Showing posts with label Savannah cat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Savannah cat. Show all posts

Tuesday, 29 September 2020

You cannot say that all cats hate water!

I have to confess that I have become a little bit frustrated and perhaps irritated by a large number of articles on the Internet which state with complete confidence that cats hate water. They are generalising about all cats. You can't generalise like that. You have to drill down and analyse the situation in far more detail.

The originan Van kittens swimming. Please click this link to read about the real Turkish Van

Firstly, you have to decide whether you are referring to cats walking outside in the rain and getting wet or whether you are describing bathing a cat or a cat falling into a bath or pond. When a cat, and I'm referring to a domestic cat in this instance, is submerged in water they will in general dislike it. You can pretty well bank on that. But it depends upon the individual cat as to how much they dislike it. Some may hate it and some may simply put up with it while others will love being in the bath.

Rain

However, you have to compare that situation with being out in the rain. We know that in the UK 99% of cats go outside whenever they like through a cat flap. They might go out in the rain. My cat actually goes out when it's raining sometimes. Clearly the rain does not perturb him. Or he is caught in a downpour and comes in soaking wet. It doesn't worry him particularly. Therefore this is, at least, one cat who does not hate water. He just doesn't mind getting wet.

So among the domestic, random bred cats you will find individual cats who might even like water and those who are ambivalent about it and those who dislike it or even hate it. There is a full spectrum of personalities which affects how they relate to getting wet.

Turkish Van

Then you have the cat breeds. There is quite a lot of talk about the Turkish Van swimming in water and liking it. This is a bit of a myth (see picture and link above). All the current Turkish Van cats in Turkey are random bred cats and they will behave just like random bred cats in America or the UK or anywhere else when it comes to getting wet. The person who started the Turkish Van breed was an English lady and she was driving home from Turkey with some cats and they went for a swim in a lake. This does not mean that all Turkish Van cats like to swim in ponds or lakes.

Maine Coon

I read somewhere that the Maine Coon cat likes to swim as well. This is a myth if you've heard it. In general, purebred cats will be no different to random bread cats in this respect.

The wildcat hybrids are much more likely to like or accept getting wet. Photo: in public domain.

Wild cat hybrids

You have to mention the wild cat hybrids. These cats such as the Savannah and Bengal have serval and Asiatic leopard cat DNA in them respectively to varying degrees depending on their filial. This affects their character and their relationship with water. Both the higher filial variants of these breeds are much more amenable to getting wet and even going into showers than the average random bread or purebred cat. 

This is because the serval and the Asiatic leopard cat live in wetter landscapes. The serval lives in and around watercourses and the Asiatic leopard cat lives in rainforests. They are habituated to wetter landscapes and climates. This has been brought forward in their DNA as a form of memory which has been embedded into the characteristics of these two wild cat hybrid domestic cats. That's why they accept or even like water.

Wild Cats

And then if you're talking about cats in general you must talk about the wild cat species. The tiger loves water and spends a lot of time in it. They are great swimmers and can swim in the open sea for miles. The jaguar in South America loves water and spends time in it as well. The small wild cat species, the fishing cat, spends most of its time in and around watercourses where it, yes, fishes. 

There are other the small cat species such as the flat-headed cat which also spends a lot of time on river banks near water. The Geoffroys' cat dives into water to hunt so once again a small wild cat looking much like the domestic cat likes water. All these species actively get into the water and therefore don't mind being wet. You can never say that "all cats hate water". Please don't do it! Rant over.

Saturday, 21 April 2012

Earthquakes and Microchips

Here are two bits of interesting news (21st April 2012) about cats, even though the first story concerns dogs:

Eminent scientist says his cats predict earthquakes

Japan, as most of know, is a country that is more than many others subject to earthquakes as it is situated near a fault line in the earth's crust.  There is a great need in that country to predict the onset of earthquakes.

