Cautionary tale about a pet purchased from marketplace site

ncmc

I know this comes up on this forum again and again, but yet another cautionary tale about a pet purchased off a well-known marketplace site. My niece bought a kitten off a private seller sourced through this pet-for-sale site a couple of weeks ago. Gorgeous little thing, she paid €100 for it which she thought was steep (it’s not a pedigree cat or anything) but the seller said they have to charge for kittens to avoid them being taken by unscrupulous sorts who would use them as dog fighting bait. Well, her problems began almost immediately, poor little kitten was showing signs of sickness almost straight away. She has been in and out of the vet numerous times, little guy is riddled with worms among other things and it looks now like he’s not going to make it.

I know she was very naive to buy from this site in the first place and she wasn’t knowledgeable enough to spot that he was sickly. But she was excited about getting a kitten and overlooked the warning signs. It’s a harsh lesson for her. So please, please, please don’t buy animals from these sites unless you have done serious due diligence! I have heard so many horror stories like this and there are some very unscrupulous people out there.

cocker5

Poor kitten.. I hope he makes it

I’m sorry but I have to say in 2019 I have no pity for the purchaser .. in this day and age the information regarding these sites everywhere .. people choose to ignore it.

And by purchasing via these sites it’s only fuels the trade .. and animals continue to suffer.

I’m also sorry to say who buys a kitten when there are loads up for adoption..

Anyway I hope the kitten makes it

MrMusician18

Why would anyone pay €100 for a kitten? Loads of people are giving them away.

ncmc

cocker5 wrote: »

Poor kitten.. I hope he makes it

I’m sorry but I have to say in 2019 I have no pity for the purchaser .. in this day and age the information regarding these sites everywhere .. people choose to ignore it.

And by purchasing via these sites it’s only fuels the trade .. and animals continue to suffer.

I’m also sorry to say who buys a kitten when there are loads up for adoption..

Anyway I hope the kitten makes it

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Why would anyone pay €100 for a kitten? Loads of people are giving them away.

That's what I would have thought, but she says she couldn't find any free ones as people are worried they'll be used in dog baiting??? Sounds crazy to me. I know you have to pay in rescues, but at least they are chipped, vaccinated, wormed etc.


You'd be amazed how naive people are though, I said it to a few of my family and friends that you should never buy off **** **** and the most common reply I got was 'why???' Like you, I would have thought it was common knowledge at this stage!

.......

ncmc wrote: »

That's what I would have thought, but she says she couldn't find any free ones as people are worried they'll be used in dog baiting??? Sounds crazy to me. I know you have to pay in rescues, but at least they are chipped, vaccinated, wormed etc.

She didnt look very hard tbh.

It would have been cheaper for her to pay a rehoming fee with a registered charity then she would have been far less likely to be given a sick animal.

Plumbthedepths

What is wrong with people that they avoid animal shelters. No sympathy for anyone buying off these sites it just encourages absolute chancers to get involved in breeding to make a quick buck.

ncmc

....... wrote: »

She didnt look very hard tbh.

It would have been cheaper for her to pay a rehoming fee with a registered charity then she would have been far less likely to be given a sick animal.

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

What is wrong with people that they avoid animal shelters. No sympathy for anyone buying off these sites it just encourages absolute chancers to get involved in breeding to make a quick buck.

Absolutely, I agree 100% but you'd be amazed how many people don't do even basic due dilligence before buying pets. An awful lot of people don't realise the chancers and scam artists working off these sights. Throw in a story about how they are only charging money to make sure the kittens are given responsible homes :rolleyes: sure they look like stand up citizens then!

cocker5

ncmc wrote: »

Absolutely, I agree 100% but you'd be amazed how many people don't do even basic due dilligence before buying pets. An awful lot of people don't realise the chancers and scam artists working off these sights. Throw in a story about how they are only charging money to make sure the kittens are given responsible homes :rolleyes: sure they look like stand up citizens then!

well in truth that's NOT 100% correct most people who rehome are ADVISED not to give a pet away for free for those exact reasons dog fight baiting, breeding etc

the fact is its all about "supply and demand" if you didn't have g*b****es wanting cats / dogs for nothing or for a very small fee and willing to buy these animals then there wouldn't be a demand and the g*b****es wouldn't be selling

ncmc

Poor little guy didn't make it unfortunately. My niece is devastated, as I said, a very harsh lesson for her.

cocker5

In all honesty .. sorry if this sounds harsh but it’s not about your neice .. it’s the kitten if feel for .. poor little guy

Again humans at fault on both sides

.......

ncmc wrote: »

Poor little guy didn't make it unfortunately. My niece is devastated, as I said, a very harsh lesson for her.

