A Question About Breeding Cats

OK. I have a question. I've tried this before, but really haven't been
satisfied by the answers I've received, but as usual, when checking
out these cat groups, I continue to be flummoxed by some of the stuff
I read:

So some brief background: I adopted my kitty from the Anti-Cruelty
Society in Chicago when she was six months old - now she's a year and
a half. She's a totally delightful cat, but definitely had some
behaviors that were very different from other kitties that I've known.
So I did some research and discovered that all of these behaviors,
which I'll enumerate below, are characteristic of the Maine Coon cat,
a breed I wasn't familiar with prior to the adoption, but one that
happily, contains most of the characteristics I really like in a cat.

Namely: she's a patched torbie with white, widely set ears and eyes,
tufts in the ear and between the toes. Has the glossy coat, longer on
the ruff, tummy and hind quarters and the raccoon tail. Never meow's,
although our other cat is teaching her LOL, and chirps in her own
private language - favorite words being arp-arp and a sound my husband
has translated as "per-bap-bop". She sleeps in the famous Maine Coon
weird sprawls. Prefers to play dextrous games with her paws and has a
horizontal, rather than a vertical orientation. Not a lap cat, except
for the occasional belly rub. Loves to play fetch, and adapted
instantaneously to the harness. (Sometimes we call her "puppy" for
fun). Easy-going, willfull, interested in eveything, loves to explore,
sociable and smart as a whip.
And she "is" the picture that the CFA has on their website
accompanying the breed profile. She is a bit undersized at only 8 lbs,
but still growing :

So here's the point....I adore this cat, and I'm perfectly happy with
her, but it makes me a bit sad that so many people who say they love
the breed, don't seem to realize that there are a ton of kitties who
have the look, the personality, the temperament that is said to be so
valued. And they rot in the shelters under the rubric "domestic
long-hair". So what are we valuing: the cat itself or the papers? I
don't know what her story is: she was found as a young kitten as a
stray with her Mom, got fostered and then I found her - so it may be
some backyard breeding thing run amuck as people tend to sell these
kitties as pure breeds for $300 to $600 each locally.

But I don't really understand how we can claim to value the unique
characteristics of a type of cat and yet disassociate from the
non-papered cats who so epitomize what we say is so special? She acts
and looks more like a Maine Coon than many of the breeder's kitties
that are described here, but she's not a
"real one"? What does that mean?

I guess I'm feeling cynical that this is all about keeping a market
intact for the products of breeding programs. That if we told the
truth about shelter kitties having all of the genetic material of the
various breeds, sometimes in even more wondrous combinations than
humans can devise, that perhaps the customer base would dry up for
"special" designer kitties produced to order?

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality of
any breeder's kitten. The genetic material is out there and
circulating, the cats ARE in the shelters, and they need loving homes
just as much as you need to have an energetic cat, or a lap cat, or a
vocal cat or a pointed one or whatever the set of requirements is.
There's just no doubt that they are there, maybe not on demand, but
sooner or later. Exactly what you're looking for. They just need you
to look for them.

So here's the point....I adore this cat, and I'm perfectly happy with
her, but it makes me a bit sad that so many people who say they love
the breed, don't seem to realize that there are a ton of kitties who
have the look, the personality, the temperament that is said to be so
valued. And they rot in the shelters under the rubric "domestic
long-hair". So what are we valuing: the cat itself or the papers? I
don't know what her story is: she was found as a young kitten as a
stray with her Mom, got fostered and then I found her - so it may be
some backyard breeding thing run amuck as people tend to sell these
kitties as pure breeds for $300 to $600 each locally.

But I don't really understand how we can claim to value the unique
characteristics of a type of cat and yet disassociate from the
non-papered cats who so epitomize what we say is so special? She acts
and looks more like a Maine Coon than many of the breeder's kitties
that are described here, but she's not a
"real one"? What does that mean?

I guess I'm feeling cynical that this is all about keeping a market
intact for the products of breeding programs. That if we told the
truth about shelter kitties having all of the genetic material of the
various breeds, sometimes in even more wondrous combinations than
humans can devise, that perhaps the customer base would dry up for
"special" designer kitties produced to order?

