Starlite Rags review: Ragdolls kittens with health problems 29

You "tori4446" or Amy or whatever your name is, should be ashamed of yourself. You obviously have never brought home a new kitten, never the less, played with one until they are exhausted. I happen to have 2 of Ann's beautiful kitties and have NEVER experienced what you are describing. Shame on you, going on a witch hunt and then publicly throwing a temper tantrum when Ann would not pay for your vet bills. Bills mind you, that did NOT diagnose what you were after in the first place. I think you should look into retracting this long winded and unearned public complaint before someone decides to take action for wrongful defamation of character. Just my two cents, however, Ann is a great breeder. Her kittens are healthy and beautiful. I have known her for a few years and she has always been happy to answer my questions and take time out to help me choose the perfect companion(s)!

I also have one of Ann's cats. I've had my beautiful boy for 8 years and I've never had any issues. Ann was great when I was buying him and I recommended her to my sister. I think you should take this down. It's pretty obvious you were wrong and got mad cause you were. Jamie Schultz

I forgot to check disagree...oops

I think you need a psychiatrist. Expecting someone to pay your vet bills when you were wrong...wow. Ann is great I don't have a kitten yet because I can't afford a kitten. She was still willing to talk to me though. I'm hoping to adopt an adult when she retires one!

I have a beautiful adult female whom I, and my family adore. See the pictures included. She lets my 5 year old carry her around like a literal rag doll. She greets us at the door when we get home. She is either on my lap or cuddled next to my husband. She sleeps in my sons bed. She greets new people just the same. She is the most loving cat I've ever had and I've had cats almost every of the 32 years I've been around.

I personally have known Ann for over 10 years and have seen first hand how much she loves and cares for her Ragdolls. She spends hours EVERY DAY caring for her animals. She plays with the kittens and encourages them to be social. She feels intense love for every cat. She can tell you history of every cat in her cattery. Not just health history. How they were as kittens. Which food they prefer. When she goes into the cattery, you can see every cat looking to her. They know her and love her too. She isn't breeding cats to just make money. She loves this breed and breeds for the integrity of the breed. If there were a cat on her cattery who was sick, she does everything she can to make them better. Spending hundreds of dollars on a cat that will never make her money. She doesn't put the cat down. How dare you question that love? I don't think you could find a woman who cares my about her cats than Ann cares about hers.

The pictures didn't post.

Her cats are great. We have gotten 5 kittens from Ann over the years with no issues. She is a great person to work with and is always there to answer questions for you.

I have puchased several animals over the years from ann and would/have recommend her animals to anyone. Tori4446 or whatever your name is, to say the cat was afraid of your toes, or the t.v. or whatever else is just a plain statement of ignorance. I woulden.t pay for your unwarranted tests either. The u of mn? Come on. Grasping at straws for a problem does not mean you will find one. Don.t extend your hypochondria to anyone outside of yourself. ~Matt of new richmond.

I have one kitten so far from Ann and plan to get another in the future. She is good to work with. NO health issues of any kind our cat is great and fun. He was well socialized and loves to run around and play with the kids. I 100% recommend her for added a new family member to your household.

I happened to find a picture of your terrified cat cowering in a corner. He looks so sick and scared. I thought I would shared it for awareness!

I'm Ann's daughter. First and foremost, I'd like to apologize that you did not have the experience that you were looking for. My mom can not pay vet bills for the life of your pet. That is a responsibility you take on when you take a pet into your home. Your kitten's "issues" at 8 months old are not due to what you thought. The 2 vets that you took your kitten to found only a "mild" heart murmur. My mom's cats are bred responsibly and as such, problems are rare. Any being, be it animal or human, can have issues with health. I'd like to ask what grade your cat's heart murmur is? If it took 2 vets to find it, I will assume it is a grade 1 heart murmur:

Grading the Severity of Heart Murmurs in Cats

Heart murmurs are diagnosed based on grades one through six.

A grade one heart murmur is the least severe and it can barely be heard.
A grade two heart murmur is a faint murmur that occurs only in a specific area of the heart.
A grade three heart murmur can be heard immediately once an examination with a stethoscope begins and the sound is widely projected.
A grade four heart murmur can also be immediately heard during an examination and it is accompanied by a vibration known as a thrill
A grade five heart murmur is the loudest murmur
A grade six heart murmur can still be heard when the stethoscope has just been removed from the chest wall

Treating Heart Murmurs in Cats

Heart murmurs can be congenital (the animal is born with them) or acquired, and the prognosis ranges from excellent to grave, depending on the underlying cause. Available treatment options will vary depending upon the severity of the underlying condition. Many feline heart murmurs do not require “treatment” at all, even if the murmur is very pronounced. Minor heart murmurs can often be addressed by dietary and lifestyle changes without more.

