# Breeder's Contract - keep cats enclosed



## Howlinbob (Jul 25, 2011)

Hi there, just wanted to post this in the breeders' section, I would be interested in your perspective on this.

When we got our Maine Coons last year the breeder stipulated in the kitten contract that the cats must be kept enclosed. Either they must be house cats, or we must enclose our garden and keep it cat-proof so that they can't freely roam around the neighbourhood. This of course we did: it's only a small garden but the cats have plants, lawn and trees to climb, a good view up and down the street, and they even manage to catch the odd bird and mouse. We've built them some tree platforms and a ladder to make it more interesting for them. And we get peace of mind that they are safe. So we are happy with the arrangement, even though all our previous cats freely roamed in our street with no problems. I sometimes feel a bit sorry for my lads now, that they can't explore a wider area, but this is a compromise and when you hear of what can happen to them out in the big wide world I'm thankful that I always know where they are.

My question is, is it now common practice among breeders to put this in their contracts? And if so, when did it become common practice? None of my friends and family really understand why we are so careful about keeping our cats in. My in-laws had pedigree blue shorthairs about 20 years ago and they did not have to keep them enclosed, so they feel rather sorry for our cats that they are restricted in this way, especially as our cats are such big athletic young creatures at the moment. I'm sure some of our friends think we've gone paranoid, but I usually explain it by saying 'but we are contractually obliged to keep them enclosed', or 'the road's much busier these days', or 'there are so many student houses in our road that we don't know our neighbours'.

From a breeder's point of view, is it that you've spent so much time and effort breeding your cats, that you want to ensure that they are safe in their new homes? Is it that each kitten is still partly your baby, even when they're in their forever home?


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## messyhearts (Feb 6, 2009)

I can't comment on how long but it is extremely common place for this to be a clause in a contract and yes it is because breeders still care about kittens when they are in their new homes. It is devastating to hear of a cat being run over and this is so easily avoided.


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## Puindoors (May 19, 2011)

I explain it to people by refering to the changing practices that have occured in dog ownership oer the last 40-50 years. It was common practice to just let your dog out the front door, no leads or 'walking' of the dog.

Now its considered cruel to let a dog free roam, due to all the trouble it could get into, or the bother it could cause to other people.

Why is a cat different? They can get run over, cause accidents, get stolen, poisoned, poo on other people's property ( in children's sand pits + veg patches), kill the local wildlife. You only have to read forums regularly to hear of the heartache a missing or injured pet can cause. Cats don't really understand roads, I wouldn't let a small child, a dog or a cat out on its own to take its chances.

Mostly my birmans got to indoors homes, I hae agreed to a few being allowed out on thier own, but these cats lived on large private grounds.


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## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

It is becoming more common to see that in contracts. I understand why some breeders do it, but I don't think its right.

Personally, I would never ever buy from a breeder who demanded what I do or don't do with the cat I am buying. My cat, my rules.


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

I don't know how long it has been but it is now very common especially amongst some breeds in particular.
Personally I don't stipulate that my kittens must be indoor or enclosed only but I do advise that they should be. It has broken my heart to lose cats in the past, I would rather that others avoid that but can only say that they should do what they feel to be in the best interest of their own cat.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Same for me - I would SERIOUSLY advise that cats are indoors or kept in a run as pedigrees are prone to being stolen and are renowned for walking up to ANYONE and allowing themselves to be picked up, they also seem to be unable to gain road sense. Having had a cat escape from the run and get run over 2 months later having been on the run since I know how horrid it feels to lose and then be informed of the death of a loved animal. However, it is impossible to enforce but I would hope a new owner would be honest about their situation and take my advise. Pedigree cats are expensive too - and to see a £500 cat wandering about on the street makes you wonder if it has wandered and needs rescuing.


