-Gene pool?

If the only cats allowed to breed are the strays and those belonging to
'irresponsible' cat owners what happens to the gene pool in time? We
are told that prey animals are made stronger as a whole because their
enemies eleminate the weak and old. Would that theory not work in
reverse for cats? I realize that this is not the question of the
century. I'm interested in your thoughts on this. very time I see an
absolutly gorgeous cat that id love tohave a kitten from m told it's
been 'fixed' (I have 5 well-cared for strays).

In article ,
enlightened us with...
If the only cats allowed to breed are the strays and those belonging to
'irresponsible' cat owners what happens to the gene pool in time? We
are told that prey animals are made stronger as a whole because their
enemies eleminate the weak and old. Would that theory not work in
reverse for cats? I realize that this is not the question of the
century. I'm interested in your thoughts on this. very time I see an
absolutly gorgeous cat that id love tohave a kitten from m told it's
been 'fixed' (I have 5 well-cared for strays).



opinion type="US"
The question, as I read it to be, is what happens if there are no
purebreds, no show cats, no one at all purposefully breeding cats...the
only cats breeding are those who are wild or are owned by irresponsible
people. The term "irresponsible" is assumed to mean the cat got preggers
by accident. This then assumes the cat can survive outside, since the
cat must go out to mate without supervision to get pregnant by accident.

If ONLY those cats bred, you'd have very sound animals. See the feral
cat colonies in other countries where they have lived for generations
with no human intervention at all. Only the "fittest" animals survive on
their own for any length of time. This means that cats adapted to a
feral life live and "soft" animals die - and those cats are NOT the same
as the ones that make the best pets (for the majority of the
population). We domesticated the cat and began breeding in
characteristics not found in nature. Our softest cats (e.g. Persian,
etc) would probably have a hell of a time actually hunting and surviving
in the wild. Yet they remain some of the most popular of the purebreds.
So, you'd have genetically superior animals that few people wanted for
pets.

IMO, in a perfect world, there would be no unwanted cats. Any cat that
possessed all desirable traits would be bred. None with any genetic
problems would be bred. None with any serious personality issues would
be bred, etc. Breed would be irrelevant, except to fanciers. It is my
opinion that moggies are just as good as purebreds and can possess
wonderful personalities - and personality is almost as important as
genetic (and overall) health. Appearance, IMO, is the least of one's
worries.

The Darwinian version of the world, in relation to pets, is of little
concern in a modern society. You want healthy, genetically sound,
personable animals, but being able to survive in the wild is something
few humans can do, let alone our beloved and coddled pets. To survive,
one must harden. Thus making the animal less suitable to being a pet.
The current serious overpopulation problem means that there is no reason
to breed more cats - only those who are ignorant of the problem,
apathetic to it, or honestly think that the quality of their cat
justifies the death of another cat (in a shelter), breed.

/opinion

The preceeding was my opinion based on my understanding of the world in
which I live. YMMV.

--
--
~kaeli~
Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

In article ,
enlightened us with...
If the only cats allowed to breed are the strays and those belonging to
'irresponsible' cat owners what happens to the gene pool in time? We
are told that prey animals are made stronger as a whole because their
enemies eleminate the weak and old. Would that theory not work in
reverse for cats? I realize that this is not the question of the
century. I'm interested in your thoughts on this. very time I see an
absolutly gorgeous cat that id love tohave a kitten from m told it's
been 'fixed' (I have 5 well-cared for strays).



opinion type="US"
The question, as I read it to be, is what happens if there are no
purebreds, no show cats, no one at all purposefully breeding cats...the
only cats breeding are those who are wild or are owned by irresponsible
people. The term "irresponsible" is assumed to mean the cat got preggers
by accident. This then assumes the cat can survive outside, since the
cat must go out to mate without supervision to get pregnant by accident.

If ONLY those cats bred, you'd have very sound animals. See the feral
cat colonies in other countries where they have lived for generations
with no human intervention at all. Only the "fittest" animals survive on
their own for any length of time. This means that cats adapted to a
feral life live and "soft" animals die - and those cats are NOT the same
as the ones that make the best pets (for the majority of the
population). We domesticated the cat and began breeding in
characteristics not found in nature. Our softest cats (e.g. Persian,
etc) would probably have a hell of a time actually hunting and surviving
in the wild. Yet they remain some of the most popular of the purebreds.
So, you'd have genetically superior animals that few people wanted for
pets.

IMO, in a perfect world, there would be no unwanted cats. Any cat that
possessed all desirable traits would be bred. None with any genetic
problems would be bred. None with any serious personality issues would
be bred, etc. Breed would be irrelevant, except to fanciers. It is my
opinion that moggies are just as good as purebreds and can possess
wonderful personalities - and personality is almost as important as
genetic (and overall) health. Appearance, IMO, is the least of one's
worries.

The Darwinian version of the world, in relation to pets, is of little
concern in a modern society. You want healthy, genetically sound,
personable animals, but being able to survive in the wild is something
few humans can do, let alone our beloved and coddled pets. To survive,
one must harden. Thus making the animal less suitable to being a pet.
The current serious overpopulation problem means that there is no reason
to breed more cats - only those who are ignorant of the problem,
apathetic to it, or honestly think that the quality of their cat
justifies the death of another cat (in a shelter), breed.

/opinion

The preceeding was my opinion based on my understanding of the world in
which I live. YMMV.

