Britishshorthairbreeder Reviews 

I purchased a kitten from Holly Smith / McManus in January 2022, it was a devastating experience and I wish to warn others. Holly breached several rules when selling my registered pedigree kitten - my kitten was given to me early and completely unvaccinated (Holly told me the GCCF had “cleared” those things). (The GCCF have since confirmed they did not, hence her suspension). My kitten was unwell and needed veterinary treatment within 16 hours of us getting home (but fortunately made a full recovery). Holly does not let owners see their kitten’s Mum or see where the kitten has been raised. She bundled my kitten out and into my carrier on her doorstep. She claims this is due to Covid and to protect the volunteers in her breeding cattery (however there have also been hundreds of complaints and a lot of upset from those volunteering in her cattery - see post on Facebook Swindon Community Notice Group on 6th July from Mia Dimino). Holly has broken these rules repeated times and is currently suspended from the GCCF (see photo). She attempted to hide selling her kittens early by withholding the transfer of owner slip and posting it to new owners once the kitten is 13 weeks old (the correct age for sale). I have since learnt she is well known for the fatal FIP cat virus and have since found out a litter mate of my kitten died at 4 months old. Holly has a terrible terrible reputation in the British Shorthair cat world. She does not breed cats to the correct breed standard and my kitten has an extreme brachycephalic (flat) face and consequently has breathing problems on exertion (e.g when playing) and also suffers with constant watery eyes. She has had to have her nostrils and nasal passage surgically widened and the Vet also attempted to clear / flush her tear ducts but could not because they were so constricted. I informed Holly of these issues and she was dismissive and has even repeated the exact same mating with my kitten’s Mum and Dad.

I met this young woman when I took my cat to use her stud cat. Her very professional website had photographs of a lovely cat that she referred to as Ouzo. She assured me he had never missed when siring a litter and promised me a free re-mating, but this had never been needed. Miss Smith charged me £250 for the stud fee, high but I was keen to find a stud cat with the markings the cat on her website was showing. Miss Smith surprisingly did not require any blood tests or to even see my cat's pedigree or proof that she was vaccinated or on the active register.
After and hour and half drive I arrived to be shown to a cat that looked nothing like the cat on the website, much paler and with faint markings. She had another cat that I was offered for stud duty that did have the sort of markings I was looking for. He was the same fee.
I returned 3 days later and was met by a very off hand Miss Smith. Neither her nor her partner could be bothered to come down and open the back gate so I was left to try to get in and past her very large and badly behaved German Shepherd dog. Anyway small matters, I collected my cat received the certificate of mating and left. (Again struggling out with my cat in her basket -terrified of the dog that was leaping around trying to get my cat- then to try to get through the gate with dog leaping around...well you get the picture).
Now my cat is home and two and a half weeks pass.... cat starts calling. My heart sinks as I really don't want to drive back to Swindon with that less than pleasant experience. I contact Holly hoping to go up the next day... she replies that I will pay a £50 re mate fee or use the other cat (pale one). Hold on a moment, what about the free remating?? Oh that's only on Ouzo who has never failed to get a queen pregnant... so Basically I have a choice: reuse a stud that fires blanks and pay £50 or use the one that is nothing like the photo.
I choose to stay at home and type this message.
Beware this young woman is after one thing alone.. MONEY (well she has just spent £25K on her new cat house....)