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We gave this breeder a deposit of $200 and corresponded with the owner during the past two months. During this time, he promised us over many emails that we would get a kitten. We were on a waiting list and were patient with him as he seemed to have problems with the kittens' health and did not communicate problems unless we asked him for status. In his last correspondence (third week in March 2020) he said we would have many kittens to choose from, as early as mid May. Then we received a letter with a check returning our deposit, with no explanation why he was returning it. He has, at least, 10-15 kittens for sale, so we don't understand what his issue is.
I don't know where you live, therefore, recommend you go to https://www.tonkinesebreedassociation.org/. That's how I found several great breeders.
After my lab died from cancer, I was devastated. I felt lost. I have always been a dog person but I was not in a place to get a puppy that needed a rigid potty training schedule . Between my schedule at work and my kids school schedules, I could not provide the consistency a puppy needed. My friend who has two cats from Dr. Schar suggested I consider getting a cat rather than a dog. I have met her cats and they have such unique personalities and are definitely quite dog like in their need for affection. I got into contact with Dr. Schar and have two amazing kittens. They have sweet dispositions with unique personalities and they do follow us around like adoring puppies. My daughters and I were quite sad by the sudden death of our lab. We were fragile from our loss and I could not introduce kittens to our home unless I was confident about their health. Healthy kittens from a responsible breeder was my number one priority. I had a lengthy conversation with Dr. Schar who explained how he breeds cats for health, then personality. Their beauty occurs naturally with this breed and does not require assistance. My kittens arrived with a detailed list of how to introduce my kittens to their new home, a guide for kitten well visits, and encouraged to call if I had any questions. Our kittens have been healthy since I got them, they got a clean bill of health from my vet and they just came home from being spayed. My experience has been exceptional with Indian Springs Cats and Dr. Schar. I can only assume any complaints come from individuals who are unhappy in life in general. Poor health would be due to either ignorant owner or a negligent vet.
I grew up believing mutts were healthier than pure pedigrees. My mother had 4 Shar Pei’s that all died prematurely from a kidney genetic disorder. The breeder knew about this deficit but continued to breed for looks, not health. Consequently, as an young adult, I leaned towards having rescue dogs and cats of unknown lineage. As the years passed and the internet made researching easier, I realized that there were breeders that focused on producing healthy puppies and kittens. I eventually went on to adopt two French Bulldogs whom were both boys quite healthy with wonderful personalities. A radical shift from my mother’s experience. When my daughters wanted a cat, I was leery because my previous cats were not very social or playful. Then I heard about my friends brother who got a kitten that acted like a puppy. I was fascinated began to research the breed with their doglike personalities. Eventually my research led me to Indian Springs and Dr. Schar. I had a lengthy conversation with Dr. Schar about what happened with my mother’s dogs. He was saddened to hear my story and said unfortunately that is not uncommon. Dr. Schar explained how he documents the genealogy of his kittens to promote health. I felt very confident in my decision to get two kittens from Indian Springs. My kittens are lovely, funny, precocious and super healthy. They have blended well with my children and my dogs. My male kitten is often found spooning the French Bulldogs because he thinks he is part of the pack.
I was shocked when I heard a buyer was making negative accusations about Dr. Schar, his staff and the health of his kittens. Dr. Schar and Cary provided excellent guidance how to transition my kittens into my dog house with two active daughters. My male kitten did have the sniffles the first week, but went away quickly on their own as Dr. Schar and my vet explained they would. I find the accusations lodged against Dr. Schar and Indian Springs not credible. During my multiple interactions with Dr. Schar and Cary, they were always pleasant and informative. Having had a kitten with sniffles, I know that letting it run its course was the answer. I have worked in the mental health field my whole life. This buyers accusations are eerily familiar to Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Simply put, a mental illness where a caretaker makes up fake symptoms or causes real symptoms to make their victim appear sick. My heart hurts for this innocent kitten. Shame on the owner and shame on the owner’s vets.
Another happy family with 2 Indian Spring Cats here! Doug and Cat Cary are trustworthy, knowledgeable and provide the best care for their cats and kittens. My spouse and I each made a trip to pickup a kitten, 4 months apart! Simply due to that we were impressed by our first kitten so much, we went ahead as immediately as possible- wanted to give it a “sibling.”
We have 2 children who adore these gentle animals, they always want to be in the same room as us and always greet us at the door. They have huge personalities. “Snickers” plays fetch with his favorite mouse, and demands his own cup of fresh tap water to drink from on the sink while the kids brush their teeth. He will stare you down and meow until you give in and get him a cup. He also allows being dressed up with baby hats.