I hope that the seller has been reported to the relevant authorities for failing to provide healthcare to a sick animal?

cocker5

....... wrote: »

I hope that the seller has been reported to the relevant authorities for failing to provide healthcare to a sick animal?

Report to who?

animal welfare is awful in Ireland

.......

cocker5 wrote: »

Report to who?

animal welfare is awful in Ireland

It is - but its not going to get any better if people dont make the reports.

Id also consider small claims for the 100 euro.

thebiglad

....... wrote: »

Id also consider small claims for the 100 euro.

And the Vet fees...

.......

thebiglad wrote: »

And the Vet fees...

Good point.

If nothing else it might serve to put off the scummy person who sold a sick kitten from doing it in the future if they have to deal with Guards/animal cruelty officers asking questions, and financial claims.

cocker5

....... wrote: »

It is - but its not going to get any better if people dont make the reports.

Id also consider small claims for the 100 euro.

I agree but I'm asking report to who?
what organisation will deal with this? can deal with this?


Small claims..
was there a contract ?
a receipt for the €100 having been paid over?
Proof the kitten was ill when paid for in that instance?

no so its all hear say in the eyes of the law I'm afraid

TheBoyConor

....... wrote: »

I hope that the seller has been reported to the relevant authorities for failing to provide healthcare to a sick animal?

Waste of time. Some great work going on in animal welfare in ireland but they are under huge pressure. A sick kitten that died is a long way down the priority list. They've bigger fish to fry with puppy farms, ill-managed farms, travellers etc.

Plumbthedepths

....... wrote:

Id also consider small claims for the 100 euro.

Chances are the seller could only meet in a car park, contactable only through the FB market place and blocked the buyer soon after.
Sad for the kitten and an expensive lesson for the buyer.

.......

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

Chances are the seller could only meet in a car park, contactable only through the FB market place and blocked the buyer soon after.
Sad for the kitten and an expensive lesson for the buyer.

You are probably right.

ncmc

cocker5 wrote: »

I agree but I'm asking report to who?
what organisation will deal with this? can deal with this?


Small claims..
was there a contract ?
a receipt for the €100 having been paid over?
Proof the kitten was ill when paid for in that instance?

no so its all hear say in the eyes of the law I'm afraid

Plus, with small claims court, I presume it would be like a private car purchase, you would have to prove that the seller knew the kitten was sick. Now I don't know the ins and outs of the purchase, but my niece is a smart woman, I doubt she would have bought the kitten if it was panned out dying. It only started showing signs of illness in the 36 hours after purchase. Now, maybe the seller is genuine and maybe she genuinely didn't know the cat was sick. But it's just a minefield buying from these sites.

pawrick

At the first signs of the kitten being ill I'd have contacted the seller if only to warn them there is an issue which could affect other kittens in the litter. 100 euro for a normal house cat however would raise alarm bells with me esp if there was no records from a VET, microchip etc.

.......

ncmc wrote: »

Plus, with small claims court, I presume it would be like a private car purchase, you would have to prove that the seller knew the kitten was sick. Now I don't know the ins and outs of the purchase, but my niece is a smart woman, I doubt she would have bought the kitten if it was panned out dying. It only started showing signs of illness in the 36 hours after purchase. Now, maybe the seller is genuine and maybe she genuinely didn't know the cat was sick. But it's just a minefield buying from these sites.

Has she contacted the seller since the kitten became ill?

ncmc

pawrick wrote: »

At the first signs of the kitten being ill I'd have contacted the seller if only to warn them there is an issue which could affect other kittens in the litter. 100 euro for a normal house cat however would raise alarm bells with me esp if there was no records from a VET, microchip etc.

