Buying a pet usually comes with a pretty standard set of rules. You pay the money, you take the animal, and you promise to love it forever. Sometimes there is a clause about fixing the animal to prevent backyard breeding. What you rarely see is a seller coming back weeks later, demanding to borrow the animal for a weekend of romance because their business plan hit a snag. One Reddit user is currently fighting off a breeder who seems to think “ownership” is a flexible concept when there are kittens to be made.
The OP and their partner had always wanted a Maine Coon. After an earlier attempt resulted in what they affectionately called a “wish.com Maine Coon,” they finally got a lead on the real deal. An acquaintance who runs a cattery needed to rehome a male cat due to genetic diversity issues. The deal was incredibly specific. They got the cat at a reduced rate on the condition that he would be treated like a prince and, most importantly, neutered immediately. He was sold as a pet, not a stud.
Integrating a new cat is never easy, especially when the current residents have big personalities. The OP describes their home dynamic perfectly. They have a skittish rescue cat and another cat known as “the b!tchcraft,” which might be the greatest pet nickname of all time. Thankfully, the new Maine Coon turned out to be a “total himbo” and a submissive sweetheart. The trial period passed, the microchip transfer was paid, and the neuter appointment was booked for the following Monday.
Just days before the surgery that would permanently retire him from the dating game, the breeder texted with a wild request. Apparently, one of their female cats wasn’t pregnant as expected, and they wanted the male back “for a few days” to fix the problem. The audacity here is staggering. They sold this cat specifically to stop him from breeding, but the second their bottom line was threatened, they decided his testicles were public property again.
The OP was understandably hesitant. The cats were just starting to gel, and moving a male cat back into a cattery environment right before a major surgery sounds like a recipe for behavioral disaster. When the OP pushed back, the breeder got aggressive. They suggested dropping him off for a day just so he could “get the job done,” discussing the cat as if he were a freelance contractor with a plumbing gig rather than a living, breathing pet with anxiety.
Things got even weirder when the OP refused to let the cat leave the house. The breeder pivoted and asked to bring the female cat to the OP’s house for a conjugal visit. The OP reluctantly agreed to a brief visit since they had plans to be out, but the breeder immediately started pushing to take the male cat with them instead. It feels like they are trying to kidnap the cat by confusing the owners with logistical chaos.
The breeder then dropped the mask completely and started the guilt trip. They launched into a speech about “how much these cats sell for,” implying that the OP owes them this favor because they got a discount. But that discount came with a contract: neuter the cat. It didn’t come with a “stud on demand” clause. The OP is worried that if they hand the cat over, the breeder will keep him past his neuter date to ensure a pregnancy, effectively violating the very agreement they insisted on.
This is a classic case of seller’s remorse mixed with entitlement. The cat is confused, he has just stopped calling for his old home, and now he is being treated like a piece of machinery. Introducing a female in heat to a home that is finally settling down is unfair to every animal involved, including “the bitchcraft” who likely has zero patience for this nonsense.
The OP is standing their ground, but the pressure is mounting. They are absolutely not the ahole for refusing to be a part of this chaotic breeding scheme. The cat is their pet now, not an employee of the cattery. The breeder needs to accept that they sold the asset and missed their window.
What would you do if a breeder demanded your pet back for one last litter? Would you lock the doors, or would you let them have their way? Let us know in the comments if you think the OP should proceed with the neuter and block the number!