UK cat adopters-purchasers prefer purebred pedigree cats these days

Cats Protection is one of the UK's premier cat rescue organisations entirely based on foster caring. And they are able to tell us that there has been a surge in the purchase of purebred cats over moggies. I normally refer to "adopting" cats but you have to purchase a purebred cat. Obviously it's an adoption as well but it is also a big and quite expensive purchase which might amount to several thousand pounds and more.

Taylor Swift and her Ragdoll Benjamin Button. She is the world's biggest influencer and has enormous powers to change the attitudes of today's young and old alike. Image: her Instagram pages.

And according to Cats Protection, on their website, based upon a report from the charity Cats and Their Stats, 45% of all cats acquired between March 2023 and March 2024 in the UK were pedigree or purebred cats at 715,000 while non-purebred cats i.e. moggies amounted to 685,000. The remainder they say are made up with "cross-breed cats". I believe that's a reference to hybrid cats such as the wildcat hybrids.

They tell us that this is the first time that pedigree cats have overtaken moggies and it's a "complete reversal from three years ago when an estimated 715,000 moggy cats and 490,000 pedigrees were purchased respectively (51% and 35%).

They suggest that the surge in purchasing a purebred cats may be due to the influence of social media with many celebrities flaunting their latest acquisitions. My mind immediately turns to Taylor Swift and her beautiful cats which are, as I recall, a Ragdoll cat and two Scottish Fold cats (see below). She influences many millions of people. It would not surprise me if she alone had changed the attitudes of people wishing to adopt a cat.

I have always argued - and this is entirely my opinion - that high-profile celebrities like Taylor Swift have a duty to adopt healthy cats and the Scottish Fold is not a healthy cat. I believe that she is doing the public a disservice although I don't want to criticise her. There is a big argument that the Scottish Fold should not have been created as a purebred cat in the first place because of its inherited health problems (it is 'torture breeding').

Cats Protection wisely tell us - and of course I agree - that either the influencers and celebrities are unaware of the hidden health risks of some breeds with extreme characteristics and/or the buying public is often unaware of the health risks of some breeds with extreme characteristics. Or they don't care! 😎😉

It's important that the purchasing public of purebred cats to their homework. Some cat breeds are healthier than others. And with an inherently unhealthy fancy cat you take on the expense of veterinary treatments. And you take on the expense of pet healthcare. I'm talking here of what can be the heavy expense of looking after a purebred cat which should be budgeted in when considering adopting a purebred cat. There has been a high number of abandonments of purebred cats to shelters post-Covid.

A good example about inherited diseases will be a recent infographic I created on the extreme-bred Persian cat with the flat-face. This contemporary Persian cat has, as I recall, 14 inherited diseases. Or at least potential inherited diseases. It's important that each person who wants to adopt a purebred cat does their homework and this website has a lot of articles on the inherited diseases of purebred cats which can be accessed and found using the search facility at the side of the page.

Taylor Swift's cats:

Taylor Swift has three famous cats:

1. Meredith Grey – a Scottish Fold, named after the character from Grey's Anatomy.
2. Olivia Benson – another Scottish Fold, named after the character from Law & Order: SVU.
3. Benjamin Button – a Ragdoll cat, whom she adopted after filming the ME! music video in 2019.

Her cats are often featured in her social media posts and have become quite well-known among her fans!

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Jackson Galaxy is disappointed with the cat fancy and cat breeding

 It is no surprise to me that Jackson Galaxy, the world's most famous cat whisperer (cat behaviourist) dislikes or is disappointed with cat breeding and the breeds. Well, I have generalised and read his mind so I'll tell you what he says in his book Total Cat Mojo about the purebred cats and you can make up your own mind. 

He always adopts non-purebred cats. He does the right thing. Although he is high profile, he's very down to earth and a realist. He sees the big picture and the need to do the right thing and adopt rescue cat. He worked extensively in cat rescue before becoming a famous cat bebehaviourist.

Jackson Galaxy loved Barry deeply and misses him a lot. Photo: Jackson Galaxy.

He heads his section on breeding and the breeds with "The Puppet Master Enters: Purebred Cats".

You get a hint in that heading. He's saying that people are playing at God when they create new purebred cat breeds and create them for sale.

He explains that in the early days of the cat fancy there was no extreme breeding as there is today. For example, he explains that the Siamese cat's pointed coat was enough to distinguish that cat breed from the rest and it was and still is. 

And the Persian cat back in the old days was pretty much a standard-looking cat. There were no flat-faced oddities in those days. This is what he says. But today "breeding is an altogether different beast (so to speak), with organisations recognising anywhere from 44 to nearly 60 different breeds of cats (I think actually that TICA recognise more than 70)."

And he then goes on to talk about how the cat fancy developed in America in a detrimental way. He says:

"In the process, we have pushed cats' physical appearance to extremes, often without regard for the well-being of the cats being bred. We've made the Persian's face flatter and the Siamese space thinner and more pointed. Consequently, the changes we have imposed through breeding are in many ways detrimental to the Raw Cat."

The Raw Cat that he refers to is the natural domestic cat, the domesticated wildcat with a wildcat character beneath that domestic exterior.

He adds that:

"By selecting Persians for the brachycephalic (short-nosed) appearance, we have actually made it harder for them to breathe, increased the chance of skin, dental and eye disease, and made giving birth riskier and more difficult.

Scottish Folds are used as a model for studying pain and arthritis because the mutations that cause the folds in their ears also lead to painful degeneration in their bones and cartilage.

Manx cats are prone to back pain, constipation, and other elimination problems because of spinal cord deformities.

Maine Coon cats are prone to heart disease, and Siamese cats have a higher likelihood of asthma and hyperaesthesia. Sidebar from Michael: the modern Siamese is the unhealthiest breed and the Persian is in the top three.

