# Do you respond to texts to your kitten adverts?



## Elsie's mum (Mar 9, 2009)

Right I have advertised my 2 kittens, they aren't ready to go quite yet but I thought people could visit and reserve if they wanted. So far I've had a few responses by text which I don't like and think if someone was properly interested they would ring, am I being silly? Do you think checking they are available by text is ok? I also had someone who didn't want to wait untill after their vaccinations and said they would do it themselves which was a big no no for me.
The other thing I've had is someone asking for a discount, is that normal? I've advertised them at 250, I didn't know how much to ask but thought maybe that was enough to secure a good home and hopefully avoid people looking for a bargain siamese and its about how much I've spent on vet bills, what do you think is reasonable to ask? And do you give money off?

My friend thinks I'm being fussy and am going to end up keeping them!


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

These are the unregistered ones right? Forgive me if I'm wrong - brain addled today. 

I think £250 is a little steep if they are unregistered as registered ones are about £350 - however. . . It's your choice.

I allow people to email me (I don't ever put a mobile phone number up so can't text) and then nearer the time encourage them to ring but . . . I'm a little phone phobic so understand when people would rather email or meet in person. 


Discounts ONLY if taking more than one.


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## Suzanne1973 (Jan 14, 2012)

I dont think its steep to ask £250 I ve seen them higher in the past.

And to ask for a discount no way.


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## Elsie's mum (Mar 9, 2009)

Yeah your right Spid they are unregistered. Ok if 250 is steep I'll change that, to be honest I have no idea about what to ask! The only thing I based it on was that I paid 150 for a siamese x bsh kitten and 150 for the kittens mum so just assumed it would be a bit more than that. To be honest its not about the money its about finding the right home so what would you say is the right price?


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

I never give out my mobile number so I don't get texts. I don't think I'd like text enquiries though. I don't mind initial emails but prefer to speak to people too.
£250? well, I've seen Siamese selling for more than that unregistered 
I have sold some of mine in twos but no-one has asked for a discount on the price. If they did I would consider it but won't go lower for a single kitten.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

i don't know (sorry abot typin coda is on mt arm agsain) - on price - maybe £250 is fine, I paid £200 for cross once but only because i knew the breeder abd the accident was genuine. so for me £175-£200


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## Suzanne1973 (Jan 14, 2012)

If the txt are coming from the ppl that are asking for a reduction/discount then I think they are doing it because they are ashamed  to ask in person. I would simply txt back and state nope and if more info req call. Or even consider if they could afford expensive vet bills that can often cost more than 250. After all would they ask a vet for a discount


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

I would just a text back saying you don't give discounts and leave it at that. If they are genuinely interested I'm sure they'll be back in touch. You could always call the number they sent the text from


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

I hate texts for kitten enquiries. I'm happy enough with an email for an initial enquiry but not if it's in textspeak. The worst are messages such as "how much r ur kittens". That's textspeak *and* the first contact being about price - my two big bugbears. Unlikely to elicit a speedy response from me.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

Suzanne1973 said:


> If the txt are coming from the ppl that are asking for a reduction/discount then I think they are doing it because they are ashamed  to ask in person. I would simply txt back and state nope and if more info req call. Or even consider if they could afford expensive vet bills that can often cost more than 250. After all would they ask a vet for a discount


When I was searching the Internet for a "nice" cat in December I responded by text as the person mentioned texting in the advert - I didn't get a response, at the time I wasn't sure how things worked and was a bit shy about the process.

I didn't want to pay more than £200, but to infer just because someone doesn't want to pay £250 for a cat they can't afford a vets bill is just wrong. She will get all she needs and more, but I would rather spend money for the aftercare.

I don't use text speak in any text, which ironically you have.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> After all would they ask a vet for a discount


You bet! I negotiate price all the time with mine


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## jo-pop (May 27, 2011)

havoc said:


> You bet! I negotiate price all the time with mine


Me too!


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## Crushmer (Nov 14, 2011)

havoc said:


> You bet! I negotiate price all the time with mine





jo-pop said:


> Me too!


Me 3! :001_tongue:


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## Golgotha_tramp (Feb 27, 2011)

Depends on what the text said. I probably would e-mail if the option was there as a first choice, but if it was phone only I would text.

I really have difficulty speaking to people I don't know and so if there was a mobile and no times it was OK to call I would text with a brief bit of info on me and my set up asking for a convenient time to ring.

