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Question About my two sphynx kittens.

rdrandle

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So, I am recently paid for two female kittens and they were suppose to be ready to come home yesterday but when I called the breeder to ask what time I should arrive to pick them up, she informed me that they had "pink-eye" and that her vet tech friend had diagnosed them and taken some antibiotics from her job for my breeder to give to the kittens. I have a copy of the contract we signed that states that the kittens will have vet care and I'm confused as to why this breeder is not taking them to the vet. Their eyes are swollen and red and although they are one antibiotics I feel they are not being cared for properly. The breeder said that it may be herpes and that all Sphynx have it but I have not been able to read that anywhere!! If anyone has had experience with this sort of thing can you please let me know ASAP? Also, I paid for show/ breeding rights for them, can I show/breed them if they do have FHV? Thank you for your help!
 

Mews2much

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Sounds like you have a bad breeder.
Not all sphynx have herpes that is a lie.
Mine sure do not have it.
My 10 year old Meeko non sphynx has it.
Have you had sphynx before or ever bred cats?
The breeder should have told you there was a problem before you called.



 

Bella07

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Red flags are going off for me too! Honestly it doesn't sound like you have a quote on quote "good" or "reputable" breeder to me, just from what I have read. No, not all Sphynx cats have herpes. Some may, but not all. Sounds like she is trying to pass this off as nothing, which is a huge red flag. Plus, breeders that I know have said that they would NEVER send a sick kitten home to the new family. They would keep the kitten until he was healed and healthy once again. IMO that is what a reputable breeder would do. Have your kittens ever been to the vet? Maybe your breeder is just using her vet tech "friend" as her vet, as opposed to the real thing.

Do you know about HCM? Does your breeder scan her adults for it? If you plan to breed, you must scan for it yearly. Remember, as a breeder, you should be doing everything within your power to improve the sphynx breed standard. Your goal should not be to have some cute kittens to give to family and friends.

Good Luck though! I hope that your kittens are well and healthy.....
 

susi794

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Not all sphynx cats have herpes--and if you purchased breeding rights, you should know that the stress brought on by pregnancy can cause major flaring of herpes symptoms--(upper respiratory infections and the like) that the adults might be able to handle, but that the newborn kittens may not survive. You should be entitled to a vet record proving your new babies have received their shots, have been wormed, and are healthy. Lots of breeders buy their vaccines and give their own shots, but I would demand a vet record and a certificate of good health from the vet regardless. Your breeder shouldn't release a kitten to you being sick. People have already talked to you about HCM screening, so I don't need to reiterate about that. Are these your first sphynx?
 

admin

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Yes, red flags should be up! Something is fishy here. It is not normal for them to have this disease. Feline herpes (FHV-1) virus is the most common cause of upper respiratory disease in cats, it is more common in kittens, cats in stressed/overcrowded environments such as animal shelters & multi cat households. Kittens & older cats are more at risk than healthy adults, and are also at greater risk of dying. Keep in mind that once your cat becomes infected with the feline herpes virus it will have it for life. I don't mean to be so straight forward, but you are delving into extra money on vet care and illness and perhaps more issues then meet the eye If in fact they are positive for FHV-1. N0, if they have FHV you cannot breed. A Sphynx is a "cat," FHV-1 and HCM are diseases that a feline (cat) can become ill with. These are diseases that any Sphynx "cat" or hairy cat can be diagnosed with. I would be very weary of this purchase!
 

rdrandle

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Thank you guys for all of your answers!! To answer your questions, I have owned sphynx before growing up but these will be my first living on my own. I would have called my mother but she actually had a hysterectomy Thursday evening so I really dont want to call and put any stress on her. In my contract it says that they will be seen by a vet but it seems that she has been giving them their shots herself and now that I think about it, the first kitten that got sick (which she said was because another one had scratched him in the eye) happened the day after she gave them their first vaccine. It wasnt until yesterday that she told me that they had not seen a vet and that her friend told her that it was nothing big and that it was just conjunctivitis and that her dad was a "people doctor" so they are in good hands??? I already gave her $3000.00 :Angry: because I was suppose to be picking them up and me and her talked everyday now I am totally regretting it. She agreed to let me pick up one to take to my vet today and bring back after since she wasnt going to and depending on what my vet says, I will just ask for my money back minus the deposit which was non refundable. I feel bad because I have gone to see the kittens every week for the last month and I really bonded with them :Cry:! She said the mother was scanned for HCM and I asked her for a copy of the scan and she said she would have it for me on Monday. 4 out of 5 of the kittens got the swollen eyes. She put them all on antibiotics when the first one got sick but everyone still ended up getting it somehow.
 

