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CONDITIONAL SALES AGREEMENT

My obligation:

Your kitten is guaranteed to have been healthy, to the best of my knowledge, when it was sold to you, and to be free of fatal diseases such as feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). For this guarantee to be valid, the kitten must be tested for FeLV and FIV within 5 days of purchase.

Should your kitten test positive for FeLV or FIV within five days of purchase, you are entitled to a full refund upon return of the kitten. You may also be entitled to a full refund if you decide to keep the kitten and keep it and any other household cats confined indoors, but this is up to the discretion of the breeder.

FIP is caused by a common virus that normally does not cause any problems in cats. However, in about 2% of cases, the virus mutates to a lethal form that can kill the cat. The vaccine does not complete protect cats, nor is it possible to predict which cats will have a problem with the virus as the tests are not definitive. Because I believe that a new pet owner should get more that just a few months of enjoyment from an American Shorthair, I will replace any kitten that dies from FIP within the first 3 years except in obvious cases of neglect.

Your kitten is also guaranteed to be free of major congenital defects that would decrease the life expectancy to less than three years of age. If there is a problem, I will refund all of the original purchase price or replace the kitten upon receiving a written veterinarian's report.

This guarantee covers the purchase price only and does not cover any costs incurred following purchase.

Your obligation:

You must have a health exam for your kitten within 5 working days. You must have it tested for FeLV and FIV in order for it to be guaranteed to be free of those diseases. You should take a fecal sample to the first visit to be checked for parasites.
You must keep your cat indoors for this guarantee to be valid.
You must keep your cat up to date with vaccinations (panleukopenia, respiratory viruses), provide proper medical care, nutrition and personal attention. Your kitten needs to be vaccinated for feline distemper (panleukopenia) every 2 to 3 weeks until it is 12-14 weeks old. You also may want to consult your veterinarian about rabies vaccinations. You need to provide a litter box.
Male and female cats sold as pets are to be neutered accordingly: males - at least by the time they are 6 to 9 months old, females - by the time they are 6 to 8 months; early neutering is acceptable.
You must agree to not to euthanize this kitten/cat if healthy.
If at any time the buyer is unable to care for his kitten/cat, the buyer shall either (A) place the kitten/cat into an acceptable home, or (B) return it to the seller. In any event, the buyer is responsible for making advance notice of disposition of this kitten/cat.

CONGRATULATIONS!: You have just acquired a purebred American Shorthair cat. A healthy cat should provide you companionship for 10 - 15 years. The following is meant as a guide to help you achieve that goal.

FOOD AND WATER: You must provide access to water at all times. You need to provide your cat a good quality diet. I currently use Eukanuba cat food, but other Iam's foods or Science Diet are also good. You may also feed small amounts (no more than 10% of the daily diet) of other foods such as canned cat food, meat, fish, and other foods. Do not feed a steady diet of meat or fish as these are not nutritionally balanced. If you have a dog, do not allow your cat to eat dog food as a steady diet because dog food lacks taurine and can cause blindness in cats.

Switching food too quickly can lead to diarrhea. If you decide to change foods, add 10% of new food to the old diet each day until the cat is on 100% new diet. If the cat gets an upset, maintain the ratio for a few days, then resume adding 10% per day.

COMING HOME: When you get home, place the kitten in its litter box and let it explore the house from there. For the first few days after bringing your kitten home you should consider keeping it confined to a single room when you are not present.

Do not use scoopable litter until the kitten is 4 months old as young kittens may eat the litter and get an intestional blockage. The litterbox needs to be cleaned regularly since many cats will not use a dirty box. Should your kitten show signs of not being housebroken, call me for suggestions. The longer your kitten goes without using its litterbox, the harder it will be for you to change that behavior.

I strongly recommend you provide a scratching post for your cat. A rope covered scratching post works well. Use a squirt gun if the kitten uses the furniture and reward the kitten with a treat for making the right choice. Most kittens can be trained to use a scratching post making declawing unnecessary.

HEALTH CARE You need to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian within 5 working days of purchasing the kitten for a health check. Your kitten needs to be vaccinated for feline distemper (panleukopenia) every 2 to 3 weeks until it is 12-14 weeks old. You also may want to consult your veterinarian about rabies vaccinations.

ANOTHER CAT If you have another cat, keep them separated until you have had your kitten's health checked. When you introduce your kitten to the resident cat, watch its behavior closely. Most adult cats will not attack a kitten, but better be safe than sorry. You can expect growling and hissing to go on from days to weeks, but eventually nearly all cats learn to accept each other. If the resident cat is particularly difficult, try confining it to a back room for 1 to 2 weeks to allow the kitten to establish the rest of the house as it's territory. If you have problems, please don't hesitate to call.

INDOORS/OUTDOORS I strongly recommend you keep your cats indoors. If you choose not to confine your cat, your cat's guarantee is no longer valid and you run the risk that your kitten may get hurt or killed. In many places, 90% of all cats that run free are killed by cars before they are 3 years old.

PICTURES I would like pictures of your kitten around 6 months and 1 year of age so I can see how he or she matures. I keep pictures of the kittens and of the adult cat and the comparison helps me select which cats I will breed in the future.

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