If I heard nothing back I would assume I wasn't what the person wanted and wouldn't contact them again. I would have a fear of ringing someone cold and them being rude or snooty about their kittens.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I would have a fear of ringing someone cold and them being rude or snooty about their kittens


Right! I feel a real need to answer this. If someone has advertised kittens and provided a phone number then they have invited calls. I do know it must be difficult to cold call a breeder but most of us really don't bite. I usually answer an initial email enquiry with a request that the enquirer phones me for a chat, letting them know that anytime before 10pm is OK, or lets me know their landline number and a convenient time for me to call them.

If you're interested then pick up the phone. It's easy enough to ask if it's convenient to talk or if the breeder would prefer you to phone back. If there's a answering machine PLEASE leave your details and any decent breeder will get back to you. Sometimes we are up to our elbows in scrubbing out litter trays or out with a stud boy and we can't get to the phone quickly enough but that doesn't mean we don't want to talk to you


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## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

I don't even bother to answer texts which are the first port of contact. Once I have got to know a potential owner then text contact is fine for certain things but never as the initial enquiry ..... I just don't think it gives the impression of a serious potential owner 

Phone or email me - I am happy to chat as I did with one lady on Friday who just wanted a bit of info on the breed - as Havoc says we don't bite!


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

I sort of 'get' the scared thing - always had a problem with phones every since I was little and my dad used to force me to phone my grandma and one of the first times it was a wrong number and I got horribly upset - I think I was about 6. 

Even now I have to steel myself to ring people I don't really know - even if I've arranged a time and everything. However. . . I make myself do it. I do tend to email first and arrange a time to ring. Or go to a show and meet someone in person (I actually find that much easier) and of course once I've met or spoken once it's easy.

For a breeders point of view - I'm happy to have loads of email contact and/ or talk on the phone - but I need to meet face to face before I will let you have a kitten - except in circumstances where maybe a trusted friend breeder recommended someone etc - but I don't know. Never had it yet so can't really say.

I don't mind being asked the price, I don't mind even being asked if I do a discount for two (I might), but I don't do texts and I hate bad grammar.


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

Im happy to as I understand that alot of people arent happy to talk on the phone, I never used to be, still find it a little hard so I prefer email, if they are in text talk then I dont reply, but sometimes I have missed a call so they text to say it was them who called lol! 

But I do get carried away on the phone chatting, a man called me a few days ago but I havent got any raggie kittens, said I had bengals, talked him out of getting a bengal! Then I went through different breeds with him to see which one fitted his family best and current kitten!! :blush: think his going to get a british shorthair lol :laugh: Spent about 30mins talking and he was really chuffed that I spoke to him! But I do get carried away talking cat!! :blush:


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I sort of 'get' the scared thing


So do I. It's completely understandable. The point is the buyer should want to check out the breeder as much as the other way round. If potential kitten buyers could only realise that they are the ones with the upper hand they wouldn't be so scared of phoning. If the breeder isn't pleasant then move on. There will *always* be other kittens.


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## Soupie (Sep 2, 2008)

spid said:


> Even now I have to steel myself to ring people I don't really know - even if I've arranged a time and everything. However. . . I make myself do it. I do tend to email first and arrange a time to ring. Or go to a show and meet someone in person (I actually find that much easier) and of course once I've met or spoken once it's easy.


Meeting in person makes it all so much easier afterwards from a breeder point of view too  Several of my kitty owners are people I have met at shows


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## Elsie's mum (Mar 9, 2009)

I guess working in telesales I don't mind talking over the phone! Well I ignored the text I got last night and she rung today and to be honest she sounded lovely and had had a cat before and had done her research on the breed too so she's coming over to meet the kittens and if she likes one is happy to wait untill they are ready, don't want to get my hopes up but it sounded like a perfect home!


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## Cinnebar (Nov 8, 2011)

But please take into account people like me 

I am severely deaf and don't do telephones. I don't speak textese either lol
So my communication of choice is email, I would be lost without it.
If a phone call is essential then I will get my husband to ring for me, but that results in a really complicated 3 way conversation as I try to tell him what I need to say lol


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

That's why emails are good - you can explain your deafness in one and then contact can be taken from there. I like emails.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I am severely deaf and don't do telephones.


Which you would presumably let me know in either your initial enquiry or in response to my subsequent request by email that we chat on the phone. I'm not anti emails, more trying to make the point that people shouldn't be frightened of picking up the phone to a breeder.