“Snow” has the sweetest “meep” of a voice. She is the quieter of the two, lover of anything soft and cuddly to knead her paws into. She is quite curious and not afraid of anything, loves the outdoor patio and even nose to nose with a friends dog that came up to her window screen.
We live in Maine and did extensive research to find cats with personality, and health because it was important to us to find the right fit for our family. Further more, we support bringing the Burmese breed back, and although I wanted to adopt initially, I felt Doug and Cary are responsibly bringing kittens into the world that will further the health of Burmese, siamese, and Tonkinese. We highly recommend Indian Spring Cats, and would happily speak to anyone willing considering that has more questions.
After much research I felt confident in the breed and breeder we selected. We received 2 amazing, healthy burmese kittens from Indian Springs and had exemplary service. The vet was so impressed with them and asked where we got them. Our kids are enamored with them; they are so dog-like, vivacious, and bring joy to our hearts. They are robust and full grown now, and we are grateful for the science and diligence that Dr. Schar has put into his practice. Would buy from him and Cary again in a heartbeat.
We have had Siamese cats in our family for 25 years and purchased them from advertising breeders. We had inconsistent experiences. While we loved them, we had issues with urinary tract infections, destruction of furniture, aggressiveness with children, weight, chronic peeing, and aloofness. When we were in the market for another cat in 2018, I came across Indian Springs and was fascinated by the way Doug Schar described his quest to breed healthier Burmese, Tonkinese, and Siamese cats, after years of in-breeding in the United States. The videos, photos and descriptions of his cats were captivating. It was clear Dr. Schar was deeply invested in his research, expertise, and compassion for these breeds. We sent our deposit and weeks later we picked up our Burmese kitten, Prince. He was so beautiful, so well behaved, so healthy, so intelligent, and affectionate, we had to have another one. We got another one of Doug's kittens in 2021, Rowdy. Both cats are best friends; have only gone to the vet for their shots, and are true dog-cats. They have personalities and love people. I can't imagine getting a cat from anyone else, and wish I could have more. I don't know what or how he does it. But his cats are addictive. The best pet experience we've ever had.
I'm rather stunned that you'd complain about this breeder when it was made clear to you that they do not sell kittens for breeding purposes. This is standard for any reputable breeder. And those that sell kittens for later breeding usually charge much higher fees for kittens who will be bred.
Doug and Cat Cary were absolutely wonderful. We reached out back in the fall of 2020 to express interest in getting a kitten from them and they were incredible attentive and informative. We were put on a list for a spring litter and when it was time, we drove down to Virginia from NYC to pick up our fur baby. Cat Cary was very empathetic to what we were looking for and asked all the right questions to help match us up with Babka. We couldn't be happier with our little prince.
Indian Springs Cattery is the best! After extensive research, we found Indian Springs and placed a deposit on two kittens from the same litter. They are happy, healthy and bonded, as well as extremely entertaining with all of their antics - chasing each other around the house, grooming, playing and fighting with each other. They are now a year and half old and the vet is very impressed with their health. Adorable, and affectionate and really part of the family.
My husband and I adopted two male kittens from the same litter in the summer of 2021 from Indian Springs. I did extensive research on them, paid the deposit in February and then waited our turn. In August we flew upto DC to collect our "boys." We were so impressed with how the cats lived in these barns with their mother, father, aunts and littermates. We knew that we made the right choice.
We had another elderly Siamese cat (since passed on) and they were fine with her, though too much energy since she was in the last stages of life. We listened to the advice that Cary gave us regarding vaccines and neutering, and the vet is super impressed with how healthy they are, over a year later. Bringing home two kittens from the same litter was the best decision since they play, fight, groom and chase each other, making us laugh every day with their antics.
Today they are healthy, happy, affectionate, and bonded. I would totally adopt from Indian Springs Cats again and appreciate the work and care that Dr. Schar has given to improve the lives of Burmese, Tonkinese and Siamese cats in the U.S.
We LOVE Indian Spring Cats! Our Phoebe is not only STUNNING, but has a HUGE personality too. She is funny, sweet, well adjusted, and most importantly healthy. Our vet was very impressed with her too and has become a big fan of Indian Spring Cats. Phoebe is totally adored by us and her two dog brothers. They are inseparable. We are excited to be back on the waiting list for kitty number 2! We will be customers for life!
Indian Spring Cats are the absolute best! We live in Birmingham, AL and flew to Virginia to pick up our precious Phoebe. She has exceeded all expectations. She is not only STUNNING but also playful and has a HUGE personality. Her health is excellent. Our vet was so impressed with her too. We have followed all the recommendations given to us by Indian Spring Cats and Phoebe is a healthy, well adjusted, happy, silly kitty that is totally adored by us and her two dog bothers! We love her so much and are so impressed with the cats Doug and Cary raise that we are now back on the waiting list for kitty number 2! We are customers for life. You cannot go wrong with a cat from Indian Spring! I truly can’t say enough good things about them!
