The straight answer about the Scottish Straight cat

I am going to be quite blunt. I think, however, I am being fair. The Scottish Straight is a normal-eared Scottish Fold. And because the Scottish Fold is a normal-looking cat except for the ears which are folded to the skull, the Scottish Straight looks like any other cat including random bred cats. 

The Scottish Straight has lost the only thing which distinguishes the Scottish Fold from all other cats and because of that I don't see the point of trying to sell them to customers. The Scottish Straight is an accident or perhaps they are better described as an inconvenience because they have to be bred in order for the Scottish Fold to be healthy.

Scottish Straight kitten. Photo and breeder: Елена Тюкачева.

This is because breeders have to outcross to a non-folded eared cat when creating litters of Scottish fold cats. They cannot create homozygous cats because when you do that the genetic mutation creates abnormalities in other parts of the body such as the vertebrae and the feet. 

The cat has abnormalities which seriously affects their health and well-being. The only way to avoid this is to create heterozygous cats and when you do that half the litter have folded ears (they actually develop later as kittens are not born with these folded ears) and the other half have normal ears. It is these normal-eared cats which are called Scottish Straight cats.

I don't want to be nasty or critical of people who genuinely are trying to do their best. I'm referring to cat breeders of the Scottish Fold which is currently quite a popular cat thanks to celebrities such as Taylor Swift who likes to carry her Scottish Fold around like a handbag. That is another thing which I disagree with by the way but once again I don't want to be critical because it seems to be fashionable.

The trouble is that there is a big questionmark about the morality or ethics of breeding Scottish Fold cats. This is probably a tiresome topic to many people. As soon as you bring up morality and ethics people tend to yawn and turn off. I understand that but cat breeders have a duty of care towards their cats and if their cats have an inherent health issue they will struggle to discharge that responsibility. The breeding process becomes flawed. It becomes impossible to behave entirely morally which begs the question whether the Scottish Fold breed should exist in the first place.

Silver classic tabby Scottish Fold kitten with a WOW appearance. Photo and breeder: Oksana Mazai.

In Germany, as you may know by now, they ban this sort of cat breed because they describe the breeding process as "torture breeding". They categorise other cat breeds in the same way such as the Persian because that cat is born with inherited health issues such as difficulty breathing and tear duct overflow and a high percentage of Persian cats have polycystic kidney disease.

So the moral of this story is: the Scottish Fold shouldn't exist (and neither would the straight variant either)! The cat fancy is ambivalent about this breed of cat and other cats with similar inherited diseases. Some associations accept them and some don't. The World Cat Federation is the cat Association to which Russian breeders are normally affiliated including The International Cat Association. The World Cat Federation accepts the inherent problems of the Scottish Fold which is why on Facebook Russian breeders of this cat advertise for sale Scottish Straight cats.

Smoky Selkirk Rex Kitten

This is a smoky Selkirk Rex kitten. I think the coat is called black smoke. It is definitely smoke! It's got to be by the very distinctive appearance. A gorgeous looking kitten from the Chatterie du Berger cat breeders in Canada. The location is at the bottom of the page. The breeder is Nathalie Jacques.

Smokey Selkirk Rex Kitten.

If the Selkirk Rex breed interests you please click on this link to see some pages on it. You can explore to your hearts content. Every face is covered.

Nathalie Jacques , Saint-Léonard d'Aston , Québec, Canada   

1(819)399-3747

Pictures of cats: cinnamon British Shorthair

I have decided that this amazing looking cat is a Russian bred, cinnamon British Shorthair registered with The International Cat Association (TICA). I have speculated big time after carrying out a bit of research to reassure myself that this cat association accepts this colour of cat.The cat might also be registered under the World Cat Federation (WCF) which also no doubt allow cinnamon as a coat colour. The CFA does not. I must say it's a fantastic colour for a domestic cat. It is completely standout.

