I went to the cat show at the Garden (plus Cloning rant)

dgk wrote:

I would be very surprised if people who like reading SciFi or fantasy
books weren't significantly more scientifically literate than most
folks.

I expect you are right about that, actually, speaking as a person who read a
lot of SF as a kid, as did my husband, and I'd say we are still more interested
in scientific research than many people. But I guess I'd say that anyone who
reads a lot of books of any type is probably more literate in general than many
folks.

Well, that's shooting fish in a barrel. One out of five
Americans believes that the sun revolves around the earth
(http://net127.com/archives/1999_07.html).

Not surprising then that some people think that cloning research is going to
lead to Clone Wars just as they saw on Star Trek and Star Wars.

If I had known, at the beginning, just how special my Nico was (Nico
the Wonder Cat), I wouldn't have gotten him fixed until he had sired a
few litters. Hmm, I wonder how much they'd charge to get the DNA from
the ashes. I'd finally find out if those ashes were really his! HEY,
NICO WASN'T ORANGE!

LOL. Yes, I'm sure those companies that dispose of deceased pets aren't all
that careful about mixing ashes. Maybe you would find out it was actually a
poodle's ashes.

But your sentiments are why I can understand why some people would desire to
have a pet cloned. It's the same reason some people say they wish they had not
had a special pet neutered because they have a strong desire to preserve
something of the pet's identity. I think that's a pretty natural sentiment, and
IMO it would be in some ways better to have a pet cloned than for someone to
allow the pet to reproduce a few times in hopes of producing offspring similar
to the parent.

On 18 Oct 2004 16:02:14 GMT, ospam (Yngver) wrote:
I've yet to see any cat identified on Petfinder as a
Chartreux bear the least resemblance to a purebred Chartreux. So why say it?
Many people have never even heard of the Chartreux, much less seen one, so why
not just describe the cat as a grey (or blue) DSH?


Because people are stupid! They want a breed name. If you can give
them a breed name, the cats are more likely to be adopted. That's the
name of the game, finding homes for cats. When our group puts a cat on
Petfinder we try to call it a something-cross if we can come anywhere
close. They are more likely to come up on a search if you can give
them that breed name. We'll get calls on a Maine-Coon cross or a
Ragdoll-cross while a DSH will sit forever in a foster's home.

You are right that it would be unusual to find a purebred with papers
in a shelter. It has happened though.

BarB

On 18 Oct 2004 16:02:14 GMT, ospam (Yngver) wrote:
I've yet to see any cat identified on Petfinder as a
Chartreux bear the least resemblance to a purebred Chartreux. So why say it?
Many people have never even heard of the Chartreux, much less seen one, so why
not just describe the cat as a grey (or blue) DSH?


Because people are stupid! They want a breed name. If you can give
them a breed name, the cats are more likely to be adopted. That's the
name of the game, finding homes for cats. When our group puts a cat on
Petfinder we try to call it a something-cross if we can come anywhere
close. They are more likely to come up on a search if you can give
them that breed name. We'll get calls on a Maine-Coon cross or a
Ragdoll-cross while a DSH will sit forever in a foster's home.

You are right that it would be unusual to find a purebred with papers
in a shelter. It has happened though.

BarB