RELATED: Siamese: The World’s Most Unhealthy Cat!

These are just a few examples. When you limit the gene pool, you increase the chance of dangerous mutations and disease. There is no other way around it.

Humans may be pulling the strings when it comes to cats' exteriors, but are we making any progress in understanding their inner world?"

As you can see, he is critical of a section of the cat fancy where they breed purebred cats to extreme meaning the anatomy becomes abnormal in order to create a cat which looks different and can be completely distinguished from the other breeds. 

The objective here is to sell more cats and to follow the breed standard accurately but breeders go beyond simply following the breed standard in their efforts to create more interesting cats at which point they create unhealthy cats as is emphasised by Jackson Galaxy.

Gen Z pet owners (ages 18 to 25) are far more likely than other age groups to have a variety of pets

Forbes Advisor has produced some interesting statistics about pet ownership in the United States of America. Perhaps the leading statistic from this research is in the headline. Generation Z as they are called are far more likely than other generations to have a pet with, for example, 86% having a dog and 81% having a cat. 

It doesn't stop there because 46% have a bird and 30% keep a hamster or guinea pig. By contrast, baby boomers, those born after the Second World War, are the least likely to have a pet; 50% have a dog and 42% have a cat. Only 6% have a hamster or guinea pig by comparison.

Image: MikeB - Gen Z pet owners (ages 18 to 25) are far more likely than other age groups to have a variety of pets.

Big increase in pet owners

So, there's been a massive increase in the number of pet owners in America and the same applies to the UK by the way. And this increase is mainly coming from Generation Z, the country's young people. 

Covid

They are turning to pets and I wonder whether Covid-19 had a major role to play in this. You know those two years when people were stuck at home getting bored and feeling isolated? Well, that's certainly brought about a surge in adoptions simply for companionship.

And they felt that because they were at home working, they had the time to give to a newly adopted companion animal. Perhaps, though, the problem was that they weren't fully prepared. Sometimes they adopted in a self-indulgent way.

These thoughts are, I notice, supported by the Forbes survey when they state that "78% of pet owners surveyed by Forbes Advisor acquired pets during the pandemic".

1988

Forbes say that you would find a pet in the USA in 1988 in 56% of homes. In 2023 the percentage has climbed to 66%.

More dogs than cats

I have read many articles in which the general tenor is that there is an equal number of cats and dogs in the US but these statistics undermine that statement. As at 2023, dogs are the most popular pets in the US with 65.1 million US households owning a dog followed by cats at 46.5 million and freshwater fish at 11.1 million. 

That means the number of dog owning households is 1.4 times the number of cat owning households in America. That's a big difference. Although by itself it doesn't say that there are more dogs than cats in the US.

Although, I just noticed that in this case it does mean just that. They estimated that there are 65.1 million dogs in the US as at 2023 in comparison to 46.5 million domestic cats. In comparison, there are 2.2 million horses kept I presume as pets or companion animals in the US as at this date. 

Lower than I am used to seeing

Note: these figures seem lower than what I read in the past. I've seen figures as high as 80 million domestic cats in the US but clearly these were estimates. And also, on a separate topic, there are many estimates about the number of feral cats in the US and the numbers vary wildly indicating that the experts simply don't know.

Cost

On the issue of costs, typically dog owners spend $339 on food for their dog and $367 on veterinary care, $79 on toys, $99 on grooming and $28 on "other" making a grand total of $912 per year on a dog in the US.

As for cats, a cat owner spends $310 on food annually, $253 on veterinary care, $50 on toys, $18 on grooming, and $22 on other making a grand total of $653 annually on a cat. Note, I have used the singular "cat" or "dog" in those statements. I have made a presumption because Forbes does not tell me whether those are the costs for cats, plural, or dogs, plural. I will presume it must be for one cat or one dog.

Overall, in 2022, Americans spent $136.8 billion on their pets which is up 10.68% from the previous year.

Adoption - buying

Perhaps rather sadly, 42% of dog owners acquired their pet from a store which is considered not the ideal route to acquire a pet because when you buy one from a store sometimes you don't know how good the dog is in terms of health and their pedigree. The same of course applies to any animal bought at a pet shop. 

In contrast, 43% of cat owners got their pets from a store. 40% of cat owners acquired their cat from a shelter while 30% of dog owners did the same thing.

Home owners

As expected, people who own their homes are more likely to have a companion animal compared to those who rent.

Better off

Also, the better-off households are more likely to own a companion animal. 63% of households with an annual income of a hundred thousand dollars lived with a dog while 40% lived with a cat. You can see the bias towards dogs here and I would suspect that households with higher incomes are more likely to adopt or purchase a dog than a cat. 

My argument is that higher income families are more alpha in their behaviour and more alpha males, for example, are more likely to prefer dogs to cats. That may be a crude argument but I think it is plausible.

Breeders

7% of cat owners bought their cat from a breeder. In comparison, 23% of dog owners bought their dog from a breeder. This probably reflects the fact that there are far more purebred dogs than purebred cats for the simple reason that domestic dogs have been around far longer than domestic cats. There are more dog breeds than there are cat breeds. Far more in fact as I recall. So, it is far more normal to buy a purebred dog than a purebred cat.

One cat or dog

65% of dog owning households owned just one dog in 2020 compared to 60% in 2016 and 56% of cat owning households owned just one cat in 2020 compared to 53% in 2016.

The best cities for pet owners in the USA

In the following order, the best cities for pet owners in the USA, led by Tucson, Arizona with a score of 100 are: Raleigh, North Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; Wichita, Kansas; Cincinnati, Ohio; Plano, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; Glendale, Arizona.

