Trending

Shaved cat passed off as Sphynx, warns pet scam victim

RED DEER, Alberta — A Canadian woman is warning others after she says she fell victim to a scam involving a cat that may end up being investigated as a case of animal abuse. JoAnne Dyck told the CBC that she paid $700 on the online classifieds website Kijiji for what she thought was a Sphynx kitten. Dyck named the kitten Vlad and noticed that after a week, Vlad  had grown a coat of orange hair. The kitten was exhibiting strange behavior like crying a lot and not wanting to be held. Since Vlad did not get along with Dyck's other cat, she found a new owner for the kitten.

The new owner took Vlad to a veterinarian's office where it was discovered the kitten had cuts all over his skin and his tail was badly infected. Staff told the new owner that the injuries were most likely due to razor burns or a hair-removing product like Nair.The Calgary Humane Society is urging Dyck to file a report so they can further investigate. Dyck told the CBC that she's heard from two other women who fell victim to similar scams.As for Vlad, he's enjoying his new home as his coat continues to grow back.