How to Respond to a Birman Wanted Ad in the United States

What do people want when they post a Birman wanted ad?

Most want one of three things: a registered Birman kitten from a breeder, an adult Birman to adopt, or any calm blue-eyed colorpoint with white feet. Read the ad closely before you reply. If the poster wants papers, a cat without them is not a match. Some posters write Sacred Cat of Burma, the name Hill's says the breed traditionally goes by in Europe.

A poster hoping for a kitten may also be open to an adult. CFA says the Birman takes about three years to mature, so an adult's size, coat and personality are already known, which some families prefer. PetMD gives a lifespan of 9 to 13 years.

Does your cat match what the poster is asking for?

Wisdom Panel notes that a cat can look like a breed that is not in its ancestry. If your cat has no papers, describe it as a colorpoint longhaired cat with a Birman look and let the poster decide.

How do you show that your Birman's papers are genuine?

A careful poster will ask for proof before traveling, so get your documents ready:

• The CFA or TICA registration certificate in your name, or the breeder's paperwork if registration never transferred.
• The pedigree with the parents' registered names; Petful says a legitimate Birman breeder can show registration papers for both parents.
• Your purchase contract, showing whether the cat was sold as a pet and whether breeding rights or a transfer are allowed. CFA registers kittens as Not for Breeding unless the breeder supplies the litter's PIN.
• Vet records, any echocardiogram report and any DNA results, with dates.

Share these after you have checked the poster, ideally in person, and cover your address if you send a photo. If the cat's breeder is still active, contact them too; CFA says responsible breeders take their cats back.

How do you verify the person who posted the wanted ad?

• Reply through the site's messages first, and keep your phone number out of your first reply.
• Ask about their home: who lives there, other pets, work hours, indoor or outdoor, renting or owning.
• Ask whether someone is home most days or another pet will keep the cat company; CFA says Birmans do not handle long periods alone.
• Ask for the name of their vet, and call the clinic if you can.
• Arrange a video call, then a meeting at your home so they meet the cat where it is relaxed.
• Check photo ID at handover and that the name matches the one in your messages.

A genuine poster expects these questions and asks plenty of their own about health, grooming and temperament. Someone who asks only about price, papers or how soon is a warning sign.

Should you answer a wanted ad from someone who wants to breed?

Be very careful. A 2015 study in PLOS ONE traced a Birman syndrome of congenital hairlessness and short life to a recessive variant in the FOXN1 gene, estimated that 3.2 percent of 126 healthy French Birmans carry it, and described a DNA test that lets breeders avoid risky pairings. PetMD says Birmans can also be tested for PKD, and CFA notes that breeders test for HCM.

If your cat is unpapered, or has not been heart checked and DNA tested, decline breeding requests and consider spaying or neutering before you rehome it. Two healthy-looking carriers can produce affected kittens, and kittens from an unregistered cat may be sold on a breed name nobody can prove.

What scams target people who answer cat wanted ads?

• Overpayment: a check for more than the price and a request to refund the difference; the FTC calls this a fake check scam.
• Verification codes: a request to read back a code sent to your phone; never share it.
• Couriers: an offer to send someone to collect the cat, or to pay shipping to a distant address. The US Postal Service does not accept cats as mail.
• Bulk requests: someone who wants several cats or kittens at once.
• Pressure: a story that changes, or a rush to agree before you can meet.

The FTC warns that pet scammers rush people and insist on payment by wire, gift card or a payment app. Use the Report Scam button if a reply or ad looks wrong, and report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

How do you hand over a Birman safely?

• Take any payment in person and give a receipt.
• Sign a short agreement: indoor home, vet care, no breeding unless agreed, and return to you if it does not work out.
• Give the vet records, test reports, any papers you agreed to transfer and a care sheet with food and grooming routine.
• Transfer the microchip registration the same day.
• Tell the new owner what their vet should know: healthy Birmans often have higher creatinine than other cats, and some carry a harmless inherited trait that puts fine granules in their white blood cells.

You can see current Birman wanted ads near you and message the poster. Posters can read how to post a Birman wanted ad. If no wanted ad fits, listing your Birman for adoption covers the other route, and how to adopt a Birman shows what adopters are told to ask.