In a dilema

[Millys Mum]

The petplan covernote starts when you sign so your bill should be covered. They should go out in good health tho so they could query the breeders honesty on that.

The premium shouldnt be higher, they would just decide whether to cover any flu symptoms or not 

[blackcat]

If you have not already done so, you should also contact the breeder, today if possible, to keep them informed ... that way if there is any comeback available through her, you can know now ...

[nellie jones]

Hi Susanne, the kitten is 14 weeks old and i have had him for 1 week. He has no other symptons other than runny eyes and sneezes, he is a very lively hungry kitten, but I think I will ask the vet to test for cat flu, just in case it isnt that although he is is 99% certain it will be.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I bought the kitten from a reputable breeder,and naively thought little about it when she said he had a cold but that it would soon clear up!

I'm afraid that's a contradiction in terms, imo.  Reputable breeders do not send kittens to their new homes with colds.  I'm sorry that you're having to go through this.  If the kitten is insured now, then that insurance will not be affected, but if a diagnosis of flu was made by the vet, then anything relating to that would be excluded by a different insurer so you'd be pretty much stuck with the one you're with now.  Petplan are pretty good though.  Not the cheapest, but good cover and they have always paid out quick with me.  They're not a bad insurer to be "stuck with".

Did the contrat of sale you got with him include a health guarantee?  Usually you have a few days in which to take the kitten to a vet to get him checked over, and if there are any problems the breeder is liable or has to take the kitten back.  It can become a bit messy when people want to keep the kitten (as they usually do, having become attached) as the breeder is entitled to say that they will take the kitten back and pay for treatment themselves, and give you another, healthy kitten, but there is a limit to how much treatment you can expect the breeder to pay for if you decide to keep the kitten.  But, or course, if you're insured, the insurer will be paying, and your premiums won't go up as a result (they go up as a result of total claims to the company and the age of your cat).  I hope you can come to an amicable agreement with the breeder.  How old is the kitten and how long have you had him for?

[swampmaxmum]

I had exactly the same with Swampy who I got when he was 15 weeks old. The 'delay' must have been cos he had had cat flu - vet told me to return him straight away but I couldn't (nor do I regret it for a nanosecond). It's stayed with him throughout his life, becoming more & more of a problem now that he's older. Chronic snuffles/cat flu/eye problems will presumably be excluded from your pet insurance but I don't see that it will have any other effect on any other illnesses. If he's come with insurance then you are stuck with them. You could of course ask the breeder to take him back but I'm sure you have fallen for him already, but I'd definitely ask the breeder to pay for those costs. good luck.

[blackcat]

It is definitely fair to ask the breeder to pay for it. And if you already have petplan cover and it is current then make darn sure it remains current as this will cover you for subsequent problems as it is not conditioned at all.

The breeder, if a responsible breeder, is responsible for the kitten's welfare for the rest of its life in the sense that if you are unable to care for it she should accept it back. If the kitten was sick, or fell sick within a few days of you acquiring it then the incubation period occurred while the kitten was in the breeder's care.

It is fair to ask her to treat it for that reason alone.

[nellie jones]

thanks everyone - I have aske this question on the catchat forum but  do you think it would be fair to ask the breeder to pay for the test?
Of course I will keep the kitten but It is already going to cost me about £80 for his course of antibiotics and eye cream?
I do have a free period with petplan and I will see what they say but I was also worried that if cat flu affects the immune system then the insureres would also not cover quite a few other illnesses if they say the cat flu is the initial cause?

I really hope it is just a cold, but the vet says this is highly unlikely, yet he is the liveliest kitte and extremely sociable, the only way I will really know is to have a test.

[Gillian Harvey]

Hi Nellie,  I think nearly all reputable breeders sell  kittens with 6 weeks free insurance which usually starts from the day you pick the kitten up. That means there is the 14 day period before you can make any claim on the insurance. The breeder shouldnt have let him go if she was in any doubt as to his health.

As regards tests for, the vet can do a throat swab to determine if it is cat flu.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

My brother bought a Maine Coon Kitten about 3 years ago and poor Chester is a carrier of calici virus but has also had many other problems with his digestive system and has had to have all hi teeth out.

He has not grown to his full size and compared to healthy Maine Coons looks very thin and sickly. He was also not socialised properluy and is scared of most things.

I now the breeder was not a member of the Maine Coon Breeders Club as she refused to be one..........always sounds suspicious to me!

Chester was a gorgeous kitten until all the problems started although he was already scared of things.

I would definately get back on to the breeder becuase insurance could be an issue unless he already has insurance, and I know that it has cost £1000s to get Chester to the stage he is at but he will continue to have problems all of his life.

As Tersa says you would have to stay with the insurance provided, which is likely to be with pet plan I think.

If this is a reputable breeder then things should be able to be sorted out.

I really hope that this is just a sniffle that is not anythiung bad 

[Desley (booktigger)]

I have replied to you on Cat Chat.

[Teresa Pawcats]

Hi Nellie and welcome.

Being a rescue person I`m afraid I dont know very much about pedigrees. However I am almost certain that reputable breeders sell their kittens with 6 weeks free insurance in which case this little one should be covered the downside is you would have to stick with that particular insurer.
The vet can certainly do a test for calicivirus, but the question is do you really want to know and if it is confirmed what would be your course of action.
In your shoes I would complain to the breeder,others in the litter will be affected; but the important thing is I would choose to keep the kitten to save the poor thing suffering through further stress. Sounds like this little one really needs you.

[nellie jones]

I have just last week got myself a beautiful maine coone kitten, having lost my other 8 year old maine coon just after christmas. I bought the kitten from a reputable breeder,and naively thought little about it when she said he had a cold but that it would soon clear up! Well one week down the line it hadnt cleared up so I have just taken him to my vet who tells me it is 99% certain to be a strain of cat flu!!
I am devastated - I have become so attached to the cheeky chappie but am now thinkg a) This may reoccur throughout his lifetime and affect his immune syatem and b) I am now unlikely to get any cat insurance at a reasonable price. Does any one know if I can have atest done to prove that it is cat flu and not just a cold?He has been very active and eats like a horse - What would you do??