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## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

someone that I know that breeds Ragdolls puts it in the contract but is flexible on it - it's mainly there to see what type of owners the people are...

if they protest it but have no reason to protest she won't sell them the kitten, if they want to let it out 'cos that's what you do with cats' then she won't sell to them

however if they go "well, come see the estate, we live in the middle of 6 acres of private land" etc - then it may be removed from their contract if she is happy that the area is safe - though she still advises that with being ragdolls - their personality and coat type makes roaming a fairly daft idea


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

My contract stipulates that cats are NEVER to be allowed out on their own, and must either be kept as house cats or have a cat run/professionally cat proofed garden which is the only place they are allowed to explore. I am absolutely not flexible on those points. Why? Because every one of those little kittens that leaves for a new home takes a piece of my heart with them, and I will never stop caring for them or loving them, no matter how many years they've been gone. I don't want to hear that one of them has been run over or gone missing, because it would torment me that I, by my choice of home, had put my cat in that situation. Most breeders never stop caring about their cats, so I can understand why this is in many contracts these days.

If a cat is let out to roam, there is a possibility that it might be stolen by someone else. In this situation, who knows the kind of home it could end up in.

the bottom line is this. Those cats are in this world because of me, and as such, I will always have a responsibility to ensure their welfare. For me, this includes making sure they aren't stolen or become road kill, and if someone refuses to cooperate with that, then they don't get one of my cats, simple as that.


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

i fully agree that cats are kept in preferably with a run for access, but how do you know what will happen when the kitten leaves the breeder. if you dont keep in touch with the breeder then surely they will be unaware of what happens?


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## Philski (May 28, 2010)

When I set my heart on getting an Egyptian Mau four years ago, I found a lot of breeder websites that had their contracts on their websites; I knew that I wasn't going be keeping them indoors (for various reasons that have proven correct), so I mailed the breeder who I eventually bought my two from to explain my point of view. She responded:

"Regarding if you let them out or not is really for you to decide, I have decided from experience that you can only advise and not dictate. People will say they are going to keep them in if that's what they think you want to hear. However wether it is good to let them out or not would depend upon where you live etc. I know this is not terribly helpful but only you would know the situation in your neigborhood."

Which seemed quite a pragmatic response, but one reason I settled on Maus (apart from their looks, which I love) is that they bond very closely with their owner and are very fast, so tricky for a stranger to steal. They are also very intelligent, which has meant (for me) quite traffic-savvy and able to keep out of trouble, but they are also quite hyper, so I wanted them to be able to burn up their energy outside. I do know that other breeds, such as Burmese and Ragdolls (I think) can be less suited to the outdoors, so I can understand breeders of other breeds wanting to ensure their kittens are kept away from trouble.


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## Maistaff (Dec 27, 2009)

I am not sure what other breeders do but my mum and I both discussed this at great length before we sold our kittens. We decided that yes would love to have all of our kittens kept as house cats BUT how can you really be sure what the kittens will and wont be aloud to do once that kitten leaves your home. Ideally our kittens will all be house cats or kept contained in a secure garden but again not everyone wants a house cat and like wise not everyone wants to secure their garden. 

Obviously we do our utmost to ensure our kittens go to homes that are right for the kitten and vice versa as much as we can and we would not knowingly sell to anyone who lives on a main road or in the middle of a busy town who is going to let the cats out to roam but in reality there is only so much you can do as a breeder.

Contracts as much as people wish to do their best by their kittens IMO are of no use as in reality many if not all would not stand up in any court of law.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Maistaff said:


> I am not sure what other breeders do but my but in reality there is only so much you can do as a breeder.
> 
> Contracts as much as people wish to do their best by their kittens IMO are of no use as in reality many if not all would not stand up in any court of law.


Well, see, that's where I'm lucky. My uncle is a barristor. Apparently my contracts are pretty enforceable.

There's only so much you can do, yes, but I'll do that every time.


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## vivien (Jul 20, 2009)

I think if you want a cat that roams you should get a breed that is streetwise or a moggy I have 2 moggies and a Ragdoll my garden is cat proofed and out of the 3 yep you guessed it it was Tiga who was the Houdini he got out 3 times twice over the fence at 2 different points which we put more wire up and once he squeezed through the smallest of holes in the fence and went next door  which is now blocked up we have had no problems with him escaping again touch wood but he does scan the fences daily to see if there are any weaknesses  I personally after having many years ago had a colourpoint chased by dogs and our estate now has roads surrounding it prefere my cats to be safe in their enclosed garden but I could never deprive a cat of going out in the fresh air play in the snow or Tiga's favourite playing in the wind and rain to see him fly round the garden with his tail bushed out with pure joy gives me pleasure it is nigh on impossible to get him in if there is light rain or wind or both he doesn't like the rain if it is heavy but I still physically have to get him in lol

Viv xx

Sorry for any of you who don't know who Tiga is he is my Ragdoll xx


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> Well, see, that's where I'm lucky. My uncle is a barristor. Apparently my contracts are pretty enforceable.


