On Wed, 17 Sep 2003, BarB wrote:
|How on earth is it possible to improve a breed without hybridizing?
|
|A breeder can improve the line by breeding to higher quality animals in
|the same breed or by testing and eliminating genetic defects in the
|line. Incidentally they can also ruin a line by trying for the more
|extreme features that have won shows. The flat face of a Persian is one
|example of over breeding that can cause respiratory and eye problems
|(blockage in the tear ducts). So is the narrow head on a Collie.
|
|New breeds are constantly being developed by cat and dog breeders
|to develop a certain look.

I believe it has been shown that larger cats are not only stronger
than smaller cats, but smarter. So, although it may be an error
to associate body size with the psychological profile of any given
cat breed, improvement of a cat's intellect (or personality) is
just as desirable as improving a cat's physique. It's just a
whole lot harder to describe a psychological profile than it is
to describe a cat's physical appearance. Some psychologists use
3D graphics to describe attraction/panic/flight responses in some
animals, but whether those are appropriate to describe an entire
breed, is debatable.

|Some are deliberate crosses and some are mutations. Eventually with
|work and luck some of these breeds will proceed to be registered
|purebreds with the cat organizations.

Which organizations are to be approved of? The charter doesn't
seem to mention this.

|The Himalayan is one such cross, with the points of a Siamese and
|the Persian face and coat.