In general, a physiologic or innocent heart murmur will have a low intensity (usually Grade I-II out of VI), and does not cause any symptoms or clinical signs.

Now that we know a bit more about heart murmurs, it appears to me that even a level 2 heart murmur generally does not effect a cats health in any way and that they can lead normal healthy lives.

I have an 8 and a 2 year old who frequent my mom's home. These kittens are well socialized and play with my children often. The kittens seem to enjoy the time getting to chase and climb my monsters. You can not say that they do not get interaction, this is simply a false statement born from ignorance.

On the matter of your kitten's personality, cats, (just like humans) have individual personalities. They not always conform to what you would like. Some are outgoing and some are more shy. Why didn't you let my mom know after a week or two weeks that this kitten's personality and yours did not mesh? My mom has, in the past, taken back kittens whose personality was not compatible with their owner's. It is rare, but sometimes animals just do not get along with their owners. In these cases, my mom has always been happy to find the cat a new home where both the cat and the people are compatible.

I'd like to share a story with you:
My mom saved for years for her first Ragdolls. She had seen an article in the paper about these loving, large, and beautiful cats and just knew she had to have one. She cut the article out and I'm pretty sure she still has it.
When it came time for our first litter, my mom was so nervous and scared that she packed up 2 kids and one very in labor cat and rushed us all to the Vet. I, as the oldest, got to hold one box of towels with our precious Fluffy inside. Fluffy had her kittens right there on my lap, in the car, on the way to the vet. Mom had everyone checked out right away and they were all given a clean bill of health.

There is one thing that you do not attack in my family and it happens to be my mother's love and devotion to these cats. Growing up we breathed, slept, and ate (not literally!) Ragdolls. My mom knows more about this breed than anyone alive. She is there, by her cats side at every birth, through long hours and late nights. She is emotionally attached to her cats, each and every one.

So I'd like to ask you to remove this complaint. It is quite evident you did not get the diagnosis you were looking for even after taking the kitten to 2 vets. Honestly, who does that? If I don't see a problem with my dog, I don't take her to 2 vets or 5 vets until I get some sort of diagnosis. And if I did I certainly would not go after her breeder looking for my bills to be paid because they found something that can have any amount of causes and is non life-threatening.

I'd also like to share with you that my mom did not even tell us about this post. She just answered you and let it be. I'm sorry, but I am not as polite as my mother is (you can thank my father for that). I will be reaching out to others who have gotten kittens from my mom for more input.

On a parting note, I'd like to suggest your next pet for you. I really see you as a Goldfish kinda gal. I'm pretty sure they like everyone and are not prone to health issues that end in vet bills.

One last thing, you this ^^^ ? This is my name. My real name. When I set out to make a statement or complain about someone or their business, I use my real name. It's common curtsey.

Apparently, we have no replies from tori. She was however happy to message me directly:

"
tori4446 19 hrs 28 mins ago
I'm wrong that my supposed ragdoll still doesn't like to be touched because he was under-socialized and has a genetic lung problem? You are crazy. "

So now I guess that heart murmurs are "genetic lung problems"? I think I missed that part, that or somebody is having issues keeping her stories straight!

I'm not saying you're lying about your animal. I just don't feel you are being fair about your cats personality assessment. As with all mammals, some will have issues that no one can predict and that does not mean there are genetic continuous health issues in the cattery. Babies of all sorts of mammals have different conditions that their parents, grandparents, or other biological family members have. If she knew of an animal with a genetic problem, she would not breed the animal. Then she would keep the animal as a pet or find a home for that cat.

The fact that Ann wouldn't let you in the cattery is because she is protecting her animals. Not because she didn't want you to see the conditions. As a person who has been in her cattery many times, I can tell you, it is very nice, well kept, cleaned sometime twice a day, and all the animals are on safe comfortable environments.

Ann absolutely does not breed solely as a profiteer. She loves the breed and breeds for highest quality. I'm sorry you felt you had such an awful experience with her cats. But you are the norm. You are not the rule. You are the exception, if there truly even is one.

