The following is the Pearlhearts Seattle Sphynx Cattery Contract, which will be given to you during the sale. View the PDF version here.
Note: Our breeding cats are screened for HCM every other year and confirmed negative for FIV/FeLV. Kittens go home with two sets of vaccinations and deworming treatments and are not spayed or neutered prior to leaving our care. All veterinary records will be provided at pickup. TICA registration paperwork for Sphynx kittens will be provided once proof of spay or neuter is received, which must be completed by 8 months of age. Please note that TICA does not register alternative breeds, including Bambino, Dwelf, and Elf, or Sphynx kittens born to an alternative-breed parent. Therefore, TICA registration paperwork is not available for these kittens.
PEARLHEARTS SEATTLE SPHYNX CATTERY KITTEN PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Date of Sale: _______________
Seller: _________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________
City: __________________________________________
State: __________
Zip Code: __________
Email: _________________________________________
Phone: _________________________________________
Buyer: ________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________
City: __________________________________________
State: __________
Zip Code: __________
Email: _________________________________________
Phone: ________________________________________
Description of Kitten: ________________________________________
Breed: ________________________________________
Color: ________________________________________
Sex: ________________________________________
Date of Birth: __________
Sire: _________________________________________
Dam: ________________________________________
Purchase Price: $_______________
The kitten is being purchased as a pet. A $500 deposit is required to reserve the kitten. The price is subject to change in the rare event of heterochromia or if a black or bicolor kitten keeps its blue eyes.
The seller acknowledges receipt of the $500 deposit, which will be applied toward the purchase price of the kitten described above. The remaining balance of $_________ must be paid by the pickup date. The kitten’s estimated go-home date is __________________________.
If the buyer cancels the purchase or is unable to take the kitten home, the deposit will be retained by the seller because the kitten was reserved and unavailable to other prospective buyers. The deposit cannot be transferred or applied toward another kitten.
The exact go-home date will be confirmed after the final veterinary appointment has been scheduled. Although the breeder provides an estimated date for the kitten’s availability, the buyer acknowledges that this date is subject to change based on the kitten’s health, development, and veterinary care, and agrees to remain flexible and accommodate any necessary changes to the pickup schedule.
The buyer agrees to pick up the kitten within 7 days after its final veterinary appointment, which will be communicated by the breeder. If the kitten is not picked up within this time frame, a non-negotiable boarding fee of $100 per day will apply for each additional day the kitten remains in the breeder’s care, unless alternative arrangements are agreed upon by the buyer and seller in advance.
Terms and Conditions:
The seller guarantees that the kitten is in good health and, to the seller’s knowledge, free of FIV/FeLV at the time it leaves Pearlhearts Sphynx Cattery. The seller provides a 72-hour health guarantee. For this guarantee to remain valid, the kitten must be examined by a licensed veterinarian within 72 hours of leaving the seller’s care and quarantined from all other animals during this period. Failure to have the kitten examined within 72 hours will void this guarantee. Any claim made under this guarantee must be supported by written documentation from the examining veterinarian.
After the 72-hour period, the seller cannot be held responsible for any subsequent diagnosis of FIV/FeLV, bacterial or viral infectious diseases, parasites, Giardia, or fungi, as these conditions may be contracted from the environment after the kitten leaves the cattery and are not genetic or congenital conditions.
Pearlhearts warrants the kitten against life-threatening genetic or congenital defects until the kitten reaches one year of age. If the kitten is diagnosed by a licensed veterinarian with a life-threatening genetic or congenital defect during this period, the diagnosis must be supported by written veterinary documentation. The buyer may then choose one of the following options:
1. Return the kitten and receive a refund of the total purchase price, minus the deposit;
OR
2. Keep the kitten and receive a 50% refund of the total purchase price, minus the deposit. ________ (Initials)
If the kitten dies before reaching one year of age as a result of a life-threatening genetic or congenital defect, the kitten will be replaced with a comparable kitten as soon as one becomes available. The seller reserves the right to request a necropsy performed by a licensed veterinary pathologist confirming that the cause of death was genetic or congenital.
Both parents of the kitten have been screened by a board-certified veterinary cardiologist and were negative for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) at the time of screening. However, no screening method can guarantee that a kitten will never develop HCM or another inherited condition. Health issues may still arise despite responsible breeding practices and efforts to minimize inherited conditions.
Under no circumstances will the kitten be sold, leased, or given away to any pet store, animal shelter, research laboratory, or similar facility. The kitten will be kept as an indoor-only pet and will not be allowed to roam freely outdoors. Declawing and tattoos are not permitted on the kitten. Please note that a small spay or neuter identification tattoo performed by a licensed veterinarian is exempt from this clause. ________ (Initials)
The kitten will leave with two sets of age-appropriate vaccinations and deworming treatments. The buyer accepts full responsibility for arranging and covering the costs of all veterinary care after the kitten has been transferred to the buyer. If the kitten is sold without breeding rights, the buyer is required to spay or neuter the kitten by 8 months of age. We recommend waiting until approximately 6 months of age to do so, unless otherwise advised by a licensed veterinarian.
For kittens eligible for TICA registration, registration papers will be held by the seller until proof of spay or neuter is provided. Kittens that are not eligible for TICA registration under TICA’s current registration rules, including those with an alternative-breed parent, will not receive registration papers. The 8-month deadline is defined as exactly eight months from the kitten’s date of birth.
If cargo shipping is required, all shipping arrangements will be coordinated by the seller. The buyer is responsible for covering all shipping-related costs in full prior to the scheduled shipping date. These costs include, but are not limited to, airline transportation, rabies vaccination, a health certificate, and an airline-approved carrier. All shipping fees and associated costs are in addition to the kitten’s purchase price and are subject to change due to airline or service-provider price increases.
The seller will not release the kitten for transport until the kitten’s purchase price and all applicable shipping costs have been paid in full. Once the kitten has been accepted into the custody of the airline carrier, the risk of loss during transportation transfers to the buyer. The seller is not responsible for any loss, theft, injury, delay, or death arising during transportation while the kitten is in the airline carrier’s custody. Any applicable claim arising during transportation must be filed by the buyer directly with the airline carrier.
The buyer understands that the degree of hairlessness varies from cat to cat and that no Sphynx is completely hairless. Even if the kitten appears completely hairless at the time of sale, it may develop hair as it grows. Hormones, genetics, and climate can all affect the amount of hair a kitten develops.
This contract is legally binding. By signing below, each party acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the terms and conditions set forth above:
Seller Signature __________________________________ Date _______________
Seller Printed Name __________________________________
Buyer Signature __________________________________ Date _______________
Buyer Printed Name __________________________________