How NOT to Buy a Cat in China
I originally prepared this to just be about my first acquisition of a cat in China. Since then, there have been 2 other incidents involving cats with the same problem. Normally, I like to write mostly about happy fun things. Fair warning: Not all real-life tales of cat acquisition have happy endings. 
Case 1. Stripy Emperor
After living in China for 6 years, the time had finally come to get a cat. I’d missed having cats (and dogs!) since moving to China, but couldn’t figure out how to keep the cat inside the house (more details on Cat Containment are here).
The local pet market had some nice cats, plus one very impressive cat. This cat that put me onto the path of finally deciding that I needed a new furry feline friend. Unfortunately, the cat I was so impressed with was listed at 5000 RMB (over $750), which was far outside my budget.
Wonderful Cat at the Pet Market. Not so wonderful price.
I was hunting something similar (short haired, striped, and preferably a kitten who would grow to large size) at a more reasonable price.
A visit to a breeder showed that anything that has a hint of being vaguely related to an imported variety (like American or British short haired) was going to be pricey. The rational plan was to wait until mid-April (after a short trip I needed to make) while continuing to gather information before making any final decisions.
The Offer
Then my lovely wife spotted an online classified ad. Roughly, it said:
“I recently purchased a beautiful fade-type short-haired cat for 4000 RMB. I also have 1000 RMB worth of cat supplies which will come with it. I’m selling it quickly because I just found out I’m pregnant. You can have the cat and all the cat supplies for only 1300 RMB.”
Hmmmnnnn…. It is a fact that pregnant women shouldn’t deal with cat litter and should be careful around cats because of the risk of toxoplasmosis. Kittens and young cats are more likely to spread the infection. On the other hand, if I had recently purchased a kitten with a value anywhere near 4000 RMB and had 1000 RMB worth of accessories, I think I could sell it for a lot more than 1300 RMB. I was suspicious. My lovely wife was completely convinced that the story was legitimate and the woman just wanted to make sure the kitten got a new home with a loving family.
I also didn’t want a fade (striped American or British short hair which looks like the stripes are half washed off), but agreed to go take a look.
The Meeting
Wife, daughter, and I took a car to the designated location. Half the neighborhood looked like it had been blown up. A set of new freeway support pillars hinted that the demolition was for road construction instead of being a side-effect of Chinese New Year fireworks gone terribly awry. It was a little after sunset and was getting darker every moment. Just when I was getting ready to suggest that my wife call a car to rescue us, a woman carrying a cat purse and a bag emerged from the shadows.
From the meows, I could tell there was some sort of cat present, but couldn’t see it. We went towards a dim streetlight in order to get a look. Inside the purse was a beautiful kitten, about 12 weeks old. He wasn’t the least bit like a fade, but instead looked like a regular striped American or British short hair with a bit of a mix – maybe some bengal and common “barn cat” thrown in. What I couldn’t tell under the yellowish light was that his primary color was golden grey on top and more silverish on the sides, instead of all silver. I’m told this indicates he’s likely mixed with a common Chinese tabby cat which has similar markings.
The next question was “Is he friendly?” It doesn’t matter how nice the cat looks or what breed it is if the cat doesn’t like its adopted family. Unlike most people, I’ve had my rabies shots (really!). I’ve also been bitten and scratched by enough animals that I’m not too terrified of the worst damage a 12 week old kitten can inflict. (By making this claim, I’ve probably just made sure that “Brutally Slaughtered by a Kitten” will be my official cause of death. 
) So, instead of any slower introduction, I unzipped one end of the cat purse enough to shove my hand in and try to pet the furball inside.
Instead of either shrinking back in fear or using teeth and claws to dissuade me, the kitten rubbed against my hand and purred. I purred back and started chatting with the cat (My Chinese skills are lacking, but I speak excellent Cat 
). Despite knowing that something wasn’t right with this deal, my resolve was rapidly eroding.
Suspicions and Cat Hypnosis
The seller went on to tell a tale of getting the kitten from a breeder in Guangzhou and assured us that the kitten had all his shots. By this point, I was being purred into submission and getting less than subtle hints from my furry friend that he really wanted to get away from the woman. I left my wife to talk to the seller with my daughter translating some of what was said. Still, something wasn’t quite right. The 1000 RMB worth of accessories consisted of a cat purse (appeared brand new). a square of carpet she claimed the kitten liked to lay on, a heart-shaped pillow he supposedly liked to sleep with, a plastic food and water dish, a partially full bottle of cat ear cleaner, about 15% of a bag of expensive cat food, and about 20% of a bag of cat litter.