Tucson had a dog vet cost score of 90, a cat vet score of 89.89, a vet access score of 92.67, a pet friendly spaces score at 78.02. Glendale had a dog vet cost score of 72.22, a cat vet cost score of 71.91, a vet access score of 96.00, a pet friendly spaces score of 80.70 and an overall score of 88.99. Glendale was in 10th place but still of course in the top 10 best cities for pet owners in the USA.

Ben the Vet promotes the humble moggy

Ben the Vet likes to tell the world through social media (TikTok) the breeds of dog that he would not adopt and the 4 cat breeds that he would avoid. He has now moved onto the next logical step which is to tell the world the kind of cat that he would adopt, and I am pleased to announce that he prefers moggies to any other type of cat. Every cat caregiver concerned about cat health would agree with Ben.

My cat. A humble tabby non-purebred. Image: MikeB

And the reason is that random bred cats are, just that, random bred. There is no selective breeding. There is no artificial selection. Random bred cats are created through natural selection or as natural as it can get in an artificial human environment!

And therefore, they are healthier than purebred cats due to genetic diversity which leads to the inevitable conclusion that they live longer on average. I say 'on average for the obvious reason that sometimes, individual purebred cats can have long life spans.

He mentions four cat breeds that he would not adopt but he could have mentioned more. He has selected these breeds because they have inherited genetic health problems. You can read about them by clicking on this link.

And the same goes for the dog breeds. The point is that Ben is concerned about selective breeding which perpetuates the introduction of recessive genetic mutations into cats and dogs.

I realise that it is unpopular to discuss this topic. There are many die hard pedigree cat and dog afficionados who refuse to see the health aspects of the breeds. I understand their opinion, but it is essentially wrong. 

Breeders select foundation cats and dogs that are very handsome, and which are in line with the breed standard. They don't tend to select cats and dogs from which to breed which are inherently healthy. They don't prioritise health when they should be doing this.

Breeders should be prioritising health first, personality second and appearance third. But they prioritise these three elements in the reverse order because they have to stick to the breed standard and that document demands inbred animals often with extreme features.

Ben is a celebrity veterinarian who has a big presence on the social media site TikTok. His full name is Ben Simpson-Vernon. He gets lots of hate online because of his attempts to promote health in companion animals.

He says that: "I would just get a domestic shorthair, otherwise known as a moggy-just your regular, standard, garden variety cat. They're the cat equivalent of a mutt, or a mongrel, so on average they are going to be less inbred than your average pedigreed cat. And they're just lovely."

The problem with humankind in respect of cat and dog companions and selecting one is that people are obsessed with appearance. People like to possess beautiful objects. And when it comes to companion animals, they tend to be more interested in the appearance of the animal than their character. This feeds into selective breeding by breeders for appearance.

In my view, it is a human weakness to be obsessed by appearance and there is a moral duty (I'm preaching - sorry) to create purebred cat companions that are as healthy as possible. This does not happen.

The cat associations do not help because they write breed standards which leads to unhealthy cats e.g., the contemporary Persian with the flat face which distorts the anatomy.

There are other breeds which are bred to extreme which in turn affects their health. And there are many breeds based upon genetic mutations resulting in an abnormal but interesting appearance. These mutations have an impact upon the anatomy of the cat which is detrimental to their health and I'm referring in this instance to the well-known Scottish Fold. There are other breeds.

I am pleased that Ben is promoting the humble moggy. That is the way it should be.

Cat overpopulation in the United States - a FULL discussion

This is a comprehensive discussion about cat overpopulation in the United States. Core information comes from The Welfare of Cats (ISBN 978-1-4020-6143-1). If on occasion I sound like someone who fervently believes that we can do better and that the current situation is untenable then it is true, I am. I think people have to become more passionate about this subject because we can't ignore it.

A well-known picture signifying cat overpopulation! Image in the public domain.

I will minimise stating my opinion but will refer to the opinion and work of Americans in studies. I can't quote what they say because that would be a violation of their copyright. What I write will be a précis (a summary in my words). That way no one can criticise an outsider for commenting on something he knows nothing about. I actually know quite a lot about it through reading.

It is a grizzly subject but one that has been around so long and become so entrenched that is has been normalized. All the problems and issues about cat welfare in the USA pale into insignificance next to the welfare problems associated with cat overpopulation because it leads to their mass euthanasia.

Apparently, every minute of every day, four cats are killed at shelters in the USA (2012). Makes you think, doesn't it? Since first addressing this issue things have improved but there is a long way to go.

It is ironic that 90% of Americans think of their cat as a family member. A lot of former family members are being deliberately killed every day. It seems that cats are more disposable than dogs as there are some shelters where demand outstrips supply - something that is unheard of in the cat world.

Cat overpopulation is dictated by:

1. Overbreeding
2. Breakdown of human/cat relationship leading to relinquishment
3. Failure to sterilise cats
4. Requirement to increase adoptions from shelters.

Introduction

America is divided into people who see the huge numbers of unwanted cats that are deliberately killed each year (euthanized) as a tragedy and those who act irresponsibly and who regard their cat as disposable. The latter group are indifferent to the mass slaughter and to the suffering that their actions cause the cat. Perhaps many are blind to it. They just don't think about it.

The attitude that cats are disposable is handed down from generation to generation. The cycle remains unbroken to this day. The origins of this mentality are unknown. I have made some tentative proposals (first and second). Comment: one comes to mind while writing this. 

If veterinarians set standards that undermine respect for the cat, it must be a contributing factor. It may be a major factor because what the vet does is a form of education and leadership to cat owners in the US. If vets treat cats as a commodity by which a profit can be earned it sends out the wrong message. Vets have an important role to play that goes well beyond treating cats with medical problems. Declawing cats is indicative of treating cats as commodities. 

Vets don't realise that when they declaw, they not only mutilate cats unnecessarily but they also teach cat owners that cats are customizable. And that is a bad lesson to learn. It means they can be discarded as and when necessary.