There is a widely held view that animals are sensitive to seismic activity. Cats are cited in this regard. Associate professor Naoki Yada at the Kanagawa Institute of Technology has decided to run a study with the aid of schools to test the animal sensitivity theories. He says that his cats predict earthquakes by showing increased levels of activity about 70% of the time. An American lady, Kathy, would confirm that.

Rather than use cats he is using catfish! Catfish are prominent is respect of earthquakes in Japan because there is a myth that earthquakes in Japan are caused by a giant sleeping catfish under Japan that swishes its tail. The professor thinks animals is general are able to sense an oncoming earthquake. I'd be pleased to see the outcome of this study. It is interesting that the animal is being relied to predict earthquakes rather than machines. It may help animals to become better respected generally.

Obligatory microchipping of newborn puppies

This is a firm proposal of the British government (April 21st 2012).  The objective is to curb the numbers of irresponsible owners of dangerous dogs in the UK. There has been an increase in the seizure of dangerous dogs, lately. In other words it is about taking proactive steps to prevent attacks by dangerous dogs. There will be a fee of £35 for the microchipping. The details on the microchip will be stored on a central database.

This interests me because it tells us that a western government can create law that imposes an obligation to microchip all domestic animals in the country of a certain species.

On that basis it could argued that domestic cats could and should be micrcohipped under a similar law in other countries or states of other countries as a proactive measure to curb irresponsible cat abandonment that results in an increase in the number of stray and eventually feral cats - "the feral cat problem".

Australia leads the way in this area as they are the country that is most sensitive to the feral cat preying on native wildlife. This attitude resulted in banning of the importation of Savannah cats into the country.


Sunday, 1 April 2012

Bright Eyed Melanistic Savannah Cat

Melanistic Savannah Cat by broadsurf
Melanistic Savannah Cat, a photo by broadsurf on Flickr.
This is a high hitting Flickr photograph of a melanistic Savannah cat that I created a couple of years ago now. I think she was female. She is a breeding cat and her mate was a conventional coated cat (spotted tabby as I recall).

She was living in an inside/outside enclosure. She would not have had much interaction with people and it showed. She wanted interaction with people because when I entered the enclosure quietly and sat down and did nothing to allow her time to adjust she looked quite startled.

She soon got accustomed to my presence. I had put my glasses high up on the cage and she immediately climbed up to check them out.

She then gradually approached and then began to lick me. She licked me so much I became wet with her saliva. She was very cute.

Her appearance had a wild quality. I felt that she was semi-wild. Her eyes are startlingly beautiful set against the rich melanistic coat. When the sunlight shone through her coat you could see the rusty coloured melanin pigmentation. Black is brown in the cat world.

What is surprising is that this photograph has received by far the highest number of views by visitors who come to my Flickr pages (channel). I am not sure why.

It is licensed by me for reuse "as is" meaning anyone can republish it provided they don't adjust it. You also have to provide a credit and a link back to the Flickr page.

I hope you like the photo. She was a great lady cat. I remember my time with her with great clarity. She must have made an impression on me. I think she was fourth generation from the wild (F4).

Tuesday, 17 January 2012

Picture of ginger tabby cat looking anxious in water


In one way I love the face of this cat but I am also worried for this cat. He or she looks very anxious. I don't know how she got into water. Was she put in it? It almost looks way because I don't think she would get in for the fun of it. Some cats don't mind water. Some even like it (Savannah cat breed for example). But the majority of random bred cats don't really like water. This cat is in that bracket. That said, all cats are decent swimmers. Some are excellent (tiger for example). It is a bit of a myth that the Turkish Van likes to go for a swim.

Sunday, 27 November 2011

World's Tallest Domestic Cat Nov 2011

The world's tallest domestic cat at Nov 2011 is "Trouble" who is 48.3 cm (19 in) tall. He is owned by Debby Maraspini (USA) and was measured at the Silver Cats Cat Show, Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, USA, on 30 October 2011.