Cinnamon British Shorthair cat. Photo in the public domain on Pinterest

If a visitor came to your home and saw this cat they would be astounded because it's so rare to see a colour like this. Especially because the British Shorthair is really known for its grey coat which is described as "blue" in the cat fancy. We do see lots of blue British shorthair cats all of which are outstanding but cinnamon is unusual. This can also is very much in line with the breed standard in terms of its stocky i.e. cobby appearance, and the eye colour is the same as the coat colour which once again complies exactly with the breed standard. All in all I would expect this cat to do very well at competition. I would love a cat fancy expert or breeder to comment on this post to add some more detail to it if possible. I don't even mind if you disagree with me completely because I enjoy learning!

Abnormal Cat Breeds

What are abnormal cat breeds? As the description implies, they are cat breeds which have been developed because anatomically speaking they can be distinguished from regular-looking cats because they have at least one abnormality. These abnormalities have normally been created because of a spontaneous genetic mutation in a random bred cat. It doesn't matter where the cat lived. It just happens because that is the way nature works. Somebody sees the cat and finds him or her interesting and the news gets back to a cat breeder who wants to develop their own cat breed because they are ambitious.

They pick up the cat and start the long journey into developing a new cat breed. The cat fancy is littered with abnormal cat breeds but they are controversial. Sometimes the abnormality not only concerns the appearance such as the flat ears of the Scottish Fold but also affects the cartilage in other parts of the cat's body. There are health implications. This is the controversial aspect of abnormal cat breeds. An unusual appearance is important for a cat breeder but so is health. And you will find that when a spontaneous genetic mutation causes an abnormality in appearance it can also have undesirable health implications.

I've mentioned the Scottish Fold. Another abnormal cat breed would be the Munchkin. This is the founding dwarf cat. Dwarfism creates small legs under normal-sized bodies. This creates a very cute looking cat and they are popular. But there are two potential health problems linked to this cat breed. And there are about a dozen spin-off breeds from the Munchkin. These are dwarf cat breeds created out of hybridisations; crossing the Munchkin with another cat breed such as the Sphynx. I have a complete list of those breeds on an associated website. I also discussed the two health problems which may affect the dwarf cat which you can read by clicking on this link.

Super-cute Scottish Fold kitten but be careful about health. Picture: Reddit.com

The hairless cats are abnormal cat breeds. There are several variants from the Russian Don Sphynx to the Peterbald and of course there is the well-known American Sphynx cat which is based upon a random bred hairless cat found in Canada. The tailless cats are also abnormal. The Manx is a classic example. Once again there are potentially severe health implications caused by the gene which makes these cats tailless. Breeders have to be very careful because if you breed two Manx cats you can end up with an unviable embryo. You have to crossbreed the cat which dilutes the desired appearance and breeders end up creating cats which are not tailless or in the case of Scottish Fold cats they end up breeding cats with normal ears. What happens to those cats? There is a limited market for them. This is another complication facing breeders of these abnormal cats.

What you find is that some cat associations accept these abnormal cat breeds while others don't. A more tolerant or open-minded cat associations which accepts them is The International cat Association (TICA). A cat Association which rejects them is the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). They are more traditional in their viewpoint about what should be acceptable in a cat breed. Is the CFA more sensible? This is the controversial aspect of these breeds.

In the UK, the GCCF, the Premier cat Association in the UK, is I would argue somewhat ambivalent about accepting these breeds. They generally reject them which I think is correct because the primary objective for cat breeders should be health and then character and then appearance. But they tend to prioritise their cats in the reverse order. This is because buyers are fascinated with appearance and tend to conveniently brush under the carpet issues of health.

Looking at the hairless cats once again, briefly, you have to keep these cats indoors because without fur they can suffer in cold weather or will be sunburnt in hot weather. Admirers of the hairless cat argue that there is no issue because they will always be particularly careful in caring for their cat and keep them indoors. They do need particular care because the sebaceous glands in their skin delivering the oils for their fur deposit these oils on the skin which attracts dirt. The oil has nowhere to go and therefore it has to be washed off regularly by the cat's owner.

