I can't get my kitten....

[sugarpops]

I have recently adopted a second kitten from a rescue. This is the second kitten I have adopted through them. I have also helped to rescue a cat through the same rescue. Everything seems above board and the lady is nice enough. Never assumed anything dodgy.

When I adopted my first kitten, I told her how I would think about getting another one. It just depended on financial things and if I could afford it.

A few weeks later (3 weeks ago now) she messaged me to say she has a little kitten who needed a home and has a very similar personality to my first kitten I adopted. She said they would be a perfect match and would I be interested. She sent me some photos and I agreed.

I then paid the adoption fee and a fee for neutering. She says if I pay for her neutering then she can get it done through her rescue (she is also a veterinary nurse) and it is cheaper.

She told me the kitten would be ready at the end of the week - 2 weeks ago. We were supposed to collect him 2 weeks ago today.

When I text her to arrange a time, she told me she was drunk at a party and would arrange text me the next day. She didn’t.

A couple more days passed by and I messaged her again. She didn’t reply for 2 days and told me her grandad had passed away. I replied with I was sorry to hear that, hope she was ok. She didn’t reply and I left it for a few days.

I text her again and to say I hope she was ok, and was there any update on when we could collect him. She told me she would drop him off this last week at some point. She hasn’t.

I have then text her again and I am being completely ignored.

I understand she may be having a tough time. But aibu to expect that I should still be able to collect the kitten? It would only take 5 minutes (she knows me well enough) and it would also be one less animal for her to look after.

I am getting concerned. Before she told me about her grandad, I was also trying to ask about the kitten I have got who is due her vaccinations and spay (which stupidly I have paid her for) and I’m getting absolutely no where with that either.

All in all she has about £250 of my money for 2 kittens, vaccinations and neutering and I am getting no where with any of it.

I thought I would text her again on Monday and ask one last time. If I get no response, I’ll have to take it further.

Who would I even speak to regarding this?

Or - am I just being completely unreasonable here? I have 3 dc at home who are asking when our new kitten is coming and I’m at a loss of what to tell them! My gut is he isn’t coming at all .

@WiddlinDiddlin I too used to donate to animal rescue charities
NO LONGER
It was a relentless begging for money.

I had private messages saying good lifestyles were being funded via donations- One woman keeping her personal riding horses on the backs of donations.

” Our oil was stolen this weekend the animals will freeeeeeeze”

&c

Animal rescue can be extremely lucrative

One Romanian man was reported to have said “ the more disabilities the more tears
the more tears
the more money.

A dog with congenital disabilities was milked for money as it flops along .

She was apologised now for the first time in all of this however it's all just met with constant excuses. How hard she works, she's a single mum (she has a partner), how she's not a bad person - she's text me this twice. Just constantly going on about how she gives her all to the animals and they come first.

She's also sent me a photo of another kitten that could be ready today.

I have been firm that I need my money back and ignored it all completely.

Yup... funnily enough, Mr 'I have to bin dive for dog food' Rescue man (who has no job, no visible means of supporting himself or his equally vile wife, and yet always has fags and booze) has just taken on a puppy, that he 'found' in his garden (or at the gate, or had to chase across a field to catch, the story changes by the minute)...

So he has to bin dive for food, and yet can afford the immediate emergency treatment and surgery this puppy needs as both eyes are horribly infected.

He can't update posts about the dogs he's had (from tiny cute rehomable puppies!) for years... but he's posted loads about this puppy over the last four days of course, done live video chats etc etc...

Poor little blind puppy is the latest cash cow - where any decent rescue would move the puppy on to a rescue with more funds and suitable facilities, this money grabbing scammer will keep her, unquarantined, with loose unvaccinated dogs all over, licking her infected eyes, until the money dries up pretty much. Then, he'll find another.

I donate to select rescues who are transparent in their fundraising and finances, who follow best practice and are working to rehome animals appropriately AND offer education that helps animals stay IN homes or not land in rescue.

Ahhhh, no answer as to where the other kitten actually is then @sugarpops bet she's not got it and hasn't had for weeks, I bet she's sold it to someone else ages ago.

She's still adamant that he's at her house getting eye drops 🙄

I really don't know but I'll just have to leave that part I think. The good rescue is still on the case.

I googled '' rescue cat scam'' and came up with one that is apparently breeding kittens to sell.
It is based in Surrey.

She's also had a few bengals in her care recently. Not sure where they have come from but could be something similar. We are based up north.

Miscarriage indeed. How low can you get. Honestly OP, if it was me I'd be banging on her door. Dread to think what's in that house.

Why will the RSPCA not do a house call? If you tell them you susprct there are cats being kept in unacceptable conditions, surely they will?

I was tempted but it won't help. I need to stay civil.

I've honestly been on it all day today - I wish I could post the proof that I've found! But I'm just so drained by it today.

I'm just going off the good rescue in terms of the rspca. It won't harm to call them - tomorrow if I can.

Also the police. The info I've seen shows she has been reported before. Police failed to do anything but I'm going to report it. I don't expect them to do anything but it could help to build up a case against her if it's all on record....for the next time she scams someone else.

@sugarpops It sounds like this awful woman has ''Form''.
Reporting her to Police will hopefully build up a case against her.

It's far too easy for anyone to begin setting up a 'cat/dog' rescue these days, often on social media, to the detriment of the animals.

Bengals are wonderful cats {If it was a Bengal kitten you were wanting to rescue, I can understand your desire to have one}
But...a properly bred {f4, f5 } Bengal ought not be ending up in a 'rescue' situation ..especially 'several' of them..that's very strange.