Plus, cats. They are their own creature. Not every cat likes to be petted or is a lap cat. No matter how much or how little socialization they get, some will be extroverts some will be introverts. As an animal rescuer, I would think you would know more about the fact that all animals have as many personality traits, just like us "crazies circling he wagon."

Forgot to check disagree.

For some reason my comments are not posting. Testing to see of this works.

Another pic of my beautiful cat.

I can see that you only want to hear from people that have the same opinion as you. We are just stating our experience with Ann which has been great. We are here to share our views and thoughts. I am sorry that no matter how much money you throw at the vets the elusive "something" has not been found. If you keep searching maybe it will be there maybe not. I always like the name calling over the Internet it really shows what type of people are commenting on things. You are calling us crazy for being here commenting on something that we believe is an an attack on a wonderful breeder and person. Then I guess I am crazy. As I have said before I 100 percent recommend Ann to anyone who is looking for a new family member.

I'd get up and leave if you pet me too :)

Have you bothered to provide proof and a veterinary diagnosis for this congenital lung problem? It's really hard to side with someone who went on a witch hunt, didn't get what she wanted and then asked another person to pay bills that are not related to breeding. A person who then went online and threw a fit. A person who breezed over the actual diagnosis and put all her emphasis on the cats temperament and the issue of HCM which ended up testing negative. A person who instead of returning this under socialized kitten is now ### about it and using it as another EXCUSE as to why Ann should pay this vet bill, when the real issue MONEY has absolutely nothing to do with this cat's personality.

As for your rescue expertise, a random inbred street cat is much different than a pure bred animal.

On a side note, do you like my hair? I just had it done.

What I enjoy the most about this woman is the fact that after my intellectual post, that outlines the issues involved with heart murmurs in cats, she calls me a "Crazy". I'm am not the crazy one here. Here is an outline of your situation facts only:
You buy a kitten.
8 Months later it pants when you play with it.
You take it to your vet, they find nothing
You take it to another vet, they find a grade 1 heart murmur and NOTHING else.
You tell Ann to pay your bills.
Your vet bills are unrelated to the breeding of this cat.
You post online and ignore the FACTS of the vet diagnosis.
When you are outed for being wrong with the vet bills, you then shift your focus to the pets personality, which has not been mentioned to anyone in 8 MONTHS.

I'm not saying your lying about your "truths." I just feel your aren't taking animal personality traits and what having health problems are in consideration. In every species of mammal, there are health problems that no one can predict and that does not mean they are always present. Babies of all mammals will have problems their parents, brothers/sisters, grandparents etc will never have. That's why it's called a "defect." If Ann had a cat that she knew had a condition she would not breed that animal. And if she were for profit, she would have the animal put down. But she's not. She would either find an informed home for the cat or she would keep it herself.

If she were for profit only, she wouldn't not breed an animal because she had a hard birth. She would pump out the kittens no matter what. If for profit she would get rid of any animals that aren't breeders anymore. Instead, she finds new homes for retired breeders or she keeps them as pets because she loves them. The female I got from her was exactly that. She was bred once, didn't have an easy time and Ann kept her for years until I asked how I could have her. If Ann were for profit she wouldn't plan her entire life around her cats. She planned her wedding based on when she thought she would have kittens as she didn't want to not be there for the kittens. If Ann were for profit, she would buy the cheapest food, find the smallest space, clean just enough to keep them ok. But she feeds them high quality food. They all have enough space to feel comfortable and safe. And she spens hours every day cleaning up after them, combing them. And loving them. If she were for profit only her contacts would solely be about how to pay and would not
Include things like future animal welfare.

I appreciate the fact your feel your cat isn't socially up to the standards you want. But it's not because Ann mistreated or ignored that kitten in any way. They are cats. They are animals. Just like humans or any other mammal, they have thier own personality. The reason people love cats is be issue of their aloofness. If you want lap animal guarantees, you should've gotten a dog. Everyone knows that cats are their own animal. If they want to be loved and cuddles they will be. If they want to be alone they will be. This is common knowledge.