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality of
any breeder's kitten. The genetic material is out there and
circulating, the cats ARE in the shelters, and they need loving homes
just as much as you need to have an energetic cat, or a lap cat, or a
vocal cat or a pointed one or whatever the set of requirements is.
There's just no doubt that they are there, maybe not on demand, but
sooner or later. Exactly what you're looking for. They just need you
to look for them.

I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've said, but I don't have the
answers. It's sad that people still find excuses to buy purebreds, and that
there are so many people who are there to supply them.Enjoy your Maine Coon
look-a-like. Remember, she's no less to any of us than a registered, papered,
MC. After all, the registry for MC's was created not too long ago, and from
"regular" cats. IIRC, Scottish folds originated from a litter of barn cats with
folded ears.

Sherry

So here's the point....I adore this cat, and I'm perfectly happy with
her, but it makes me a bit sad that so many people who say they love
the breed, don't seem to realize that there are a ton of kitties who
have the look, the personality, the temperament that is said to be so
valued. And they rot in the shelters under the rubric "domestic
long-hair". So what are we valuing: the cat itself or the papers? I
don't know what her story is: she was found as a young kitten as a
stray with her Mom, got fostered and then I found her - so it may be
some backyard breeding thing run amuck as people tend to sell these
kitties as pure breeds for $300 to $600 each locally.

But I don't really understand how we can claim to value the unique
characteristics of a type of cat and yet disassociate from the
non-papered cats who so epitomize what we say is so special? She acts
and looks more like a Maine Coon than many of the breeder's kitties
that are described here, but she's not a
"real one"? What does that mean?

I guess I'm feeling cynical that this is all about keeping a market
intact for the products of breeding programs. That if we told the
truth about shelter kitties having all of the genetic material of the
various breeds, sometimes in even more wondrous combinations than
humans can devise, that perhaps the customer base would dry up for
"special" designer kitties produced to order?

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality of
any breeder's kitten. The genetic material is out there and
circulating, the cats ARE in the shelters, and they need loving homes
just as much as you need to have an energetic cat, or a lap cat, or a
vocal cat or a pointed one or whatever the set of requirements is.
There's just no doubt that they are there, maybe not on demand, but
sooner or later. Exactly what you're looking for. They just need you
to look for them.

I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've said, but I don't have the
answers. It's sad that people still find excuses to buy purebreds, and that
there are so many people who are there to supply them.Enjoy your Maine Coon
look-a-like. Remember, she's no less to any of us than a registered, papered,
MC. After all, the registry for MC's was created not too long ago, and from
"regular" cats. IIRC, Scottish folds originated from a litter of barn cats with
folded ears.

Sherry

From: (Tracy)

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality of
any breeder's kitten.

Oh absolutely! I've never bought a cat myself because I just think there are
just as special ones available and in need of homes from local rescue.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: (Tracy)

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality of
any breeder's kitten.

Oh absolutely! I've never bought a cat myself because I just think there are
just as special ones available and in need of homes from local rescue.

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

In ,
PawsForThought composed with style:
From: (Tracy)

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that
shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality
of
any breeder's kitten.

Oh absolutely! I've never bought a cat myself because I just think
there are just as special ones available and in need of homes from
local rescue.

And sometimes right in your back yard. For Bonnie, who is
Siamese-like with her thin legs and triangle shaped face and solid
black body (no points on her, and no blue eyes), thin tail and whiney
voice, for Jake, the huge MC-like stray who is now someones fantastic
pet, his twin who may one day become domesticated enough to be a pet,
for Lightning who is solid dark gray and with his vibrant green eyes
and appears to be a Russian Blue.

In ,
PawsForThought composed with style:
From: (Tracy)

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that
shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality
of
any breeder's kitten.

Oh absolutely! I've never bought a cat myself because I just think
there are just as special ones available and in need of homes from
local rescue.

And sometimes right in your back yard. For Bonnie, who is
Siamese-like with her thin legs and triangle shaped face and solid
black body (no points on her, and no blue eyes), thin tail and whiney
voice, for Jake, the huge MC-like stray who is now someones fantastic
pet, his twin who may one day become domesticated enough to be a pet,
for Lightning who is solid dark gray and with his vibrant green eyes
and appears to be a Russian Blue.