I am told that the title of the world's tallest domestic cat has moved from Magic, the famous F1 Savannah cat born and raised at A1 Savannahs to Trouble. Magic is 17.1 inches to the shoulder. Magic is still the world's biggest domestic cat as far as I am aware. If I am wrong please correct me by leaving a comment.

The record is confirmed on the Guinness World Records™ website on this page.

"Trouble" was born and raised at Savannah Island Cattery and was awarded the title by Guinness World Records™ on November 17th 2011. You can see the certificate and the story behind the measuring on this page. He is a Savannah cat. I don't know what filial he is (i.e. first generation from the wild - F1 - or second generation).

Photographs are copyright Jeff from Aadnesen Savannahs Cattery

Note: I have taken the liberty of publishing the photographs here in a montage to spread the word about "Trouble". I hope Jeff finds that acceptable. I have provided a link to his cattery.

Thursday, 27 October 2011

Choosing a Pet Cat

Matching a pet with the owner's personality can be quite important in minimizing the risk of abandonment.  Incidentally, I don't like the terms, "pet" and "owner". I prefer "animal companion" and "cat caretaker" or "cat guardian" (if the animal is a cat).

There are too many cats and dogs being abandoned.  Doris Day once said that there were 12 million cats and dogs put to sleep each year in the USA. Whatever the number is, it is high, very high and a shock. I am sure there are similar percentages of domestic animals euthanized in Europe. It is just not spoken about so much.

People need to reflect more on their reasons for adopting a companion animal before proceeding. The reasons should be legitimate meaning not frivolous. You don't get a pet to match the decor of the house or as a Christmas present for the children.

People should also swot up on companion animal care and the costs. There should almost be an obligatory cooling off period between saying, "let's get a pet!" and actually getting it. That simple act would save millions of cats and dogs I suspect.

Choosing a pet cat begs the question whether you would like a purebred cat or a moggie. Purebreds are relatively rare. Moggies are relatively abundant. If you want to help get a moggie. And get a black one as they live longer.

Some individual cats are more passive and more able to cope with being alone. Some are more able to deal with full-time indoor living and living in small spaces. You will find that some breeders say that the Persian must be a full-time indoor cat. The fur is too long to go out in the mud! The Russian Blue is a delicate, reserved cat that likes the security of a home. The Sphynx is without clothes so needs to be in the warm and out of the sun to avoid the risk of skin problems. This is also a smart cat so will interact well if you like that.

The Ragdoll is laid back. More active cats are the wild cat hybrids, Bengal and Savannah. You'll need to be around for these cats and provide input. Actually all cats require input. It is a fallacy to think that cats are independent. They are self-contained but dependent on us for just about everything.

If you don't like noisy cats don't acquire a Siamese or associated cat breed e.g. Oriental SH. They are known for their vocal skills. The British Shorthair has an almost silent voice.

I think, though that you will find some individual cats of any breed or no-breed more cautious and reserved than others. If you want a cat that is fairly static and happy to curl up,  a more cautious cat will oblige. The more confident male cat is more likely to be unhappy with a lack of space and input from us. He is more likely to want to go out and get into trouble.

Associated page: Choosing a cat breed.

Monday, 1 August 2011

The Well Socialized F1 Savannahs

I have a YouTube Channel (my own home page on YouTube) and I am what is called a "partner" at YouTube. The channel does well mainly because there are several videos of two large domestic cat to wild cat hybrids: the Guinness World Records tallest cat MAGIC and TITAN, a superb male. My thanks to Kathrin and Martin Stucki of A1 Savannahs.



Both are F1 Savannah cats. "F1" stands for first filial, which in turn means the first generation from the wildcat to domestic cat mating. These are half wildcats. Their father is a serval.

But the point I would like to make in this short posting is this: these cats are superbly well socialised. They behave like domestic cats. It is the domestic cat half of the cat, if you like, that is the character of the cat. Of course, there is a wild cat element. That's what makes these cats fascinating and desirable. But the wildcat element is shown in subtle ways not in overt and uncomfortable ways. There is that wild look on the face (see header photo). They like water and will join you in the shower - this sort of thing.

