09-28-2009, 07:53 AM
Hello.
My husband and I purchased a ragdoll kitten from a breeder for my parents. The breeder let us have the kitten at 8 weeks of age. At first we thought the kitten was fine even though my mother would tell me that she was biting her and my father (their other cat passed away recently, but they'd never had a kitten before so we assumed that it was the normal kitten behavior). My mother also told me that she sucks alot... completely wets the corner of a blanket.
I visited them and couldn't believe my eyes. She was like a tiger. I was afraid to pick her up or touch her because she was having none of it. She ran over to my father while he was just sitting in the chair and dug her teeth into his hand. She attacks my mother's feet while she is just standing in the kitchen (we are talking blood being drawn). I have two ragdolls of my own (2 years old) and they never, ever behaved like this. I was very concerned for my parents and for the kitten. I didn't know what was wrong with her, but I didn't want her to grow up to 15 pds and be like this as nobody would be able to deal with her. In the natural course of things she would have lived with us because my parents are quite elderly.
I spoke with the breeder and she offered to take the kitten back and give my folks another kitten out of a future litter. Of course, my parents have serious health issues and I was very distressed that they would have to wait 3 + months for another kitten. Also, I am somewhat concerned about why a kitten from this breeder would be like this. I could have gone to the pound and ended up with a more docile loving cat than her much less paying 600.00 for a completely unsocialized wild kitten.
To make an even longer story shorter, we did return the kitten and now my poor parents have to wait so long for another one from the same breeder. When we returned the kitten she went crazy right in the breeder's living room. To the point that the breeder had to grab the back of her neck and press her into the floor to keep her from biting her. Nuts, eh? A week or so later the breeder contacted me and told me that she had two kittens that she would give my mother. Two? I asked her if these were the kittens that survived from a recent litter where the mother had come down with the calicivirus and all but these two died. (btw, stupidly my husband and I had already put a deposit down for US to get another kitten from her out of that litter way before we realized what was going on with my parents' kitten). They were those kittens and I just couldn't understand why she would give up two kittens for one and the virus thing made me leary so I said we didn't want them. Anyway, I asked her if she would return our money so that my parents can have a kitten much sooner (everyday is a blessing when you get into your 80's). She said no. That there was really nothing wrong with the kitten and that we could either have her back or take one from the litter in 3 months. She said that there is never a guarantee about temperment.. "some are lap cats and some are not... she just doesn't like to be touched or held." What? To me this behavior in no way can be described as not being a "lap cat" and a ragdoll that doesn't want to be touched or held? My two ragdolls are not lap cats, but they are very loving and will let you hold them, etc. without attacking you.
Does anybody have any advice for me? I'm afraid that if I do make my folks wait for another kitten, it may be just like this last one.
To sum up: we are out 600+ if we don't get another kitten from her AND she will not return our deposit on our kitten and there is no way I want to get into purchasing another kitten so we are out 150.00 for that one.
Thanks so much. Really need some advice.
My husband and I purchased a ragdoll kitten from a breeder for my parents. The breeder let us have the kitten at 8 weeks of age. At first we thought the kitten was fine even though my mother would tell me that she was biting her and my father (their other cat passed away recently, but they'd never had a kitten before so we assumed that it was the normal kitten behavior). My mother also told me that she sucks alot... completely wets the corner of a blanket.
I visited them and couldn't believe my eyes. She was like a tiger. I was afraid to pick her up or touch her because she was having none of it. She ran over to my father while he was just sitting in the chair and dug her teeth into his hand. She attacks my mother's feet while she is just standing in the kitchen (we are talking blood being drawn). I have two ragdolls of my own (2 years old) and they never, ever behaved like this. I was very concerned for my parents and for the kitten. I didn't know what was wrong with her, but I didn't want her to grow up to 15 pds and be like this as nobody would be able to deal with her. In the natural course of things she would have lived with us because my parents are quite elderly.
I spoke with the breeder and she offered to take the kitten back and give my folks another kitten out of a future litter. Of course, my parents have serious health issues and I was very distressed that they would have to wait 3 + months for another kitten. Also, I am somewhat concerned about why a kitten from this breeder would be like this. I could have gone to the pound and ended up with a more docile loving cat than her much less paying 600.00 for a completely unsocialized wild kitten.
To make an even longer story shorter, we did return the kitten and now my poor parents have to wait so long for another one from the same breeder. When we returned the kitten she went crazy right in the breeder's living room. To the point that the breeder had to grab the back of her neck and press her into the floor to keep her from biting her. Nuts, eh? A week or so later the breeder contacted me and told me that she had two kittens that she would give my mother. Two? I asked her if these were the kittens that survived from a recent litter where the mother had come down with the calicivirus and all but these two died. (btw, stupidly my husband and I had already put a deposit down for US to get another kitten from her out of that litter way before we realized what was going on with my parents' kitten). They were those kittens and I just couldn't understand why she would give up two kittens for one and the virus thing made me leary so I said we didn't want them. Anyway, I asked her if she would return our money so that my parents can have a kitten much sooner (everyday is a blessing when you get into your 80's). She said no. That there was really nothing wrong with the kitten and that we could either have her back or take one from the litter in 3 months. She said that there is never a guarantee about temperment.. "some are lap cats and some are not... she just doesn't like to be touched or held." What? To me this behavior in no way can be described as not being a "lap cat" and a ragdoll that doesn't want to be touched or held? My two ragdolls are not lap cats, but they are very loving and will let you hold them, etc. without attacking you.
Does anybody have any advice for me? I'm afraid that if I do make my folks wait for another kitten, it may be just like this last one.
To sum up: we are out 600+ if we don't get another kitten from her AND she will not return our deposit on our kitten and there is no way I want to get into purchasing another kitten so we are out 150.00 for that one.
Thanks so much. Really need some advice.