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The contents of this newsletter are inspired by the visitors of PERSIAN-CATS.COM. The following tips and information come primarily from bulletin board postings and particularly useful discussions in the chat room.
This Month's Features: Shaving Follies, What Should You Know about Litter Box Problems, 12 Questions to Ask a Breeder, and Some thoughts on Breeding & Showing
Shaving Follies
Ever tried shaving your cat? Here are some humorous pictures of an attempt at shaving!
What should you know about litter box problems?
(This information came from Andee)
Most ethical breeders will take a kitten (or cat) back if there seems to be a litter box problem. They either will retrain the cat or replace it. Of course, if the kitty is purchased from a pet shop or backyard breeder, you do not have this option.
Inbreeding does NOT cause the problem. Often the problem is a urinary tract infection that had not been treated in a timely fashion. If the problem is not caught, the cat associates the litter box with pain and will avoid it.
The first step is a urinalysis. Then the cat will probably need special food, and antibiotics. It is also a good idea to spay and neuter early. It is recommended at 3-4 months. It cuts down on a lot of problems and they recuperate so quickly.
Think long and hard about breeding a cat with a litter box problem. If Mommy doesn't have good habits, how will she teach it to her babies?
12 Questions to Ask a Breeder
- How long have you been breeding Persians?
- Do you normally raise more than one litter at a time?
- Do you have a cattery veterinarian who sees all your cats?
- Do you provide a written health guarantee?
- Have the cats in your breeding program been screened for feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus?
- Are you aware of any genetic problems in the lines you breed, such as hip dysplasia?
- Are your kittens raised in cages or in your home?
- What is the typical personality of the cats you raise?
- What do you feed?
- Can I see the kitten's mother and father?
- How often do I need to groom/bathe my cat?
- How long do your cats typically live?
Some thoughts on Breeding & Showing
(This information came from Andee)
An ethical reason to breed anything is to improve the breed, so showing goes hand in hand. You must know what the standard is for that particular breed, and try to breed to meet or better that standard. There have been so many Persians and Himmies put to sleep most of then from people who do not show but
are only breeding for money. These are people who are not testing their breeding cats for PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease). This disease fills the kidneys up with cysts, and there is no cure. The only way to find out if the cat has it is by ultrasounding the parents. It only has to be present in one parent to pass it on to the kittens.
