Breeder of third generation Minuet and Minuet Tall cats, the pride of cat lovers, and the kings and queens of the cat world.
Posting: September 18, 2017, by Catherine Rudy
I have been contacted twice this weekend by people who had gotten a “munchkin” kitten from a woman claiming to be from Tiny Lions. When they communicated with me (by phone and email), they conveyed concerns that they had been scammed. I sadly confirmed their apprehensions, since I know where every one of my kittens has gone–and all my kittens so far have been altered, making it impossible for them to have bred a litter. This woman currently has an email of mytinylions77@hotmail.com and I am presently working on shutting her down. She is selling long legged cats as short legs, misrepresenting the sexes and age, and sending them home with fleas and parasites. If you come across a listing from this woman, please let me know so I can add it to my complaint to Craigslist. I will need the posting ID as well.
A few keys should alert you that you are being scammed on Craigslist. They are as follows:
1. The posting is on Craigslist. Do not search for a kitten or any other pet on Craigslist. This classified avenue is rife with scams and unscrupulous people hoping to turn a buck.
2. The price is ridiculously low. Reputable Napoleon/Minuet breeders keep to a general price on their kittens. We do not compete against each other. Anyone offering a ridiculously lowered price for a Napoleon/Minuet kitten is not providing a real Napoleon/Minuet. It is possible that you might even get a stray kitten.
3. Not registered with a cat association. TICA and CFF (The International Cat Association and Cat Fanciers Federation) are the only two cat associations in the United States that accept Napoleons/Minuets. If someone has not registered their cats with either association, you will not get a pedigreed cat. They may even produce a forged registration. Check with the association to verify registration. If the Napoleon/Minuet kitten has been “registered” with any other association, it is a forgery.
4. Poor communication with the breeder. Every reputable breeder will be open about their cattery, their location, phone number, and how to reach them. If you cannot get verifiable information from the breeder, do NOT pursue a transaction with them.
5. No certified pedigree. Every reputable breeder should be able to provide a certified pedigree of the kitten’s parents. If they cannot do this, then it is unlikely that the parents are acceptable outcrosses to produce Napoleon/Minuet kittens. Make sure the pedigree is certified from one of the accepted associations (TICA or CFF). In the case of parent cats, since it is still acceptable for a Munchkin to breed with one of the Persian breed groups, and those breeds are accepted in other organizations, a pedigree from those associations would be valid. However, if someone is presenting you a pedigree for a Napoleon/Minuet from any other association, it is bogus.
If you have any question as to whether you have gotten a kitten from us, there are two things you should know. I am the only one who sells our kittens (Catherine Rudy). I do not use agents to sell our kittens. We are a very small cattery that works out of our house and we work off a waiting list. Anyone getting a kitten from us is invited into our home to see our parents and kittens and the way they’re raised. I am also very talkative and invested in our kittens, so you will never have trouble finding me or getting me to talk about them. Secondly, we produce a small number of kittens, but you can see them on our website, on a page I added just for the purpose of combating scams like these. You can find all our kittens here.
What you can do to verify if a breeder is reputable.
1. Ask for a website. Some breeders are not website savvy and have created a Facebook page. That’s fine, as long as it is up to date and professional.
2. Ask for contact information and verify it. Do not hesitate to do a property search through the County’s property appraiser’s website to verify that the address exists and who it belongs to. I confirmed a scam through this means, when I learned the address did not exist. Some county property appraiser websites even offer an image of the property.
3. Engage in multiple conversations with the breeder. Call, text, email, or all of the above, but ensure that the breeder is available to find, especially after you have purchased a kitten.
4. Contact one of the cat associations that register the breed you’re looking into. Napoleons/minuets are only accepted in TICA and CFF. Check to see if the parent cats are currently registered with one of the associations.
5. Ask for references. Speaking with someone who has purchased a kitten from this breeder can give you a lot of insight. However, be aware that an unscrupulous breeder can be posing as a previous buyer. I encountered someone running a scam who was not only a buyer, but the pet transporter.
6. Visit the cattery. If you are able to visit a breeder because you are close by, ask to do so. If the breeder makes excuses for why you cannot come by, a red flag should fly up.
7. Trust your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable about a breeder, don’t do business with them. Don’t be swayed by the lower price of a kitten being offered or its availability. You are better off adopting a kitten from a shelter than to get one from a bad breeder. Purchasing a kitten from a bad breeder only perpetuates the problem. If there are savvy customers who do not buy kittens from bad breeders, they will stop selling kittens because they won’t have a customer base.
Reason for this posting:
We at Tiny Lions are very proud of our kittens and take our mission of promoting and producing excellent cats of the Minuet breed very seriously. It is our job, and the job of every Minuet breeder, to produce only the best cats adhering to the conformation breed standards, as well as healthy, well-
If you have any questions about this scam or how to identify a good breeder, don’t hesitate to contact me at cmrudy337@gmail.com or (305)333-
More information on bad breeders can be found in this website here, How to Recognize a Puppy/Kitty Mill.