Getting ready for a new aby kitten in Chicago-advice on vets and preparations needed

In ,
(Orchid) wrote:
| On 26 Jul 2003 01:17:34 -0500, Arjun Ray
| wrote:

| See the pictures of Elsa in this album:
|
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...086&uid=514878
|
| Is she abyssinian or not, do you think?
|
| I am taking this as an honest request that deserves an honest answer.

I'm sorry, how else could it have been taken?

| If I saw her walking down the street with someone, I would not ID her
| as a Aby (at least definitely not a well-bred one).

Well, she was rescued as a kitten off the streets. Her antecedents are
unknown. Does that disqualify her um, automatically?

| Her head is wrong (her is cobby and slightly jowley, and an Aby's is a
| smoothly contoured modified wedge), her ears are not large enough, not
| pointed enough, and her ear set doesn't look right (though I would need
| a good full-face picture to guage that more accurately).

I looked at the Abyssinian Cat Association website:

http://www.theabycat.com/

and found quite a lot of variation in the picture gallery:

http://www.theabycat.com/picture_gallery.htm

One picture I found was this one:

http://www.theabycat.com/images/gisellekitten.jpg

Elsa looks *very* much like the mother (Giselle) in this picture. Her
eyes are a bit more close set, I think, and rounder, though that could
be because she "glares" a lot - reminds you of the schoolmarm stereotype
;-)

| Body-wise, she appears to not have the length of leg that an Aby does
| and her body looks to be more heavily boned than an Aby's. However,
| that may just be extra weight and/or inaccurate photography.
| Finally, her colour isn't rich enough -- ruddy Abys are red with rich
| yellow or gold undertones and Elsa is a much cooler red colour.

Inaccurate is a generous description. Cheap digital camera with a truly
ghastly flash, a red bias in color image, and inappropriate pixellation
aspect ratio for typical CRTs; artificial light with lots of wood in the
environment (throwing the reds off even more thanks to JPEG smudging and
lossiness); a cat with a sixth sense for uncooperativeness when it comes
to taking pictures; and PictureTrail's proprietary "improvements" to the
pictures I uploaded (sigh).

| Things I can't see from photos that I would look for in person:

| Eyeliner -- Abys should have dark brown or black eyelid skin, circled
| by a distinct light area all around the eye

This I've seen. Is the lighter color mustache also a characteristic?

| and a very distinct dark vertical stripe just above the eye.

I don't think hers is distinct, though not knowing, I never looked for
it specifically.

| Tail -- Abys have a long, slender, tapered tail. Elsa's tail looks
| to be pretty thick, but I can't tell enough from the one shot that
| shows her tail.

Elsa looks big and heavy in the pictures. She's finer boned and only
about 8 pounds.

Thanks for the analysis.

in article , Arjun Ray at
lid wrote on 7/26/03 11:57 AM:

In ,
(Orchid) wrote:
| On 26 Jul 2003 01:17:34 -0500, Arjun Ray
| wrote:

| See the pictures of Elsa in this album:
|
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...086&uid=514878
|
| Is she abyssinian or not, do you think?
|
| I am taking this as an honest request that deserves an honest answer.

I'm sorry, how else could it have been taken?

| If I saw her walking down the street with someone, I would not ID her
| as a Aby (at least definitely not a well-bred one).

Well, she was rescued as a kitten off the streets. Her antecedents are
unknown. Does that disqualify her um, automatically?

| Her head is wrong (her is cobby and slightly jowley, and an Aby's is a
| smoothly contoured modified wedge), her ears are not large enough, not
| pointed enough, and her ear set doesn't look right (though I would need
| a good full-face picture to guage that more accurately).

I looked at the Abyssinian Cat Association website:

http://www.theabycat.com/

and found quite a lot of variation in the picture gallery:

http://www.theabycat.com/picture_gallery.htm

One picture I found was this one:

http://www.theabycat.com/images/gisellekitten.jpg

Elsa looks *very* much like the mother (Giselle) in this picture. Her
eyes are a bit more close set, I think, and rounder, though that could
be because she "glares" a lot - reminds you of the schoolmarm stereotype
;-)

| Body-wise, she appears to not have the length of leg that an Aby does
| and her body looks to be more heavily boned than an Aby's. However,
| that may just be extra weight and/or inaccurate photography.
| Finally, her colour isn't rich enough -- ruddy Abys are red with rich
| yellow or gold undertones and Elsa is a much cooler red colour.

Inaccurate is a generous description. Cheap digital camera with a truly
ghastly flash, a red bias in color image, and inappropriate pixellation
aspect ratio for typical CRTs; artificial light with lots of wood in the
environment (throwing the reds off even more thanks to JPEG smudging and
lossiness); a cat with a sixth sense for uncooperativeness when it comes
to taking pictures; and PictureTrail's proprietary "improvements" to the
pictures I uploaded (sigh).

| Things I can't see from photos that I would look for in person:

| Eyeliner -- Abys should have dark brown or black eyelid skin, circled
| by a distinct light area all around the eye

This I've seen. Is the lighter color mustache also a characteristic?

| and a very distinct dark vertical stripe just above the eye.