How? I can only assume you have appropriate penalty clauses so you have something to sue for if your buyers don't comply with your T&Cs though I can't see how you can prove any loss. My real question is how on earth do you find out and what level of proof have you found is acceptable to a judge? I can't afford an army of private investigators to check up on every buyer I've ever sold to.

I know many breeders would live and die by their contracts but they are no substitute for careful vetting of your buyers. I'd rather have unsold kittens than sell to someone I wasn't 100% happy with because they're prepared to sign a bit of paper. It's the same with insisting on cash. I prefer payment by cheque. At least it shows the person is who they say they are and has a legitimate bank a/c.


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## Maistaff (Dec 27, 2009)

carly87 said:


> Well, see, that's where I'm lucky. My uncle is a barristor. Apparently my contracts are pretty enforceable.
> 
> There's only so much you can do, yes, but I'll do that every time.


You are very lucky, most people can only make their own contracts and prey they stand up in court but i think you will find most have "blips" in them that render them void or useless.

I know with our first litter of kittens we did not have any form of contract for the owners (we have only had one litter to date!). We were very very lucky though that the kittens we sold have all gone to people who want indoor cats whilst two of them have remianed at home with us.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> We were very very lucky though that the kittens we sold have all gone to people who want indoor cats


Lucky? The breeder makes their own luck in that respect.


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## Maistaff (Dec 27, 2009)

havoc said:


> Lucky? The breeder makes their own luck in that respect.


Yes and no, you can meet the nicest people in the world and they can swear blind that the cats will be in doors and they can always lie

The couples we have chosen i can only say were very respectable, nice and we were happy to accept what they said was the truth and our kittens will be indoors however unless we drive the length and bredth of the country and up to Scotland and investigate we really will never know. IMO this is the same for all breeders ! you just never know !


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

See, that's the problem. you can't know unless they make the mistake of posting pics of cat out and about on Facebook etc, but my point is that if I ever did get proof that a cat was being allowed to roam, I'm in a better position to do something about it rather than having a contract I've made myself which I'm hoping will stand up in court.

I hope one of the last posters wasn't implying that I'm happy to sell just because new owners are prepared to sign a bit of paper. I'm incredibly careful about where my kittens go, and vet the homes to the best of my ability. If I smell a rat, then the kitten simply doesn't go there.

But then, as someone else has said, people will tell you what they think you want to hear. What it comes down to is the fact that we can all only do our best, and that's what I do by providing a water-tight contract (well, I'm told it is), and vetting homes as carefully as possible. There are plenty of other breeders out there, so if a new owner doesn't like my restrictions or methods, they're welcome to go elsewhere.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I hope one of the last posters wasn't implying that I'm happy to sell just because new owners are prepared to sign a bit of paper


I wasn't. I was pointing out that the bit of paper makes very little (if any) difference. Any prospective buyer who lies isn't going to care about signing a contract with unenforceable T&Cs and those wonderful buyers who are going to make wonderful owners wouldn't need to sign anything anyway. The general point is that you can do very little once the kitten is sold so it's well worth making a great effort to get it right before you agree to let one go. I've known many breeders happy to take cash for kittens without making a single check on the buyer because they think their 'contract' is going to make a difference.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> but my point is that if I ever did get proof that a cat was being allowed to roam, I'm in a better position to do something about it rather than having a contract I've made myself which I'm hoping will stand up in court


What can you do about it? If you have such a watertight contract I'm sure you'd be willing to share exactly what part of contract law your barrister uncle has advised. I can't even see how specific performance can work in this case.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Havoc, I've already shared my contracts with those who have asked, but as I've already said, you can do nothing unless you have proof. If you're as aware of contract law as you seem to be, then surely you wouldn't need my contract? Do you breed? I'd be happy to put you in touch with my uncle to discuss contracts, as he's in a better position to discuss contract law than I am. I simply have a contract that he tells me is good, and that's as far as it goes. If you PM me your details, I'm more than happy to put you in touch.