That's a good point, I might encourage her to contact the seller in case the litter mates are also in danger. I don't know if she has contacted her yet.

sillysmiles

In a way isn't the bigger question why someone like the OPs niece is willing to pay €100 to a seller - but not go to a shelter/rescue? Why, societally, many people have negative impressions of rescues/shelters and the animals from there?

.......

Actually its not been clarified why the niece went to a private seller rather than a rescue/charity.

sillysmiles

That's true, it hasn't.
I have no idea anyone buys* a cat or dog anyway, as my first reaction is always a rescue. But what does it take it make it everyone's first thought? I think in particular, first time pet owners.


*personally, I think buying a cat or dog is fine if you are looking for a working animal - to work or are into the breed and know about the breeding and are willing to pay for a well bred animal.

ncmc

....... wrote: »

Actually its not been clarified why the niece went to a private seller rather than a rescue/charity.

She claims she tried to get on from a rescue, but she wanted a smaller kitten and apparently none of the rescues she tried had smaller kittens. I never would have thought there was such an issue getting kittens, I thought rescues would have dozens.

.......

ncmc wrote: »

She claims she tried to get on from a rescue, but she wanted a smaller kitten and apparently none of the rescues she tried had smaller kittens. I never would have thought there was such an issue getting kittens, I thought rescues would have dozens.

How small was the one she got?

Did she buy a kitten too small to be taken from its mother?

Its a timing thing with rescues, kitten season happens, but people like kittens so they fly out, then there are none til next kitten season.

ncmc

....... wrote: »

How small was the one she got?

Did she buy a kitten too small to be taken from its mother?

Its a timing thing with rescues, kitten season happens, but people like kittens so they fly out, then there are none til next kitten season.

No he defintely wasn't too small to leave his mother, I think he was 10/11 weeks

ncmc

To add insult to injury, she got the vets bill today, €600 :eek::eek::eek:

cocker5

ncmc wrote: »

cocker5 wrote: »

I agree but I'm asking report to who?
what organisation will deal with this? can deal with this?


Small claims..
was there a contract ?
a receipt for the €100 having been paid over?
Proof the kitten was ill when paid for in that instance?

no so its all hear say in the eyes of the law I'm afraid

Plus, with small claims court, I presume it would be like a private car purchase, you would have to prove that the seller knew the kitten was sick. Now I don't know the ins and outs of the purchase, but my niece is a smart woman, I doubt she would have bought the kitten if it was panned out dying. It only started showing signs of illness in the 36 hours after purchase. Now, maybe the seller is genuine and maybe she genuinely didn't know the cat was sick. But it's just a minefield buying from these sites.

She quiet obviously not a smart women .. for all the reasons mentioned above

And you also seem fixated on your neice being upset and the €100 she paid for the kitten and now you mention the €600 vet bill ... sorry but the kitten died? This is a living creature?

ncmc

Cocker, it is possible to feel sympathy for more than one thing at once! Of course I feel bad for the kitten, but I also feel very sorry for my niece, she didn’t set out to make such an error and she’s very upset about the whole thing. She gave the kitten every chance at life and spared no expense to try and save it. My point with this thread was to point out that a lot of people still don’t know the perils, pitfalls and downright scams that are rife on marketplace websites. Despite what you may thing, she is a very intelligent woman, possibly very naive, but she is certainly not stupid.

I mention the vets fees because not only is she devastated about the kitten, but it’s also a lot of money she can ill afford. Again, the point of the thread is to warn people about these websites and to show that not only is it cruel on the animals, but can also be a very costly mistake for the buyer.

Cherry Blossom

Cocker5, let's drop the passive aggressiveness. Quite frankly continually throwing abuse and insults at a third party to the thread is rediculous and goes against the spirit of the rule that posters are required to be respectful to each other. If you've nothing constructive to say don't bother posting.

Thanks,
CB.

.......

ncmc wrote: »

Again, the point of the thread is to warn people about these websites and to show that not only is it cruel on the animals, but can also be a very costly mistake for the buyer.

To me this is obvious - I am surprised that anyone would use a website over a rescue. This is pretty well advertised, both through rescues themselves, and newspaper articles telling people not to buy animals online, and even a cursory google.

