The Cartwrights are known as respected breeders throughout the Birman world. I am a fellow breeder of Birmans, and though I have never done business with them, I would not hesitate to do so.
I am sad to read about the FIP losses, but I am also dismayed to see a fellow Birman breeder maligned like this. I think that this complaint against her is unfair. FIP happens. Tippi did not cause it. I am proud of her, as a fellow Birman breeder, that she replaced the kitten. She did exactly what is expected of a quality breeder. It is a very sad coincidence that the replacement kitten also died of FIP, but again, that is not Tippi's fault. We breeders cannot control FIP. We do our best to produce happy, healthy kittens. The only thing that we can do when this happens is to offer a replacement kitten. ALL cattery cats have been exposed to FIP, so changing breeders is NOT going to solve the problem. Same with shelter cats ... ALL have been exposed to the coronavirus that causes FIP. It is up to the individual cat's immune system as to how it responds to the viral challenge. Better minds than mine have been working in laboratories for years trying to solve the FIP problem. I fear that we are still years & years away from a solution. It is simply not within us breeders' ability to prevent FIP. There is not a definitive test for FIP, there are only a cluster of laboratory findings that can merely suggest that an illness "is compatible with" FIP. Not even after a thorough necropsy (animal autopsy) is performed will a laboratory take upon itself to declare that FIP is certain. Again, what you will find is a statement that says cause of death "is compatible with" FIP. Breeders cannot prevent losses from FIP, nor can we predict WHICH ones are going to die of FIP. We dread phonecalls from bereaved kitten buyers saying they have lost a cat to FIP, because not only do we grieve for the particular cat involved, but we double grieve for the pain it has brought the loving owner, to whom we have sold the cat, in addition. Any quality breeder will do what Tippi did, by offering a replacement kitten. But please do remember that once a kitten has left our house, we cannot control the circumstances under which it lives, and replacing a kitten is a kindness that we feel obliged to do, even though we did not cause the fatality. FIP just happens & all the good will in the world will not prevent it. I am especially sad for people who lose a beloved pet to FIP, but I ask you to please cut this breeder a break. She is also a victim in this incident of FIP loss. Her heart aches too. She should not be punished for an act of nature. Truly, really, all we can do is to grieve & then move on.
I am sorry to hear of another Birman kitten loss. You did not say where this kitten came from, so I think it is fair to point out that this loss should not be laid at Tippi's doorstep. You did say "Lovin Laces take note", but that is not the same as saying Tippi sold you the kitten. If she is the breeder of your kitten, then I am sorry that lightening struck twice. But mostly I am sorry for you & your kitty. Please let me respond to what you said about it being a breeder's responsibility to warn the owner that the kitten could die. May I put it into perspective? Any person that you get a kitten or a puppy from will behave in the same manner as the breeder of your kitten did. They (pet shops, shelters, genuine show-breeders, backyard breeders, people outside of Wal-Mart with a box of free puppies or kittens) will place a pet with you with with a smile on their face & a hope in their heart that all will be well. No one is going to warn you the obvious, that what is "alive" will sooner or later be "not alive". It is the chance we all take in life. Imagine saying on someone's wedding day that they hope it will not end in divorce. Where there is a wedding, there is always the possibility of a divorce, yet no one ever warns the bridal couple of that. It is because people want to put their best foot forward. Certainly that includes the joyous moment that a new pet comes into your life. The shelter, breeder, person outside of Wal-Mart are the same. They hope for a long, happy life for the pet that they put into your arms. Life does not come with warnings or guarantees. Perhaps you are under the impression that Birmans from breeders, even good ones, are more likely to die from FIP or whatever, than are cats from the shelter. They are not. Any cat who has been exposed to the ubiqitous Coronavirus which causes FIP can come down with it due to a failure of their own immune systems. It is not the breeder's fault, it is not the shelter's fault and it is not the fault of the person outside of Wal-Mart with the box of free kittens. After having told you that I disagree that it is the breeder's fault that your kitten died without warning, let me give you some good news. You do not need to hover over your other cats just waiting in dread for them to die! The reason is that they have already been exposed (as you point out), having come from a concentrated colony of cats (as do cattery cats AND shelter cats) and they have resisted getting sick so far. It is very unlikely at this point that they will succumb to FIP, because it is the nature of the disease to strike the very young who have immature immune systems. Let me suggest to any one out there who wants to decrease the liklihood of FIP that they consider a full grown adult instead. Again, please accept my condolences on your lost kitten, but at the same time, please let me also make you aware that no one who raises animals (or, I suppose, children, for that matter), has any intention of having their beloved one die an untimely death. In life there are no guarantees. Only hopes for the best. Thank you for reading & considering my words.
