We purchased our sweet white Persian kitten (Cupcake) from Barbara Lafferty at Furrbcats in December. When the kitty was delivered to my mother near the airport on Christmas Eve (it was a surprise for our children), he arrived with ringworm on his front paw and runny eyes. Barbara gave my mother a container of anti-fungal powder for his paw and said that he was fine... But, to continue applying the powder to his shaved foot. My mothter was worried, but did not want to ruin our Christmas plans for the children. And, we understand that Persian cats have flat faces which often results in drainage. (This was my third Persian cat since childhood)
For the first few weeks, Cupcake did well despite constantly cleaning his eyes (multiple times per day). Then, the nightmare began. The ringworm spread to his entire body and to all of our family members. We treated him with everything imaginable, including lime sulfer dips and heavy duty medications. It took SIX months and thousands of dollars until we were all free of ringworm. NOTE: WE have NEVER had ringworm and he was our only pet (an indoor pet). His upper respiratory problems got worse. He was also hospitalized for a bladder infection. We had to take him to specialists for his skin and eyes. We were told that he had herpes in his eyes and will ALWAYS require medication. He has been hospitalized several times for upper respiratory infections. It is an ongoing battle. We spent $5,000 on vet bills within the first eight months of having Cupcake. That was in addition to the cost of the cat. Each year, we spend a few thousand more. Fortunately for Cupcake, we are able to afford proper care for him. What about all of the buyers that could not write a check for $5k within the first year alone?
When I called Barbara to complain about his ringworm, URI, etc., she made excuses and eventually had the nerve to suggest that I was not caring properly for my beloved cat. She stopped returning my calls and I filed a pet lemon law complaint with the state of Florida. She responded to the state wtih complete lies. After speaking with our attorney, we decided that it was not worth it to file a small claims law suit. While we wish that we had a healthy cat, we are happy that we can help Cupcake.
As Christmastime is near, I started thinking about all of the families that are looking at Barbara's available cats for sale. So, I googled Furrbcats and found this complaint. I sympathized with the other victims and thought I would take the time to share my similar story to potential buyers. My only motive is to help warn other people... I would never wish this on anyone. Let the buyer beware of Furrbcats.
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