To think they should refund

[Tinkerbelle97]

I messaged a local rescue page about a cat I was interested in. They told me she was 3 years old and was a surrender. They said I can reserve her for £30 and do a meet and greet. They’ve said that this is because they have people arranging to meet cats and then not go ahead. Met her at the weekend and it went well and I was all set to adopt her and pick her up at the weekend. I went out and bought all the things needed for her. Now they’ve just messaged and said they have requested vet records for and she’s in fact 8 years old. I’ll probably be flamed for this but I now don’t want to go ahead as I am looking for a younger cat personally due to our home life which can be sometimes busy and I have a 5 year old DD. I asked if my reserve fee can be returned and now they’re ignoring me I think. Should they refund me?

It’s hard to age a cat accurately. They thought she was 3, got the vets records and found out they were wrong, and updated the OP accordingly. They didn’t mislead her deliberately, they made a mistake. People do. Not saying they shouldn’t refund, but all this hyperbole about reporting them is batshit (report them to who?? The ‘cat age police’?)

OP you might find that the slightly older cat copes better with a young child.

We adopted a 12 year old before DC and that cat was so gentle with the DC when they were little. Lived to be 24......

This, if you got on then ok please go for it - after all you couldn’t tell the difference either! Please take her if you like her - they’re still mischievous bundles of fun at that age. I actually think cats are fairly timeless unless unwell. Whenever I go home I play ‘mousies’ with my mum’s cat - he’s 15 and can shift when he wants to, little rascal!

I work in contract law. That’s why I know you’re talking bollocks about “right to demand a refund” for a reserve fee- it wasn’t an adoption fee, or a sale price for the cat. It was a fee so OP could meet the cat first. Which she did. They reserved the cat for £30, their end of the deal was fulfilled.

You also don’t understand that proving you have been misled requires proving a) they knew the cat’s true age and then b) lied to OP with intent to deceive. There is no evidence of this.

Yes that fits 0-3 years.

Duh, 🙄 I didn't say report them for getting the age wrong. (Or lying about it! Just if they refuse to refund after misleading the OP! OP no longer wants the cat as it's much older than the shelter claimed. That is her right, despite a few posters saying she doesn't deserve a cat 'because of her attitude!' 🙄

I suspect they knew the cat's age, and are just trying to get an older cat rehomed by pretending they thought it was younger, but then I'm a suspicious person who trusts very few people, and because of this I am not easily conned.

How do we know this place isn't conning people left right and centre to make them take older cats, or cats that have medical issues they are not disclosing, and all sorts of other issues???! They could be well shady. Just because they are a cat shelter that doesn't mean they are perfect!

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I think it's quite difficult to age rescue cats. Maybe things have moved on. But our first rescue, around 2003, was originally thought to be around 18 months. From a vet's examination - I think based on her teeth - she was then estimated at five years. She died in 2021 so had a pretty decent innings either way. Cats are cats. They pretty much dance to their own drum. I'm not sure they do owe you a refund because it's such an unreliable process. I do wonder if you might be better suited to a kitten than a rescue though. The latter come with a lot off baggage and really aren't off the peg!

I still don’t understand why a 8 yrs old cat is not suitable for a normal household with a youngish kid? my cat’s 14 yrs old and she fits fine in our household.Unless your DD will be chasing the cat continuously around the house? in which case you should train your kid or not have a pet at all , young or old

They were the ones who told her the cat is actually 8 years old, after seeing the vet report (the vet they took the cat to!). Why would they pass that information on to the OP if they were trying to con her? They’d be pretty shit con artists, wouldn’t they? 😂

Goodness. It's a cat. Not a DFS sofa. It's sentient. You don't deserve a refund because it's not as described or has scuff marks. The very idea that cat rescue charities are in the business of palming off 'older' cats as kittens just to get rid is as absurd as it is funny!

They would be good con artists though, if they told the OP the cat was 3 years old, took her money, and then said the cat was 8 YEARS OLD, and then refused to refund the OP's money, when she said she no longer wanted the cat, as it was much older than they had said.

Oh..... wait!

I think this person means one cat was 12 years old and the other 18 months 🤷🏼‍♀️

All that for £30? The vets visit would have cost more than that 🙄

🙄OP wanted a cat she thought was 3 years old, and it was 8 YEARS OLD.

She had the right to say she no longer wants the cat.

Just because YOU would still have had it, that doesn't mean others should follow suit. 🙄

In her second post she says ‘0-3 years is very different to 12 months’

🙄 The shelter got it wrong. THEIR problem. OP should not have to lose the money.

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I know. I said she should get a refund. I also said if it was a con it would be a lot of fucking effort for £30, and the ‘con’ would have cost more than that for them to carry out. As I said, shit con artists.

They estimated it was around three. The vet estimated it was older. They don't have registration plates. Or birth certificates. They're cats. I'm not sure why the OP rejected a cat on these grounds anyway. Rescue animals come with their own issues whether kittens, 3yr olds or if they're eight. Basically, OP wants a kitten but is too tight to pay for one.

Seriously, the general saying when it comes to cats is 'adopt don't shop!' And 'don't pick up free cats and kittens from online etc. GO TO A SHELTER!'

With the attitudes in some posts that I am reading on here, no wonder some people are reluctant to go to shelters. 🙄 'Oh so what if a cat is 8 years old when you were told it was 3? Just take it why dontcha?'

Good luck @Tinkerbelle97 Hope you get your refund. You should NOT have to take an 8 year old cat when you were promised a 3 year old one.

I genuinely hope the 8 year old cat gets a lovely home, and soon, with someone who wants a cat that age! But that is not the OP.

I'm out. This thread is batshit.

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Some posters certainly are.

Ah missed that @PigInAHouse 😂

Won't they just hold onto the £30 and give you a younger cat. That said I think she is your cat, you just need to take her. The length of time you have with a pet is never a given.

We picked up an '18 month old' dog to rehome. I didn't go with my husband and daughter to collect her, they were just under instructions to check her all over especially her teeth. Dog arrives home, they fell instantly in love...so did I. Couple of days later looked in her mouth...only half a set of teeth. Took her to the vet, no idea of age, no chip. She's healthy, we love her and that's all that matters. Our previous dog was bought as a young puppy, very expensive. Always ill, sadly had a serious underlying health condition and he had to be put down at just over a year old 😭

I get she doesn't want it. It wouldn't have been a good placement for anyone. I just think quibbling over £30 is a bit tight under the circumstances. But maybe they should just hand the money over. It's not like they'll let her adopt another one. It will bee fine. I'm sure she can take the cat tree, the cat bed, the bowls, the toys and everything else she bought back for a refund too.

But the estimate was way out, they should be able to tell the approx age of a cat, the cat was more that twice the age they assumed it was

It’s really difficult to age a cat.

My vet estimated the age of my rescue from his teeth