Singapura Cat Breeders

Cute guy!, a photo by fofurasfelinas on Flickr.

People searching for Singapura cat breeders should ideally look at alternative ways to adopt a purebred cat such as the Singapura before buying. I agree, though, that it can be difficult to find a relatively rare purebred cat such as the Singapura (the world's smallest purebred cat) that needs re-homing. It is still worth tying however.

Before I try some suggestions that might lead to a Singapura in need I would like to mention the photograph illustrating this page. It is a great photo of a Singapura cat by Giane Portal. She calls him "Cute guy!" He definitely is cute. Giane's Flickr name is fofurasfelinas. She is probably the best amateur cat photographer anywhere and better than many professionals.

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

One interesting source of information about purebred cats are Yahoo Groups. People form groups on many purebred cats. There are a couple I would like to mention that allow people to ask questions. It might lead to something as I said.

One group is called "singapuracat". It seems to be fairly active. The other is called "Smallest Cat Breed" and looks quiet.

The International Cat Association (TICA) list only two breeders, one in France. The Cat Fanciers Association list one breeder! Click here to go to their breeder referral page.

Purebred cat rescue might produce something.  I have a page on that subject and the most lively third party site is this one:  Specialty Purebred Cat Rescue. You will be lucky to find a Singapura though! Although you might change your mind - why not. There are some really nice purebred cats listed that need a new home.

In the UK the clubs are a great resource for breeder listings. The UK seems to be more interested in the Singapura. The Progressive Singapura Cat Club list breeders. Use their navigation bar for Breeder List. Another British club is the Singapura Cat Club and they list breeders on this page.

Before adopting the right expectations etc should be in place. I prepared this page on how to avoid cat behavior problems.



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Do Cats Prefer Women?

Uhmmmm..this is a big and dangerous question!! No, not really but we are getting into a topic that is not politically correct and we know how politically correct the world has become. Is that a good thing? To a certain extent but let's not go to far so that we are paralysed and scared to do or say anything.

On this page, Jennifer Viegas asks whether cats prefer women. An interesting question. I have only skimmed her article because I want to answer the question without reference to anything.

The answer is a qualified yes. This is what I mean. It is generally accepted that women prefer cats to dogs. This is probably because their meow triggers the woman's motherly instincts and because dogs are pack animals and women are generally not pack animals. Cats will reciprocate that motherly love and like the woman.

If women prefer domestic cats over dogs it means that there are more cats that are the companion to women than there are dogs. Therefore more cats like women than men.

However, in absolute terms there is no reason why cats should prefer women - perhaps. Maybe women speak more gently to their cat companion. Cats love a nice gentle melodious voice as it is reassuring. Women might stroke a cat more gently and groom their cat more sensitively. These are factors. Humans can mishandle cats by forgetting that they are larger and stronger. We can inadvertently hurt or frighten a cat by mishandling or even our intimidating presence.

Elisa, a cat rescue expert has a very loving motherly way with her rescue cats. The cats feel reassured and respond by being relaxed and settling in quickly.  Her home feels nonthreatening and safe for the cat. This is, perhaps, why some of the cats immediately go to her lap or lie on her dog.

Here she is:



If men want to be preferred by cats they have to make sure that they act like a woman when interacting with their cat! Plenty of gentle love and care. Lots of men do. It is not really a man or woman difference. It is about how we interact with our cats. If we generate stress in our cat through our actions (e.g. mishandling, shouting, absence etc.) the cat will become defensive. If we create warmth and security in a consistent manner the opposite happens.



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Dogs Eating Cat Food

You're concerned about dogs eating cat food and want to know if it is OK. I guess in mult-pet households where there are dogs and cats, dogs might well eat cat food and vice-versa. Incidentally, it is more of a problem if for cat if she eats dog food than for a dog is he eats cat food.

Plush toy dog eating Venezuelan food
Photo by JunCTionS (Flickr)

In some ways the concern about dogs eating cat food is a bit odd. On a common sense basis we know that the food prepared by pet food manufacturers is different for dogs and cats. That in itself tells us that dogs have different dietary requirements to cats.