Agreed, once the kitten is sold, it's very hard to do anything about it if they break terms, unless, and here's the key, unles syou have proof that they are breaking the terms of the contract. That's the crux of the matter, and it's why vetting the homes extensively before rehoming any kitten is so, so important. I regard my contract as more of a fail safe than anything else.


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## Jenny1966 (Feb 7, 2011)

In reality, I suppose it all has to come down to trust.

I signed a contract with Manny, and I intend to stick to it .... I know what the breeder, in my case Carly, expected of me when I brought him, and if I had had any doubts that I couldn't stick to them, then I wouldn't have gone ahead with getting him.

I agree that if ever I broke that contract, Carly wouldn't have a clue ..... that's why trust is the most important thing.


It must be very hard to be a breeder and entrust your kittens to other people, I know I couldn't do it


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> In reality, I suppose it all has to come down to trust


If I ever felt the need for a buyer to sign a restrictive contract then it is an indication to me that I don't trust them so they wouldn't get a kitten. All my buyers visit at least twice so there is plenty of time to go through all my preferences and their queries AND for me to run the appropriate checks. I never take a penny in deposit until this is done.

I've only once had to refuse someone who got as far as visiting the house and it's because I broke my own rule of not agreeing to any visit without chatting at length on the phone (to a landline number) first. Most unsuitable hopefuls will trip themselves up once you're chatting. It may be different for breeders who don't get to spend as much time with their buyers and I do have the luxury of being able to turn away far more people than I ever have available kittens.


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## Misi (Jul 13, 2009)

When I was looking for Simba, a Turkish Van, a few breeders I came across stipulated that the cats mustn't be allowed out.


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## Izzie999 (Nov 27, 2008)

messyhearts said:


> I can't comment on how long but it is extremely common place for this to be a clause in a contract and yes it is because breeders still care about kittens when they are in their new homes. It is devastating to hear of a cat being run over and this is so easily avoided.


I did not have a contract with my kittens other than a verbal one. I did speak to all the owners and told them I would want the kittens to stay indoors.Sadly people will always tell you what you want to hear, one of my beautiful babies died on his first birthday killed by a car. At the end of the day,the contract does not guarantee whether people stick to the contract or not. I learnt the hard way.

Izzie


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

Generally speaking, I see no harm in contracts but I also think they have very little value. When it comes to ensuring, as far as one possibly can, what is/isn't the type of home a breeder is seeking for a kitten, I personally believe there is nothing more telling than taking a friendly, relaxed approach with prospective new owners, asking a few open questions and then allow them to talk and talk... and talk. I agree that sometimes people will only tell you what you want to hear, but they can only do that if they know *what* you want to hear, whatever that might be.


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## Puindoors (May 19, 2011)

I hope my contract acts as a 'best practice' document, its sets out what I expect from a new owner, its certainly what I would expect any caring breeder to want for a kitten, e.g. be neutered, receive vet care, be returned to me rather than go into rescue, not to sell without my knowledge, to stay indoors only, except in a few circumstances where the area is obviously going to be safe ( 15 acres of grounds around the house).

I know that this is practically impossible to enforce, but it sets out what I expect, and I wouldn't home to anyone I had any suspicion of not going along with it. 

Most of the time it seems to work, as most people are basically honest and have done research before opting to spend several hundred pounds on a pedigree cat, they don't want to lose it to the road, dogs or theft.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Puindoors said:


> I hope my contract acts as a 'best practice' document, its sets out what I expect from a new owner, its certainly what I would expect any caring breeder to want for a kitten, e.g. be neutered, receive vet care, be returned to me rather than go into rescue, not to sell without my knowledge, to stay indoors only, except in a few circumstances where the area is obviously going to be safe ( 15 acres of grounds around the house).
> 
> I know that this is practically impossible to enforce, but it sets out what I expect, and I wouldn't home to anyone I had any suspicion of not going along with it.
> 
> Most of the time it seems to work, as most people are basically honest and have done research before opting to spend several hundred pounds on a pedigree cat, they don't want to lose it to the road, dogs or theft.


