kitten mill. Please, please e-mail me the name and address and I
will
make some phone calls to see if I can get a local Humane Society to send
their
abuse team to investigate. I won't mention your name.

Sherry

Me again. She has a website, it's www.weepurrs.com Doesn't list the address
though.
--
-Kelly
kelly at farringtons dot net
"Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG

Thank you so much for offering to help, Sherry.

I have her address at home and will email it to you this afternoon. She
lives in the northwest of Calgary. Her name is Phyllis Mikesell and the
cattery is called Weepurrs, as mentioned later in this thread. Her web
site is deceivingly professional, NOTHING like her home. I have saved
an .html copy of her page mentioning the health guarantee, etc. in case
she wipes that out if this goes to litigation.

The smell was so bad that I could smell if outside. I wonder if her
neighbours have ever complained. I just feel so stupid for ever buying
a kitten from her, but if this saves other cats or people from going
through the same thing, it was worth it.

wrote in message
oups.com...
There were extremely high levels of total protein in his blood, and his
health is generally poor. (Gingivitis, ear infection, sneezing and
sleeping all the time.) We are still waiting for the results from the
corona titre. He will not be put down until he shows true symptoms of
FIP, if he is still in my care. In the meantime, I have to keep him
away from my other healthy cat so that she doesn't get infected.

I didn't see the cattery nor the parents, (this was all in the basement
of the house) but the stench of cat urine was overpowering when I
visited her home, and the vet agrees that this indicates poor health
practices to begin with. I have no way of knowing whether the mother
has FIP (because I can't contact the breeder), but the vet thinks
that's probably where he got it.
[snip]

I thoroughly checked out the breeder I got my two
Burmese kittens from, including a home visit before
returning to pick up the kittens. The place was
spotless and clean smelling; kittens & adult females
looked healthy; adult males were kept separate in a
clean outdoor enclosure; I got a written health guarantee -
and yet my two kittens were diagnosed with FeLV.
(The breeder later discovered a new stud was carrying
the virus.) Unlike your experience, my breeder has not
hidden from me, and has acknowledged her debt. She
hasn't gotten around to a refund, but has promised
one and I'm willing to wait. She took quite a hit for her
negligence (taking someone else's word that the stud
was healthy rather than testing him herself) and appears
to be doing her best to ensure it never happens again.

I agree that the conditions in your breeder's home,
as well as the lack of any written guarantee, should
have been a warning. A hard lesson to learn. But
appearances aren't everything, either, as my experience
(above) shows. And even the best shelters can make
mistakes. I guess my point is don't be too turned off
about breeders based on one lousy experience, or
assume all shelters that look good are going to give
you a positive experience.

I've gotten kittens from breeders (and taken in strays)
since the 1960s, and this is the very first time I've ever
had a serious health problem with a cat that wasn't
genetic (epilepsy in my first Burmese). All my cats
(excluding the current ones: the two FeLV+ kittens
who live separate from the three healthy 4 year olds)
lived to be seniors - including the epileptic Burmese.

Good luck with your kitten, and you're being
wonderful to try to do the best for the cat.

Gail
Happily owned by: Lao Ma, Ephiny, Minya,
Mattie & Harry