I don't think hers is distinct, though not knowing, I never looked for
it specifically.

| Tail -- Abys have a long, slender, tapered tail. Elsa's tail looks
| to be pretty thick, but I can't tell enough from the one shot that
| shows her tail.

Elsa looks big and heavy in the pictures. She's finer boned and only
about 8 pounds.

Thanks for the analysis.

Or how about this guy:

http://www.theabycat.com/images/w-leo-051202.jpg

I think her coloring is a LOT like this guy. I certainly have never seen a
stray that looked like her with that coloring and long legs.

Karen

in article , Arjun Ray at
lid wrote on 7/26/03 11:57 AM:

In ,
(Orchid) wrote:
| On 26 Jul 2003 01:17:34 -0500, Arjun Ray
| wrote:

| See the pictures of Elsa in this album:
|
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...086&uid=514878
|
| Is she abyssinian or not, do you think?
|
| I am taking this as an honest request that deserves an honest answer.

I'm sorry, how else could it have been taken?

| If I saw her walking down the street with someone, I would not ID her
| as a Aby (at least definitely not a well-bred one).

Well, she was rescued as a kitten off the streets. Her antecedents are
unknown. Does that disqualify her um, automatically?

| Her head is wrong (her is cobby and slightly jowley, and an Aby's is a
| smoothly contoured modified wedge), her ears are not large enough, not
| pointed enough, and her ear set doesn't look right (though I would need
| a good full-face picture to guage that more accurately).

I looked at the Abyssinian Cat Association website:

http://www.theabycat.com/

and found quite a lot of variation in the picture gallery:

http://www.theabycat.com/picture_gallery.htm

One picture I found was this one:

http://www.theabycat.com/images/gisellekitten.jpg

Elsa looks *very* much like the mother (Giselle) in this picture. Her
eyes are a bit more close set, I think, and rounder, though that could
be because she "glares" a lot - reminds you of the schoolmarm stereotype
;-)

| Body-wise, she appears to not have the length of leg that an Aby does
| and her body looks to be more heavily boned than an Aby's. However,
| that may just be extra weight and/or inaccurate photography.
| Finally, her colour isn't rich enough -- ruddy Abys are red with rich
| yellow or gold undertones and Elsa is a much cooler red colour.

Inaccurate is a generous description. Cheap digital camera with a truly
ghastly flash, a red bias in color image, and inappropriate pixellation
aspect ratio for typical CRTs; artificial light with lots of wood in the
environment (throwing the reds off even more thanks to JPEG smudging and
lossiness); a cat with a sixth sense for uncooperativeness when it comes
to taking pictures; and PictureTrail's proprietary "improvements" to the
pictures I uploaded (sigh).

| Things I can't see from photos that I would look for in person:

| Eyeliner -- Abys should have dark brown or black eyelid skin, circled
| by a distinct light area all around the eye

This I've seen. Is the lighter color mustache also a characteristic?

| and a very distinct dark vertical stripe just above the eye.

I don't think hers is distinct, though not knowing, I never looked for
it specifically.

| Tail -- Abys have a long, slender, tapered tail. Elsa's tail looks
| to be pretty thick, but I can't tell enough from the one shot that
| shows her tail.

Elsa looks big and heavy in the pictures. She's finer boned and only
about 8 pounds.

Thanks for the analysis.

Or how about this guy:

http://www.theabycat.com/images/w-leo-051202.jpg

I think her coloring is a LOT like this guy. I certainly have never seen a
stray that looked like her with that coloring and long legs.

Karen

http://www.theabycat.com/images/w-le
051202.jpg

Oh look, he gets to live his life in a cage, the lucky fellow. (This
seems to be a common practice as those breeders don't want a stinky
tomcat in the house.)

Megan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray

http://www.theabycat.com/images/w-le
051202.jpg

Oh look, he gets to live his life in a cage, the lucky fellow. (This
seems to be a common practice as those breeders don't want a stinky
tomcat in the house.)

Megan



"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing."

-Edmund Burke

Learn The TRUTH About Declawing
http://www.stopdeclaw.com

Zuzu's Cats Photo Album:
http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way."

- W.H. Murray

In , Karen Chuplis
wrote:
| in article , Arjun Ray at
| lid wrote on 7/26/03 11:57 AM:
| In ,
| (Orchid) wrote:

| One picture I found was this one:
|
| http://www.theabycat.com/images/gisellekitten.jpg
|
| Elsa looks *very* much like the mother (Giselle) in this picture.

|| Finally, her colour isn't rich enough -- ruddy Abys are red with rich
|| yellow or gold undertones and Elsa is a much cooler red colour.

| Or how about this guy:
|
| http://www.theabycat.com/images/w-leo-051202.jpg
|
| I think her coloring is a LOT like this guy.