Shauntay

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I dont even know where to start.... First and foremost, if the mother is scanned and not the father, then the mother having been scanned isnt worth a dime. HCM is a Dominant gene. Only one parent needs to be carrying the gene for it to express in the kittens. If your intention is to breed, I would find myself a good reputable breeder with multiple referals and ask to be mentored. Have you studied the peds on the parents? You can contact TICA and CFA to be placed with a mentor. 3000$ for two breeding cats is extremely cheap....thats what you would be paying for two pet kittens at most breeders. You get what you pay for right?;)

I was mentored for several years and self educated on sphynx breeding for 7 years, as well as took two genetics night courses before I purchased my first breeding female. My mentors are invaluable. I also set up several meetings with a Cardiologist to get a better understanding of HCM. Vet Schools typically have no reservations in educating a polite ( :p) Breeder, and a donation to the school is always appreciated. I'm sorry this experience is turning out to be a nightmare for you, but thank god you found this out before its too late. Its a MUCH darker nightmare for the pet buyer who has to deal with HCM later on in their cats life. I just lost my soulmate to a hard and painful fight to HCM, so please forgive me if I come off as an HCM Nazzi :( Im just very passionate about the breed.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions abot the CFA and TICA mentorship program, I can point you in the right direction <3
 

Mews2much

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I agree with the others.
I wonder if you can get your money back and you are right they may have got sick from shots also.
Let us know what your vet says.
Both sire and dam should be HCM scanned.
I agree $3000 for 2 sphynx with rights is way to cheap.
The only breeders that offered me kittens that cheap were bad breeders and I turned them down.
most start at $2500 and higher.
I am going to breed in the future.
You can not show cats like that.
Many people will report you to show mgr for helping cats with eye problems and you will get a bad rep.




 

Bella07

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She agreed to let me pick up one to take to my vet today and bring back after since she wasnt going to and depending on what my vet says, I will just ask for my money back minus the deposit which was non refundable. I feel bad because I have gone to see the kittens every week for the last month and I really bonded with them :Cry:!

I'm sorry that you are having to go through this! But, if you are serious about becoming a reputable breeder, and showing your kitten, then you really need to be buying from a breeder who is the above mentioned, knows her pedigrees inside and out, scans the mother/father yearly, and understands her lines to the fullest extent. Yes, I have to agree with the others, and $3,000 for two kittens is the price most breeders would charge for 2 pet quality sphynx kittens. Not two show quality sphynx kittens with breeding rights!

If I were you, I would ask for my money back, and hunt out a really reputable breeder that you wholeheartedly trust. For your $3000, you won't be able to bring home 2, but you will be able to bring home one great beautiful kitten who conforms to breed standard from a more reputable breeder, who scans for HCM on her lineage. (And a breeder who will actually take her kittens to the vet when they are sick, instead of refusing to pay for that.)

But, that is just my opinion! Some may disagree with me, but that is what I would personally do. Good Luck with deciding on what to do.
 

rdrandle

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So I just got home from the vet and she said that it was just a cold and prescribed her clavamox and an eye ointment. I understand that that price is pet price and if for any reason I am told by other breeders or my vet that for whatever reason I should not breed them then I will get them spayed. I fell in love with them weeks ago and I will take them as pets with no questions asked!! I just wanted to make sure that they didn't have anything really really wrong with them and my vet said there wasn't. My vet is confused as to why my breeder felt that I couldn't take them home to a very quiet environment and give them love and care but my breeder keeps saying that she doesn't want to! Anyway, thanks again for all your help and I will keep you updated on Everest and Diva!!
 

marlene

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I'm not going to say what I think about the breeder waiting until you called to pick the kittens up to tell you they were ill. Enough people have already given their opinion of your breeder and to add mine would be beating a dead horse.

