My rationale for adopting and not breeding cats

"Rhonda" wrote in message
...
Me, too. Our rescued, pregnant stray was a gray and white tuxedo cat.
Three of her six kittens were siamese. Sadly one was stillborn. Another
one is a lynx (or tiger) point. I have always wanted one of those and
could not believe that one was born in our house! The other girl is
blonde and white, with gray points. She has a couple of white smudges on
her face and pale blue eyes. They are both gorgeous.

I was looking for homes for them earlier this year, but now they are
ours...

Lucky you!! Do you have photos posted somewhere?



Rhonda

Mary wrote:

I really, really want a cat with Siamese coloring and looks.
Not so much the modern super-flat and narrow head,
but the blue eyes and the points and the lovely creamy
coat. I want a cat that looks like this for purely selfish
reasons--they are so beautiful!! When I feel I can take
another cat, I'll get one from a shelter. Happily these
looks appear to occur naturally, which was a surprise to
me. That a Siamese-looking cat could be born of
a tabby mother floored me.

I gotta laugh when breeders say they're inbreeding to "improve" and
"preserve" the breed. While they're inbreeding to fix a certain trait
they're also passing on the same set of genes for the immune system from
both parents. After several successive generations the kittens become
genetically very similar with less vigorous immune systems. Since all the
cats are so genetically similar, if one gets sick, they all get sick.
That's why we hear of "epidemics" of certain diseases in catteries.

I've probably told this story before, but Frank was originally from a kitten
mill. He would have been adopted easily, but I *always* wanted a Siamese, and I
took him, rationalizing that all I ever had were emaciated strays and dumped
cats, and I *deserved* this beautiful kitten that I wanted so bad.
I still have him seven years later. He's still beautiful, but he is dumb as a
wooden duck and is susceptible to URI's and eye infections. My moggie cats just
beat him hands-down for intelligence and hardiness.
He's likely very inbred, so that's not saying that *all* purebreds are like
him.

Sherry

On 2004-11-13 11:47:08 -0800, "Mary" said:
snip
I really, really want a cat with Siamese coloring and looks.
Not so much the modern super-flat and narrow head,
but the blue eyes and the points and the lovely creamy
coat. I want a cat that looks like this for purely selfish
reasons--they are so beautiful!! When I feel I can take
another cat, I'll get one from a shelter. Happily these
looks appear to occur naturally, which was a surprise to
me. That a Siamese-looking cat could be born of
a tabby mother floored me.

My first stripey Siamese was from a litter that a classmate's cat had-
the mother was a calico, as was one of the kittens. The other kittens
were black and white tuxedo kitties, and the one Siamese kitten. We
took the calico kitten and the Siamese kitten. When Nosey and Scamper
went to the Rainbow Bridge (Nosey about 3 years ago, and Scamp this
spring), I went to the shelter and found Ming- a Siamese-marked young
(maybe a year?) old nutered male. About 6 weeks later, my son's
girlfriend (Cassie) showed up with two kittens from a litter born to a
feral mother near the office where Cassie's mom worked. Both kittens
have striped Siamese markings. I took the little female (Buttercup),
Cassie had someone else interested in the little male. Like you, I
don't like the body/head shape of the purebread Siamese cat, but I
*LOVE* the dark mask, tail and legs with the blue eyes. Ming has
another really cute feature- all 4 paws are white. A Siamese kittey is
really sweet, but a Siamese with white tooties is special. If you want
to see pictures of Ming and Buttercup:

http://homepage.mac.com/kworley/phot...toAlbum22.html

Katrina

"Sherry " wrote in message
...
I've probably told this story before, but Frank was originally from a
kitten
mill. He would have been adopted easily, but I *always* wanted a Siamese,
and I
took him, rationalizing that all I ever had were emaciated strays and
dumped
cats, and I *deserved* this beautiful kitten that I wanted so bad.
I still have him seven years later. He's still beautiful, but he is dumb
as a
wooden duck and is susceptible to URI's and eye infections. My moggie cats
just
beat him hands-down for intelligence and hardiness.
He's likely very inbred, so that's not saying that *all* purebreds are
like
him.


Two things:

1. On behalf of wooden ducks everywhere, I protest.
2. Stump-stupid cats can be Buckets of Fun, can't they? :')

"Katrina" wrote in message
news:2004111317423316807%kworley@yahoonet...
On 2004-11-13 11:47:08 -0800, "Mary" said:
snip
I really, really want a cat with Siamese coloring and looks.
Not so much the modern super-flat and narrow head,
but the blue eyes and the points and the lovely creamy
coat. I want a cat that looks like this for purely selfish
reasons--they are so beautiful!! When I feel I can take
another cat, I'll get one from a shelter. Happily these
looks appear to occur naturally, which was a surprise to
me. That a Siamese-looking cat could be born of
a tabby mother floored me.