Another arguably abnormal cat breeder is the Ragdoll. It was put out initially that this cat lacks sensitivity to pain and would go limp when held. This may have encouraged children to hurt the cats because they considered them to be toys rather than sentient beings. Their highly placid nature also makes them more vulnerable when outdoors. It is argued that they should be kept indoors and they are well suited to an indoor life. I would not describe the Ragdoll Cat as an abnormal cat breed. They are a regular cat in truth and beautiful as well. Not all Ragdoll cats are floppy and super laid-back. They have their own individual personalities too.

Referring once again to the Scottish Fold. This breed has seen a surge in popularity recently, partly because the well-known celebrity singer, Taylor Swift, adopted two. She is very visible holding her Scottish Fold under her arm. Domestic cats normally have very mobile ear flaps so what happens for the Scottish Fold? They can't move their ears and you know that domestic cats have over 30 muscles moving their flaps. And a domestic cat's ears provide signals to an opposing cat. These signals can no longer be made. There is third issue namely that ear mites may be a particular problem for this breed although I have no evidence that this is the case.

Sometimes abnormal cat breeds are created from a normal breed. The classic example is the flat-faced Persian (peke-faced). This beautiful domestic cat should have a standard or regular-looking face but over many years of selective breeding the cat associations (primarily the CFA) decided to refine, as they saw it, the face and made it flatter and flatter to the point where they developed health issues. Breathing problems became an issue and the tears from the eyes could not drain away because the tear duct became distorted. This creates tears rolling down the side of the face which have to be wiped away by the owner. And the fur is exceptionally long to the point where the cat can no longer self-groom effectively. This also places an added burden upon the human caregiver.

There is no doubt that these abnormal cat breeds although interesting in appearance create added issues and responsibilities for the human caregiver. They were created out of a desire to produce a distinguished cat breed amongst a crowded spectrum of breeds. During the mid-part of the 1900s there was a surge in new breeds, some of them wild cat hybrids. Since those times the range of breeds has been far more settled. There is probably no more room to create a strange new breed with a distinguishing appearance. Those days are over. And it is time, in a world which is more sensitive towards animal welfare, for the cat associations to re-emphasise the importance of health and to modify their breed standards accordingly to gently encourage breeders away from extreme breeding.

Another Private Zoo Disaster Waiting to Happen?

May 2012: I wrote about Joe Exotic's private zoo a while ago (see article). I think he has the largest collection of big cats in America. His real name is Joe Schreibvogel. Mr Exotic is your archetypical American big cat obsessive. I am sure at the beginning he had no intention of ending up with nearly 170 big cats and up to 800 (yes 800) other animals in an area that would normally be quite large at 54 acres but must be considered pitifully cramped when you take into consideration the demands for territory of the large wild cat species and other animals. It just gradually happened in the same way a cat hoarder ends up with hundreds of domestic cats.

Having changed his name to "Exotic" it would appear he is also obsessed with the exotic. In my humble opinion what he has created is very far indeed from anything that is remotely exotic. It is sad, unhealthy and dangerous.

Mr Schreibvogel came to my attention in a television documentary program. He was visited by and interviewed by Louis Theroux an English broadcaster who asks telling questions is a very dry and apparently innocent manner. He is able to elicit honest answers to difficult questions. Even though the television program was about seven months ago (Oct 2011) it is still clear in my memory. It clearly had an impact. It was bound to because Mr Schreibvogel's edifice to self-indulgence is so odd.

During interviewing three episodes come to mind. When challenged by Louis about keeping a tiger is a small cage for a long time, Mr Schreibvogel said that what the tiger does not know he won't miss (i.e. the young tiger had never experienced a natural environment). Incidentally, in the wild tigers commonly travel 15-20 kilometers per day and 16-32 kms per night. Let's say they like space, up to 300 square kilometers of it, rather than a 15 foot square cage. I disagree with Mr Exotic because I believe that the desire for a large territory is hard wired into the big cat and inherited. The point is that Mr Schreibvogel simply finds a way to justify what he does whether it is considered cruel or not. Mr Schreibvogel likes his freedom under the famous American constitution but he refuses to give it to a tiger and in doing so he disrespects the tiger. He says that the tiger will be extinct in the wild in 15 years or so. He should know because what he does contributes to that process.

