author Sara Thornton DVM iCandy RagaMuffins
Many people that want to adopt a pedigreed kitten start with shopping on the internet. Most RagaMuffin breeders have a website to provide information about their catteries. Easy peasy, right? Not so fast! Not only are there poor quality breeders out there making themselves look great on a website, there are scam catteries that will take a buyer’s money and there is NO kitten!
So how does a buyer know? Careful examination of the website is the first step. If a person peruses breeder websites regularly and sees that a particular website is never updated with information or up to date kitten pictures, it may be a scam. If pictures viewed on the website are common pictures that are on the web when googling RagaMuffins, there is potential those photos were stolen for use on a fake web site. A current scam site uses the exact wording from an established breeder’s site, even saying to check out the Facebook page of the actual breeder (a different cattery name)!
Many breeders state what organizations they belong to on their website. An individual may check with those organizations to verify membership. Some ethical RagaMuffin breeders do not maintain an active website. They choose instead to utilize social media sites like MeWe, Facebook or Instagram. Again, active updates with original pictures and information is important to prove validity.
Videos of current litters is a great way to establish that a cattery is not a scam. Mentioning the name of the cattery and the date during the recording helps prove the kittens are actually kittens from that cattery. Some breeders use video chat or multiple phone calls to get to know buyers. This is an effective way for the adopter to ensure a comfort level in dealing with a breeder. A fictional breeder is unlikely to want to make the effort.
References from previous RagaMuffin buyers may be requested. While I am not aware of any deceit with this previously, the potential is certainly there utilizing a ghost email address. Of course, the best way to find a good breeder to work with is through a recommendation of someone known to the potential buyer. In some cases, breeders may be met at a cat show which is a super method of seeing the cats the cattery has produced.
When adding a family member, the last thing a potential RagaMuffin buyer wants is to spend money on a kitten that doesn’t exist.