Our Commitment to Transparency
At Chris Abyssinian Home, we believe in conducting business with complete honesty and transparency. Over my 13 years as a breeder, I’ve learned that clear policies help ensure positive experiences for everyone involved. This page outlines our refund and cancellation policies so you can make an informed decision when adopting a kitten from us.
Adoption Deposits
When you decide to reserve a kitten from Chris Abyssinian Home, we require a deposit to hold your kitten. This deposit serves several important purposes:
It demonstrates your serious commitment to adopting the kitten. It allows us to decline other inquiries for that specific kitten. It helps us plan for the kitten’s care, including veterinary appointments, registration, and preparation for their move to your home.
Deposit Amount: Our standard deposit is typically $400-500 (exact amount will be specified in your adoption agreement contract form).
Deposit Application: Your deposit is applied toward the total adoption fee for your kitten.
Deposit Refund Policy
We understand that circumstances can change, and we strive to be fair and reasonable in our policies.
Refundable Situations:
If we are unable to provide you with a kitten as agreed (for example, if a kitten doesn’t develop as expected or experiences health issues that make placement inappropriate), your deposit will be fully refunded, or you may choose to apply it to a different kitten.
If we make a significant change to our agreement that you’re unwilling to accept, you may receive a full refund of your deposit.
Non-Refundable Situations:
If you change your mind about adopting a kitten for personal reasons, your deposit is generally non-refundable. By accepting your deposit, we’ve turned away other potential families and invested time and resources into preparing your kitten for their new home.
If you fail to make payment by the agreed deadline or fail to communicate with us about your intentions, your deposit will be forfeited, and the kitten may be made available to other families.
If you violate any terms of our adoption agreement, your deposit may be forfeited.
Special Circumstances:
We recognize that genuine emergencies can occur—serious illness, unexpected financial hardship, family emergencies, and other unforeseen situations. If you find yourself in such circumstances, please communicate with us openly. While deposits are generally non-refundable, we evaluate each situation individually and may make exceptions or offer alternative arrangements in truly exceptional cases. At Chris Abys Home, we believe in treating people with compassion and understanding.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your kitten adoption, please notify us as soon as possible. The earlier you communicate with us, the more options we have to work with you.
Before Final Payment:
If you cancel your reservation before making final payment, your deposit will typically be forfeited as outlined above. However, in some cases, we may allow you to transfer your deposit to a future litter if we have upcoming kittens available and you’re committed to adopting at a later date.
After Final Payment:
Once you’ve made final payment and we’ve confirmed your pickup or delivery arrangements, cancellations become more complicated. At this point, we’ve invested significant time, resources, and planning into your kitten’s placement. Cancellations after final payment may result in partial refunds at our discretion, depending on timing and circumstances, with reasonable deductions for expenses incurred.
After Taking Possession of Your Kitten
Once you’ve taken possession of your kitten, all sales are final. There are no refunds after you’ve brought your kitten home.
Why This Policy?
The transition to a new home is stressful for kittens. Moving a kitten back and forth between homes would be harmful to their wellbeing. Once a kitten leaves our care, we cannot be certain of the conditions they’ve been exposed to, making it difficult to place them with another family. We invest tremendous effort into matching kittens with appropriate families to minimize the likelihood of placement issues.
If Problems Arise:
If you’re experiencing challenges with your kitten, please reach out to us before making any decisions. Throughout my 13 years of breeding, I’ve helped countless families work through adjustment issues, behavioral concerns, and other challenges. Many problems that seem overwhelming initially can be resolved with guidance and support.
We’re committed to the success of every placement, and we’ll work with you to find solutions. However, returning the kitten for a refund is not an option once they’ve gone home with you.
Health Guarantee and Refunds
Our health guarantee (detailed on the Health Guarantee page) covers serious congenital and hereditary conditions diagnosed within the specified timeframe. If your kitten is diagnosed with a covered condition:
You may be offered a replacement kitten from a future litter (when available). In some cases, depending on the severity of the condition and other factors, we may offer a partial or full refund. The specific resolution will depend on the circumstances and will be outlined in our health guarantee documentation.
Health guarantee claims are separate from our general refund policy and are handled according to the terms specified in the health guarantee agreement.
Returns Due to Owner Circumstances
If, after bringing your kitten home, you find yourself unable to keep them due to life circumstances, we ask that you contact us before making any decisions. While we cannot offer refunds for kittens after placement, we care deeply about the welfare of every cat we’ve bred.
In some situations, we may be willing to help you rehome your cat or, in certain cases, take the cat back into our care (without a refund). Our primary concern is always the wellbeing of the cat, and we’ll work with you to find the best possible solution.
We require in our adoption contracts that if you ever need to rehome your Abyssinian, you contact us first. We want to ensure our cats never end up in shelters or inappropriate situations.
Payment Policies
Payment Schedule:
Deposit is due when you reserve your kitten. Balance is due before pickup or delivery (typically when your kitten is around 10-12 weeks old and we can confirm their pickup/delivery date).
Accepted Payment Methods:
We accept payment via bank transfer, Money apps like Zelle, Chime and Apple Pay, or other agreed-upon methods. We’ll provide specific payment instructions when you reserve your kitten.
Late Payments:
If you miss the agreed payment deadline without communicating with us, we reserve the right to make your kitten available to other families and forfeit your deposit.
Modification of Policies
While we strive to maintain consistent policies, we reserve the right to modify our refund and cancellation policies as needed. Any changes will be clearly communicated to families with pending reservations, and current reservation holders will be subject to the policies that were in effect when they placed their deposit.
Making This Work for Everyone
At Chris Abys Home, our goal is to create positive experiences for adopters and to ensure every kitten goes to an appropriate, committed home. Our policies are designed to be fair to everyone involved while protecting the welfare of our kittens.
We encourage open communication. If you’re uncertain about anything, have concerns about your ability to follow through with an adoption, or are experiencing circumstances that might affect your plans, please talk to us. The earlier we can work together to address potential issues, the better the outcome for everyone.
Over 13 years of placing Abyssinians with families across the United States, We’ve found that most challenges can be resolved with honest conversation and mutual understanding. We’re here to help make the adoption process as smooth as possible, and we’re committed to finding solutions that work.
Questions About Our Policies?
If you have questions about our refund or cancellation policies, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to clarify any aspects of our policies and help you understand what to expect when you adopt from Chris Abyssinian Home.
Visit Chris Abyssinian Home or contact us directly. We look forward to working with you and helping you welcome a beautiful Abyssinian kitten into your family.