Mr Schreibvogel likes to breed big cat hybrids. He seems to do this without any concern for best breeding practice and inbreeding or preserving genetic purity. As far as I am aware he breeds generic tigers and sells them for profit. Generic tigers are hybrids. There are no conservation benefits to this process. It is just manufacturing tigers for the American commercial marketplace. Does that sound good or acceptable to you?

Mr Schreibvogel also made it clear that under certain unspecified circumstances he would be prepared to kill all the animals under his control. I presume that he meant that if things went wrong he would kill them and perhaps himself. I got the distinct impression that he meant that. He still grieves for this brother who is buried on his land. That is sad but I feel it still affects him emotionally. Is it a contributing factor that makes him unsuitable to keep such a large private zoo?

That is why I have the title: Another Private Zoo Disaster Waiting to Happen? I am  referring to the horrors of October 2011 at the private zoo near Zanesville, Ohio owned by Terry Thompson. As you might recall, he committed suicide and released all his animals. The police shot 48 of them. They said they had to. Everything about these large private zoos are bad for the animals. They live in cages, and then in this case get shot at the end of that misery.  I don't think that the Terry Thompson incident is a freak one-off event because the circumstances under which the events unfolded remain in place. It could happen again and Mr Schreibvogel could the next person to be in the news.

He is certainly under pressure from the authorities and he must always be under financial pressure. Perhaps the unspecified circumstances under which he kills his animals are gradually arriving. Who knows? A recent CBS news story refers to allegations of animal abuse at his private zoo.  Mr Exotic likes to exercise his constitutional rights. If it is legal he has the right to do it, he declares. Yes, agreed. However, the law is frequently an ass and outmoded. Times change. The law follows. The time of the private big cat zoo is over.

All the world's attention should be on how to save the tiger in the wild and to stop pretending it can be done in captivity. If Mr Exotic did something like that he'd get my respect.

Note: If I was the authority dealing with Mr Exotic and wanted to close him down I'd ensure that the animals were protected before taking action.

1900 Manx Cat Compared to 2000 Manx Cat

Today's date: May 19, 2012. This is a comparison between a Manx show cat from about 1900 in England (exact date is, I believe, 1898) and a modern Manx photographed in the United States by the celebrated photographer Helmi Flick. Her photograph was probably taken at a cat show and the cat is therefore also a show cat. The cat of 113 years ago is a classic tabby and the modern Manx is a tabby and white. What separates them is selective breeding based on evolving ideas as to what a Manx cat should look like.

On the basis that both cats are good representations of the breed at the time (which I believe is the case), the Manx cat has been developed to be shorter in length and more cobby. Also the modern Manx leans forward more indicating the preference for hind legs that are longer than shortened forelimbs.  The head looks a bit more rounded as well. The 1898 cat is essentially a normal random bred cat without a tail in terms of overall shape while the 2007 cat is a refined and selectively bred Manx along the lines of what it is believed the Manx should look like but exaggerated somewhat. The general modus operandi is to breed slightly extreme and in some cases very extreme (e.g. contemporary Persian) to make the breed more outstanding and interesting while differentiating it from other breeds.

Jennings, a UK show cat judge of 1901, says¹ that "In shape and size the Manx resembles the ordinary short-haired cat, and may be of any colour and markings, the absence of tail giving the appearance of greater length of limb." Mr Jennings hints that some Manx cats with stumps of tails are ordinary cats with docked tails.

The CFA breed standard for the Manx makes it clear that this cat should be short in length ("short back") and round. The forelimbs should be short and "hind legs much longer than forelegs...".

There you have it. A classic example of how a breed develops over 100 years or so. You can make up your own mind if all that effort resulted in a better cat.