F1 Savannah kitten FOCUS
F1 Savannah FOCUS - a darling cat - Photo: Michael

I mention this because the videos of these cats get thousands of comments. And nearly all the comments are nice but there is a notable few that demonstrate a lack of understanding of the socialization of these domestic cats - the largest domestic cats in the world.

People say things like, "that girl is going to get scratched" or "if I handled my cat like that he would bite me".

Of course it depends how you handle your cat but it also depends how well socialized your cat is. Socialization is the process whereby a newborn kitten is trained to be comfortable around and with people and other animals. This is not formal training but simply ensuring the kitten during the first 7 weeks of his or her life is handled properly by people and is in contact with and associates with other cats and dogs etc. in a beneficial way. This makes them relaxed around people and animals and prevents them from being defensive in their presence.

A1 Savannahs who raised MAGIC and TITAN ensure that their cats are socialized to the highest level. It is obviously of particular importance that this happens in respect of large first filial wildcat to domestic cat hybrids.

Michael signature

Friday, 18 March 2011

Savannah Cat Breeder

You are searching for a Savannah cat breeder? Search no more. There in one that is head and shoulders above all others and that includes all cat breeders. I am not getting a commission for saying this, by the way.

You should contact this cat breeder and go from that starting point. I will guarantee that it is the best way of proceeding if you are looking to buy a Savannah cat from a breeder in the United States. And the USA is the home of the SAVANNAH CAT.

I am talking about A1 Savannahs. They are the premier Savannah cat breeder, worldwide. They do business with royalty in far flung places (e.g. Morocco) and they deal with "ordinary" people in the US, UK and Europe etc.

The following F2 Savannah cat was sold to the King of Morocco:

F2 Savannah cat - Photo copyright Kathrin Stucki

I have visited A1 Savannahs on a couple of occasions.  They have a guest house for visitors who want to stick around for a while and see the cats before buying and going home. Or for people like me who just want to visit and enjoy the A1 Savannah Cats farm, which is a model of harmony in a disharmonious world:

Harmony - A1 Savannahs Farm
Harmony at A1 Savannahs Farm - Photo: Michael @ PoC.

At this stupendous Savannah cat breeder there are Savannah kittens underfoot being socialised. They have fun and they can be noisy:





There is good food for visitors and plenty of fun playing with the cats! Oh, and there is some really nice wine too...uhmm I like that..

You might bump into an F1 Savannah cat like "Focus" and play with him or even, at one time, a cat like the famous "Magic" or if you like to see a bit of wildlife you can see the servals. Morpheus is large and his partner Penelope is a lady but they are wild cats remember..

F1 Savannah Cat FOCUS
F1 Savannah cat "Focus" - Photo by Michael@PoC

I could go on and on but I'll just say that if you are anywhere in the world and are looking for a Savannah cat breeder contact A1 Savannahs who are situated near Ponca City, Oklahoma, United States.


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Their website has all you need for further details: A1 Savannahs.

The map below shows a large number of Savannah cat breeders, but the best is you know who..


Map Channels: free mapping tools

Finally here is Kathrin Stucki who owns and runs A1 Savannahs with her husband Martin:



Remember that Savannah cats are wildcat hybrids that are truly domestic cats. They do have that look of the wild, are probably sharper and quicker than the average domestic cat but they are domesticated. Make sure you know the rules regarding ownership in your country or particularly state in America. Some states have banned the higher fillial Savannah cats and in the UK you might need a license. Just check out the legalities. That is the first thing to do.

Michael Avatar

From Savannah Cat Breeder to Home Page

Wednesday, 2 June 2010

Harmony in a Meadow in Oklahoma

Well, this is not about cats. A relief to change the topic for a while, to be honest. But there is a connection between the photograph below and cats.

The photograph was taken in a meadow or very large field belonging to A1 Savannahs near Ponca City in Oklahoma. A1 Savannahs is probably the best cat breeder anywhere.