Cat Overpopulation Defined

Some people refer to a 'surplus of cats'. Others say that there is no cat overpopulation problem but an organisational problem of placing relinquished cats with homes that want a cat. Others just turn it around and say there are not enough homes. The fact is that if millions of cats are euthanised in America each year we have to conclude that there is a cat overpopulation problem and it is irrelevant how you interpret it. We have to work within the circumstances that we find ourselves.

P.H. Kass defines "cat overpopulation" as:

The existence of cats that are at risk of euthanasia because they are both unwanted and not owned.

As he says this includes the large number of cats at shelters.

Handsome feral cat. Image in public domain.

Vets Feral Cats and Numbers

Veterinarians in America are "frequently" presented with unwanted pets. They are sometimes asked to euthanise the companion animal. Some agree to do it and some don't (comment: I would have thought that killing a healthy cat - euthanasia is the wrong word - is a major breach of the veterinarian's oath and so I am shocked to hear that. It seems that the vet's oath has no meaning amongst a minority of vets or is it the majority as nearly all declaw cats in breach of the oath).

Many of the reasons for a breakdown in the human/cat relationship that can be overcome by cat owners working with veterinarians. This option is not taken up by the cat's owner and it seems that the vet does not always or even sometimes use his or her best efforts to sort things out.

Feral cats are a massive subject. Their beginnings are in abandoned domestic cats. They are ultimately part of the "disposable cat" mentality problem. The feral cat may have become part of the landscape and part of the US ecosystem. I don't know. They may serve a hidden purpose in keeping down rodents which is ironic as that is the original reason why the wild cat was first domesticated. Whatever we think, the feral cat also divides Americans. Some loathe them, others see vulnerable animals requiring help. The division in attitude is along the lines of disposability and respect for the cat mentioned above.

Comment: some kind people adopt colonies and feed, trap, neuter and return feral cats while others look on in disgust and want to criminalise this behavior and/or simply exterminate feral cats. There is a raging battle between bird conservationists and cats supporters. The feral cat and domestic cat are considered invasive species damaging native wildlife. They are in the internet news almost daily. Feral cat numbers are the single biggest news story regarding the cat after cat hoarding.

Whatever, they are part of the American cat overpopulation problem and millions join domestic cats to be killed at shelters. How many shelters are their? We don't know apparently. Some are privately owned making it difficult to work out total numbers. 

The Humane Society of the United States says that there are 1,800 while the American Humane Society says 3,000 to 5,000. Also records on numbers of cats at shelters are suspect even if it is obligatory to keep information (for local authority shelters) or it is not available to the public (for private shelters). Comment: I am told that shelters are reluctant to assist in providing information on any issue. I know this from personal experience in collecting data through this site about declawed cats at shelters. Personally, I am suspicious about shelters and the commercial aspect of shelters.

Are the figures from government shelters on "euthanasia" understated? They are certainly imprecise.

What are the figures at 2007? They vary widely. Comment: indicative of a lack of real concern by the authorities?

• 5.7 - 9.5 million cats euthanised at animal shelters in 1990 (source: Kahler 1996)
• 5 - 7 million cats (American Humane Association 1993)
• 4 million (American Humane Association as referred to by Patronek 1996)
• 3.18 million
• 3.62 million (Rowan 1992)

Sometimes someone wants real, hard figures! California gathered some hard data in 1992 from government shelters:

• 81% of the almost half a million cats at shelters were euthanised in 1992 (391,435/484,173 x 100).
• 73,935 were adopted or claimed by their owners.
• 4% of cats were unaccounted for.
• 12% of the American population of cats are in California. Extrapolating these figures to nationwide figures results in 3.6 million cats euthanised yearly.

Note: as some cats at shelters would have been euthanised for genuine reasons the numbers killed at shelters does not necessarily = the number of adoptable cats. Some were not adoptable for health and/or behavioral problems (comment: the assessment of behavioral problems is problematic to say the least. Cats at shelters are often stressed. How do you assess adoptability accurately under these conditions?). Anyway, what are the numbers in this respect?

The estimate is that 17% of cats euthanised at shelters are for genuine reasons and therefore this percentage should be deducted from the total figures above (source: Kass 2001). Apparently, people come into shelters to have their cat euthanised rather than go to the vet as it is cheaper (free in fact) and more convenient. The average age of these cats is ten.

Comment: Ten years of age is not old, although technically a cat is in old age at ten, so I am surprised at that figure. How do we know how many of these cats have terminal health problems that require euthanasia? How are they assessed? By shelter staff and the owner? I can see a lot of subjectivity taking place under these conditions. What I mean is the shelter staff will be happy to please the cat's owner and also be used to euthanising cats by the tens of thousands. Don't people become inured to death under those conditions? Personally, Kass's figure of 17% should be substantially reduced in my opinion. Also, it seems a little uncaring to me to walk into a shelter to have your cat euthanised.

There is a need for far better record keeping at shelters which should be made public. The records should accurately compile data on input/output, numbers euthanised, reasons for euthanasia, numbers of cats euthanised on request of owner etc. This would allow the effectiveness of local programs to reduce cat overpopulation to be assessed properly. Comment: Shelters are a vital source of information on cat populations and cat ownership trends.

Uncontrolled Cat Breeding

Some cats are not spayed or neutered. These cats breed sometimes. That is a major factor in the cat overpopulation problem.

But for the fact that more than 80% of domestic cats in the United States are sterilised the cat overpopulation problem would be a lot worse, obviously. The problem is that it is only about 80% of the cat population and not 100% because it is the remainder of cats who are not fixed that are sometimes allowed to breed. Although cat haters like to exaggerate the breeding rate of cats, both feral and domestic, they are good survivors and therefore good breeders.