So, allowing a dog to eat cat food will at the very least be less than ideal and may, in the long term, have health consequences. We can deduce that without any knowledge of cat or dog food, or cat and dog health or biology.

If it is relatively easy to ensure that our dog eats dog food and not the cat's food then common sense dictates that we should make the arrangements.

I sense that the problem is that in households where there are cats and dogs some people understandably find it hard to make sure the cats eat cat food and the dogs eat dog food! The concern is more about how to get dogs to eat their food only in the multi-pet household. One internet commentator says that he keeps dogs from eating cat food (which is attractive to a dog because it is rich in protein and perhaps smells nice) by placing the cat food high up and the dog food on the floor. Cats are excellent jumpers, better than dogs so they can get to their food but the dog can't. As cats are less interested in dog food than dogs are in cat food, leaving it on the floor does not lead to cats eating it. Another friend, Elisa, says "cat feeders are on the bar out of reach. Back in the 80's my 2 dogs ate all cat food and both lived healthy lives...." Read on though..

Adding a bit of detail to the differences between cat and dog nutritional requirements, the authors of Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook say that "cats require...about two to three times as much [protein] as dogs. On that basis we have to ask, "what are the health consequences of a dog eating a diet that is far too high in protein?" Note: cat food is also too high in fat for a dog (src: ASPCA).

Both cats and dogs are carnivores but Linda P Case in The Cat Its Behavior, Nutrition & Health, says that cats have "more stringent dietary requirements than those of more omnivorous species, such as the dog." Dogs are more flexible in their dietary requirements than the obligate carnivore, the cat.

How does this difference manifest itself if a dog eats cat food? Clearly if a dog eats some cat food, sometimes, there cannot be a problem particularly if the added protein in cat food is offset by providing low protein dog food as well.

But for a dog that only eats cat food - what happens then? Well, I have heard from one commentator that it can cause diarrhea. I have no authorities to support that, however. The School of Veterinary Medicine at University of Missouri says that in the long term it can cause serious health problems - organ damage. Clearly it is dependent on the individual dog. ASPCA says that dogs eating cat food can lead to them developing gastrointestinal problems that includes vomiting and diarrhea. Personally, I think that the likelihood is that in general the dog would be OK but in individual cases he or she won't.

I'd stick to the rules and find a way to stop the dog eating the cat's food! If you are interested you can read about the opposite: Cat Eating Dog Food. This helps us understand the effect on dogs eating cat food, as well.



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Best Cat Food

The best cat food is the most natural cat food. That guides us. The best cat food that is commercially produced is the most natural and the most expensive. That also guides us when selecting from the plethora of products on the miles of shelving at the big box stores in the USA.

Photo by AlishaV (modified as allowed)

I'll go into some more detail. We all know that cats are carnivores. The usual prey for a domestic cat or a small wildcat is a rodent. Rodents are made up of about 70% water. The human is about 60% water.

When a cat eats a mouse it also eats the contents of the gut. This contains the digested food of the mouse. Any carbohydrates that the mouse would have eaten are pre-digested before the cat eats it.

The cat is geared up to eat and digest protein (the flesh of prey) and not carbohydrates. Dr. Becker, is a very sensible US vet (I just hope she doesn't declaw cats because if she does I won't rate her as good anymore). She refers to an excellent research study entitled, "Geometric analysis of macronutrient selection in the adult domestic cat, Felis catus" authored by Adrian K. Hewson-Hughes et al. This is a publicly available document for those inclined to read and study it. It is an independent study. I would not necessarily trust cat food studies financed by the large pet food manufacturers.


Best Cat Food from Michael Broad on Vimeo.

She has used this study to decide what is the best cat food - sensible as I said. Cats do not have the biological means to digest carbohydrates adequately. This is indicated by the fact that they don't have taste buds that recognise carbohydrates (indicating that there is no need for them because in a natural state the cat won't encounter them). The cat's saliva does not break down starches. And the digestive products produced by the intestine and pancreas are also similarly poor at breaking down carbs.

