I purchased a Bengal kitten in December from Heartfelt Bengals in Rio Linda, Ca. The kitten came with a health guarantee and it all looked legitimate. I was too trusting and did not ask to see her cattery or other cats, although it would not have made any difference. Her cattery is infected with tritrichomonas foetus, a highly contagious internal parasite. The primary symptom is foul-smelling diarrhea with blood and mucus in the stools.
I have emails substantiating that Karron Taylor, the breeder, was aware her cattery, Heartfelt Bengals, was (is) infected with tritrichomonas foetus and ear mites. Per TICA regulations, cats are not to be sold with internal or external parasites, and she knowingly sold me a kitten with both.
I am a former state humane officer for the state of California.in my opinion, Karron Taylor is running a kitten mill. She has one male that "championed" at a small cat show, which she uses as a veneer for professionalism. She is posted all over the Internet, knowingly selling kittens that are infected. She feeds the cheapest food available (Wal Mart Special Kitty) and the cats receive no professional veterinary care (per her own words).
I have racked up over $1500 in veterinary bills (so far) and other expenses. The kitten infected my other cat and now they have relapsed and will need to be treated again. This is common with this parasite and you cannot state your cattery is free of it without REPEATED testing, which is very expensive. Dr. Jody Gookin is the leading authority on this parasite. You can get more information here: http://www.cvm. Ncsu. Edu/docs/documents/ownersguide_tfoetus_revised042808. Pdf
I had to fight for every nickel and was only reimbursed for about $900 of my expenses. She now refuses to pay for any other expenses. When I bought this kitten, little did I know that I was actually rescuing him from her. Two other kittens from his litter were also infected and I have spoken with their treating veterinarian in Alabama.
Beware! If you are a breeder and she uses your cat for stud service, you are risking infecting your cat. If you are a buyer, you are not only risking treating for this, but your cat may have a lifetime of problems with this parasite, including inflammatory bowel disease. This is all very expensive. I believe Karron Taylor of Heartfelt Bengals is knowingly preying on an unsuspecting public.
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