One important issue is the age at which a kitten or cat is sterilised. Some cat caretakers believe that a female cat should "experience parturition" (give birth) before being sterilised. Some people believe it is good for the cat's health. Some vets say a cat is potentially healthier after the operation. Or the cat has a right to reproduce. A study revealed that about 20% of cats give birth to an average of 2.43 litters of an average of 4.3 cats before being spayed.

Comment: and as for male cats there is a discussion as to whether early neutering (before sexual maturity) affects the development of the male cat's characteristics making him more feminine in appearance.  In fact, some people equate declawing with neutering and spaying. If the former is bad so is the latter. Looking at the situation totally logically it is sad that we have to sterilise all the cats.

Another reason for not sterilising a cat is financial. However, many places offer discounts on the operation. Perhaps there is a need to extend discounted spay and neuter operations across the nation. There is an argument that says it should be obligatory.

Why People Relinquish Their Cats to Shelters

Why are cats given up to shelters? I don't think the scientific community can provide a complete answer to the question.

However there have been several studies. In one 50% of the owners who relinquished did not have plans to adopt a cat. Comment: most cats are given up when they are young indicating a lack of preparation, knowledge and proper expectations. The figures in this study (Miller and other in 1996) and others are as follows:



Without wishing to generalise and over simplify, the studies indicate that cat relinquishment is in part or substantially due to:

• inexperience
• ignorance
• incorrect expectations (my comment)
• poor education
• low income
• lack of role models on cat caretaking
• lack of access to veterinary care

An added complexity is the diversity of cultures of the American people (heterogeneity). People should seek help. Here are some resources:

• International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
• The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) 
• The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB)

Factors Affecting Adoptions

More work needs to be done in this area. One study (Lepper and others in 2002) indicated the following: Kittens under one year of age were:

• 4x more likely to be adopted than cats aged 1-2 years
• 5x more likely to be adopted than cats 3-5 years old
• 19x more likely to be adopted than cats over 5 years of age.

Also:

• Sterilised cats are preferred over unsterilised cats
• Spayed females are 4x more likely to be adopted than intact females
• Neutered males are 6x more likely to be adopted than intact males
• Neutered males are preferred over spayed females by a factor of 1.56x
• White cats are the favourite colour
• Next favorite was pointed and then grey cats
• Least favorite were black and brown cats (half as likely as tabby cats)
• Purebred cats were favored over random bred cats
• Cats described as being geriatric, ill and having behavioral problems reduced adoption success.
• Men who adopt are more likely to give up their cat than women within 6 months of adoption.
• More first time adopters gave up their cat subsequently than people who had previously cared for a cat.
• People rejecting their adopted cat were on average younger than people who retained their cat.

Ways to improve retention rates of adopted cats are:

• Provide information about cat care and training
• Ensuring person has correct expectations
• Ensuring better understanding of cat caretaking
• Ensure person is committed.

Geography of domestic cat breeds

Most cat breeds originate in America. Here is a list of 80 breeds of pedigree domestic cat and the countries where they originated. The top country is by far America, as expected, and the second most prolific country in this respect is Britain. America is without question the greatest country for cat aficionados. It has the biggest marketplace, if you wish to call it that, for domestic cats.

The famous and doomed California Spangled. This was the world's most expensive cat at the time.

RELATED:  The History of the California Spangled Cat.

It should be noted, however, that the cat breeds represent quite a small percentage of the total number of domestic cats in America. I don't know the exact percentage but it'll be around 15% of all domestic cats in America will be purebred pedigree cats. The figure is around 10% in the UK.

The following breeds originate in America: Maine Coon, Mexican Hairless, Himalayan, Karakul (no idea about this breed), modern Persian (flat-face), Balinese, Ohio Rex, Kashmir (another breeder that I have not studied), Tonkinese, Bombay, California Rex, Oregon Rex, American bobtail, Javanese, Ragdoll, Snowshoe, Bengal, Ocicat, American Shorthair, American Wirehair, Exotic Shorthair, Somali, Tiffany, California Spangled, American Lynx, Malayan (no idea!), American Curl, York Chocolate, Ojos Azules, La Perm, Si-rex (I don't know this breed either) Selkirk Rex, Nebelung, Munchkin and RagaMuffin. Note: we have to add the other 14 or so dwarf cat breeds to the Munchkin.

RELATED: RagaMuffin Cat.

Cat breed originating in Britain include: British Shorthair, Colourpoint shorthair, Oriental shorthair, Cornish Rex, Havana Brown, British Angora, Javanese, Devon Rex, Scottish fold, Colourpoint British shorthair, Coupari (I don't think this breed exists any more), Tiffanie, Burmilla, Seychellois, Rexed Maine Coon and Suqutranese (another breed that I have never heard of). I am sure the last breed no longer exists.

RELATED: List of cat breeds with date and place of origin.

To the best of my knowledge, Australia has one purebred cat breed originating in its country namely the Australian Mist.

I list the remaining countries and the breeds originating in those countries:

• Burma (Myanmar): Burma;
• Canada: Cymric and Sphynx;
• Egypt: Egyptian Mau;
• Ethiopia: Abyssinian;
• France: Chartreux;
• Germany: Prussian Rex and German Rex;
• Holland: Dutch Rex;
• Iran: Persian;
• Isle of Man: Manx;
• Italy: Italian Rex, Colourpoint European Shorthair, European Shorthair;
• Japan: Japanese Bobtail, Japanese Bobtail longhair;
• Kenya: Sokoke;
• Russia: Siberian: Russian Blue, Kurilian, Urals Rex;
• Singapore: Singapura;
• Thailand: Siamese, Korat;
• Turkey:  Turkish Angora and Turkish Van.

If you can correct or add please do so in a comment. This list may be out of date or incomplete.

Source: Dr Desmond Morris: Cat World and myself. I added to the list which was made in 1992.

