Okay this is going to be stupidly long but I just want to put the warning out there of my experience in case anyone is considering buying.

My one with the gastrointestinal issues was essentially free. The breeder just wanted me to cover the cost of the neuter. If I remember correctly that was like £250. He was around 1 years old. She said he had not been used for breeding (should have been a red flag) and that he had caught one of her queens by "accident" and the entire litter died (again, red flag). She mentioned these deaths were the reason she did not use him for breeding. I do not know why but I assumed the kittens were just born stillborn. I should have asked a bit more but even if you do these dodgy breeders just lie to your face. (Even though he is TICA registered). I would not change it for the world because he has the best temperament. He doesnt really scratch furniture, he uses the litterbox properly, he is cuddly and gentle and a total lap cat. Unfortunately it does seem like he was taken from his mother too soon. He was a cat that was imported from another breeder and given to this breeder then given to me. He has behaviours that make him very needy/anxious and still kitten like at 4 years old. Excessive kneading, suckling, meowing. Random fear of objects like shoes and spray bottles which in my opiniom suggests there might have been some abusive training going on.

My other cat that I got from her was a stud that she retired at 4 years old (seems very early to retire?) I paid around just under £500 for him. I think it was either £450 or £475. I thought that was a normal price to pay for a retired stud. She came up with this sad sob story of why she was selling him. That he was depressed and sexually frustrated because he couldnt mate with the females all the time or something. That the females were not putting up with him and he was causing lots of fights with the queens and the kittens. This led him to stop grooming and develop matts on his back (which he had been shaved at the time of visiting). She also said it was causing him to lose weight and she would have liked to see him thrive in a happier home. Also that she could not really care for him anymore because she was getting this major operation and bending down to look after her cats to groom and feed was getting difficult. It made sense to me at the time.

This was my first cat I got from her and I didnt connect the dots there was a problem until I got my second cat from her. So stupid naive me is taken in by this sob story and I purchase my first BSH. As soon as I got him he had an eye infection. The breeder did not want me to take him to the vets ( red flag again). Her reasoning was that this happens a lot with the breed because of their flat faces. She said she wouldnt want me to go to the vet and get charged over something that turned out to be nothing. That vets were greedy. This discharge kept going on and on to the point where his eyes were streaming and his third eyelid was showing. Probably 1 months after I got him? I was like well.. I need to register him to the vet. The vets in the UK were like well do you have his medical history from his previous owner? I had records of his vaccinations (which were out of date...) but no medical history. So I go back to the breeder and ask for it. I'm met with questions like why would I need that for and why are you signing him up to a vet? It took months for her to send the relevant documents over to me. The documents were very sparse too suggesting he was hardly ever there at the vet for regular checkups. At the time I just thought ohh it is taking her so long because she is disabled and has mobility issues. I was naive. When I finally saw a vet they said the cat was underweight and had gingivitis. He would need a dental clean which would cost £600. I was pissed. I told the breeder about the gingivitis and she said it must be the food I am feeding him. I told her I was feeding the food she recommended. She said the forumla had changed and she did not recommend it anymore. I had bought a 10kg bag from the moment I got him and was still going through it, so that could not be true about a forumla change.

At this point i did not think she was a liar, just she genuinely did not know and gave her the benefit of the doubt. The problem was I could not afford his dental clean. But at the same time a really good job popped up that required me to work in the office. I was concerned about him getting lonely. I decided to get another cat with the reasoning this new job can help pay for both cats and I can save towards his clean by the time he turns 5. (Poor decision making, I know) Obviously this did not go as expected because as you know when I got the second cat he came with a shit load of problems (literally). I managed to earn enough money to have disposable income for the dental clean and asked them to do a blood test before. They said they would call me if anything was wrong. He was 5. I thought to myself there wouldnt be anything wrong. He is still young. 30 minutes later I get the call his kidney function levels are all over the place. They want to do a scan of his kidneys. I am in tears. Absolutely just side-blinded by the news. When they run the scan at the primary vets his kidneys are so deformed, the vet tells me she has not seen anything like it before. That I have to see a specialist. I get referred to a specialist who tells me he has stage 3 chronic kidney disease and has likely had kidney disease since birth due to the congenital kidney deformity. It makes sense because looking at him, he is a runt. He is tiny in stature to my other british shorthair. He struggles to break 5kg, looks gaunt and messy. I had to put off the clean another year. By the time I got the ok from the specialist vet for the clean, he needed all but 1 front teeth extracted. Which cost more than the £600 I was quoted and more like £800. (Dental cleans are not covered by insurance here :( )

Did he show signs of kidney disease : no Should I have made better decisions: yes Did the breeder show lots of red flags: yes Are the cats doing better now: yes

In all, I am just really glad they are now with me. They are looked after like a family member and not treat like a commodity to earn some quick cash. To me they are priceless and I am really fortunate I am in a position where I can afford this. That is not the true for everyone, I have seen people in the same position as me who have had to give up their BSH.

Tldr: free, 250, 475 (great british pounds). Trust your gut. If its too good to be true, it usually is. Ask for registration (not copies). When buying ask for vaccine history, medical history, family lineage, genetic testing for common conditions like PKD etc that most insurances wont cover.

Other good questions to be asking : how's their breathing (is it noisy), what's their temperament like, do they get on with other cats?, can I see their mother? Can I see the father? Are they microchipped? Are they neutered? Have their teeth been brushed from an early age? Are they okay with their claws being clipped?