Have you sold show quality cats to someone who went to a show?
This is important if someone is offering to sell you a “show quality” cat or kitten. Showing is a public venue where a breeder reputation is put up for public input from judges. Their kitten’s score’s should be up on the TICA website with the breeder’s cattery name attached to the kitten.
There is a breeder in the NW who had disqualified cats at a show and is selling “show quality cats” turning up at the cat shows with arthritis as babies and they are NOT replying to the buyers. I, and most of the local cat fancy know this because we witnessed the DQs and had to console the girl they sold a "show quality" cat to for over $2000 when she found out how bad her cat was and how many lies she was told. I do not give out backyard breeder names even though I know many of them since I go to every show and see every one-show-wonder (someone who shows up once, gets DQs or no finals, then never shows again). However, I have and will continue to answer yes/no questions in this format:
Has breeder (X) ever bought a show cat from Excatiburfolds?
Has Excatiburfolds ever bought a show cat from breeder (x)?
Has breeder (X) ever had DQs?
Has breeder (X) sold show cats with DQs?
All of this is public knowledge verifiable with TICA and you must supply the breeder name. This is usually from people who claim to work with me or my cats or that we were in talks about buying or selling a cat. Because I have Regional and International awards with pictures of my cats up on the TICA website, most novice breeders try to use my name in conjunction with their cats in any way, shape or form they think they can get away with.
No, these things do NOT count as being in talks with me about buying or selling a show cat or working with someone’s breeding program:
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Asking how much my cat is, with or without mentioning breeding rights.
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Peeking at my cat grooming over my shoulder is not me mentoring
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Making eye contact
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Cornering me and me giving one word replies to questions until I can find somewhere else to be.
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Me notifying an exhibitor that they are on 3rd and final call in a ring because they’ve called for their cat 3 times on the microphone to be judged but they are not paying attention. This is basic TICA etiquette, not me mentoring.
This abuse by many new exhibitors means I will do my best to avoid new exhibitors. I’m sorry if I seem rude, but this happens several times a year where someone claims to know me and we’re friends because they went to one show and saw me across the show hall. The only people that have a right to use my name with their cats are breeders whom I have bought a cat from and breeders I have sold a cat to. I have heard this from other people buying kittens and other reputable breeders who also show that were contacted for breeding cats. Don’t forget, the cat fancy is a community, we know each other and we see each other 1 or 2 times a month. If you say you worked with me, you better have worked with me because I am the first person they will ask if I know you.
In the case of the breeder selling “show cats” with arthritis, if you come to shows you can meet and talk with a girl who has their cat when she’s showing her households pets, and if you bought a cat from her breeder I can pass along her contact info so you guys can network, she’s already in contact with some of the breeder’s other victims. She has talked extensively with many judges who wrote letters to the breeder about how bad the kitten is, but said they said that TICA will not do anything about the breeder who won’t stand behind their health guarantee or sells show cats with major health faults. They don’t have time to investigate every breeder complaint so as long as the breeder is paying their TICA fees they can continue to register cats and claim to be ethical breeders.
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Remember, I am always happy to refer you to a reputable breeder besides me. See How do you handle adopters who want to buy a cat but not yours?