I'd say he's a bit duller - her coloring has more "flame" in it, though
that could be a trick of the lighting.

| I certainly have never seen a stray that looked like her with that
| coloring and long legs.

Neither have I, nor the rescue group who among the thousands of cats
they've seen had never encountered one even remotely like her. They
tagged her as an aby, though, if someone were to make a point of it, I
don't think they would have cared *that* much one way or the other.

In , Karen Chuplis
wrote:
| in article , Arjun Ray at
| lid wrote on 7/26/03 11:57 AM:
| In ,
| (Orchid) wrote:

| One picture I found was this one:
|
| http://www.theabycat.com/images/gisellekitten.jpg
|
| Elsa looks *very* much like the mother (Giselle) in this picture.

|| Finally, her colour isn't rich enough -- ruddy Abys are red with rich
|| yellow or gold undertones and Elsa is a much cooler red colour.

| Or how about this guy:
|
| http://www.theabycat.com/images/w-leo-051202.jpg
|
| I think her coloring is a LOT like this guy.

I'd say he's a bit duller - her coloring has more "flame" in it, though
that could be a trick of the lighting.

| I certainly have never seen a stray that looked like her with that
| coloring and long legs.

Neither have I, nor the rescue group who among the thousands of cats
they've seen had never encountered one even remotely like her. They
tagged her as an aby, though, if someone were to make a point of it, I
don't think they would have cared *that* much one way or the other.

In , Karen Chuplis
wrote:
| in article , Arjun Ray at
| lid wrote on 7/26/03 7:59 AM:

| I'll be making an album for [Marie], since she's mine now. There are
| other pictures of her he
|
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...404&uid=514878
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...686&uid=514878
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...302&uid=514878
|
| Don't mind her ear, please. I have seen only one eartipping that was
| worse.
|
| I LOVE the Pillow picture. They sure look sweet and Marie looks VErY soft.

Her fur is incredibly soft, a velvety texture. I used to think Phoenix
had soft fur - Marie has him beat paws down.

| Her ear is fine because she is so pretty I wouldn't have even noticed it
| you hadn't said something!

I suppose it's that pictures are inherently smaller than RL. Here's a
picture taken soon after it was done:

http://www.nyct.net/~aray/cats/lilac41.jpg

Up close, you can't miss it, and it's really ugly. It's also jarring,
in that it's the wrong ear too - one can't help being reminded what a
complete botch the vet tech accomplished.

In , Karen Chuplis
wrote:
| in article , Arjun Ray at
| lid wrote on 7/26/03 7:59 AM:

| I'll be making an album for [Marie], since she's mine now. There are
| other pictures of her he
|
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...404&uid=514878
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...686&uid=514878
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...302&uid=514878
|
| Don't mind her ear, please. I have seen only one eartipping that was
| worse.
|
| I LOVE the Pillow picture. They sure look sweet and Marie looks VErY soft.

Her fur is incredibly soft, a velvety texture. I used to think Phoenix
had soft fur - Marie has him beat paws down.

| Her ear is fine because she is so pretty I wouldn't have even noticed it
| you hadn't said something!

I suppose it's that pictures are inherently smaller than RL. Here's a
picture taken soon after it was done:

http://www.nyct.net/~aray/cats/lilac41.jpg

Up close, you can't miss it, and it's really ugly. It's also jarring,
in that it's the wrong ear too - one can't help being reminded what a
complete botch the vet tech accomplished.

in article , Arjun Ray at
lid wrote on 7/26/03 3:04 PM:

In , Karen Chuplis
wrote:
| in article , Arjun Ray at
| lid wrote on 7/26/03 7:59 AM:

| I'll be making an album for [Marie], since she's mine now. There are
| other pictures of her he
|
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...404&uid=514878
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...686&uid=514878
| http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...302&uid=514878
|
| Don't mind her ear, please. I have seen only one eartipping that was
| worse.
|
| I LOVE the Pillow picture. They sure look sweet and Marie looks VErY soft.

Her fur is incredibly soft, a velvety texture. I used to think Phoenix
had soft fur - Marie has him beat paws down.

| Her ear is fine because she is so pretty I wouldn't have even noticed it
| you hadn't said something!

I suppose it's that pictures are inherently smaller than RL. Here's a
picture taken soon after it was done:

http://www.nyct.net/~aray/cats/lilac41.jpg

Up close, you can't miss it, and it's really ugly. It's also jarring,
in that it's the wrong ear too - one can't help being reminded what a
complete botch the vet tech accomplished.

True, but she is an awfully pretty girl. I think very unusual looking and
those EYES!

Karen