Beware this Backyard Breeder in Calgary
 

Weepurrs is a backyard breeder (kitten mill) in Calgary run by Phyllis
Mikesell. Her house is filthy and reeks of cat urine. (My first mistake
- I should have turned around the minute I smelled/saw the place.)

The kitten she sold me for $600 is the most adorable little guy in the
world and my family has fallen in love with him. He is five months old.
Unfortunately, we have since learned that he has several health
problems including Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), which will kill
him.

Phyllis offers a "one year health guarantee" but has not returned any
of my phone calls or emails. The vet doubts that I will ever get my
money back and I will be forced to have him eunathized when his illness
gets very bad.

Please be careful when you invest your money and your heart in an
animal. Just because the breeder seems reputable because they are
listed on several web sites and is a member of organizations like CFA
and TICA doesn't necessarily mean they are reputable. Check it out for
yourself - insist on seeing the area where the cats live, as well as
the parents of the kitten you are buying. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING.

And if you become aware of a kitten mill like this, raise hell. Someone
needs to protect those cats and prevent people like Phyllis from
exploiting them.

And why aren't you reporting this person to the local SPCA, rescue groups or
law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing the animal cruelty laws in
your area? I would think with such deplorable conditions you'd be reporting
it to them. Yes, backyard breeders need to be stopped but they need to be
reported first.

--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com

wrote in message
oups.com...
Weepurrs is a backyard breeder (kitten mill) in Calgary run by Phyllis
Mikesell. Her house is filthy and reeks of cat urine. (My first mistake
- I should have turned around the minute I smelled/saw the place.)

The kitten she sold me for $600 is the most adorable little guy in the
world and my family has fallen in love with him. He is five months old.
Unfortunately, we have since learned that he has several health
problems including Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), which will kill
him.

Phyllis offers a "one year health guarantee" but has not returned any
of my phone calls or emails. The vet doubts that I will ever get my
money back and I will be forced to have him eunathized when his illness
gets very bad.

Please be careful when you invest your money and your heart in an
animal. Just because the breeder seems reputable because they are
listed on several web sites and is a member of organizations like CFA
and TICA doesn't necessarily mean they are reputable. Check it out for
yourself - insist on seeing the area where the cats live, as well as
the parents of the kitten you are buying. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING.

And if you become aware of a kitten mill like this, raise hell. Someone
needs to protect those cats and prevent people like Phyllis from
exploiting them.

I have reported her to the SPCA - they have had several complaints
about this woman but every time they go there the place is spotless, so
they will not go again. She is very clever, although I can't imagine
all this being worth it. Couldn't she make a much better living raising
healthy cats and not being so dishonest?
I also called several breeders associations in the area, and they have
ALL heard of her. But they WILL NOT intervene in a dispute between a
breeder and a buyer - I am in the process now of filing a formal
complaints with TICA. One organization told me that she used to
cross-breed Ragdolls with Himalayans, and then selling the Himalayans
as purebreds.
It just disgusts me that nobody is willing to DO anything when everyone
knows what she is up to! My next move is to post an ad in the local
paper where she advertises her kittens, telling people to check with
the local breeders before they buy a cat from her.

I don't think you have too many options here. If you publically state that
she is being dishonest then she could sue you for slander. How did you
discover that her place is spotless from the SPCA? If they found no
wrongdoing then the only option is to write to a newspaper or something.
Maybe they can do a story about this person.

--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com

wrote in message
ups.com...
I have reported her to the SPCA - they have had several complaints
about this woman but every time they go there the place is spotless, so
they will not go again. She is very clever, although I can't imagine
all this being worth it. Couldn't she make a much better living raising
healthy cats and not being so dishonest?
I also called several breeders associations in the area, and they have
ALL heard of her. But they WILL NOT intervene in a dispute between a
breeder and a buyer - I am in the process now of filing a formal
complaints with TICA. One organization told me that she used to
cross-breed Ragdolls with Himalayans, and then selling the Himalayans
as purebreds.
It just disgusts me that nobody is willing to DO anything when everyone
knows what she is up to! My next move is to post an ad in the local
paper where she advertises her kittens, telling people to check with
the local breeders before they buy a cat from her.

I think if I word the ad carefully I can get away with it. Something
like; "Before buying from Weepurrs cattery, please check with your
local breeder first." I'm sure the newspaper would advise me.

The SPCA told me that they had been there before and that the place was
always perfect, but admit that something is obviously wrong there if so
many people are complaining. I can't for the life of me figure out how
she gets rid of the smell.

I was thinking about campaigning her neighbours - maybe if enough of
them complain she would get her business licence revoked.

I have to wonder why you didn't adopt a cat from a local shelter? So many
need good homes and buy purchasing from a breeder you merely add to the
overpopulation problem not to mention deny a cat that needs it a good and
loving home. BTW, even if you were to defame this person in an ad you could
still get sued.

--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com
wrote in message
oups.com...
I think if I word the ad carefully I can get away with it. Something
like; "Before buying from Weepurrs cattery, please check with your
local breeder first." I'm sure the newspaper would advise me.

And the purpose of campaigning the neighbors would achieve what exactly? In
some ways you would be partly to blame for keeping her in business by
purchasing a cat from her. If you truly wanted a cat you could have gotten
one from the shelter that needed a home and also save a life. $600 is a lot
of money and many animal shelters that rescue cats could have used it.

--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com

wrote in message
oups.com...
The SPCA told me that they had been there before and that the place was
always perfect, but admit that something is obviously wrong there if so
many people are complaining. I can't for the life of me figure out how
she gets rid of the smell.

I was thinking about campaigning her neighbours - maybe if enough of
them complain she would get her business licence revoked.

1. let her sue you the publicity would not help her.

2. Arrange a sting operation with the SPCA (i assume this an equivalent of
the RSPCA (Royal society for the protection of cruetly to animals)
http://www.rspca.org.uk

3. It's a good job this did'nt happen to me i would be in lockdonw by now

4. campain outside her house or leaflet the nearest telephone
poles/streetlamps

"Cat Protector" wrote in message
news:NcYDd.9428$2_4.808@okepread06...
I have to wonder why you didn't adopt a cat from a local shelter? So many
need good homes and buy purchasing from a breeder you merely add to the
overpopulation problem not to mention deny a cat that needs it a good and
loving home. BTW, even if you were to defame this person in an ad you could
still get sued.

--
Cat Galaxy: All Cats! All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of Your Computer Needs!
www.panthertekit.com
wrote in message
oups.com...
I think if I word the ad carefully I can get away with it. Something
like; "Before buying from Weepurrs cattery, please check with your
local breeder first." I'm sure the newspaper would advise me.

I think the best way to handle her is legally and carefully... she is
very clever but I know I have already scared the crap out of her. She
is not answering her phone, and I made several enquiries about her cats
via email (disguised as someone else, of course) and she has not
responded. So for now, she is not selling cats, which is good!

I am currently filing a formal complaint with TICA which will hopefully
strip her of her license to sell purebreds. (Not that that would stop
her, but it's a step in the right direction.)

As I told her (in one of the million emails I sent her) I will not rest
until she is shut down. I will keep after her until she has no more
cats. She will never know if it's me (or someone on my behalf) asking
about a cat, and she will spend the rest of her life living in fear.
Hopefully she just gives up the cat business.

My cat is doing fine right now - his corona titre came in very high but
there is a chance he will survive. I hope so, because he is the
sweetest, most loveable little guy in the world. (Just very spoiled
right now!)