I'm sorry you've had what you felt is an awful experience that you needed to blast Ann on the Internet. But you are NOT the norm. You are NOT the rule. You are the exception. The strange occrance and and I truly know Ann loves all her animals and is a great breeder. It is incredibly unfair for you to say she is otherwise based off this. You don't know her. You don't see her with her animals. Please keep in mind what your simple comments do to a woman who lives and breathes Ragdoll welfare. You aren't just blasting her business. You are blasting her life. If you are truly an animal lover and rescuer, you would know this. You would love your animal and accept them just they way they are. Your cat isn't defective. Maybe you need to love the cat you have.

What do you mean by a differential diagnosis?

The person who posted the complaint above is Dr. Amy Hilburger. She was able to have her name removed from the breeders reply. It is not right that anyone can post a bogus complaint in an effort to hurt someones reputation. She should get credit for what she has done. Dr. Amy Hilburger is a clinical Psychologist, practicing in Maplewood MN. She as a Doctor took a vow to "Do no harm", and here she is trashing someone on the internet. Please read how she loosely uses the term "crazy" in her posts. Is that what she thinks of her patients? That in my opinion is very unprofessional. If Dr. Hilburger had any morals she would have the entire complaint removed, not just her name omitted.

I must disagree with the statement that Ann's cats are not socialized and unhealthy. I bought one male from Ann in 1998 and another male in 2000. Both were very large and very healthy. Also extremely active and playfull. As far as socialized I used to take them to nursing homes to visit the residents. The cats were very popular and well behaved. Despite never have been declawed they allowed these strangers to handle them with no complaints or injuries. Sadly I lost both males in 2008 to a fire. If I were to get another ragdoll cat I wouldn't hesitate to get one from Ann.

We purchased our Ragdoll, Tucker, from Ann in 2001. He was 6 months old. She had taken him back from a family who claimed he was unsocialized and hid behind the sofa all the time. The rest of the story is that this family brought this baby kitten into an established home with three other adult cats and they did not follow Ann's instructions on the proper way to introduce a new kitten to the others. The older cats dominated their territory and bullied and terrorized Tucker, and he had no option but to hide out somewhere that the other cats could not access. When I initially communicated with Ann about getting a kitten, she described Tucker's situation to me exactly and thought that with my working in-home, having no other cats, and a quiet, adult environment, we could be the perfect fit. We met him and agreed. She discounted her fee because it was more important to her to find Tucker a good home. Admittedly he was extremely skittish but with Ann's specific instructions and several personal phone calls for additional advice, a month after we slowly introduced our home and ourselves to him, one night after I had fallen asleep on the couch, I awoke and saw he had volitionally left his bedroom and perched on the back of the sofa, very timidly watching me. Major breakthrough! We let him continue to acquaint himself at his own pace, very slowly, respecting his boundaries. And he blossomed. He was a complete lap cat who never left my side and slept on my desk while I worked, every day. A year later we got another kitten, and (proper introductions) Tucker was so nurturing and accepting of the new little furball, creating a beautiful lifelong bond that was the sweetest thing. Very sadly we lost Tucker to lymphoma a couple years ago, but regardless of the first family, who could very well have broken his spirit, his resilience allowed him to flourish into a very loving part of family. I tell this story to show how environment is extremely instrumental in a cat's behavior. Some people just don't "get" cats. And a breeder can't teach you that! Facts don't support your claims that your cat had medical conditions that were Ann's responsibility...and socialization? I think that's on you!

The email she sent you is incredibly rude and unprofessional. That, along with an interaction I had with her in which she was extremely rude scared me away.

I'm just an outsider reading these comments, I don't have a interest in one side of this or another. I just can't believe that someone came here simply sharing their experience and is being relentlessly attacked for it. I don't quite know what that says, but I know that if I was a business owner and a customer shared a negative experience (if you own a business, it happens...you can't please everyone all of the time. It goes with the territory) the VERY last thing I would want is for any of my other customers to gang up on the individual. It DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. In fact, it's downright classless. As I said, I'm just a stranger reading these comments. I don't really give a [censored] who does or doesn't like what I'm saying...if you can't take a bit of honest, constructive criticism, perhaps you shouldn't be dealing with the public for a living. Grow up and use negative experiences as opportunities for growth.

Also, I understand not wanting people walking through your cattery if you say you're trying to keep "exposure" to outside contaminants to a minimum, I don't see why you wouldn't be proud to show off your cattery in videos if it's as put together as you claim. That way people can see the environment they're being kept in without you having to worry about disturbing or opening the animals up to risk. Just sayin'.