Purchasing via PayPal from a private seller

soolin

So far this month we have had two people buying from dodgy puppy sellers and now someone wanting to buy a kitten. 

The rules on MSE state that we must be polite to other users, but I must once again ask what sort of person is happy to sell animals to anyone who has the money to pay, without even the most basics of checks? Is that what this has come to now, animals being sold just like you would an unwanted television or a lump of cheese? 

DoaM

donnac2558 said:

Gumtree is even worse and I belong to a group trying to get all pets banned from sale on there.

Ironically we got our 2nd boy (Bichon) tangentially via Gumtree last September. I'm a member of a Bichon Rehoming group on FB. Someone found a Gumtree ad and let me know the details. I sent a text to the number and a few minutes later got a call back. Whilst the ad was selling the boy, that was only to put off the time wasters and dog baiters ... they were actually looking for a good new home for him as they could no longer give him the life he was used to. (I went to see him at their home, with my 1st boy. They then came to see us at our home. Both visits to ensure that the boys would get on. We collected him a few weeks later (after our holiday) ... no monies changed hands.

However I support in principle what you're looking to achieve ... I'm aware that our case is an exception rather than the rule.

donnac2558

It's more people just giving away unwanted pets which end up as dog fighting bait or shall we say people who like to torture for fun.

Okay, my story.   In April my 17-year-old Burmese was found to have cancer so had to let the vet put her to sleep.  I have owned Burmese since 1987, in fact, the first was a year old and had been returned to the breeder he lived until 12 again cancer, I also got a female to keep him company both neutered who died of kidney disease at 13, my big boy 18 years old again cancer.  I always went to the same breeder but she has retired no longer shows, breeds or judges.

I waited a number of weeks and decided yes I really wanted another Burmese and tried to find an older one returned to the breeder perhaps no longer used to breed without luck.  My original breeder told me about another breeder this woman is actually the secretary of the N.I. Cat Fancy Society.   I phoned chatted with this lady a number of times said I could get a reference from my vet if she needed one and also could contact the original breeder who she knew well.   She had a girl left from the litter going to Dublin but with lockdown decided not to chance to let the buyer come up in case of being fined.   I offered a deposit but this was refused. so I went to her home we had to go out to the cattery at the back and stand apart of course. The mother and kitten usually in the house but because of lockdown and my coming, they were put into the cattery.   I saw the mother and kitten who was 4 months old able to go in and sit and play with both mother and kitten, lots of questions asked on both sides, full paperwork for the kitten including the record of all inoculations shown.   The breeder only ever sold face to face with cash or cheque as payment.  

I now have a brown Burmese kitten.