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We're gonna be Savannah Parents! Silver F3!

ericaaa

Savannah Super Cat
Oh man. My breeder just emailed me that our baby's back leg isn't forming properly. She went to a specialist who did an x-ray and the joint isn't forming correctly, and they believe he'll never walk properly. They believe it came from a trauma in the womb. His 2 brothers are perfectly healthy.
So, now she feels she cant sell me this baby and wants me to choose one of the other 2 kittens. I'm really sad about this. And I know with investing in such an expensive pet, you kind of have to think with your brain, then your heart. It's just really sad. They plan on keeping him and doing rehabilitation with him. But after a year, if he isn't better, I'm not sure what they'll be doing with him :(
She tells me how amazing one of the other kittens is. How much bigger he is and that we'll really love him. It just is sad.
Has anyone else had to deal with this? How did you handle it? Thanks ya'll.
 
A

Alice

Guest
Omg I'm so sorry!!!!! :'( how crushing! I suppose that's better than you getting him, getting attached, then finding out... But man that's super sad!! I would give yourself time to think on it before making any decisions....
 

WitchyWoman

Admin
Staff member
The day my 3rd SV was due to be flown to me, the breeder called and said that he had a little mishap at the vets and had an injured rear leg that the vet said wasn't serious and would heal without a hitch. When the kitten arrived home and I let him out of the carrier, I was horrified at the injury. He could barely put weight on the leg and when he jumped, he had to use his hip to get his leg up. I took him to the vet the next day and he had luxating patella in both knees -- and one was really bad. We quickly got on a phone with a specialist who agreed to see him and said that it would cost $4000 to repair each knee and there was no guarantee that the surgeries would be successful. He was a very large kitten and destined to be a very large cat. I was sick. Called the breeder and she was hesitant about helping with cost of surgeries without a second opinion. I sent the cat back and asked for a refund. I was devastated because we fell in love with him within a second -- he had an exceptional personality and he was a marble, which I had wanted for a long time.

After I dropped him off at the airport, I sat in my car and sobbed for an hour, didn't sleep for weeks, and kept in contact with the breeder for 2 yrs to stay current on the cat's health. She didn't get him the surgeries and adopted him out to someone else who was willing to take the chance on falling in love with a cat who would likely be impaired for life and perhaps have shorter life due to ongoing pain and complications from the injured joints. I just couldn't take that chance. And, I had just lost my soul mate DSH and had an elderly DSH at the time who needed constant vet care and I just wasn't willing to spend $8000 on iffy outcome surgery and nurse an active cat back to health twice.

I'm sure your breeder will either keep the cat or adopt him out after she has done all she can to get the leg to develop properly. Your breeder has integrity for not placing the cat at this time. I think that perhaps from her point of view, it's the only way she can guarantee that everything that can be done for him will be done.
 

Brigitte Cowell

Moderator
Staff member
I'm so sorry about the kitten... but I guess the question is, how attached do you already feel to this kitten? Maybe the breeder would be happy to place him in a good home, so not with the expensive price tag? And maybe you might still enjoy him even with his disability. I think cats tend to do really well with such things, even if it ended up the leg needed to be amputated, three legged cats are highly mobile!

Or maybe you can purchase the littermate and this one comes too? Just throwing out ideas in case you are already emotionally attached, AND might be willing to work with this kitten.
 

Green eyed kitty

Mystique the dog/cat;Seraphimah spunky kitty
Sorry to hear about the kitten's condition. The breeder is taking a very responsible approach. I have worked with disabled persons and it is a huge commitment to care for disabilities on a daily basis. Only you know what you are capable of doing for this kitten. Decisions are so hard to make. The advice here on this thread is very sound and knowledgeable. I wish you the best with your decision. No matter what you choose, this kitten will receive good care and love. My heart goes out to you.
 

ericaaa

Savannah Super Cat
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1367321810.469870.jpg ImageUploadedByTapatalk1367321819.801803.jpg ImageUploadedByTapatalk1367321827.285343.jpg ImageUploadedByTapatalk1367321833.948425.jpg Thank you everyone for your concerns & thoughts.

I am very appreciative our breeder informed us about the kitten's condition as early as she did & that she wants to keep him to help him get better.

We did decide to take his brother! She said he's the biggest of the litter, and he'll be really beautiful as he grows up. So we're happy to have him as our Angus & she's going to keep me updated on the silver kitten. I'm thinking if in a year, she doesn't want to keep him, I'll go get him from her! But that will be played by ear.

Again, thanks y'all for being such great support! Here is our new Angus!
 
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