Below is a serious version of the above video!



This also guides us as to the best cat food. Dry cat food contains high levels of carbohydrates. This is because they are needed to make the manufacturing process work. It appears that they are not added for the benefit of the cat but for the benefit of the customer - the person buying the product - because let's face it dry cat food is damned convenient.

Also cats do not compensate by the lack of water in dry cat food by drinking sufficient quantities of water. The result is the cat becomes slightly dehydrated on a permanent basis. This has health implications, typically to do with the urinary tract and kidneys. The high carbohydrate levels can cause feline diabetes it has been successfully argued.

OK - conclusion, dry cat food is not the best cat food. But it is not as simple as that because we have to compromise in life. We have to work within our budget and means and time etc. Dry cat food is good in one way, it doesn't go off when put down. And it is cheap on a per weigh basis.

Let's compromise then. We don't feed our cat dry cat food all the time and we buy the best dry cat food we can afford. This page: Best Dry Cat Food discusses the best in the USA.

On to wet cat food. This is more natural. There are essentially two types (1) raw cat food prepared by ourselves or commercially available (but hard to find it appears) and (2) canned cat food bought on the shelves of stores.

Of these the well prepared raw food diet is the best cat food. Vets warn against making it because it can be complicated and it can go wrong. Let's be honest. If you feed the best and most natural cat food, the raw diet, and it is contaminated with bacteria or contains sharp bones injure your cat, you have totally lost all the benefits and worse; instead of improving cat health you will achieve the opposite. There are also issues of constituents and supplements. And there is the big issue of time. Do you have the time to make it? If you are retired and have a multi-cat household and are smart and careful etc...yes, go for the raw cat food diet because those in the know praise it. Poor cat food affects health negatively while a good raw food diet prepared and stored to excellent hygiene standards will invariable improve the cat's health provided it is introduced gently.

See how to make a raw cat food diet and some raw cat food recipes by clicking on this link: Raw Food Diet for a Cat.

Can't be bothered to make it? You can apparently buy it in the smaller "boutique" stores in the USA. You may be able to get in online. Natural Balance Pet Food do a raw diet for zoological facilities that must include wildcats but they say the food is not for sale "retail" (i.e. for domestic cats). Seems a bit strange because a small wildcat would have the same dietary requirements at a fundamental level as the domestic cat. The food is probably not ground down sufficiently. Bravo Packaging also do food for carnivores. Whatever you do, do it with care! If unsure rely on high quality canned food...

What is the best canned cat food? It is almost certainly the most expensive. Market forces always dictates quality.

This page: Best Canned Cat Food discusses the subject.

The best cat food will be a raw cat food diet, carefully prepared. In lieu of that it should be a careful combination of high quality wet food (canned or pouches), some treats such as boiled or microwaved fish and some dry cat food for grazing at night or when away for several hours.

Kittens and senior cats have slightly different dietary requirements:

• Best Kitten Food
• Geriatric Cat Care

One last point. I think we owe it to our cats and ourselves to avoid cat food made by businesses that use or approve of testing on animals. Iams through parent company Procter and Gamble are involved with this and this page discusses it further.

Associated page: See a list of useful articles on cat food.



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Blue British Shorthair

Gimme gimme!, a photo by fofurasfelinas on Flickr.
Photo is copyright Giane Portal

Gimme gimme! writes Giane Portal, the famous cat photographer who lives in Brazil and who took this photo that has such impact. It is one of her favorites, as far as I can tell. It says a lot about the cat. You can see the photo on Flickr by clicking on this link. And please note that the photo is protected by copyright.

This is Angel Blue, a blue British Shorthair cat. Blue is the original colour for the British Shorthair cat. The two go together like apple pie and custard.

"Blue" is very much a cat fancy word as the true colour as you can see is in fact grey ("gray" in the US). Well a sort of blue grey but more grey than blue.