My first stripey Siamese was from a litter that a classmate's cat had-
the mother was a calico, as was one of the kittens. The other kittens
were black and white tuxedo kitties, and the one Siamese kitten. We
took the calico kitten and the Siamese kitten.

Yow, a STRIPEY Siamese?! Sounds cool.

When Nosey and Scamper
went to the Rainbow Bridge (Nosey about 3 years ago, and Scamp this
spring), I went to the shelter and found Ming- a Siamese-marked young
(maybe a year?) old nutered male. About 6 weeks later, my son's
girlfriend (Cassie) showed up with two kittens from a litter born to a
feral mother near the office where Cassie's mom worked. Both kittens
have striped Siamese markings. I took the little female (Buttercup),
Cassie had someone else interested in the little male. Like you, I
don't like the body/head shape of the purebread Siamese cat, but I
*LOVE* the dark mask, tail and legs with the blue eyes. Ming has
another really cute feature- all 4 paws are white. A Siamese kittey is
really sweet, but a Siamese with white tooties is special. If you want
to see pictures of Ming and Buttercup:

http://homepage.mac.com/kworley/phot...toAlbum22.html



ahhh, Gahd, they are beautiful!! Those little white feeties are precious.
You're right, very special on a Siamese colored cat. Are your kitties
very vocal as Siamese are said to be, or is this just from the breeder
Siamese?

"Katrina" wrote in message
news:2004111317423316807%kworley@yahoonet...

When Nosey and Scamper went to the Rainbow Bridge (Nosey about 3 years
ago, and Scamp this spring), I went to the shelter and found Ming- a
Siamese-marked young (maybe a year?) old nutered male. ...Ming has
another really cute feature- all 4 paws are white. A Siamese kittey is
really sweet, but a Siamese with white tooties is special. If you want to
see pictures of Ming and Buttercup:

http://homepage.mac.com/kworley/phot...toAlbum22.html

Katrina


How beautiful. Ming looks like a Snowshoe (a mixture of Siamese and
American shorthair).

MaryL

Two things:

1. On behalf of wooden ducks everywhere, I protest.
2. Stump-stupid cats can be Buckets of Fun, can't they? :')


Oh, buckets. He's hiding under the dining room tablecloth as I write. He's mad
because I shooed him off the counter. I like to go in there and say
"Wheeerreee's FRANK?" and watch the big lump under the tablecloth wiggle just a
little bit. He honestly thinks I don't know where he is.

Sherry

Two things:

1. On behalf of wooden ducks everywhere, I protest.
2. Stump-stupid cats can be Buckets of Fun, can't they? :')


Oh, buckets. He's hiding under the dining room tablecloth as I write. He's
mad
because I shooed him off the counter. I like to go in there and say
"Wheeerreee's FRANK?" and watch the big lump under the tablecloth wiggle just
a
little bit. He honestly thinks I don't know where he is.

Sherry

Have I ever showed you a pic of Frank? Here's a couple.
He has a problem with his tongue. I think it's too long. This is how he sleeps.
http://members.aol.com/sriddles/frank3.jpg
Here's Frank again. He loves doing the Hokey-Pokey. "Put your right paw out..."
http://members.aol.com/sriddles/frank3.jpg

Sherry

in article , Orchid at
wrote on 11/13/04 11:53AM:

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 16:40:23 GMT, "Mary"
wrote:

love without possessiveness: a "larger love," in a sense. (Breeding,
buying purebreds, and declawing, among other things, are practices
that can only be rationalized/condoned when considered with
severe myopia. This nearsightedness is really common in folks for
whom everything is "all about me."

Meet Hakaisha (nik.ascendancy.net/fosterpage.html). I have
two champion alter Bengals -- and Hakaisha, whom we discovered at 8
weeks old, severely malnourished, wandering our neighborhood. He had
no fleas and no earmites. The vet says he probably hadn't eaten for a
week or two to be in that condition, but his lack of parasites would
suggest that he had been out and wandering for only a few days at
most. We've dropped $600 or so on him in vet visits in the last two
months getting him vaccinated, checked over, dewormed, and tested.
He's now our baby boy, and gets the same love, care, and attention
that our Bengals get.

So tell me again how everything is all about me? How selfish
and uncaring for domestic cats as species I am?



Orchid
See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage
Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid

that poor little baby! You can see his head is so much bigger than his body.
I hope he gets healhy. Please update occassionally.

Here's Frank again. He loves doing the Hokey-Pokey. "Put your right paw
out..."
http://members.aol.com/sriddles/frank3.jpg

Sherry

Woops, wrong addy. Here's the hokey-pokey picture.
http://members.aol.com/sriddles/frank1.jpg

Sherry