Complaint Review: Bad Cat Breeders

It all started in October 2016. I had been informed by the daughter of someone who had 2 male kittens from me, that said kittens both had developed a disease called FIP, and were to be put to sleep. I immediately attempted to contact the owner, who refused to answer any of my phone calls, emails or texts. It seemed I could only speak to the daughter, and this was only through Facebook messenger. I pleaded with them not to put the boys to sleep until my own vet had seen them. They did not live far from me, and I was happy to collect them. I had offered their money back, I had offered them alternative kittens, I was frantic and did not know what else to do. Things then went very quiet. Until the daughter posted a damning letter from her mother about me on two Facebook pages. The first page was run by an administrator who had knowledge of this disease, and removed the post without delay. However the other Facebook group, so called "Bad Cat Breeders" were doing no such thing.

They published the whole letter in full.

I was devastated. I had not even been told, but it seemed that both of my kittens had been put to sleep, in their own vet's words "in case they went on to develop FIP"! In case??

My lovely cattery assistant Emily wrote to the administrator of the group, and very politely asked them to remove the letter. It was clearly inflammatory, and there were massively contradictory and inaccurate statements in it. However the admin refused to remove it, and invited me to prove otherwise! Myself and several people I knew, and even the admin of the other group wrote to the BCB group, and were all met with hostility. All posters, including myself, had their (VERY POLITE) attempts to defend me, deleted and I was actually removed from the group. I reiterate at no point was I rude in any way, nor did I "make demands", in fact the same can be said of all posters. Only one person wrote something vitriolic to them, a fellow breeder who was incensed at the treatment I had received. I was accused of trying to blame the owner, when nothing could be further from the truth. Personal emails were sent to the administrator by private messenger, not for the group, and these were publicly posted on to their website, not their facebook page. In fact I had the dubious honour of having a whole page dedicated to me, as the archetypal bad breeder.

What has struck me about all of this was the utter refusal of the administrator to listen to reason or even to give me the right to reply. 

After a little detective work by a friend, it was discovered that the administrator of the Bad Cat Breeders website and Facebook page is herself a breeder. With a very bad reputation. Her name is Konnie Surmann, a German woman, living in Washington State, USA.  I am not the only person to have been put through the mill by her. There are many others.

And the detective work is something we have in common with her. She hires out her services as a cat breeder private detective to all intents and purposes. Take a close look at the Bad Cat Breeder website and you will see them plying for trade.

I notice in her rebuttal of the report by the previous poster, Sadpup13, that Ms Surmann mentions states that she is employed by "a private entity by the name of Michelle". The full name is Michelle Halversson. I know because I received abusive emails and Facebook messages from both "Michelle" and Konnie Surmann. I became suspicious and reported "Michelle Halversson's" Facebook account, stating that I suspected it to be a false account and actually belonged to Konnie Surmann. Facebook upheld the report and removed the account. I believe the two to be the same person, Konnie Surmann.

I now have a 2nd page devoted to me on BCB site, and they actually state that I defrauded my kitten buyer out of thousands! (badcatbreeders . com / calling-out-a-bad-breeder-deflection-as-a-means-of-justification). Totally untrue, the kittens were insured by me before leaving. Sadly I am in the UK, and they know it, which makes it incredibly difficult for me to sue her, although I would love to.

The Bad Cat Breeders website, and its corresponding Facebook page, lie and bully. As God is my witness, I did none of the awful things I have been accused of. The stress last year made me ill for several months, and I ended up hospitalised as a result. I am sure Konnie Surmann has anger and control issues. 

I have posted full details of the whole incident on my website, at ayshazencats . com / konniesurmann with further details here cheruk  . wixsite . com / catfancy bullies / single-post/2017/02/15/Bad-Cat-Breeder-Who-Says. There are screenshots on each page.

My sympathies with Sadpup13, and with the other people that Konnie Surman and her website and group have defamed and demonised. 

There are many bad breeders out there, I agree, but Ms Surmann et al (if there are any others), are indiscriminately bullying and trying to destroy caring breeders' reputations too, even in the face of evidence that vindicates them. 

A dreadful witchunting site.