Purebred kittens and puppies are being smuggled between mainland China and Hong Kong by boat

The Asia One website reports the death of an alleged Chinese smuggler of 28 kittens and puppies whose body was found in Hong Kong waters after a high-speed chase. Two men were involved in the smuggling of kittens and puppies from mainland China to Hong Kong. The police tried to intercept the speedboat. It took off at high speed. The pursuit took 10 minutes during which one of the men fell from the speedboat about 1.8 km offshore. They think he might have jumped to avoid capture.

Kittens, cats and puppies are being smuggled between mainland China and Hong Kong by boat. Photo: SCMP.

The police found 15 puppies and 13 kittens inside eight cages on the speedboat together with other contraband. The pets were expensive breeds. They projected that each could be sold for as much as HK$10,000 each in Hong Kong (£928). It seems that expensive purebred puppies and kittens are being smuggled from mainland China to Hong Kong for sale. This must be happening to avoid importation laws and duties.

UPDATE: The Guardian newspaper reports terrible news causing outrage in Taiwan:

"The animals were estimated to have a value of $10m New Taiwan Dollars (US$357,504). All were put down on Saturday, which also happened to be International Homeless Animals Day."

Last November 34 kittens and 9 puppies were also smuggled into Hong Kong from the mainland. On that occasion no arrests were made. The kittens were expensive purebred cats such as Ragdolls, Russian Blues, British Shorthairs, Scottish Folds, American Shorthairs and Bengals.

On another occasion, sadly, 15 cats and dogs were discovered deceased inside cages. They believe that the cages were thrown overboard while the smugglers were being pursued by the police. Apparently smuggling also takes place in the opposite direction from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland. When companion animals are smuggled from Hong Kong to China it is believed to be because mainland Chinese working in Hong Kong return home and ask an agency to have their pets sent to them. They pay 40,000 yuan for the service.

Comment: I don't know the laws pertaining to the importation and exportation of animals in and out of Hong Kong and China but clearly there are heavy restrictions. There is a land border between Hong Kong and China and a sea border. I'm going to guess that the smugglers chose the sea border because they felt it was far more likely to succeed. It appears that smuggling pets in this way is not uncommon. Covid may be the main reason for smuggling pets as there may be an absolute ban on pet importation into Hong Kong at this time.

Ultimate source: SCMP.

What is the cat fancy?

The cat fancy is that group of people who breed purebred pedigree cats for adoption and for showing at cat shows and it also includes those organisations called cat associations which govern cat shows and provide guidelines in the form of breed standards for breeders to follow.

Lynx point Siamese cat at a cat show. Cat shows are part of the cat fancy. Photo: Pixabay.

In short, it is that group of people who are involved with showing, selling and breeding purebred cats. The word "fancy" is an interesting one because you may have also heard of the phrase 'pigeon fanciers'. These are people who breed racing pigeons. There are other fanciers concerning other animals. The word 'fancy' in this context means 'to like', to put it simply.

So cat fanciers are those people who like purebred cats and therefore they like to breed them. And if you breed purebred cat you want to breed the best purebred cat you can. This means that you want to win a cat show or win a category at a cat show. 

You do this by making sure that the cat that you breed fits in as near as possible perfectly with the breed standard as provided by the cat association to which you are affiliated and where your purebred cat is registered.

All purebred cats should be registered with a cat association. In some countries you will see purebred cats, often Persian cats, for sale which probably are not registered with any cat association and therefore you can't be sure that they are genuine. Their appearance may be slightly dubious as well.

A lot of countries do not have a cat fancy. The biggest cat fancy is in America and the idea of a cat fancy was started in England in the late 19th century. The largest number of purebred cats are in America. America is a nation of cat lovers with the world's largest number of domestic cats and the highest number of purebred cats. However, like all nations there are those who dislike cats of which there are many millions in America.

The most popular purebred cats in America are probably the Persian, Siamese, Bengal and Maine Coon. You can find out which are the most popular by finding out which cat breed sells the best and that information should be available with the cat associations and if not they can at least tell you the number of cats that they register of each particular breed. That is an indirect way of finding out which breed sells the best.

"Pompous Albert" Is a Purebred Haughty Version of Grumpy Cat

I think that Pompous Albert is the first purebred celebrity cat as far as I'm aware. Not only that, he is quite a rare purebred cat because he is a Selkirk Rex. Not many people look after a Selkirk Rex. They look a bit like sheep! They have this thick wavy coat and their appearance underneath the coat is somewhat like a British or American shorthair.



Talking about appearance, Pompous Albert, certainly has his own distinctive look which as his name indicates is pompous with a certain amount of grumpiness combined with a haughtiness resulting in a unique un-catlike appearance.

When some visitors see him they ask whether he is actually a domestic cat such is his arresting appearance. He lives with Susan and Michael Singleton of Salt Lake City. He is seven years old. His appearance has remained unchanged since the day he was born.

He spends his days in the offices of the Singletons' fine art publishing business with two cat companions. Cats are great in the workplace. He is named after Albert Einstein apparently so we will have to assume that Albert Einstein was quite pompous.

He has the grumpy cat glare, while the haughtiness comes from the upward turning eyes, I would say. The Is
eyes are marked out very nicely with heavy black eyeliner. It's more a glare actually, a glare which says he does not suffer fools gladly.

He is a typical cat with one or two small exceptions. For example he likes to be vacuumed! Most cats run away from vacuum cleaners but apparently he likes to be vacuum cleaned. Rarely cats like this because it feels good but normally the noise terrifies cats. He attacks paper shredders and photocopiers and printers. He likes kids (that's an excellent quality).

He has 30,000 followers on Instagram which is fantastic but it's a long way short of the fame of the all conquering Grumpy Cat. Grumpy Cat has earned an estimated hundred million dollars for her owner, Tabatha. We don't know the exact amount but that's a guesstimate. No cat is going to beat that ever.

