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The morning of May 2, 2014 I witnessed Teresa Seling physically assault an employee she was firing. I can give more details on that if necessary. About a week later, I had shown up on what was supposed to be my day off & indeed ended up working 11 1/2 hours. I had gotten upset about a nasty mess in one of the kennels that hadn't been cleaned for many days. There's was one cat left to give medicine to & I figured her night time assistant could help her with it. She screamed filthy obscenities at me that evening, including blaming me for her dog getting loose when she slammed the sliding door so hard it bounced back open & off the dog went. I have witnessed her screaming at one other employee, and berating another outside her home, for anyone to hear. She takes advantage of people applying as cattery assistants, by having them do a an unpaid trial by working the cattery for anywhere from 2 to 6 hrs. She has refused to ever pay overtime.
#1. My name is Bonnie Nicholson & I have worked for Teresa Seling the past 2 years at her home, out of which she runs Traipse Bengals (breeding). She has, last I knew, 17 breeding queens. Plus her studs & other cats growing up to be bred also. Many of the queens have/or have had Pyometra & are rarely actually "seen" by a vet. There are many intestinal issues, especially in the kittens. Antibiotics are used very often & are mixed at her home from adult, human sized pills & she barely consults her vet, that I can see. She's instructed us to reuse needles over & over again, even 1 needle for many different cats, over many days time. I've witnessed kittens born with their intestines outside their body, amongst other disturbing deformities. I've seen whole litters of kittens pass away over a period of about a week or 2. We've pointed out for over a year, one of the studs (Dexter) has bloody diarrhea & she's done nothing for him (to the best of my knowledge), but tell us to give him Pro-Pectalin. We've heard her lie repeatedly over the phone to people, that she only breeds her queens "twice a year". She instructed a queen to be put with a male before her kitten was even six weeks old, just last month. Her queens are bred so frequently, most don't get a break between nursing & being bred again. She also breeds them when they perhaps just finished with a six week course of 2 different antibiotics for Pyometra. Rarely does she have the kitty tested to see if the infection is gone. One of her queens was treated for Pyometra for a whole year, before finally being spayed. Many queens & their kits have spent the whole nursing period in a dark room, (6 to 8 wks) and we are not allowed to leave lights on for the cats kept in rooms without windows. Many times the kittens are still kept there long after the mother has been pulled. There are more cats there, then are listed on her website. I have asked other former assistants if they are willing to "testify" about the things I've mentioned above, as they have seen & experienced many of these things too. At least 2 of them have agreed they would. I would not be able to leave this job with a good conscience, without reporting to the authorities what I have experienced & seen there. I have been screamed at & cussed at by her. I witnessed her physically & verbally assault another employee that she was firing. I have contacted TICA, TIBCS & USDA/APHIS about these issues. I have not reported this previously, as I was concerned she would retaliate against her assistants & only we would have knowledge of all these things.
#2. One of her intact male Bengals escaped around July 25th. And she tried to justify not trying to catch him & get him back, by saying he would be happier out there, and to another assistant she told that she didn't care because he had Tri-Trich anyway & we haven't been able to clear him up. (we've been doing colon flushes about every 4 to 6 weeks & testing with her vet there, and Moto (the escaped, intact male Bengal) had tested positive for TF on July 14th) He was being treated with Ronidazole at the time of his escape. She had set up a few humane traps around her place & had a camera as well. To the best of my knowledge, there's been no sign of him since his escape. Nor has she done anything else to try and find him. He is one of her more unsocial cats.