However, if you end up altering them and get them healthy, you could always show them in Premiership. That would allow you to see whether or not you like showing and give you the chance to develop relationships with other breeders and exhibitors. That's a good way to start finding the kind of breeder that you need at this point in your breeding career.

Good luck to you and your babies. I hope you don't end up getting screwed too badly in this mess.
 

rdrandle

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The father was also scanned, she is going to get me a copy by Monday for him also. I went to the cat show last week and met a few breeders who I have spoken with that have advised me to go ahead and get them because even if I do end up having to spay them, I can still show them and get the experience I need which is what I really want to do more than breed anyway. Regardless though, at this point the difference between a pet kitten and show kitten was only 300 so if I do end up spaying them, its no big deal as I am totally in love with them and I'm more devastated about the kittens not being well enough to travel for christmas. My family has been getting pictures of them for weeks now and everyone was really excited to see them (I'm quite sure my mom was planning on kidnapping the Chocolate Torbie lol.) We have established at this point that the breeder sucks but I feel almost obligated to get them because the Chocolate Torbie was born thermal and every since her colors have come in, the breeder has been trying to bribe me into letting her keep her so if I back out, Diva will be stuck with her and that would be horrible!
 

Gizzymom

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The father was also scanned, she is going to get me a copy by Monday for him also. I went to the cat show last week and met a few breeders who I have spoken with that have advised me to go ahead and get them because even if I do end up having to spay them, I can still show them and get the experience I need which is what I really want to do more than breed anyway. Regardless though, at this point the difference between a pet kitten and show kitten was only 300 so if I do end up spaying them, its no big deal as I am totally in love with them and I'm more devastated about the kittens not being well enough to travel for christmas. My family has been getting pictures of them for weeks now and everyone was really excited to see them (I'm quite sure my mom was planning on kidnapping the Chocolate Torbie lol.) We have established at this point that the breeder sucks but I feel almost obligated to get them because the Chocolate Torbie was born thermal and every since her colors have come in, the breeder has been trying to bribe me into letting her keep her so if I back out, Diva will be stuck with her and that would be horrible!

I know absolutely nothing about showing or breeding.. but I can completely understand a bond that has already been formed.

I wish you the best with your two new babies!!:Laugh:
 

Gullivers Keeper

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Best of luck with your kitties, they are hard not to get attached to!! It's really awesome that you may just fix them for the betterment of the breed, even though that is not what you intended.

I also know that I would not have known all these things if it were not for SL and may have made mistakes too, it's great you came here for advice!!

I hope someday, (many years from now I'm sure since it's an expensive "hobby"), to breed Sphynx also, so that I can maybe help in the betterment of the breed and breed healthy pretty kitties!! My goal would be to make them perfect inside and out. My hubby says I would be great at it since I love to investigate things online, so once I had my heart set on clean lines, I would find a way :LOL::LOL: Maybe crazy OCD cat lady is not such a bad thing when it comes to breeding :LOL::LOL:
 

Mews2much

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What color are her eyes.
Sounds to me like she is a point since she is a thermal.
My Wrinkles is a Thermal.
 

rdrandle

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Her eyes are aqua, she is a mink. She is really cute and her sister is too funny she is a torbie with white and really goofy. Her name is Everest because she would climb to the top of all the kittens and knock everyone off and then she would make swimming motions with her hands to keep all the kittens away from her and her nipple lol! We named the other one Diva because she is really prissy, she will sit and let you clean her and even fall asleep while getting her nails cleaned and clipped. One good thing about the breeder is that I was allowed to go see them whenever I felt like it so I really got to see their personalities form!
 

rdrandle

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So I made an album with the pictures I have of them. Of course once I get them, there will be a million more lol. They both have the tabby stripes on their legs so I was told by a couple breeders that it would be torbie instead of tortie.
 

Gullivers Keeper

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I have a female DSH torbie, we always ask her who she stole her back leg from because it is the only part of her that is orange tabby and its the whole back leg :LOL:
 

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