Note: 1. DOMESTIC AND FANCY CATS - ISBN 9781164623557 - pages 22-23. 2. The top photo is published here on the basis that it is in the public domain due to the lapse of copyright over time. Helmi's photo is published with her permission.

Associated: Kurilian Bobtail, a short tailed cat from islands of the east coast of Russia.

Responsible Cat Breeding

The European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals (signed:1987) - "the Convention" - has a bit so say about the breeding of animals. I am sure very few people know about this convention let alone cat breeders. Yet all breeders anywhere in the world, particularly those countries where they like to breed to extremes, would do well to read it. I'll just summarize certain aspects of it on this page.

An international "convention" is no more than an agreement. There is no real enforcement as I understand it. There would be embarrassment if there were flagrant breaches of it. If North American countries were signatories to the Convention there would be embarrassment in some quarters.

If you want to sum up the Convention in respect of cat breeding it states that breeders should not breed to extreme where the cat's health and welfare is put at risk.

Article 5 refers to breeding:

Article 5 – Breeding

Any person who selects a pet animal for breeding shall be responsible for having regard to the anatomical, physiological and behavioural characteristics which are likely to put at risk the health and welfare of either the offspring or the female parent. 

Under Article 15 parties to the Convention agreed to meet routinely to refine the Convention.  It was agreed that cat and dog breeding associations should be encouraged to alter their breeding policies. Clearly they recognized that the cat and dog associations were not doing enough to ensure that their members breed for health and not just appearance.

They even set out some guidelines for change and provided examples of cats and dogs the breeding of which were unacceptable under the Convention.

They asked the cat associations to "set limits to the shortness of skull, particularly the nose, so that breathing difficulties and blockage of lachrymal ducts are avoided..." they are referring to the notorious contemporary, flat-faced Persian that is championed by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). They also refer to the "abnormal positions of the teeth" of the Persian. Persian cat health problems.

The recommendations under the "Guidelines for the revision of breeding policies.." include (where the defect cannot be eliminated) discontinuing the breeding of dwarf cats, Scottish Fold, hairless cats (e.g. Sphynx) and the Manx. Dominant white cats (cats carrying the dominant white gene) should not breed as it results in a relatively high level of deafness.

These are examples. The underlying philosophy is common sense and well known and discussed. Breeders of any kind should not breed cats if the cats are anything other than as healthy as the healthiest random bred cats; nor when breeds are vulnerable to environmental conditions - hairless cats are just that.

It is interesting to note that the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe have issued a resolution on "Breeding and Animal Welfare" that includes the belief that one function of veterinarians is to promote and safeguard animal health and welfare. That concept is completely alien to United States veterinarians who declaw cats and nearly all do. Sorry but it's true. There is a chasm of difference between Europe and the United States.

I'll finish there to avoid getting bogged down in detail. See also:

1. Selective cat breeding
2. Persian cats
3. Persian cat breeding

Thai Cat Breeders Map

A map showing the US states where there are breeders of the Thai cat and contact details (click on the markers for email address). The Thai is only bred in the USA as far as I am aware. It is an "old style" Siamese meaning this breed is intended to be faithful to the original Siamese cats that were imported from Siam now Thailand. I think the original Siamese cats were actually slightly more cobby (stocky) than the Thai but the Thai is a really nice looking cat and far better than the extreme Siamese show cat that I call the modern Siamese (as opposed to the traditional Siamese). Note: Cat breeders don't provide addresses so you'll have to email or phone them.

The map:

What does raised underfoot mean?

ANSWER: Companion animals socialized at the breeder's home. If you visit a cat breeder's home you are likely to see small kittens scurrying around the living room getting under the feet of the people who live there and even visitors. This is generally good for the cat as it gets them used to being around people and other animals. However, it can be dangerous for the kitten because they are literally under the feet of people. Kittens are liable to chase around and can get hurt (trodden on for example). But it is a very important, necessary step in raising a kitten purebred or otherwise.

Photo: Michael at PoC. F2 Savannah kitten.