#3.I have witnessed many times the neglect of her Samoyed, Vladimir. The neglect I have witnessed consists of him being muzzled, sometimes for 8 to 10 hours at a time, because he would bark about the activity & people coming and going from her home. Many times I have arrived at work between 7 and 8 am, to find him tied out on his run on the back deck, with the muzzle on. I would remove the muzzle immediately. There was a time when she was having many of the rooms tiled & had tilers there for many days in a row, that the dog had indentations from wearing the muzzle so much, that they didn't go away for several days after the work was done. To the best of my knowledge, she does not get up at night to attend to the dog. He's either as I've already described in the morning, or when we come in, (and he's already/or still in the house, he's peed in one or two places, due to not being let out would be my assumption.) She has had her cattery assistants repeatedly muzzle & place him outside many times during the day, as clients would come and go, or repairmen, ect. He is fed with an auto feeder on a timer. We assistants have watched the level of dog food carefully, and many times the level stayed the same over many days time. I myself have even placed a mark on the feeder, to see if the level of food went down, and it didn't either time I did it. And indeed I have even been there when his food is supposed to be dispensed (supposed to be set at a specific time, say, 5:15 pm), and the feeder did not work. Consequently, we assistants would feed him by hand. (without her knowledge, as we would be told not to, he gets enough from the feeder, after us telling her it wasn't working properly) She medicates him regularly with antidepressants & pain killers, claiming he has pain & anxiety, (he pee's all over the house) I don't believe the dog has been to a vet in the 2 years I've been there. It seems she diagnosis him herself & then chooses the medications she thinks he needs. I think she has taken him on a walk or a hike, less than a half dozen times in the 2 years I've been there. When he's gotten into something that causes him diarrhea, he is taken outside & his back end hosed off, this appears to cause him great discomfort. (thinking about cold water sprayed directly into his anal region) She barely provides him with his own toys. When I said once that he was bored & lonely, she proclaimed that that wasn't possible, because she was home ALL the time. About the only attention we see her give to this dog, is to tell us to muzzle him & put him outside. Teresa giving Vlad any positive attention is very rare.
Merissa, you just don't get it. It's not about the cattery being clean. You and Teresa keep leaning on each other. Co-dependency works well for some, for awhile... You KNOW deep down, that it's not good there. You yourself said once how stupid it was when she flipped about her sheets in the dryer with a rug. I only wrote the facts, that I personally saw. How are you going to justify these poor things being without food and water?
After reading some of these complaints and responses it feels as there’s been some personally disgruntled matters with the breeder more so than just about the cats. i came here to consider this breeder’s cats and wanted to dig deep a bit to ask the right questions.
I cannot see how USDA licenses nor the county public health permits would be reissued if any claims made would be true or that Ms. Selling perhaps has since corrected these. I’ve checked these permits and they’re to date still current and have never any negative claims sent to either agency.
But I am concerned about the statements about the quality or lack thereof for the cats that’s made me reconsider looking to another cattery as such. This is unfortunate if these claims are true or whether unfounded. Documentation presented would’ve been more suitable to have been included if any are believable.
Her cats just all got taken by the king county animal control
It's hard to say whether there were past half-legitimate concerns but it's clear there are current concerns and they look concerning. There's a complaint on BBB from 2022 from someone who paid for and never received a cat (https://www.bbb.org/us/wa/issaquah/profile/cat-breeders/traipse-inc-1296-22946972) and another on Google Reviews from late 2023 (https://maps.app.goo.gl/L2eFNgFimsm9N7AZ9).
Additionally, the breeder's website currently shows and names two kittens - Poblano and Cupid. These appear to be the same cats listed and pictured in a facebook posting by Bengal Rescue that states "We are now handling the biggest large-scale rescue in our history." and says "We will need to raise $9,600.00 - $19,200.00 to give these cats the basic medical care they need and deserve." This seems aligned with the comment by CATlady5512 that "the cats just all got taken by the king county animal control." I'd be careful with my research.
I visited Traipse in April 2023 and met Poblano and Cupid. They were both very under socialized for being 6-8 months old. They were offered for adoption at a steep discount ($1600 each). The assistant also brought out a litter of 3 kittens (Tic, Tac, Toe) that were not ready to be rehomed yet. Those kittens were playful and social. They were offered for sale at $2500 each.
The house smelled strongly of urine and dust. We were told the cattery did all its own vaccinations and microchipping and only went to the vet if the cats were really sick. The 3 males were housed outdoors past the back deck in waterproof plastic sheds with access to small fenced enclosures.
The assistant told me that they were considering shutting down the cattery so Teresa could retire.
I had misgivings about this cattery and decided to go with another Bengal breeder in the area to get my cat. I was curious about whether the owner decided to close the cattery after all so that’s how I found this site.
I was an assistant back when I was a teenager in the summer of 2014. At first Teresa seemed very nice and professional until I witnessed her attempt to give a shot to a male cat Dexter. This cat was typically very social and loving but it was clear he was terrified of her. When she went into his cage to give him a shot he avoided her and hid. This made her very upset and she ended up frisking him by his neck which is pretty normal, but then she proceeded to lift him up by his neck and slam his head against the ground 3-4 times before administering the shot. I quit a couple of days later. I was a kid at the time but I regret not reporting anything.