The blue colour is the black pigment (eumelanin) in the hair strands diluted by a certain gene. The "d" gene has the effect of clumping the pigmentation in the hair strands so that there are clear areas that overall gives the impression that the hair is grey.

Selective breeding allows the breeder to vary the depth of colour. The British Shorthair blue cat has the "basic aaB-dd" genotype. Other cats that can only be blue are the Korat, Russian Blue and Chartreux. These are the grey cat breeds as I call them. The British Shorthair can be shown in all colors and all divisions of the traditional category so blue is just one color but probably the best know colour, for this cat breed.

The British Shorthair coat is one of the best to stroke and touch because it feels fantastic. It is dense and crisp.

Angle Blue has that classic Brit SH face, cheeky looking with large expressive eyes. The eyes are yellow or is that amber. Cat breeders like to use interesting words to describe colour.

Angel Blue doesn't care what colour she is or that she is beautiful (I think she is a she - could be wrong though). She just wants that food. Gimme it now please. I can't wait anymore.

I am guessing but it must be her favorite food. Read more about the British Shorthair if you'd like too by clicking on this link.

Why do cats like to sleep in a sink?

Black and white cat in a nice cool ceramic sink - photo by kretyen (Flickr)

You see a lot of really nice photographs on Flickr of cats sitting and sleeping in sinks or basins. They fit snugly into these bathroom basins (do you use that word in the USA?). The sinks, towards which cats migrate on a regular basis, are in bathrooms.

So what it going on? Obviously the sink is comfortable. That is why the cat is there. So why is it comfortable?

One obvious reason is that it is high up. Cats like high vantage points because they are safer.

Secondly, the sink or basin in a nice shape for the cat to fit into. But they are hard. We should not assume that cats like soft cuddly surfaces. In my experience this is simply not the case.

Cats do like warm spots but it is not as simple as that. Because cats also like cool spots in the hot weather. They like the temperature to be just right - like us.

We should remind ourselves that no only do cats live in a land of giants but also that they are wearing a nice thick woolly overcoat. The cats that originate from cooler regions such as the Norwegian Forest Cats and indeed the British moggie have double coats - a thick duvet-like downy undercoat.

It can get hot inside that. And cats like hard flat surfaces to allow the air currents to waft around them to cool them.

And a ceramic sink is hard and nearly always cool. That is why cats like to sleep in the sink...!



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PlusPets.net in breach of copyright

A website called Plus Pets is in breach of copyright and Google has helped to stop the website owners taking advantage of it. It is a good example of how Google is now more concerned about and aware of the rampant breaches of copyright that are taking place on the internet on a daily basis.

Google is naturally concerned that unless it does something about the problem of violations of people's intellectual property rights as the premier power on the internet then one day the governments will step in and create an international body that regulates the internet. There is a good argument that it does need to be regulated by an impartial, international body that is not driven by commercial gain.

At the moment though I am very pleased with the help offered by Google under their copyright complaints procedure.

Google cannot delete offending pages unless it is a Google Blogger account. But it can blacklist the offending page. What I mean it can delist it from search results which is the same as burying it under a pile of billions of webpages - the offending page becomes invisible. Of course Yahoo and the other search engines can still find and list it but Google is the dominant force in search enquiries on the internet.

In this instance Plus Pets had blatantly used copyrighted material from my website. The images copied were by Helmi Flick a well known international cat photographer of considerable repute.

In fact they copied and republished other photographs by other photographers too but I have no authority to act on behalf of the these photographers and so cannot make a complaint to Google for them.

I won't link to the offending page as that would undermine the process! Google also make a record of the complaint on a website: ChillingEffects.org, which is a public website.

This is the page on Chilling Effects where my complaint is recorded and which was upheld. I have made many more complaints and they are all acted upon.

People who violate copyright are irresponsible in their behavior. If it were allowed to go on unabated ultimately the internet would break down and become a place that could not be trusted.

The internet is a wonderfully useful facility but its integrity must be protected in order to foster long term growth.



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