This is a good way of looking at it, actually. It simply sets out in writing everything already discussed and agreed.

Jenny's right. It does all come down to trust, and if that doesn't exist, then there's no basis for selling a kitten to that person. The point someone else made about asking open questions and then just letting people talk is also an excellent one, and is what I tend to do. I've been lucky with this litter though. One went to Jenny who i already knew quite a bit about indirectly through the forums, and the other went to a friend I've known for many years now, so at least i can sleep easy knowing that at least these two owners will do what they told me they would!


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## vwagner05 (Nov 30, 2011)

So if your contract stipulates that a cat be only indoors, can you enforce it? What if the cat gets out and someone else finds it? Can you get the cat back, or does it go back to the owner who broke the contract?
I'm trying to understand why it's in the contract if it's not enforceable??


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

The only way that a breeder could legally take back a cat in these circumstances is if they had proof that the cat was intentionally let out rather than accidentally escaping. As I mentioned before, the contract is a fail safe, i.e, if you didn't have it and found out that a person was wilfully letting the cat out, you couldn't do anything about it, whereas with a good contract, you at least have a leg to stand on in court. But again it comes back to the difficulty of obtaining proof.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> The only way that a breeder could legally take back a cat in these circumstances is if they had proof that the cat was intentionally let out rather than accidentally escaping


Do you pay back the money in these circumstances? Is there any time limit after which the owner can do as they please with their own property? In law I can't see how these T&Cs are any different than someone selling you a fridge and having a contract stipulating what you can keep in it or that you mustn't house it in an outbuilding or they'll come and repossess it.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

havoc said:


> Do you pay back the money in these circumstances? Is there any time limit after which the owner can do as they please with their own property? In law I can't see how these T&Cs are any different than someone selling you a fridge and having a contract stipulating what you can keep in it or that you mustn't house it in an outbuilding or they'll come and repossess it.


My contract states that the purchase price of the cat will not be refunded. The contract is binding for the entire life of the cat.


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## IndysMamma (Jan 15, 2009)

legally speaking if a contract is broken and the cat claimed back then a partial refund must be given unless the contract stipulates otherwise but there is no legal requirement for how much of a refund

the breeder is not required to give a full refund as they are reposessing 'second hand goods' therefor no longer has full market value

but the owner signing that contract is saying they *agree* to these terms so legally they have bound themselves 

example - certain vehicles are bought with a contract that you cannot drive them on roads and if you are caught driving on a road then the vehicle is repossessed by the seller (in this case mostly specilised vehicles such as decomissioned military armoured vehicles sold to the public by the MOD)


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> The contract is binding for the entire life of the cat.


So does it state that they must tell you if they change address? Presumably it would have to or it's a term you couldn't possibly follow up. It's the practicalities which intrigue me. I see no point putting terms in a contract unless I intend to enforce them and I can be absolutely sure they can't be challenged as unfair terms. It isn't that I don't agree with educating new owners but your contracts must be longer than your care sheets.


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

It's the practicalitites of these type of contracts which I too can't get my head around and which leaves me with the feeling that, unless in the most exceptional and unusual circumstance, they are pretty worthless. I can't imagine a scenario where I would discover, quite by chance, that the cat I sold with a contract containing an 'indoor only' clause was now being allowed outdoors. I feel it's something I would only discover had I been told by the owner... which is unlikely considering they wouldn't relish the thought of legal proceedings.

I *can* see that certain stipulations in a contract might be more easily kpet tabs on; for instance, an owner breeding from a cat that was sold as a to-be- neutered pet - I think we breeders all know someone who has stumbled across kittens being advertised on a free ad site, bred from a cat who was intended as a neutered pet.

I think the best I could say on how I personally feel about contracts would be just maybe they are enough to make people think twice.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I think the best I could say on how I personally feel about contracts would be just maybe they are enough to make people think twice


I don't think there's anything in them that I don't talk about with my buyers or have in my care sheets. It's the idea that I would have to use the threat of legal action on someone rather than proper care be by mutual agreement that really throws me. If I feel someone has to be bound by one of these extensive contracts then I wouldn't sell to them.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Ok, with the best will in the world, I'm done with this thread now, as it seems as though we're going in circles. Others obviously don't agree with using contracts, but some of us do, and whatever one chooses to do is one's personal choice. We all do what we feel is the right thing to safeguard our cats, and that's all there is to it.

