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These "breeders" guaranteed the health of their Russian Siberian kittens. Furthermore acknowledging that they would pay all vet bills the first three weeks if any illnesses were validated by a licensed veterinarian. My husband and I picked up two kittens at 2pm on June 14, 2015. At that time the breeder said that one of the cats was peeing outside the litter box but didn't know which one. At the moment I didn't think more of that.
When we got home not only was one of the kittens peeing outside the box, the other one was pooping outside the box. By 11:15am the next morning, 21 hours after pick them up they were being seen by my vet. Upon testing she discovered that Felix had a UTI (urinary tract infection) causing him to pee anywhere. One of the kittens weighed only 2lbs 1/2 oz and was very bony. The vet asked for fecal samples which tested positive for worms. They were so malnourished the vet could only administer 1/2 the proper dose at a time. The next 8 hours produced 3-4 inch worms in their feces. The kittens were still not feeling better having continued diarrhea. They next test which occurred a day or two later proved positive for Giardia which can be contagious and is caused by bacteria filled water. The drinking water in my home is from a reverse osmosis system which is 99.9% pure. The Giardia was contracted at the breeders. At one point the breeder said that her cats were having diarrhea and when I found out what it was would I let her know so she would know what was the matter with her cats. Later she denied saying this.
At the end of 3 weeks my vet bills were approximately $850. The breeder is not responsible for the nail clip and vaccinations, however the balance was due to illness and therefore owed to me in the amount of $769. The breeder subsequently sent me a check for $498.42 saying she will not pay any more than that. At this point she yelled at me over the phone saying that she wanted the kittens back. Needless to say I am not parting with my now healthy kittens who are thriving and happy.
I've searched online and spoke to authorities in the breeder's town and no one has ever heard of them nor do they appear to be licensed which is required by law in New Hampshire.
Each kitten was priced at $1, 200. I purchased two so received a discount - my total amount paid to the breeder was $2, 160. However, my total cost for the kittens, including the vet bills by the end of 3 weeks, came to approximately $3, 000. If their illnesses could be cured we certainly were not going to be giving these kittens back after all the emotional energy expended in getting them well.
I am writing this in the hope that the breeder will no longer sell sick kittens to new clients.
On 03/16/16 the Plymouth District Court in Plymouth, NH ruled in a small claims action against us; the owners of Starport Siberians. The magistrate ruled that the plaintiffs' case was without merit. The court found we fulfilled our contract to the plaintiffs and were not required to pay anything to them. The court further noted that we were not required by the State of NH to be licensed to breed and sell kittens as alleged in the above complaint. Testimony was offered showing we took reasonable steps to satisfy the complainants demands. The ruling may be viewed on the court's electronic document file system.
Refer to Case No. 435-2015-SC-00275
Contact the NH Judicial Branch at [protected] to get information on how to view the ruling.
As a fellow breeder I was introed to this website. I support all Siberian breeders. Its not an easy job. Its a passion! Buyers need to relax and know that honest breeders will help! Why they run to this website is beyond me!
I would also like to reply to this complaint as a purchaser of a Starport Siberian kitten 4 years ago. Our cat was healthy, a good weight and ready to go with no medical issues when we took her home. Our vet checked her and found no concerns. Later on the breeder found out that her sire tested positive for HCM and notified us immediately. She also offered to reimburse us for the cost of testing. We have known these breeders for years and have spent time there with the kittens. It is a clean facility with no pet odors or signs of illness in the cats. I also have two friends who have purchased a Starport Siberian kitten and they too have had healthy cats from the start with no concerns. In my opinion, the breeders are reputable and responsible providers of these beautiful, healthy kittens and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a Siberian cat.
I don't normally respond to comments or complaints I see on the web, however after seeing the name "STARPORT SIBERIANS” and the slanderous complaint that followed, I felt compelled to come to their defense. I have known the owners of Starport Siberians for several years so, first let me say that as respected, reputable and ethical breeders of Siberian Cats, the owners of Starport Siberians would never sell a kitten without a Veterinary Health Certificate. In order to obtain a health certificate a kitten, quite frankly, has to be healthy. That being said, most kittens and puppies have parasites. They get them from their mother’s milk, this by the way is a proven fact and not debatable. A health certificate normally requires a fecal test to determine whether an animal has parasites. Often they will be negative not because they don't have parasites but because the parasites need to be shedding eggs in order to see them in a fecal. Parasites in puppies and kittens are not a death sentence and are very easily treated. Giardia is also a parasite and can be contracted form contaminated food, raw food or water. It is a common problem in people as well and is referred to as "BACKPACKERS FEVER" people that are campers and hikers often get it from drinking untreated water from rivers and streams. Parasites can cause diarrhea and stomach upset but these problems are also very easily treated. Urinary problems in kittens are rare but not unheard of. The problems stated here could also be attributed to a kitten that is stressed, like going to a new home and being with strange people. Animals as well as people show stress in different ways but, as an animal health technician I have seen stress manifest itself in puppies, kittens and some adult animals in the form of "stress diarrhea". There are several Siberian Cat breeders here in the New England area. We are a very close knit group of people and we take pride in our cats. We often share our knowledge and experiences so that we can provide happy, healthy, low allergen kittens and cats to people with allergies. Starport Siberians did the same thing that any reputable, ethical Siberian Breeder would have done: they offered to take the kittens back and refund the purchase price of the kittens as well as pay the veterinary expenses. The buyer refused.