By this point, either from being hypnotized by my new feline master or else because of my desire to swiftly rescue him, I didn’t even bother to suggest negotiations. Instead, I paid the full 1300 so I could get the kitten away from someone who didn’t seem like a good person. My suspicions that something wasn’t right were further reinforced by the woman being in a big hurry to go and showing no trace of attachment to a kitten she claimed to have had for over a month. On the way back home, I speculated that she really was a cat breeder and if someone called her from a different number, she’d still have a kitten for sale. My lovely wife vehemently disagreed.
When we got home, my lovely daughter made the call. Yes indeed, the seller claimed to still have the very same kitten I was holding in my arms.
Her lies didn’t stop with how many kittens she had to sell. The food inside the expensive bag of cat food didn’t quite match the shapes shown on the bag. We later showed a sample of the food to a few pet shops which carried that brand. None of them could ID the source, but every one of them confirmed it was not the brand that should have been in the bag it came in.
Expensive Cat Food Bag Filled With Cheap Cat Food
Still, the kitten was warm and friendly. He did like the carpet square and the heart-shaped pillow. We named him Stripy Emperor and he declared everyone in the house to be his subjects.
Stripy Emperor with his heart pillow
The seller had told us that he was fully vaccinated. He was suffering from a bit of an upset stomach. My wife called a vet who told her to wait a week and see what happened. Listening to that vet was a terrible terrible mistake.
Disaster Strikes
A week later, he was still having issues. We took him to a veterinary hospital in the pet area behind the flower market downtown. Tests showed he wasn’t vaccinated for anything and he had feline panleukopenia virus (aka FPV, feline distemper, cat plague, feline parvo). At his age, the chances of survival with treatment were only 30-40% (and only a tiny chance of survival if untreated). Still, even though we’d only had him for a week, he was now a member of the family. The only thing to do was to spend whatever it took to either cure him or to keep him as comfortable as possible. I guess I can always push back my retirement for another decade.
After a week of mixed signals with each daily visit we made to see him at the vet’s, Stripy Emperor was pronounced fit to return home – with the proviso to bring him back if he showed any signs of vomiting or diarrhea. Within 24 hours, he did both and we rushed him back to what he considered to be cat jail.
Stripy Emperor in Cat Jail
The following week was a roller coaster. I went to visit him every day. One day Stripy Emperor would be fine and show signs of being active and alert. Then the next, he’d be ill and showing more symptoms. He was up and down so much that I threatened to change his name to Yo-yo.
The next week I had to go on a trip. I got reassuring emails about cat progress, but was worried that my lovely wife might be telling me what I wanted to hear instead of some terrible truth. When I got back, I was surprised to find that Stripy Emperor had just returned home with a clean bill of health. He was also part-way through a complete set of kitten vaccinations.
I’m sure the liar who sold him to me is happy with her profits. What she doesn’t know is that even the staff at the vet’s office noticed. He’s an incredibly friendly cat who loves interacting with people. The liar may have gotten 1300 RMB for a cat with a street value of 100-200 RMB, but there are some special cats with personalities that make them priceless. I’ve owned and dealt with many cats over the years. Stripy Emperor has a combination of traits that makes him worth far more than any typical cat who can only claim value based on ancestry and markings.
Case 2. Xiao Jiu
When my daughter went to university, she really missed Stripy Emperor and also the recently departed 99 the Hamster. Technically, pets are against the rules in the university dorms, but the rules were not well enforced. She asked around and was told of a reputable breeder.
Xiǎo Jiǔ (Little Nine – named after 99) was a nice little kitten who came with a surprise. Despite the breeder’s assurances that all the kitten shots had been administered, Xiǎo Jiǔ came down with a case of FPV. Unlike Stripy Emperor’s case, treatment was unsuccessful and the poor little kitten succumbed to the disease very quickly.
There was one more cat who also didn’t make it, in part because of this terrible disease. His story is very different, so it will be told separately.
Lessons Learned
The most important lesson is this: No matter how much or how little you pay, no matter where the cat comes from, if you buy a cat in China, no matter what claims the seller makes, don’t wait a week before taking your new cat to the hospital for a checkup. Don’t listen to any vet who tells you to wait a week. I almost lost an amazing cat by waiting. In other words:
Go to Vet. Go Directly to Vet. Do Not Pass Go. Get Ready to Spend More Than $200.
Head straight to the vet’s office the same day you get a new cat (worst case, the day after). Get the cat tested for FPV and anything else they can test for. Get the cat vaccinated against everything they have vaccines for. The faster you get this done, the better the chances are that your new furry friend will be healthy, safe, and able to keep you properly supervised for many happy years to come.
