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:

Are Turkish Van cats hypoallergenic?

Arguably no domestic cat is totally without the allergen, Fel D1, that causes an allergic reaction in some people. All cats are therefore potentially able to cause an allergic reaction. There is nothing in the books that indicates that the Turkish Van is hypoallergenic. People like to make claims about cat breeds. Most of the time it is nonsense. Unfortunately some of these claims become viral on the internet. They are repeated mindlessly by people eager to build more content without ensuring that it is good content. When it comes to cat breeds and allergens take it all with a pinch of salt. The cat breed most likely to be hypoallergenic is the Savannah. Some more....

Q & A Black Cats

• Are black cats bad luck? No - this is pure superstition.
• Are black cats good luck? No - this is also pure superstition.
• Are black cats smarter? No - nonsense. Smartness depends on the individual cat not on the colour of the cat.
• Are black cats mean? No - an idiotic thought. No cat is mean. It is humans who can be mean.
• Are black cats friendlier? No. Friendliness depends on the individual cat not the cat's colour.
• Are black cats rare? No. They are quite common.
• Are black cats witches. No. If you lived in the middle ages (500-1500) you might have thought that. Some people are more enlightened in 2011 and some aren't.
• Are black cats more healthy? Yes. Research has linked black cats to resistance to disease.
• Are black cats nice? Yes. All cats are nice. I have a black cat and he is very nice.

Why are cats mean?

ANSWER: cats are not mean. People who ask this question, and quite a few people do, have preconceptions that are misguided.  I am sorry to have to say that but it is true. Even the use of the language indicates misconceptions. To use the word, "mean" in relation to a cat's character is a definite sign of anthropomorphising a cat  - making the cat human. This is because we have no idea if a cat can have the characteristic of meanness. I don't believe that cats can be mean. It is a human concept. People are often mean in many ways but cats? No they are far more instinctive on a more basic level. It is all about survival for a cat and basic emotions such as fear, feeling comfortable, anxiety, contentment etc. I would say that meanness is a higher emotion or form of behavior that is probably reserved for the human.

You could probably take a guess and say that the people who ask "why are cats mean?" are themselves possibly mean - can we all be mean sometimes. We have the capacity to be mean, anyway. People who are kindly towards cats and other people would probably not ask that question.

In addition people who are mean and maybe a bit nasty (there are people like that aren't there?) are more likely to provoke aggression in a cat, domestic or wild. In which case mean people will meet defensively aggressive cats, which reinforces their inaccurate preconceptions. Mean people are more likely to elicit defensive aggression in domestic cats because they will behave inappropriately towards the cat in such a way that makes the cat uncertain and defensive. Also, it is likely that the domestic cat can sense a hostile person as they have finely tuned senses. A person whose character is not predisposed to being kind towards cats will potentially seem hostile to a cat.

Another possible reason why people think cats are mean is the cat's expression when smelling something deeply. This has the appearance of a sneer, when in fact the expression is due to the mouth being slightly open as the cat inhales air to pass over an organ in the roof of his or her mouth. This organ has a super sensitive smelling capability.

Let's for a moment turn my argument on its head and agree that cats are mean.  As mentioned I don't believe this but if it is true why are cats mean? If all humans were mean why would that be? It could only happen if the circumstances under which the person or cat lived were such that it made the person or cat mean. So if cats are mean it is because of the environment that we create for them. It would be our fault as we have complete charge of the environment and circumstances under which our cat lives.

There is at least one other reason why people erroneously think cats are mean. A cat's general facial expression can give a misleading impression as to the cat's emotional state. Be kind to a cat. Understand the cat. Love the domestic cat and it will never enter your head to ask, "why are cats mean?"

Are there wild cats in England?

ANSWER: NO. We, the animal loving Brits, killed all the wildcats in England centuries ago! The last remaining wildcats are in the north of Scotland, an area with a low human population compared to most of England, where the last 400 wildcats in the UK can live in relative peace. These are called Scottish wildcats. The problem is that we aren't sure how many of this small population of cats are actually purebred because they mate with domestic cats. Are there any purebred wildcats in Scotland?