The attraction of buying a pet privately rather than going to a rescue is that you wont be subjected to a home check, you wont have people who care about animals asking you questions and viewing how you handle the animal before they hand it over and you wont have them following up to ensure you and your pet are getting along well after you have gone home. Its also probably faster, you simply drive to the person, hand over the cash and drive away with a (sick) kitten in a box. I dont have a lot of sympathy for someone who chooses the quick and easy way when its the welfare of animals at stake.

But realistically the only way people will stop buying from these websites will be if there is a solid crack down to prevent sales of living creatures on these websites.

Make it a criminal activity, make it culturally unacceptable, make it something associated with people who are scumbags (the sellers that is). However, that kind of social and cultural change takes decades, and no matter what laws are in place, as long as there is someone willing to buy privately, there will be someone willing to make a quick buck on the back of an animals misery or death.

The unfortunate truth is that it is people like the OPs niece who fuel this industry. If there was no market, there would be no marketplace.

For the OPs niece this has been an expensive and sad lesson, so take from it, spread the word, and maybe someone else will think twice before using a website to buy a pet.

tk123

....... wrote: »

To
The attraction of buying a pet privately rather from a puppy farmer than going to a rescue is that you won't be subjected to a home check,

Reputable breeders exist... They interview prospective owners.. they decide which puppy is the best fit.. they socialise the pups..they offer support to owners and will take a puppy back. Your post is all well and good but you're tarring all breeders with the same brush like most rescues rather than educating people on how to source a pet from a reputable breeder. Also not all rescues are reputable..

The OP's niece is the perfect example of somebody not having a clue what they were doing because there's no education on the matter and the poor girl has had a horrible experience because of it.

.......

tk123 wrote: »

Reputable breeders exist... They interview prospective owners.. they decide which puppy is the best fit.. they socialise the pups..they offer support to owners and will take a puppy back. Your post is all well and good but you're tarring all breeders with the same brush like most rescues rather than educating people on how to source a pet from a reputable breeder. Also not all rescues are reputable..

The OP's niece is the perfect example of somebody not having a clue what they were doing because there's no education on the matter and the poor girl has had a horrible experience because of it.

It was a normal house cat. Not a dog. No reputable breeders exist for ordinary house cats.

Knine

....... wrote: »

It was a normal house cat. Not a dog. No reputable breeders exist for ordinary house cats.

Yes they do. Where do you think surplus kittens go when someone breeds their pedigree cat?

sillysmiles

tk123 wrote: »

The OP's niece is the perfect example of somebody not having a clue what they were doing because there's no education on the matter and the poor girl has had a horrible experience because of it.

^ This.



The OP's niece went a bought a kitten because she wanted a kitten - and clearly didn't know the pitfalls associated with it.



But I often feel that places like this are a bit of an echo chamber, as people who frequently forums like this are more interested that the average person in animals and animal welfare.

But, when as a nation, we are such a poor record and place such a low regard on animal welfare in the general population, I think the OP's niece is as such a symptom of the lack of knowledge/insight in the general population as anything else.



OP, talk to you niece about going in a month or two to a rescue - kittens season should be in full swing in a few months I think - and look at adopting two kittens (not one!).

.......

Knine wrote: »

Yes they do. Where do you think surplus kittens go when someone breeds their pedigree cat?

It wasnt a pedigree cat - it was an ordinary kitten?

Im not sure what argument you are trying to make here?

I pointed out that people should know not to buy animals off websites privately. This was countered by a poster saying it was ok to buy off a registered breeder. It is of course, but we were not talking about pedigree animal, we were talking about an ordinary house cat.

Nothing was mentioned in the thread about either registered breeders or pedigree animals. The entire thread has been about dodgy people selling online versus rescues.

I would have thought it was quite obvious that a registered breeder would not hand over a sick kitten for 100 euro to a stranger?

tk123

....... wrote: »

I would have thought it was quite obvious that a registered breeder would not hand over a sick kitten for 100 euro to a stranger?

Well it's obviously not otherwise nobody would be buying from bad breeders and we'd have empty rescues.

.......

tk123 wrote: »

Well it's obviously not otherwise nobody would be buying from bad breeders and we'd have empty rescues.

Sorry - I should have said "reputable".

I can see the pedantism around here is reaching critical mass. Good luck to ye all.