I spent a very enjoyable 12 days there recently. I stayed in the guest house, a large three bedroomed house next to the farm.

Harmony - A1 Savannahs Farm
Harmonious serene dawn in sunny Oklahoma May 2010
- photo by Michael @ PoC

The cattery is of course on the farm and next to this glorious field.

For an English person (me) the weather in Oklahoma is more extreme than in Britain. Although it is probably more accurate to say that the weather in England is more dull than anywhere else.

There were storms about while I was there. The hail storms are ferocious. The hail can be very large and damage property and people. Staying in the guest house it was like someone throwing tons of stones onto the roof of the house at 4 in the morning.

However, on the morning of this photograph the weather was fine and hot. A hot day was to come. I had determined to go out into the field at dawn, at sunrise to see what the light and the farm animals could produce in the way of a photo.

Luckily things clicked nicely together. First the animals followed me into the meadow. All of them, it seemed. They swarmed all over me. They were very curious.

All I had to do was to move away from them towards the rising sun and then look back. That sounds easy but it was not that easy. I waited and stalked these lovely animals for quite some time until they formed a nice composition.

A major factor in the success of the image is that these animals were all best friends! They got on like a house on fire, sticking together and following one another around. One of the horses gave a ram a love bite.



From Harmony in a Meadow in Oklahoma to Home Page

Monday, 19 April 2010

Martin and Kathrin Stucki in the News

Kathrin and Martin Stucki of A1 Savannahs are in the news, and rightly so. They have a fantastic business breeding Savannah cats. It is more than a business, though. Their passion comes through in the commitment to their work and the quality of the cats that are created at A1 Savannahs. The video below comes from News OK, an Oklahoma new website. A1 Savannahs is at Ponca City in Oklahoma.



All being well (volcanic ash permitting), I will be visiting them in May and I intend to bring back some decent photographs for the website: Pictures of Cats org.


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From to Home Page

Thursday, 5 November 2009

Savannah Cat Charms the Children

Titan is a wonderful, young boy Savannah cat in this video. He is so tolerant and adaptable to human activity and conditions. He takes it all in his stride. We know how children can be a little over enthusiastic with animals and the domestic cat. But this has no effect on Titan.

Titan is an F1 (first generation) Savannah cat of great quality both in appearance and character. Perhaps his great quality is his character. This is because he was raised at A1 Savannahs by the Stuckis. They take a great deal of time over socialising their cats.



You can see this video in large format with some more information on this page:

TITAN Charms the Children



From to Home Page

Wednesday, 28 October 2009

The Savannah Cat Shake

The Savannah Cat Shake is a dance that I have just made up. It is great background music to this video. A credit to the composer is in the video. The Savannah cat is very energetic sometimes and very athletic. Of course that is not always the case. But they seem more alert and sharper than the conventional moggie and I am though talking about an F1 Savannah cat in this instance.

In the video I tried to bring together a bundle of quick moving clips to convey energy and a zest for life.

The video clips are by Kathrin Stucki and as you probably know she own and manages A1 Savannahs with her husband Martin Stucki.

The cats are MAGIC a female cat who happens to be the Guinness World Record Tallest Domestic Cat and TITAN a male F1 Savannah who is equally impressive and a really sweet boy cat.



You can see the video in large format here: Savannah Cat Zest



From to Home Page

Tuesday, 13 October 2009

MAGIC Wakes Up Andreas and MORE

Here is another video about the awesome F1 Savannah cat MAGIC and Andreas who has a very close relationship with this cat.

In this video Magic wakes up Andreas but it is the jump on the bed that is stunning. See what you think:



Have a look at the use of Magic's tail too. She uses it like a hand to touch and caress Andreas's head. Is this scent exchange or just friendly touching? My cat does this but not nearly as well or in such a profound way. See Cat's Tail.