I got two sibling kittens from Traipse (Teresa Seling) about a year ago. Before choosing them, I researched a number of Seattle-area catteries and Teresa stood out as being the most professional, response, and also the most transparent. When researching the various catteries, I came across this complaint. I printed it off and brought it with me when I visited her cattery. She readily discussed the each point with me, and was not the least bit defensive and was happy to talk about every aspect of the complaint directly. She readily talks about the lessons she has learned over time (and none was particularly concerning) and is constantly working to improve her cattery. I scrutinized everything about her practices and she opened up all of her records and logs for me to examine. She has kept in touch as has Marissa, interested in how my cats are doing. If you read these other posts and have concerns, I strongly recommend that you do the same thing as me - print them off and bring them to her and allow her to address them directly. I have no doubt that you'll find that she runs a sound business with excellent practices and keeps impeccable records. As for as my cats are concerned, they are both healthy, happy, and beautiful Bengals. I can't imagine a better experience working with a breeder.
Michelle, the fact that I've been here over 2 years shows that I can keep a job, and that I don't quit with no notice by leaving a note on a desk. And yes, I'm only 24 years old, currently in school with hands on experience dealing specifically with Bengal cats. The outside habitats were the USDA's favorite part of the entire cattery. Yes, there's a shower door separating the inside because it's non porous and easy to clean. They have always had a heat source, the ceramic wall heater, and you left before we installed another heater and broad spectrum lighting which all the electrical cords are wrapped as well. If the cats didn't have food and water when you checked on them it means you didn't give them enough the day before. And if you didn't clean their area the day before then you should have brought it up to one of us instead of keeping silent. As for the kittens, we sweep and mop the floor everyday so when they run around and play with each other it's clean. Denying love, affection, food, water, heat is not how we run things. And yes, Teresa doesn't check in on the cats everyday because she's focused on sales and showing. That's why she has 3 full time employees to do it for her. We don't reuse needles, we document every medical issue and treat immediately. If anyone wants to come see for themselves they are more than welcome to take a full tour.
Also it sounds like you don't know much about FIP either. FIP is merely an exposure to a respiratory virus called the corona virus which is common in cats. Cats when stressed do get them. Even if a kitten gets one at 4 months old, stress later in life can mutate this virus into FIP, especially if a cat is already sick it doesn't mean that the cat will definitely get it later.
I have just recently received my third bengal from Teresa, and I can say that after a tragedy with our gorgeous angel Pandora almost a full year after our purchase she blew my mind when she replaced our darling fur baby. I called to mainly keep her informed about the situation, and she graciously offered to replace her on the spot. My family and I will be eternally grateful to Teresa and her helpers at Traipse. I would definitely recommend her cattery to anyone looking for a beautiful best friend to be owned by. Thank you Teresa.!
By the way the people who are leaving baseless claims and complaints regarding the cattery and the treatment of her animals, her cattery is far from the bad place they are making it out to be. I have seen nothing but loving attentive care being given to the queens, sires, kittens, and personal pets of Teresa. Her extremely helpful, caring nature, and attention to detail in helping find a forever friend on three different occasions to myself and my family makes me doubt any of what the supposed ex employee says is true. It sounds like a personal vendetta, and do not allow this jaded ex employee to prevent you from finding your pet soulmate. I mean think about it...TICA, the State of Washington, the USDA, and news channels who all vouch for her would not do so if these complaints were in fact valid at all. If you feel like you have a valid grievance, file a complaint with the appropriate agency and let them decide! DONT TRASH THE REPUTATION AND LIVELIHOOD OF SOMEONE'S LIFE JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU ARE STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL, GROW UP!
The "vet assistant" that is talking obviously knows nothing because the USDA inspectors that came out for her USDA inspections are actual veterinarians and she passed that inspection with flying colors. As far as pyometra, pregnant cats can't get it bc their cervix is closed so I don't know how bringing that up is relevant. For the oxytocin, it's not something that you can just purchase off the internet without a prescription...get real ladies, grow up and get a job and a life. If you have time to trash people on the internet all day you obviously don't have either.