(Tracy) wrote in message . com...
OK. I have a question. I've tried this before, but really haven't been
satisfied by the answers I've received, but as usual, when checking
out these cat groups, I continue to be flummoxed by some of the stuff
I read:

So some brief background: I adopted my kitty from the Anti-Cruelty
Society in Chicago when she was six months old - now she's a year and
a half. She's a totally delightful cat, but definitely had some
behaviors that were very different from other kitties that I've known.
So I did some research and discovered that all of these behaviors,
which I'll enumerate below, are characteristic of the Maine Coon cat,
a breed I wasn't familiar with prior to the adoption, but one that
happily, contains most of the characteristics I really like in a cat.

Namely: she's a patched torbie with white, widely set ears and eyes,
tufts in the ear and between the toes. Has the glossy coat, longer on
the ruff, tummy and hind quarters and the raccoon tail. Never meow's,
although our other cat is teaching her LOL, and chirps in her own
private language - favorite words being arp-arp and a sound my husband
has translated as "per-bap-bop". She sleeps in the famous Maine Coon
weird sprawls. Prefers to play dextrous games with her paws and has a
horizontal, rather than a vertical orientation. Not a lap cat, except
for the occasional belly rub. Loves to play fetch, and adapted
instantaneously to the harness. (Sometimes we call her "puppy" for
fun). Easy-going, willfull, interested in eveything, loves to explore,
sociable and smart as a whip.
And she "is" the picture that the CFA has on their website
accompanying the breed profile. She is a bit undersized at only 8 lbs,
but still growing :

So here's the point....I adore this cat, and I'm perfectly happy with
her, but it makes me a bit sad that so many people who say they love
the breed, don't seem to realize that there are a ton of kitties who
have the look, the personality, the temperament that is said to be so
valued. And they rot in the shelters under the rubric "domestic
long-hair". So what are we valuing: the cat itself or the papers? I
don't know what her story is: she was found as a young kitten as a
stray with her Mom, got fostered and then I found her - so it may be
some backyard breeding thing run amuck as people tend to sell these
kitties as pure breeds for $300 to $600 each locally.

But I don't really understand how we can claim to value the unique
characteristics of a type of cat and yet disassociate from the
non-papered cats who so epitomize what we say is so special? She acts
and looks more like a Maine Coon than many of the breeder's kitties
that are described here, but she's not a
"real one"? What does that mean?

I guess I'm feeling cynical that this is all about keeping a market
intact for the products of breeding programs. That if we told the
truth about shelter kitties having all of the genetic material of the
various breeds, sometimes in even more wondrous combinations than
humans can devise, that perhaps the customer base would dry up for
"special" designer kitties produced to order?

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality of
any breeder's kitten. The genetic material is out there and
circulating, the cats ARE in the shelters, and they need loving homes
just as much as you need to have an energetic cat, or a lap cat, or a
vocal cat or a pointed one or whatever the set of requirements is.
There's just no doubt that they are there, maybe not on demand, but
sooner or later. Exactly what you're looking for. They just need you
to look for them.


Excellent post, and something I have been preaching for years. The
wonderful pointed siamese wanna-bees, the floppy and goofy
ragdoll-wannabees and all of the other wonderful mixes in the shelters
thank you.

-L.

(Tracy) wrote in message . com...
OK. I have a question. I've tried this before, but really haven't been
satisfied by the answers I've received, but as usual, when checking
out these cat groups, I continue to be flummoxed by some of the stuff
I read:

So some brief background: I adopted my kitty from the Anti-Cruelty
Society in Chicago when she was six months old - now she's a year and
a half. She's a totally delightful cat, but definitely had some
behaviors that were very different from other kitties that I've known.
So I did some research and discovered that all of these behaviors,
which I'll enumerate below, are characteristic of the Maine Coon cat,
a breed I wasn't familiar with prior to the adoption, but one that
happily, contains most of the characteristics I really like in a cat.