Couldn't be happier with our experience with Indian spring. Cary hand picked our kitten Java based on her personality to fit our household. Our 92 pound lab Jake loves his new little sister as does the rest of the family.
Dr. Doug Schar has done more for the health and vitality of Burmese and related cat breeds than anyone I’ve come across. I found him by researching various breeders across the US. I got my first kittens from Dr Schar almost four years ago, one for me and one for my daughter. I’ve gotten two more since then. Another for me and one for a dear friend. Dr. Schar and Cary have been incredibly available and helpful with any questions or concerns and in working out logistics since I live in TX. All of the cats I’ve gotten have wonderful and unique personalities and have no health issues (unlike some other US breeders). I continue to be impressed and a big fan of the way Dr. Schar has used his education, knowledge and experience to produce the absolute healthiest cats with very long life spans. I highly recommend Indian Spring Cats!
Hello. I am a program manager and a member of the United States Navy in the Department of the Navy. I live by our Navy slogan, “On seven seas we learn Navy's stern call: Faith, Courage, Service true, with Honor, Over Honor, Over All.” I do not normally post comments on any forums but with the recent event I feel I need to chime in. Around February 2021, after several attempts of trying to adopt/rescue a kitten/young cat. I was either too late on the application or the cat that came home with us were horrendous, bad behaviors or flat out not what the sheltered had written in the description. I finally had enough and decided to find a cat through a breeder. I found several breeders including Doug and did my due diligence. I narrowed it down to his Indian Spring because I did my homework. He was responsive and I sent him a deposit. 5-6 months later I received an email for a kitten they fit my criteria. I picked her up in October (2021) and she’s been with us ever since. I followed all of Doug and Cary’s recommendation and our cat “Cookie” is the best cat I can ever ask for. We are a family of 5 with 3 children. Our cat is playful, gentle and super intelligent. Her tolerance toward our 3 silly kids is unheard of. One of the most amazing cat I’ve ever had and I cannot be happier: she is healthy and very attentive. Always with us whenever we are home. I much prefer her to eat a bit more but she’s not a big eater.
We love Cookie so much we thought about getting another one them but ultimately decided our family should just spoil 1 cat. I do not know what happened with those who had a bad experience but I’m pretty sure if you followed the recommendations, the cat would be as health as mine. Below are some photos of Cookie then and now.
100% I would purchase from Indian Spring again in the future and have recommended several friends.
Doug, Cary, and the whole Indian Spring Cats team are amazing. We adopted two Burmese kittens (eventually named Princess Lucky Star and Captain Luna Galacticat) from Indian Spring Cats in 2017. We chose Indian Springs Cats because of Doug's dedication to bringing in cats from Thailand to improve the health of the Burmese cat breed. We found the facilities impeccable and loved every kitty we met on the property. Lucky and Luna are absolute joys. They are the most social and loving cats I have ever met. I would adopt 10 more from Indian Springs Cats if I could! I highly recommend Indian Springs Cats. I appreciate that Doug made it clear to ask me questions so he was confident his kittens would be going to a home where they would be loved, enriched, and cherished.
We brought home our sweet sable girl 15 months ago. She is healthy and loves spending time with her people. She's even getting along with her "brother from another mother," our 60-pound Labrador Retriever. It was a pleasure working with Dr. Schar and Cary. They provided a wealth of information and guidance, not only on their website, but also throughout our correspondence. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who loves this amazing breed.
They kind and amazing. Burmese kittens, they are mellow and kind, playful. They even fetch toys almost like dog. They're amazing
well, my 9 month old darling Tonkinese just dropped dead and I had been reporting illness since the day i picked him up in December. He had calici and bordatella. Doug and crew would not accept responsibility and tried to play it off as a little sniffle. Well, $8000 in vet bills and 9 months later he is DEAD. The love of my life. My heart and soul. Best kitty ever. Doug et al have no response. Don't care. I sent the animal control people after him but he hid it all from them too.
As we have been so directly attacked by this kitten buyer, I feel the need to respond to her claims.
We make a huge effort to assist people with the integration of their new kitten into their new home and life. This was no different with this than any other. Except in that she demanded and required more time and energy than any other kitten buyer to date. However, at every turn, she chose to ignore our advice.
Starting with an early and ill advised FeLV vaccination given to a kitten with an upper respiratory Infection. Our stance on over vaccination of kittens is made clear on our website and in person. This unfortunate kitten was subject to a vaccination campaign we advise against because it has the potential to ruin a kittens health.
Perhaps the kitten was over vaccinated because the client in question has a cat in the house that spends its time outdoors. A cat that can and would track anything available to feral outdoor cats into the kitten.
Beyond that, this client chose to treat the kitten with a long term course toxic antibiotic, doxycycline, known to cause major developmental issues in kittens, again against advice.
She then subjected the kitten to ongoing medical interventions we did not recommend that added additional stress to the kittens health. The very fact that she claims to have spent $8000 on an upper respiratory infection shows that the cat was overtreated.
We have excellent veterinary support here at Indian Springs and they were consulted every step of the way and their advice was ignored and dismissed as well.
I will add none of the brother and sister kittens to this buyers ever suffered from any ill health.
It is entirely untrue that we did not make ourselves available to this kitten buyer. We attempted to help in every way possible. I spent months and a great amount of time attempting help this person. It is also true that this kitten buyer chose to ignore advice over and over again. We offer specific advice out of an abundance of experience with these cats, what works, what does not work, and what is dangerous to the health of the cat. When people ignore our advice, there is nothing we can do.
When this kitten buyer continued to ignore our advice, became aggressive, abusive, and belligerent we were forced to cut off communication. We are truly saddened by the death of such a lovely soul. Because of this buyers actions and behaviors, our sympathy ends with the dear departed cat.
-Cat Cary
We have four Indian Spring cats and they are all amazing. Beautiful, healthy, just remarkable cats that everyone who meets them loves whether or not they claim to be “cat people.” Doug is very easy to work with, but he does not just “give” cats away to people. He does breeding program out of love for this type of cat, and anyone who wants one must be a good representative for this breed. If he notices that you may not be, he won’t complete the transaction. If he thinks you are going to fraudulently try to start your own breeding program with his cats’ genes by insisting on two opposite sex cats that aren’t already neutered and spayed, then he is right not to sell them to you. That doesn’t mean raising them from birth didn’t cost money. That is in fact the purpose of a deposit.
you are lucky you didn't get scammed as I did. My cat died at 10 months and had health issues from day 1 which he brushed off as nothing. Bordatella and Calici virus aren't nothing. I spent $8000 on his medical bills that no insurance would touch based on this was a pre-existing disease from the cattery. I have had no response from Doug or anyone there. Only the vet they use who said he was sorry.
You clearly refused to follow any of the advice given to you by ISC and consequently over-medicated and over-vacced your kitten. You weren't "scammed," you just thought you knew better. It's so sad, though; that little kitty shouldn't have been treated that way.
I have been told the same exact thing I put a $400 deposit down in May and kept getting excuses, he kept trying to palm off 2 males which I did not want, I have been sending numerous emails back n forth to only keep giving me excuses. I have not recieved our deposit back. I have the emails with the correspondence.
I want to say, we got the absolute BEST kitten from Indian Springs. We found Dr Shar easy to work with and his assistant and our super healthy soooo well adjusted Burmese kitten a dream come true. He is so smart, affectionate, playful, healthy and cute…I wish I got 2! Gets along with our older cats no prob.
Both his parents are from Thailand excactly what I wanted!
He was worth every penny. And why would you not expect to give a deposit?
Nancy W.
I would suggest you reach out and kindly and ask if he would like you to wait for next batch of kittens, and when would that be please? If yes, may you speak with his assistant and have her contact info…or pursue other breeders?
Michelle did get her deposit back. She was not given cats because she wanted to breed and we determined we were not in a position to set her up as a breeder. Setting up a person to breed cats is an enormous responsibility and we were not comfortable taking her on as a new breeder. But, suffice it to say, Michelle was told exactly why she was not being given cats and why her deposit was returned. And her deposit was returned.
How nice for you. The one he gave me DIED after 10 months. He did not care. I didn't ask for money or another cat. Just sympathy. He did not offer nor did he respond. Can you explain this behavior?
Hi, did he ever follow up with you as to why he decided not to sell you a kitten...? I wanted to get a Thai cross from him eventually... now I’m worried. Thanks.
No, however, I did not ask him. After being surprised, we were grateful to get out of the agreement and get our deposit back.
Subsequently, we got a beautiful Siamese kitten from a small breeder in June and will be getting a Tonkinese kitten late November.
Ah, I see. Thanks for taking your time to reply back.
Do you mind sharing who the breeder is? I am looking to get a Tonkinese or Thai crossed Burmese.
Don’t be worried, his cats are amazing and he has done so much research and breeding to make his cats healthy, well adjusted and just…perfect!