Good luck with that. Funny, you can't get my name correct but you state you know all about me. Oopssseee on your part. You just lost all credibility. I never said I was a Veterinarian. However, I did go to college and I'm a certified Veterinary Assistant. Are you? If you are, your credentials will be pulled, because everything goes against the Oath of a Cert Vet Asst. But you'd already know that. Maybe ask your Mom to help you with the big words. I am not saying anything other than what I saw with my own eyes and experienced myself. I've never met you, thus don't apply that you have met me. Everything is done. I worked there for 6 days (you've worked there two yrs, what's that say about your morals and values?) A Mother Cat and 5 kittens without water affected me enough that I was done working there. This Mother and 5 kittens were locked in a tiny bathroom! I told the owner in which she stated water bowls must have been knocked over. She surely never checked on them. The floor was dry and two empty no spill rubber bottom bowls. Ok, you think no spill bowls were knocked over, why wasn't the floor wet or the water refilled? Are you saying the outdoor enclosures (sheds cut in half by shower doors) without water provided 24/7, absolutely no electricity (that is no heat and no lights, just so you don't have to bother your Mom for the definition.) and a constant wet and muddy floor, is normal? Really? I, myself, tried to put over 20 cats on the floor and they ran and jumped in a too small cat carrier. They have never been outside their cages. I never "begged" for full time. I already had a job when I interviewd with Teresa. I told her I needed full time, plain and simple and she said "since I was a Vet Asst certified she wanted me before the other job got me." It's not defacing someone's reputation, to relay my experience and mine only. Again, maybe your Mom can explain the law to you. I'm not an act of Congress, yet refer to an adult that may understand. Thank God things worked out the way they did. So back off and again the authorities will be contacting you. On that note, Have a great day!
Melissa, you were employed here for quote "6 working days" I have been here over 2 years. You are lying throughout this whole post. You BEGGED for full time. You are a straight up liar. Pyo IS cleared up. You don't know anything, you aren't even here to disprove that, you aren't a vet, you were never denied your pay. You and Bonnie should be ashamed of the defamation of Teresa's character. TICA outstanding cattery isn't handed out willy nilly. We didn't just pass the USDA for TWO inspections, with EIGHT TIMES the legal room allowed for room and 100% compliance.
I worked for this so called business for a very short time, before I had to quit due to the way things were run. At first viewing, it seemed all above board, until I was permitted into other areas in which I found horrifying. My Morals and Values would not allow me to work for such a person. Majority of cats, have not even stepped foot on a floor! The stress of most cats are extremely high, as many cats are pacing in their cages and no amount of distraction will prevent the constant pacing! The worst cases I have ever seen! (I am schooled in Veterinary Medicine.)
Workers are expected to do this persons private laundry, house cleaning, dog walking and dishes. I was instructed to do personal laundry on one setting which corresponds to they type of laundry, in which I was forced to do. Once the owner saw the setting they were washed on, I was screamed at, cussing ensued with calling me every name in the book and called ignorant, stupid and dumb and I ruined her sheets ( NO, I did not ruin them) Yet I was threatened to have my paycheck withheld to pay for said bedding.
To the person that states the females with Pyrometria was cleared up by a Vet, There were several females that still have this! It isn't a big deal and just a normal breeding process IN the Breeders opinion, which I may add, has NO Vet. Field experience! This is a serious ailment! Two cats were pregnant and the normal birthing cycle was not Convienant for this lady, I overheard her saying she would give them oxytocin, to induce labor early. As I am trained in the Vet field, I do know this can be quite harmful to mothers and litters, as well as resulting in deaths. I found a mother cat and 5 babies locked In a bathroom, in which 2 water bowls were bone dry. As was the floor. I filled up the non spill bowls and watched my watch, as the Mother cat drank water for 7 mins and 12 seconds! I told the owner and she blew it off, stating the cats knocked the dishes over. I stated the floor was DRY as well as dishes all with having NO food. So heartbreaking. Don't even think about putting one of the cats on the floor. They have never experienced being on a floor before and are scared to death if they are out of their cages! It is ridiculous the amount of cats/kittens on this property. Cats out in shed areas do not have a dry floor, clean feeding dishes or HEAT and LIGHT! As for the dog, the 'employees have to walk him, clean up after him. He has accidents in the house due to having zero attention. The owner even said she didn't have time for him and do I want to adopt him? Seriously? She 'tethers' Vlad in on a long line in which. He has no housing from elements and one morning was soaked to the skin and shivering! This whole thing is so wrong. It sounded like a dream job until the harassment kicked in and then seeing the extreme poor treatment in this cat mill. My values and Morals wouldn't allow me to work for such a person and I got out of there as quickly as possible. She has short me hours and refuses to pay what pay is owed to me. All the medications she has, reusing syringes on all cats and only 3 out of approx. 50 plus medications had actual Veterinarian prescription labels on them. This is a great place to stay away from. I would never purchase a cat from this place unless you are looking for a defect in a cat that she calls throw away cats, yet still sells for top dollar. People should never get away with doing business like this! Buyers, please think about where your future pet is coming from and lasting medical issues and cats that have not been socialized...this is not a pet that will be a good fit for anyone.