Chartreux Cat Was Long Haired?

A show cat judge, John Jennings, of around 1900 in England describes "The French".  He writes that at the time this was a breed of "long-haired cats perpetuated for some centuries..bred by the Chartreuse monks". The coat he describes as "exceedingly long and wonderfully silky". He compares the coat to that of the Persian and Angora.

Apparently at the time the Chartreuse monks were known to have carried out experiments in breeding and crossing of domestic animals. Perhaps the monks were some of the first cat breeders involved in selective breeding.

What is interesting is that the Chartreux is a fairly well known short haired purebred cat that looks similar to the blue British Shorthair. The "French" was "coloured chiefly blue". In modern English the cats were mainly blue in color and blue means grey to people outside the cat fancy.

Conclusion: We have an established cat show judge of the turn of the 20th century century writing a book that is published in 1901 in which he describes a grey long haired cat breed that was bred for centuries by monks in Chartreuse. Sounds like the Chartreux to me only the length of the fur is at the opposite ends of the spectrum  to the Chartreux we have today (2012).

Has anyone heard of this before? It seems to contradict the usual story of the history of this breed. It is particular interesting because we are told that French breeders have been at pains to maintain the true appearance of this cat over the centuries.

Notes: (1) The book referred to is DOMESTIC AND FANCY CATS A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THEIR VARIETIES, BREEDING, MANAGEMENT AND DISEASE (1901) ISBN 9781164623557 - page 14.

(2) Chartreuse is in the south east of France, near Lyon as far as I am aware.

Pedigree Cats are Better Companions?

Are there any differences in the way people interact with the domestic cat when the cat is a pedigree cat or a non-pedigree cat. This is an interesting thought. Most cats are non-pedigree. There are a higher percentage of pedigree cats in the United States than elsewhere, as I understand it. All purebred cats have a pedigree. These are the cat breeds that you read about on the internet.

A study by Turner in 2000, albeit somewhat limited, was carried out into this subject. The objective of the study was to look at the differences in cat to human interactions when the cat was: Persian, Siamese and non-pedigree. Persians and Siamese are considered to be somewhat at the opposite end of the spectrum in behavior and character and both are what might be termed original cat breeds that started at the instigation of the cat fancy - well established cat breeds.

The human companions of Persian and Siamese cats where asked to rank their cat's "behavior traits" against a scale. The assessment being based on the cat's behavior versus what the person would have ideally wanted (not sure about that as a criterion). Also, the people and cats were observed interacting.

The interesting overall conclusion appears to have been that the pedigree cats were more "socially interactive" and predictable than non-pedigree cats. They were also more interested in their human, better behaved and fussier eaters.

Siamese cats began "conversations" and interactions generally more often than random bred cats. Siamese cats are known to be vocal and social. This study confirmed that. As people like this trait in a companion, it is one major reason, I suggest, why the Siamese is in the top 3 most popular purebred cats despite a greater than average set of genetically inherited health problems.

Siamese cats were rated as more curious, playful and friendly towards strangers as well. The Siamese was observed as being more often near their human companion, more likely to vocalise, friendlier to strangers, more affectionate and less lazy than non-pedigree cats. High praise indeed.

As for Persian cats they too were more:

• affectionate
• friendly towards strangers
• communicative
• predictable and
• clean

Persian's were found to be fussy eaters, however.

Perhaps, one reason for the greater interaction between people and purebred cats is that the cat is more likely to be a full-time indoor cat and therefore more often in close physical proximity to the person. The other reason for the success of the pedigree cat in this study is the greater attention to socialisation received by purebred cats in the breeding programs as that is an important part of cat breeding and selective breeding for good character. The only downside to this is health. Purebreds it is said live shorter lives than moggies.

American Curl Health

This is a healthy purebred cat as there appears to be no evidence at the time of this post (Feb 2012) that there are any specific health issues relating to this cat breed. Certain cat breeds are predisposed to health problems due to genetic inheritance. That is not the case with the American Curl. This is probably due to the fact that the cat associations allow outcrossing with random bred cats. The CFA American Curl breed standard says for American Curl: allowable outcross breeds, "domestic longhair or shorthair for litters born before 1/1/2015". These are random bred cats they are referring to, both short and longhair. The genetic health of the American Curl is a very positive aspect of this cat breed.

American Curl health -- Source: Page 37 of Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats - ISBN 0-9634124-0-X

What is a purebred cat?

Purebred Burmese cat
Photo by Ma1974

A purebred cat is a cat of a recognized breed. These are cats that have parents of the same breed and so on for several generations. When the parentage is recorded by a cat association the cat is also a pedigree cat. The two go together in practice. Although you can have purebred cats that are unrecognized by cat associations such as the Bahraini Dilmun. This cat is arguably a purebred cat.

Purebred cats are all about ensuring that the lineage or parentage is pure. This means avoiding cats that are genetically not of the same breed.

The trouble is that when you do this to the letter you are likely to end up with genetically homozygous individuals. Or individual cats that are inbred. This is why the laws of marriage (for humans) in the UK prevents marriage to close relations. This rule is in place for health reasons as inbreeding results in health issues such as congenital defects, infertility and suppressed immune systems. The Burmese cat has a number of genetic illnesses.

Wild cats in captivity are frequently not purebred despite giving an impression to the contrary. The Bengal tiger in captivity will often be a "generic tiger" or cross breed but not of pure genes. Other wild cats, the small wildcats in captivity, will have little chance of survival because their population size is so low that they are inbred resulting in an unsustainable population.

Breeders of purebred cat sometimes have to outcross to other breeds and moggies to improve the genetic diversity. There is a constant battle between health and appearance. Appearance usually wins.