A1 Savannahs in Oklahoma, USA, a Savannah cat breeder have very expensive Savannah kittens (see above - an F2) running around the living room being raised underfoot literally. On one occasion a tradesman trod on one and killed him. $10,000 up in smoke. Financially: no problem. They were coining it. Cat welfare: as catastrophe and very sad indeed.

Pixie-bob Pictures

Two fine Pixie-bob pictures by the great, the famous Helmi Flick. Helmi has been a specialist cat photographer for many years and her photographs have a special Helmi character: beautiful positioning of the cat due to excellent cat wrangling, great lighting and not forgetting beautiful high quality show cats.

ColoradoPixies G Jonson.
A 7 month old male brown spotted tabby Pixie-bob
Photograph: copyright Helmi Flick

The above cat was bred by Marilyn Trenk of ColoradoPixies Cattery. He looks a bit like a bobcat, which is good because that is the objective! He has a nice stocky, wild appearance. Pixie-bobs are all domestic by the way. There is no wild blood in this cat breed. Marilyn says they are low shedding so if you don't like hair that much, the Pixie-bob might be the cat breed for you. I fancy adopting one myself to be honest.

The photos on this page are protected by copyright ©. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA). Sorry but Helmi makes her living from photography. Please ask Helmi for permission.

ColoradoPixies G Jonson
Photo copyright Helmi Flick

Here he is again. Gloria Stephens who wrote the excellent, Legacy of the Cat (ISBN 0-8118-2910-3) says the Pixie-bob (also spelt "Pixiebob") has a muted spotted tabby coat.  Helmi says that there is ticking between the spots. Ticking is where each hair is tipped with darker colour (Robinson's Genetics). The classic ticked coat is on the Abyssinian cat.

You can read more about this cat: Pixie-bob cat.

Beautiful Toygers

Two pictures of beautiful Toygers by the celebrated cat photographer, Helmi Flick. The Toyger is a "toy tiger". A designer cat. I don't think that it has really succeeded in that goal though. I think it was meant to be for well off people living the modern quick, expensive lifestyle. Things have changed (2011). We are in the middle of world economic problems that seem to be impossible to resolve. This must dent the market for designer cats.

Toyger - Photograph copyright Helmi Flick

This individual cat must be one of the best examples of the Toyger. The mackerel stripes are very nice and the whole appearance is golden and glowing. Is this just a nice version of a striped tabby in brown/orange colors?

Toyger cat - Photograph copyright Helmi Flick

What about Toyger breeders? You can see a full list on the founder's website.

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The photo on this page is protected by copyright ©. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

What is a pixie-bob?

Pixie-bob - Photo copyright Helmi Flick

The Pixie-bob is a purebred, domestic companion cat with a deliberately wild appearance. It is quite a rare breed.

I have a page on this cat: Pixie-bob. The second part of the hyphenated word "bob" refers to the bobbed tail - a shortened tail.

The first part of the word "Pixie" refers to the founding cat of this breed. That was her name. Carol Ann Brewer founded the breed.

Interestingly "Pixie" was a cat with a normal length tail. She was mated with a Manx cat, the famous tailless purebred cat from the Isle of Man to produce the shortened tailed cat. The Pixie-bob looks similar to the American bobtail.

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The photo on this page is protected by copyright ©. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

Abyssinian cat

Photo of Abyssinian cat copyright Helmi Flick

Here is a fine photograph of an Abyssinian cat by Helmi Flick, probably the best professional cat photographer. The Abyssinian is a purebred cat of long standing in the cat fancy. It is probably fair to say that there are about ten cat breeds that are at the core of the cat fancy and the Abyssinian is one. The history of this cat is rather uncertain. Without wishing to be unkind, this cat breed was either created (hybrid) by a breeder in the 19th century or was discovered in India, exported to Ethiopia and then re-exported to England where it was refined through selective breeding. You take your pick! "Abys", as they are affectionately referred to, are elegant cats with an active, athletic appearance. There is a limited range of colours which I think marks this cat out from the other breeds. They are very popular and in the top five on my reckoning....see more.