--
--
~kaeli~
Dancing cheek-to-cheek is really a form of floor play.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace

"Teddy" wrote in message
...
If the only cats allowed to breed are the strays and those belonging to
'irresponsible' cat owners what happens to the gene pool in time?

My guess is that the gene pool would become stronger. I'm thinking of my
sister's dogs - the purebreds & the mixed breeds. So far, the longest
living (he's 17) & healthiest of the bunch is a mixed breed, who was picked
up by her husband as a stray when he was a puppy. I'm also thinking of the
various cat breeds, & how people have manipulated them so that some breeds
are now prone to this or that malady - as certain dog breeds are, also -
doing little to enhance their health or longevity.

Cathy

--
"When it's not too hot, not too cold
Not too meek, not too bold
When it's just right and you have sunlight..."
("Hurricane Eye") Paul Simon

We
are told that prey animals are made stronger as a whole because their
enemies eleminate the weak and old. Would that theory not work in
reverse for cats? I realize that this is not the question of the
century. I'm interested in your thoughts on this. very time I see an
absolutly gorgeous cat that id love tohave a kitten from m told it's
been 'fixed' (I have 5 well-cared for strays).

"Teddy" wrote in message
...
If the only cats allowed to breed are the strays and those belonging to
'irresponsible' cat owners what happens to the gene pool in time?

My guess is that the gene pool would become stronger. I'm thinking of my
sister's dogs - the purebreds & the mixed breeds. So far, the longest
living (he's 17) & healthiest of the bunch is a mixed breed, who was picked
up by her husband as a stray when he was a puppy. I'm also thinking of the
various cat breeds, & how people have manipulated them so that some breeds
are now prone to this or that malady - as certain dog breeds are, also -
doing little to enhance their health or longevity.

Cathy

--
"When it's not too hot, not too cold
Not too meek, not too bold
When it's just right and you have sunlight..."
("Hurricane Eye") Paul Simon

We
are told that prey animals are made stronger as a whole because their
enemies eleminate the weak and old. Would that theory not work in
reverse for cats? I realize that this is not the question of the
century. I'm interested in your thoughts on this. very time I see an
absolutly gorgeous cat that id love tohave a kitten from m told it's
been 'fixed' (I have 5 well-cared for strays).

We domesticated the cat and began breeding in
characteristics not found in nature. Our softest cats (e.g. Persian,
etc) would probably have a hell of a time actually hunting and surviving
in the wild. Yet they remain some of the most popular of the purebreds.
So, you'd have genetically superior animals that few people wanted for
pets.

I had a Persian for some time and I honestly see no difference in his
behavior from the other cats I have (all adopted strays/ferals). All
my cats were always extremely docile, with only two exceptions: two
females that had been hurt by people. The huge difference is in
health. This Persian had all sorts of health problems while the others
are very healthy. Maybe some people appreciate Persians for their fur
or the "status" of having a purebred cat because as far as "behavior"
goes, I really see no difference.

We domesticated the cat and began breeding in
characteristics not found in nature. Our softest cats (e.g. Persian,
etc) would probably have a hell of a time actually hunting and surviving
in the wild. Yet they remain some of the most popular of the purebreds.
So, you'd have genetically superior animals that few people wanted for
pets.

I had a Persian for some time and I honestly see no difference in his
behavior from the other cats I have (all adopted strays/ferals). All
my cats were always extremely docile, with only two exceptions: two
females that had been hurt by people. The huge difference is in
health. This Persian had all sorts of health problems while the others
are very healthy. Maybe some people appreciate Persians for their fur
or the "status" of having a purebred cat because as far as "behavior"
goes, I really see no difference.

The precious long haired kitty(Bear) that just died also had a series of
serious health problems and he was born to a small short haired tailless
stray. Do long haired cats in general have more health problems?

The precious long haired kitty(Bear) that just died also had a series of
serious health problems and he was born to a small short haired tailless
stray. Do long haired cats in general have more health problems?

In article , c864320
@yahoo.com enlightened us with...

I had a Persian for some time and I honestly see no difference in his
behavior from the other cats I have (all adopted strays/ferals). All
my cats were always extremely docile, with only two exceptions: two
females that had been hurt by people. The huge difference is in
health. This Persian had all sorts of health problems while the others
are very healthy. Maybe some people appreciate Persians for their fur
or the "status" of having a purebred cat because as far as "behavior"
goes, I really see no difference.


There's the health aspect, certainly, but I have a hard time seeing a
Persian successfully hunting due to the (most popular, it seems to me)
commonly seen snub faces. There's also the common breathing problems
with the "new" version with those snub noses. The "old" version that
actually has a muzzle might fare better, but displaying typical cat
behavior such as stalking and watching birds does not a successful
hunter make. My cats all do that stuff and I know not a one of them
would survive long on their own. They never ever tried to hurt my pet
rats. *heh*

There is more to survival than hunting. The cat must be able to find
shelter in bad climates, avoid predators, understand and live in a
social group (most feral cats do this, not all), and avoid hurting
themselves while going about their daily lives. Some cats are smart
enough for this. Some are road pizza inside of a week (this would be the
fate of my little Princess, who has no fear of cars).

Plus, this is just from what I've seen in documentaries and such, but
for some reason it seems that feral cats are all shorthaired. I wonder
if this is because the long hair mats badly and interferes with movement
(as I've seen on that animal rescue show) and thus the cat cannot hunt
properly...


--
--
~kaeli~
When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace