Short answer. Yes. When you buy an animal with a redhibitory defect, you have the option to keep the animal and demand a proportionate reduction of the price instead of returning it. This must be exercised within the same period as the action to return the animal — the two options share the same deadline.
What the law says
In the sale of animals with redhibitory defects, the vendee shall also enjoy the right mentioned in article 1567; but he must make use thereof within the same period which has been fixed for the exercise of the redhibitory action.
Civil Code, Article 1580 — Quanti Minoris for Animals. Read the full provision →
Two choices, one deadline
When you buy an animal that has a redhibitory defect — a hidden flaw serious enough to warrant returning it — the law gives you a choice. You may exercise the redhibitory action and return the animal to the seller, recovering the price. Or you may exercise what is sometimes called the quanti minoris option — keeping the animal but demanding a proportionate reduction of the price to reflect the defect. Article 1580 confirms both options are available for animal sales, with one important constraint: both must be exercised within the same time period.
What a redhibitory defect is
Not every imperfection in an animal entitles the buyer to these remedies. A redhibitory defect is one that is hidden — not apparent on ordinary inspection — and significant enough that the buyer would not have purchased the animal, or would have paid less, had it been known. Cosmetic flaws or minor issues that do not affect the animal's fitness for its intended purpose are typically not enough. The defect must go to the substance of what you bargained for when you paid the price.
Choosing the price reduction option
If you prefer to keep the animal despite the defect — perhaps because you have already formed an attachment, or because the animal is still functional for your purposes — the proportionate price reduction option lets you compensate for the diminished value without undoing the sale. The reduction should reflect the difference between what the animal was worth in its defective state and what you paid. This is a practical remedy for situations where returning the animal is inconvenient or where the defect, while real, does not destroy the animal's usefulness entirely.
Act within the applicable time period
Both the return action and the price reduction option share the same deadline. The law fixes a period for exercising the redhibitory action in animal sales, and Article 1580 makes clear that the price reduction right must also be exercised within that same window. If you discover the defect late or delay in deciding how to proceed, you may lose both options. As soon as you become aware of a significant hidden defect in an animal you purchased, consult a lawyer about the applicable period and how to preserve your rights before the deadline passes.