Havoc, as mentioned before, if you'd like more advice on making contracts as water tight as possible, then I'm more than happy to put you in touch with my uncle if you drop me a PM with your details.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts on this. The world would be a boring place if we all felt the same!


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> Others obviously don't agree with using contracts, but some of us do


As I've said before, it's the practicalities which interest me. I'd love to hear of a case which has gone through the court system. I've been breeding for over 30 years and contracts have come along with home computers. Before breeders had the wherewithal to produce long documents with ease they didn't/couldn't exist.

They're also an idea imported from the states where breeder contracts have details of return/replacement policies within a given period from purchase, usually up to one year. The Brit version appears to have turned into a very one sided affair. This could have arisen because there has been an explosion in bad buyers who were very good liars at the visit stage but this certainly isn't a trend I have noticed over time.


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## Alaskacat (Aug 2, 2010)

It interests me too, I've not had that many kittens leave me, but I've not made anyone sign anything. I do take a lot of care finding out what homes the kittens are going to, but I think I would find it too stressful to be worrying over whether the contract has been broken. It is probably blinkered, but I spend 14 weeks saying to myself "don't get too attached, the kitten is not yours to keep" so I prefer to rely on trust and believe that the kitten will be loved and cared for.

Saying that I try and microchip and add my details as the breeder so that if a cat I have bred ends up in rescue and it's new owners can't be traced it will come back to me. I also fret completely when a kitten goes until I hear that they have arrived home safely and have eaten well. At that point though I try and let them go, of course I prefer owners to keep in touch, but I wouldn't chase them to update me after that point. 

I also worry about the practicalities of repossessing a cat. Perhaps the cat is well loved and doted on, but the owners gave in to beseeching looks and let it roam out the back to the garden. If I took that cat back it would be joining a multicat household and depending on the timing it might stretch my numbers or upset pregnant or nursing mothers. I debate whether that cat is actually better or happier with me or the doting owners who let it out. Worse still I would need to cause the cat more upheaval by finding it a suitable home that may again let them out. 
(I already offer to take back any cat whose owners circumstances change or find a suitable home for him/her - but if I really had capacity to keep ever cat I bred then I would not have let them go in the first place).

Hopefully a well worded contract means the kitten is placed with someone who is fully informed of what the breeder expects, but I don't think I'd be strong enough to repossess a cherished family pet if the contract was broken, so I haven't asked anyone to sign one. I respect those who do though, especially when they have researched the issues and have confidence that the contract is upholdable.


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## wellsandmittens (May 29, 2011)

I am not a breeder but I do come from a legal background and have followed this thread with interest. I think that in all but the very worst cases most breeders would be put off enforcing a contract like this for the reasons that Alaskacat mentions - considerations of whether the breeder (who is no doubt very experienced in cat care but has only known that particular cat for a matter of weeks as a kitten) or the owner (perhaps less experienced with cats as a whole but has looked after this particular one for maybe years and knows them extremely well) knows best, whether the cat will be better off in a strange household with other cats etc etc. Even assuming that the breeder is satisfied on these issues, it often happens that a contract is legally watertight and enforceable but in practice the amount it will cost to enforce the contract is prohibitive, even if you can get an award of expenses. There may be people who are prepared to go through months (years?) of legal battles and thousands of pounds to get a cat back, and I would applaud that if it was justified but it would have to be an extreme case really. It seems unlikely that any breeder would do it just because one of the terms was breached eg a cat being let out when it isn't supposed to be. I am thinking along the lines that say there is evidence the cat is being abused.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> but I've not made anyone sign anything


Strange as it may seem the way this thread has evolved, I do. My buyers and I sign copies of a sales agreement at the point they choose a specific kitten and before they hand over any deposit. The difference between my document and others I've seen is that mine stipulates MY responsibilities as well as the buyer's, exactly what I'm providing and their options and what happens over the return of any monies already paid if I cannot supply their chosen kitten. As I am happy to take cheques from buyers I've come to know over many weeks it also contains the statement that the kitten remains the property of the breeder until full payment has cleared. All the other stuff is in my care sheet.


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