Could well be breeding them to sell as on as 'Rescues'.

Please keep us informed - so sorry you are going through all this stress at the moment.

You will get a lovely cat in the end 🐈‍⬛ 🐈 - via a bona fide rescue.

Or you could send her a link to this thread and threaten to name and shame!

@oakleaffy yes that's what the good rescue said. There is apparently a new law coming in next in an attempt to stop it. It really is very easy for them to do.

She had a snow bengal the other week. Claimed someone had bought it from a reputable breeder for over £1000 and then the landlord found out and told the owners to get rid. I believed it at the time but now absolutely not. They are beautiful cats but not for us - she is 100% up to something with this.

Just thinking I'm surprised her vets allow her to get away with this. She has over 2k followers on her page. Surely her work colleagues follow her.

Anyway I feel better now I know the truth - to some extent. She has until tomorrow night to refund me which she won't (she told me she has had no income for 2 weeks) and then I'll do the necessary steps to a small claims court.

On a positive note - I've got fluffy booked in for spaying for free thanks to the good rescue!

I would definitely post on her Facebook wall and link the pages saying it’s a scam, her followers need to know.

Unfortunately, these scammers set up go fund me pages, get regular donations and get money for the animals.

I’d also make the vets aware.
Perhaps email them with links.

I’m sorry you had to go through this but I’m glad you did, as she’s obviously done this loads of times and you were strong enough to not stand for it.

Check that she is definitely a veterinarian nurse by looking at the vet nurse register. If she is you can report her to them for not upholding the expected professional standards of registration.

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/registration/check-the-register/

That's such an unlikely story with the Snow Bengal .
Any reputable breeder would insist on any puppy or kitten they bred to be returned to them, no matter what the age of the animal.

{Specifically to stop this type of thing, where the animal ends up in a rescue situation}

I don't believe that story for an instant.
She possibly has links to 'Back yard' breeders, as she is selling the animals for quite high prices.

Edit: So glad you got a free neutering for 'Fluffy'. That's great.

Some reputable cat charities do help fund neutering as it is so much better than having unwanted kittens to find good homes for down the line.

@oakleaffy thanks so much for your support and all the time you've taken to post.

She really did push the bengal she has on me today. I think she would have just given me it just to get rid of me. For whatever reason she has no money. I can only hope she puts it in my bank in the next 24 hours but realistically- there's no chance.

Also I can promise that my cat has a much cooler name than 'Fluffy' 😊

I'd be posting in your local FB group, people like her need exposed before she scams more people.

I empathise with your situation because I once lent someone two week's wages -as a young person..probably about £600 in todays money- and the minute I'd lent it, he said ''I won't be able to pay you back- I have no money''

There was nothing I could do to get the money back.
CAB were lovely, but said ''you have no proof''..they were right, I didn't.

I was so angry at myself for falling for it {It was a boyfriend at the time}

Ditto my family member {who is also very trusting} was conned into paying over £1000 to a scammer in USA. Family member had so many sleepless nights of anger at the scammer and at himself over it.
He found out that the scammer had ''Form'' once he started digging.

If one is basically honest, one expects others to be as well.

However, you DO have proof!

Bengals are beautiful cats, but highly strung, you'll probably be better suited by the decent cat charity who will look at your existing cat, and find a kitten that will get on well with ''Fluffy''

Fluffy will get her companion, as will you and your children.

She's refunded me the money for the kitten I was never able to get but not the full amount for the kitten I do have.

Not sure what to do here.

Wow! A partial refund….have been following this thread and thought your chances of getting any money at all back were very low. Well done!

I wonder if she’s really rattled by the threat of being exposed. You could carry on pursuing her through small claims for the spaying that you paid for ( I think?) but that in the end, won’t be done through her. A fair amount of bother for not a huge sum of money. She may claim she has supplied the first kitten, and is out of pocket for the spaying , or some other rubbish.

Or you could carry on trying to expose her, eg writing to the vets that employ her , setting out what’s happened.

Or just let it go now, which in your circumstances would be totally understandable.

So sorry you’ve had to deal with all this at a difficult time. Scammers are very clever, but to be scammed by someone you actually know takes scamming to a new low.

I have to say I was surprised when I checked this morning and the money was there. I've had no text or anything off her - just the money in my bank.

I did send her the screenshots I took of the social media pages I found. She knows that I know everything. Her responses were that she was shocked and extremely concerned - like she's never seen them before which I highly doubt! I'm so glad I did my research and have pushed it as far as I can.

As for the money on fluffy - that's £185 I paid.

Her appointment is on Thursdays for spaying and her first vaccination. I've tried to be as clever as I can here - just haven't cancelled the appointment or told her I don't want it. If I just sit tight until Thursday and see what happens. If she fails to come and collect Fluffy then she still hasn't fulfilled her services in terms of neutering and vaccinations and I'm guessing I could try to claim that back. Not sure if I have the energy though to be honest.

Whatever happens, I won't be sending my kitten off with her so if she does text me or turn up, I'll have to accept that I've lost my money on it as I don't think I'd have a leg to stand on. At least I've got her spay booked and it's free so it sort of cancels it out abit.

This has most certainly taken my mind off divorce anyway! 😂

Tell her you will report her to her professional body if she doesn’t refund the rest.

Still expose her at the vets though snd don't hold anything back. This is not the type of person anyone wants around their pets! If she is a vet nurse, she needs to be de-registered.

Yes I will context the vets. In one of her many texts yesterday, she said it would be very unfair of me to do that - she is panicking.

I have also found out that she is a student veterinary nurse.