From to Home Page

Monday, 28 September 2009

Cat and Boy in True Harmony

Here is a video of a cat and a boy in true harmony. This is special because the cat is the world's tallest domestic ("pet") cat (official, Guinness World Records) and the boy is Andreas Stucki the son on Martin and Kathrin Stucki who raised both the boy and cat.



I made the video with video material provided by Kathrin. For the technically minded the camcorder was a Flip HD. See the video in large format here: A Close Relationship Between Cat and Boy.

I think this is perhaps my favorite video (that I have made) because of the simple and palpable chemistry between these two. I think that this sort of video (if I may say so) helps to show how our relationship with other animals can and should be on a general level -- meaning more respectful.

We need to do lots more, as a species of animal ourselves, to learn to live harmoniously with other species on this planet rather than using and abusing them, which doesn't always happen but it does happen a lot nonetheless. The wildcats are gradually but with great certainty, I think, heading for extinction in the wild. This is because of us and our activities.

The video is a testament of how fantastically well socialised this cat is. She is an F1 Savannah cat called MAGIC but I guess you know that as she is pretty famous. It is also a testament of how comfortable Andreas is, with what is a pretty big cat, almost the same size as him!

Update: I want to show a video I made of Andreas sister Leonie with Magic too. This is fair. Here it is:



MAGIC is now lives with Lee and Kim Draper of the Bella Gattini Cattery(new window).

From Cat and Boy in True Harmony to Wild Cat Hybrids



Sunday, 6 September 2009

F1 Savannah Cat MAGIC

I'll keep this short. Gotta show you this cat from A1 Savannahs. She is F1 Savannah cat MAGIC and the name is particularly good as this cat is pure magic. Is she the biggest domestic cat - not sure what are the rules for that accolade? But she is big and of so very beautiful. There is a heady mixture of the exotic, the domestic, the energetic, the intelligent and very wild at heart about her.

This is a rare mix in a domestic cat. Her father is a Serval and her mother a Savannah cat. Here is the video:



You can see it in large format here: MAGIC -- MAGIC is now owned by Kimberly and Lee Draper. Their cattery is Bella Gattini Cattery and MAGIC is at their high street shop (a world's first). Get along and see her! This page tells you more about the Savannah Cat Shoppe.



From F1 Savannah cat MAGIC to Home Page

Saturday, 2 May 2009

Savannah Cats with Nice Characters

Bringing into the world Savannah cats with nice characters is at the core of the Savannah cat breeding business and the number one cattery in the world in that business is A1 Savannahs managed by Kathrin and Martin Stucki. I made a short post about Kathrin Stucki. She is a talented person. One thing that the Stuckis focus on is socializing the cats that they breed. All new born Savannah cats stay with them in their home for a time and one thing they have to do during that period is feed them, day and night:



This is part of the process that leads to Savannah cats with nice characters or in cat fancy language, cats that are well socialized. This is particularly important for wildcat hybrids as they can be demanding and a bit intimidating for some people. Here is the Stucki's own little F2 Savannah kitten playing with a tamed Serval kitten, demonstrating the excellent work that A1 Savannahs do of socializing their cats:



These cats were awesome. You can hear Kathrin talking to Ken and Helmi Flick in the background. You can use this video in HD mode.



From Savannah Cats with Nice Characters to Home Page

Monday, 27 April 2009

Ruddy and Blue Abyssinian Kittens

Ruddy and blue Abyssinian kittens are adorable and Helmi is about to photograph them all together but on the second day of the Oklahoma City Cat Show it has been busier and more complicated that expected. Ken Flick had said that we would finish at 2 pm but a we had a lot of people who requested photos late in the day and we are still going strong at 3pm. The complication is that there is a storm coming and it is scheduled to come through the area at about 4 pm.

We are going to Ponca City after the show to meet with Kathrin and Martyn Stucki of A1 Savannahs. The question is whether we are going to be inconvenienced by the storm. The journey to Ponca City is less than 2 hours from Oklahoma City. It takes about 1.5 hours to pack up so it looks like we are leaving at about 6 pm. Then we go back to our hosts (Helmi's cousin) for a clean up. This all adds up to getting to Ponca City late. Anyway we did warn Kathrin that we would be late.