Signs Of Cat Inbreeding

Signs of cat inbreeding include the appearance of anomalies, inbreeding depression and a decline in hybrid vigor. I have a page on genetic diseases in purebred cats that shows how inbreeding can affect health. It depresses the immune system and throws up inherited illnesses that are serious.

The cat breeds on the left are the most inbred. The most inbred is the Singapura. The Siberian is the least inbred and on a level of random bred cats. On the far right are 3 subspecies of wildcat. Chart: in the public domain. Click on the image to see it more clearly.

MOST INBRED CAT BREEDS

So called "vigor" really means general health and well-being. Inbreeding results in the homozygosity of more genes with harmful effects. Deleterious genes that are carried by cats and which are "dormant" or unseen in physical appearance and health "make their presence felt due to inbreeding".

A classic example is Bengal nose. Breeders, though, would not agree. Breeders tend to downplay inbreeding problems for obvious reasons. And we have the depressed immune systems in modern Siamese cats that results in a depressed lifespan because of general illness that would not be present in random bred cats.

Robinson's Genetics quote the following as examples of possible consequences of inbreeding. More than one may be present or one in the extreme:

• decline in birth weight - small, thin and lethargic kittens.
• small litter sizes, more stillborn kittens, abnormal kittens.
• poor growth in later life and "below standard" individual cats.
• sterility problems. Poor sperm quality (see wild cat inbreeding), reluctance to copulate.
• predisposition to illness. One disease kills all the litter.
• physical deformities or physical appearance that lacks symmetry.

To this list I will add subnormal intelligence. Inbreeding depression can lead, in my view, to individual cats that lack the usual level of intelligence or cognitive function of the typical domestic cat. These cats are noticeable unresponsive and dull in character.

It is my contention that the most established cat breeds tend to have the most established genetic illnesses and the higher number of these sorts of illnesses. Examples: Siamese and Persian.

Purebred cat breeders like to fix a good looking cat persuant to the breed standard by inbreeding. This can also fix a poor immune system.

I have written this on the basis of what I have read over a considerable period of time and in reference to Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders & Veterinarians Fourth Edition ISBN 0-7506-4069-3.

Bengal cats everything about purchase

The title describes a book for sale on Amazon.



In my humble opinion you don't need to buy a book about buying a Bengal cat or taking care of a Bengal cat. This is because taking care of a Bengal cat is no different to taking care of any other cat and there is a pile of free information on the Internet about that. There is lots of information about that on this site alone!

As to buying a Bengal cat, I would prepare a series of pertinent questions primarily about cat health and telephone three local Bengal cat breeders. I would make them local so that you can visit them. By local I would mean within reasonable driving distance. Judging by the answers I would visit the best one.

• How long have you been in business?
• Are you registered with a cat association?
• Do you have champion cats? (cat show champions)
• What is your policy on cat breeding? Do you breed for health as well as appearance?
• Do you check your cats for HCM? (HCM is a heart disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that can affect Bengal cats).
• What filial are you buying? SBT cats are 4th generation from the wild - remember that the Bengal cat is a wildcat hybrid. Price follows filial and quality. Quality means the cat follows the cat association breed standard. Prices are in the order of $500 (2011) but will vary depending on quality.
• These are purebred cats aren't they? (some breeders are back street breeders and are not breeding purebred cats). You don't want a Bengal cat mix as these are moggies.

You'll need to visit to inspect the conditions of the cattery. Most are hobby breeders so it will be a person's home as well as a breeding establishment. But does it seem smart and clean? Are there untoward odors?  Are the kittens confident and coming up to you without fear? Do the kittens look healthy? If one doesn't and you ask what is wrong what kind of answer does the cat breeder give? Is it plausible? Brushing off an eye infection with a casual remark is not good enough. Personally I would not proceed if one kitten was ill. If one is ill the others might be ill because many viral diseases are very contagious.

On the phone before visiting I would ask if she can provide a couple of recommendations from other customers. I would go on the Internet to check out the website; is it professional looking and does it work well? Search for complaints posted online. Sometimes there are discussions on forums about certain breeders.

Ask for a copy of the contract of purchase up front in the post so you can study it (it might be online on their website which would be a good sign incidentally). Make sure that all the necessary health checks are carried out by the seller before purchase. These should be in the contract. I would consider having your vet check out the health of the selected cat. A binding contract should be subject to that check. In other words the contract becomes effective provided the cat passes a health check by your vet. That might be a difficult one to get the breeder to agree to but a sick cat can cost you thousands of dollars or pounds over time. This is because you will become instantly attached to your new cat and will want to help. Some illnesses are serious and prolonged and difficult to cure.

The kitten that you select should ideally be confident, bright eyed and not frightened of you. You might find that the kitten selects you. That is what happened to me. Although I wasn't buying a Bengal cat but adopting a unwanted moggie!

Difference Between Purebred and Pedigree Cats

Ahmmmm..there is a difference between purebred and pedigree cats but a purebred cat is a pedigree cat. Clear as mud, I guess.

All cats belonging to one of the over 100 cat breeds are purebred cats. And all purebred cats have a pedigree. A pedigree is a documented record of parentage going back several generations.

To be purebred the cat has to have parents and grandparents etc. that are cats of the same breed.

So, a mixed breed, random bred moggie cat can have a pedigree but cannot be a purebred cat.

Although it is unusual for a moggie cat to have a pedigree. Random bred cats of quality can be shown at shows. They don't have to have a pedigree as far as I am aware.

As it happens, because purebred cats can become inbred as a result of breeding between cats of the same breed and often of the same close family, outcrossing to moggies or cats of another breed is sometimes allowed.

On the face of it, this makes the cat non-purebred it seems to me but it appears that the cat associations decide what is and what is not purebred and it is important to breeders to ensure that the breed is as healthy as possible consistent with close breeding to fix the desired traits as laid down by the association's breed standard.


Purebred and Pedigree Cat from Michael Broad on Vimeo.



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