Namely: she's a patched torbie with white, widely set ears and eyes,
tufts in the ear and between the toes. Has the glossy coat, longer on
the ruff, tummy and hind quarters and the raccoon tail. Never meow's,
although our other cat is teaching her LOL, and chirps in her own
private language - favorite words being arp-arp and a sound my husband
has translated as "per-bap-bop". She sleeps in the famous Maine Coon
weird sprawls. Prefers to play dextrous games with her paws and has a
horizontal, rather than a vertical orientation. Not a lap cat, except
for the occasional belly rub. Loves to play fetch, and adapted
instantaneously to the harness. (Sometimes we call her "puppy" for
fun). Easy-going, willfull, interested in eveything, loves to explore,
sociable and smart as a whip.
And she "is" the picture that the CFA has on their website
accompanying the breed profile. She is a bit undersized at only 8 lbs,
but still growing :

So here's the point....I adore this cat, and I'm perfectly happy with
her, but it makes me a bit sad that so many people who say they love
the breed, don't seem to realize that there are a ton of kitties who
have the look, the personality, the temperament that is said to be so
valued. And they rot in the shelters under the rubric "domestic
long-hair". So what are we valuing: the cat itself or the papers? I
don't know what her story is: she was found as a young kitten as a
stray with her Mom, got fostered and then I found her - so it may be
some backyard breeding thing run amuck as people tend to sell these
kitties as pure breeds for $300 to $600 each locally.

But I don't really understand how we can claim to value the unique
characteristics of a type of cat and yet disassociate from the
non-papered cats who so epitomize what we say is so special? She acts
and looks more like a Maine Coon than many of the breeder's kitties
that are described here, but she's not a
"real one"? What does that mean?

I guess I'm feeling cynical that this is all about keeping a market
intact for the products of breeding programs. That if we told the
truth about shelter kitties having all of the genetic material of the
various breeds, sometimes in even more wondrous combinations than
humans can devise, that perhaps the customer base would dry up for
"special" designer kitties produced to order?

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality of
any breeder's kitten. The genetic material is out there and
circulating, the cats ARE in the shelters, and they need loving homes
just as much as you need to have an energetic cat, or a lap cat, or a
vocal cat or a pointed one or whatever the set of requirements is.
There's just no doubt that they are there, maybe not on demand, but
sooner or later. Exactly what you're looking for. They just need you
to look for them.


Excellent post, and something I have been preaching for years. The
wonderful pointed siamese wanna-bees, the floppy and goofy
ragdoll-wannabees and all of the other wonderful mixes in the shelters
thank you.

-L.

itty (Sherry ) wrote in message ...
So here's the point....I adore this cat, and I'm perfectly happy with
her, but it makes me a bit sad that so many people who say they love
the breed, don't seem to realize that there are a ton of kitties who
have the look, the personality, the temperament that is said to be so
valued. And they rot in the shelters under the rubric "domestic
long-hair". So what are we valuing: the cat itself or the papers? I
don't know what her story is: she was found as a young kitten as a
stray with her Mom, got fostered and then I found her - so it may be
some backyard breeding thing run amuck as people tend to sell these
kitties as pure breeds for $300 to $600 each locally.

But I don't really understand how we can claim to value the unique
characteristics of a type of cat and yet disassociate from the
non-papered cats who so epitomize what we say is so special? She acts
and looks more like a Maine Coon than many of the breeder's kitties
that are described here, but she's not a
"real one"? What does that mean?

I guess I'm feeling cynical that this is all about keeping a market
intact for the products of breeding programs. That if we told the
truth about shelter kitties having all of the genetic material of the
various breeds, sometimes in even more wondrous combinations than
humans can devise, that perhaps the customer base would dry up for
"special" designer kitties produced to order?

Anyway, the point of this message is just to tell people that shelter
cats can have every bit of the looks, temperament and personality of
any breeder's kitten. The genetic material is out there and
circulating, the cats ARE in the shelters, and they need loving homes
just as much as you need to have an energetic cat, or a lap cat, or a
vocal cat or a pointed one or whatever the set of requirements is.
There's just no doubt that they are there, maybe not on demand, but
sooner or later. Exactly what you're looking for. They just need you
to look for them.

I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've said, but I don't have the
answers. It's sad that people still find excuses to buy purebreds, and that
there are so many people who are there to supply them.Enjoy your Maine Coon
look-a-like. Remember, she's no less to any of us than a registered, papered,
MC.

Actually, I value her more because she is probably less likely to
suffer genetic maladies from inbreeding.

-L.