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## sharonbee (Aug 3, 2011)

I much prefer e-mailing, you can end up getting lots of texts and answering them all using your credit up just for them to decide they don't really want one anyway...you do get a lot of timewasters and people just wanting to come and look, treating your home as a family outing, we do state 'only two visitors at any one time'. Might sound harsh but kittens are so young it isn't fair to subject them to loads of kids all screaching with excitement...anyway I am going off topic a bit so to your question ...No I don't like texting potential customers.

£250 is a lot if the cat isn't registered and also if it isn't registered on the active register the breeder you bought her from would have had a contract for you to sign saying you wouldn't breed from her I would have thought? Not sure if you meant your queen isn't registered or the kittens she has had aren't registered. If it is just the kittens that are not registered I guess people will pay that as some wont mind not having papers if they are going to be bought as pets. I personally prefer to register them for the sake of £9 per kitten.

We charge £350 for ours on the non active register or £450 on the active, they come with pink slips, contracts, pedigree papers, they are vaccinated, wormed and micro chipped and come with kitten packs containing food, toys and a cat book.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

The OP bought a cat and then it turned out it was pregnant - all the cats in the house she got it from were siamese but no papers - so don't worry she didn't breed them deliberately just wondered why her girl was getting SO tubby! But that's why they aren't registered.


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

Elsie's mum said:


> Right I have advertised my 2 kittens, they aren't ready to go quite yet but I thought people could visit and reserve if they wanted. So far I've had a few responses by text which I don't like and think if someone was properly interested they would ring, am I being silly? Do you think checking they are available by text is ok? I also had someone who didn't want to wait untill after their vaccinations and said they would do it themselves which was a big no no for me.
> The other thing I've had is someone asking for a discount, is that normal? I've advertised them at 250, I didn't know how much to ask but thought maybe that was enough to secure a good home and hopefully avoid people looking for a bargain siamese and its about how much I've spent on vet bills, what do you think is reasonable to ask? And do you give money off?
> 
> My friend thinks I'm being fussy and am going to end up keeping them!


just read the money part, you dont actually know if the dad is a siamese, could be a cross so Id think that £250 is well over priced, no papers, are you vac'ing and neutering them? micro-chipped, contracts? most pedigrees are about £350-450 so for another £100 could get a paper'd one with health tested parents etc.

personally I wouldnt pay it, Im sure people do but for a cross and you dont know what breed the dad is no papers id be thinking about £150-175, just my thoughts on it though


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## tellingtails (Jul 28, 2010)

Responding to texts or emails, you can only go on gut feeling on each individual.

What you need to remember is not everyone likes to talk on the telephone, to people they do not know.

I have been a breeder for many years, as many on here have too, and over the years I have sold Kittens all over the Uk and have even exported 2 to Portugal, and 1 to France at times dealing with different accents and language barriers a Telephone can be more of a hinderance. 

Although I insist of meeting all new owners and them meeting the Kittens before, they commence to purchase an actual Kitten, I communicate alot via texts and emails to perspective new owners. I get alot of texts that simply say Seen your Kittens are they still available. When I first started out breeding I used to think , the cheek could not even be bothered to ring. However over the years I have come to realise there are many reasons for this, and I have even had apolagies afterwards when I have met people and the reasons have been simple ones like, I was at work and was quickly looking when I should not have been, so sent a quick text without the boss looking 

Recently I was contacted by a lady called Samantha via email, telling me how much she wanted a pair of Siamese and loved the ones I was advertising, she asked alot of questions via her email, I replied and exchanged several emails over the next week. She lived in London and I live in Newcastle. I put my number on the emails and said if she had any further questions she could call and she never did, she agreed to travel up to meet myself and my wife and meet the Kittens all done via an email no phone calls what so ever. Not even a call for directions anything.

On meeting Samantha for the first time, it was clearly evident why she did not call, she was in the process of trans gender operations etc, she explained that she never uses the phone because she fears people judge her by her voice, her name says Samatha but her voice says Sam, she has turned out to be one of our Favourite owners and she took a Blue Point Male and a Red Point Male, she is on our Facebook and regularly sends Photos of the Cats who have grown up beautifully, you could not ask for a nicer owner. 

Being a breeder you have to have a very open mind, you meet alot of different people, and all you can do is go on your instincts by talking, texting and emailing, answering all their questions and asking your own questions. Trying to establish what the person is really like, you also have to learn how to read between the lines because there are some people who will try to tell you what they think you want to hear.


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## lizward (Feb 29, 2008)

I once made a first inquiry by text (can't even do texts now!) and I was certainly genuine. I much prefer email but many breeders won't give their email address for some reason - or never seem to read their emails.

Liz


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