We are staying overnight at the home of A1 Savannahs and leaving them Monday to get back to Bedford, Texas.

For the Flicks a good cat is one that performs well in front of the camera and some are and some decidedly aren't. The better cats are usually the ones that are experienced with being shown.......Moving forward to the next day....As I mentioned, Helmi photographed 6 Abysinnian kittens at the same time. They were bred by Pat Harbert. Here is a snap shot from a video that I am making - please excuse the color cast! It is from a video and taken in florescent lighting.

Three Blue Abyssinian Kittens on Helmi Flick's
studio table being photographed. This photo has a slight colour cast.

Two Ruddy Abyssinian Kittens. Photo copyright Helmi Flick
The person is the breeder: Pat Harbert

See more on this: Two Ruddy Abyssinian Kittens

Why are there three Abys when I spoke of 6? Well, there are three more blue Abyssinian kittens, making 6 in all, and they were all photographed together but Ken and Helmi also like to reduce the number being photographed at one time and I think you can realise why! There are always some cats that are more able to perform in front of the camera and Ken tends to pick these out and focus on them. But the photo session of these kittens covered all 6 together through to individual portraits and they were adorable. Here they are waiting to be photographed:

abyssinian kittens
Three Ruddy and 3 Blue Abyssinian kittens in a cage waiting to
be photographed by Helmi Flick. The 6th is on the left

Update: We are now in Ponca City and in an hotel about to get up and get over to A1 Savannahs to see their fantastic cats and meet Kathrin and Martyn Stucki. I'll get back on that and with a video on the making of the photographs of these gorgeous ruddy and blue abyssinian kittens.

The Photos: These are stills from a camcorder. There will be a video soon.

Update: Here is a video of these gorgeous kittens:


Monday, 6 April 2009

Cat Olympics

It's the cat Olympics. This video is the cat equivalent of the 100 meters relay at the end of the Olympics, only there is no baton and a slight lack of cooperation, almost competition amongst the athletes, which is not going to improve their chances of winning. We'll have to get a trainer in.

If it is not a relay race it is tag wrestling. You know, the fake wrestling when there are two wrestlers on each side and they take turns. Bengal cats are known to be active and athletic. If there was a cat Olympics there would be a large number of Bengal cats in the team.



What other cats might make star athletes in the cat Olympics? All the wildcat hybrids would be there:
The domestic cat can run at about 30 mph max. The Bengal can do this speed. Certainly the one, Daniel, who lives with a neighbor of mine. He would be in the sprints. Bengal cats have a similarity, on a domestic level, to the cheetah; fast but of limited duration. Now the next video is the kind of Olympics that most of us and our cats normally do - the watching kind:



Now, the kind of cat that might, classically be a watcher, is the couch potato of cats, the Persian. The Persian, in any event would be unable to sustain any endurance due to poor breathing. I am talking about the modern flat faced Persian. Persian cat health.



From Cat Olympics to Home Page

Wednesday, 18 March 2009

Is Cat Registration Worth It?

How valid is cat registration? Is cat registration worth it? Purebred cats need to be registered with a cat association to provide the cat's owner with evidence that the cat is a purebred cat. Really, the situation is quite complicated. This is because there is a subtle difference between a purebred cat and a pedigree cat and would expect very few people outside the cat fancy to know or be bothered to know the difference. The point though is this. Unless the rules that govern whether a cat is purebred and indeed pedigree are enforced precisely and the whole thing is managed professionally, the entire purebred cat scene/business will come tumbling down, much like the banks. We thought the banks were a kind of institution, almost a public service. We thought that the people who managed the banks were "professionals". They were but being professional does not mean being good, moral and proper etc.

