cattery listing and scams

 when buying cats or kittens

Scams are doing the rounds and they are getting better at fooling buyers all the time. I saw an add for Siamese kitten in Durban. (We are near Cape Town.)   The price included flight.  They assured us the dam was imported.  That will give a good kitten for a new bloodline. Next day as I was standing in line in the bank I met another woman also ready to buy on that add.  While filling in the form she asked the assistant behind the till if it was possible to see where that person's account was registered.  The  answer was Nigeria! The deal was supposed to be made  with a person in Durban!  That was a close call -    I write it here to let you know you could find out more information  before you buy a kitten/cat or anything from anybody unknown to you.  Try to find information about the transaction as much as possible.  The cat registration body will know if that cattery exist but you must also try to find somebody living in the same town to get some information on the breeder.  It is easy to use the name and cattery details of another person.  It is very difficult to obtain information I know.  Sometimes there will be smaller losses not done in a grand scale. I sold to a "show breeder"  who paid only until she received the cat.   Lesson number 1.  No matter the quarantine date, let them pay in full first. Lesson number 2 do not send any transfer papers before the cat is paid in full  -  even if they tell you they need it urgent to enter into a show.  Showing cats can be done by dishonest people too. Anybody with tips or complaints send them in, maybe we could help others. This is what is happening here.

There are scams going round in the free classifieds of South Africa and on the web.   It is something in this line :-  Pedigree Kittens (other expensive type pets)  are given away for free/ or very cheap- owner must move/ill etc., all you need do is pay the expenses. You never receive anything.   e.g  A friend paid R1000 special need urgent home pay only transport costs and quite a few people "bought" Sphinx kittens etc.  all lost their money.  These "scammers" were not residents in R.S.A. and short of when it is murder, the police cannot do anything about it.  There will always be scams so do all you can think of to find out how real the deal is.