I wish I would have came across the comments above, from Bonnie, before I accepted a position at this so called Business. I made it 6 work days and had to quit and I could NOT get out of there fast enough! After a few days, I was allowed into other areas, in which cats are held captive. The nicest word that could use here. I was screamed at repeatedly, cussed out and threatened. One has to do her personal laundry. One load I was forced to do, I was told because the setting on the washer I used for said items, (I washed on bedding setting as that is what the items were, as well as instructed to do so) I was screamed at, called names, cussed at and belittled, being told that I ruined the item and I was an (insert profanity) idiot.
As for the second message stating some Vet cleared up Pyrometria and it's no longer a problem?!? Nothing is further than the truth! The cats STILL have it! there were Pregnant cats, 2 in particular. The birthing schedule was not Convienant for this cat mill person. I overheard owner tell her friend and employee that she would just administer Oxytocin to cause uterine contractions to force birth, because once again, the normal birthing schedule wasn't Convienant for her to have nature takes it course. Thus, she is willing to risk the health of the "Animals" as the cats are referred as. She will risk death with her animals to make things Convienant for the owner. The medications I saw, very few had a Veterinary pharmacy label!
One day a Mom cat and 5 kittens locked in a bathroom, did not have a drop of water and mom cat drank for 7 mins, yes I watched my watch. Ridiculous. I told the owner and she said they knocked over the no spill dishes. (Impossible) The floor was dry! As I went on with my 'duties', I found three more young cats without food, no water. The 'animals' are not let out of cages. It is quite sad how over run. This place is and the belittling, harassing, being cussed out, etc. as for the dog, the 'employees must walk the dog, he urinates in the house and is tethered outdoors in inclement weather without access to shelter. I had to quit asap as this went against all my morals and Values and could not participate in such a thing. If you take a cat out of a cage and it is so scared to touch the floor as they have no experience being outside of cages and enclosures. An amazingly horror time for me. I have training in the vet field and I haven't seen anything remotely like this, in my whole life!
Let me start out by saying who I am, my name is Merissa and I've worked with Teresa just as long as Bonnie had. The only complaint that has any validity is Teresa's temper, which she always owns up to and apologizes. Not justifying the behavior, but she always tries her best to find a common solution.
Regarding the lost bengal, Moto, Bonnie states that the cats don't see the vet but "we've been doing colon flushes about every 4 to 6 weeks & testing with her vet there". VET THERE. The day he went missing Teresa went and bought 2 night vision cameras and 4 live animal traps. All the cats here are micro chipped and registered with King county.
As for the dog Vlad, he is loved by everyone here. He gets to go outside whenever he wants, gets fed plenty, treats daily, and I personally walk him when I have the opportunity and so do the other assistants here. The peeing issue is a common thing with ANY dog in a house with another cat, it's territorial and not a big deal. He is a big dog with a piercing bark, and yes when he's being a brat he gets the muzzle, it's a mesh flexible muzzle that he can drink and eat from and is never on more than a few hours. All medications for both dog and cats have been prescribed by her vet. I'm appalled she thinks he's being mistreated.
The pyometra is a relatively NEW issue which after having EVERY Queen seen by the vet, and consulting with another breeder with 50 years of experience who has come across the same issue has figured out the culprit and has immediately taken the steps to rectify it.
The medications/health records are meticulously documented and kept since the beginning of Teresa's business. The house is 4500 sq ft on over an acre on a mountain. This isn't some basement horror show.
Bonnie is an unlicensed rabbit breeder in her own home and has told us multiple stories of rabbits dying and giving birth to rabbits with defects. She has had multiple personal health issues that has left her on pain killers for the better part of the last year, which must be clouding her judgement. She has had complaints from every other assistant that worked here saying she is slacking on cleaning due to this. I'm speculating on the other 2 assistants that are backing her accusations which were admitted substance abuse users and have been let go under the same circumstances.
I've attached photos of the cattery so you all can see the truth. One day when I was working here a surprise visit from Animal Control came buy and he said, "In my 26 years of inspecting, this is the cleanest cattery I've ever seen". This response is on my own accord.