As I say on the Moggie cat page of the website, if we are to say that we live with a pedigree cat we will need to prove at least 3 generations of the cat have been registered with the cat association in question. The CFA wording is this: A Certified Pedigree will be issued only when three or more generations of ancestry are registered or recorded with CFA. A Certified Pedigree will be issued on an individually registered cat only, not on a litter. {I have taken liberty to quote verbatim for the sake of accuracy}.

Rather confusingly, a purebred cat need not be registered unless we want to prove the cat is purebred in which case we need to prove that the cat in question has parents and grandparents to three generations of the same breed. And of course the breed in question has to be a recognized cat breed. That would normally be achieved by a pedigree registration, it seems.

OK, these rules seem pretty good and thorough. But we don't need to register with the established cat associations. There are, though, what appears to be lesser or what one breeder has called "private registration groups". These organisation exist, it seems to me to get a cat registered for sale and to avoid the more sensible and stricter established cat association registration process. In America the established cat registries are the CFA, TICA and ACFA. The CFA (the largest) charges $20 for certified pedigree, 3 generation registration.

One "fringe" registry is the NORTH AMERICAN PUREBRED CAT REGISTRY. Their requirements for registration are:
  • All purebred cats can be registered.
  • They will register any cat that is already registered with another registry using the registration papers that are already supplied (what is the point?).
  • Even if the purebred is not registered with another registry the cat can be registered provided either (a) if the person is 100% certain of the cat's breed a form needs to be filled out as best as the applicant can ("fill out the information you know and put unknown on the places you do not know") and (b) if the person is not sure about the cat's breed he or she should, "send a side view picture with the application". Is that it?!
  • They charge $10 (attractively half price).
Clearly, the standard is dramatically lower. It is non-existent, in fact. This would seem to be a license for unscrupulous breeders to sell to innocent individuals a cat that is claimed to be purebred when it is not. This weakens the whole process of purebred cat registration and undermines the cat fancy generally, surely. No one seems to mind except perhaps the innocent buyer.

One experienced breeder says that a breeder (and a buyer, I would say) should insist on TICA or CFA registration and for shipping out of the country and if shipping or selling a Bengal or Savannah, TICA regisration is probably essential. Note, he used the word, probable. He was not sure about ACFA registration. Too vague for me.

Is cat registration worth it? Yes, but only if it is with a major and established cat registry with rules that apply a proper standard.



Is Cat Registration Worth It? to Collective Responsibility of Cat Breeding

Thursday, 20 November 2008

Savannah cat banned from Alaska

In a twist to the story about Australian government's ban on the importation of the Savannah cat into Australia a story has emerged from Alaska in which the Alaskan authorities have confirmed their ban on the Savannah cat there and ordered that a Savannah cat that escaped from the owner's home and roamed freed for 6 months be shipped out of the State of Alaska.

The cat concerned, Simon, lived with Sharon Gratrix who is not a cat breeder. Simon was found by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game who on returning the cat demanded that Simon was deported (to use a term for humans).

Sharon had no idea that Simon was an illegal immigrant. The spokesperson for the
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Rick Sinnott was not sure initially (on incorrect advice it seems) if a Savannah cat was illegal. Was this why Sharon was allowed to bring Simon into the country? Not sure how that happened. Anyway, the initial confusion was on the interpretation of the terms of the legislation in respect of game animals "found or introduced". Bringing a Savannah cat into Alaska is within the ambit of the legislation under the term "introduced".

As hybrids of game animals kept as pets and introduced into Alaska are prohibited and banned, Simon had to pack his bags. Game animals are defined as non domestic mammals. This was understandably very distressing for Simon and Sharon. He has gone to live with Sharon's daughter.

This story probably pleases the Australian authorities. But I don't think it sets a precedent. The circumstances are different. The Australian person with plans to breed Savannah cats in Australia is a cat breeder who had made careful security arrangements to keep the cats. This is an important difference. People living in houses with pets will rarely have any carefully thought through arrangements to keep the cat in at all costs.

Savannah cat banned from Alaska to Home page

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