"YODA" - Big "Brother" to Jack & Merlin, Spring TX
Cream & White Persian - LION CUT
My friend Sue who has Jack and Merlin also has
an older male Persian named Yoda. She sent me photos of him and I think his lion cut is adorable.
This is a solution for owners who find grooming their longhaired cat challenging and it's also a great
way to "beat the heat".
DECLAWING ALTERNATIVE
This is a testimonial from someone who adopted a kitten
from me,
regarding how well
the nail tips work as an alternative to declawing.
I thought that you might like to know that I have the Soft Claw nail
caps on Bonnie. (She was scratching everything and unraveling one of our rugs). She let me put them on without
a problem and has accepted them without any issue. She can even climb and is on the "top story" of her cat
condo as I type. Sooooo, if you ever have anyone who inquires about them, let them know that I have tried them and they
are working great. I even put them on all by myself. The cat claw caps are a hit. Little Bonnie acts like she has had them on all her life.
QUESTION:
What is the difference between a Himalayan and a Persian?
ANSWER: Persians are
an old breed that originated in Persia, now modern Iran. They became very popular wtih royalty, especially in Great
Britain under the rule of Queen Victoria. They have remained one of the most popular and most beloved #1 or #2
cat breed. The Persian is believed to have descended from a cat native to Africa or Asia.
The Himalayan is a man-created breed. Two Harvard scientists played around with cat genes to develop a cat with the
color points of the Siamese but with the long hair of the Persian. The result is the Himalayan. When the CFA first
recognized them as a breed, the Himalayan was registered as a separate breed unto itself. Since that time, the Himalayan
is included in the overall Persian category. They often exchange places with the Persian as the #1 most favoite cat.
Persians in general are prone to certain health issues, such as
PKD. On Cats 101 on Animal Planet, when they gave the profile for the Himalayan - they didn't specifiy that the
Himalayan is prone to the same diseases.
Both "breeds" are easy-going, friendly, and make excellent
family pets. I have both and generally don't notice any difference in temperament.
INFO ON BLACK SMOKE & SHADED SILVER COLORING These 2 color variations are a bit different from most Persian colors. The BLACK SMOKE
will eventually develop dramatic and gorgeous "smoke" ruffing and brilliant copper eyes. The SILVER is related
to the CHINCHILLA PERSIAN and can have green, golden or brilliant copper eyes on maturity. As SILVERS mature, their coat lightens.
The undercoat will be very light - white or silver-white - and the darker coloring seen on it as a kitten will become
dark "tipping" only on the ends of the hair. For more info on these colors: http://www.cfa.org/articles/hints-color.html
QUESTION:
Are these cats jumpers?
ANSWER:No.
Persians and Himalayans are generally stocky and have some weight. For this reason, they don't jump high.
They CAN get high up if they're able to jump from a chair to the table top, for example, but they're less likely to
just jump straight from the floor to the table top like many cat breeds will do. Therefore, it is easier to keep these
cats from places you'd rather they didn't jump.
QUESTION: What happens to a cat that is PKD positive?
ANSWER:I think an email from someone who
lost their beloved cat to the disease can say it better than I can. Please click on the link below to read
an email I got from Mark in Texas regarding the death of their cat Molly. If this doesn't indicate the need for
responsibility in breeding PKD positive cats, I don't know what does! I received this 3/17/10.
I'm frequently asked if two males can co-exist. If YOU
have ever wondered if two male cats can get along in the same household, please view this awesome video Beau's mom sent
me of Beau of his "brother" and inseperable companion, Coty. Enjoy!
THESE ARE SOME OF
THE QUESTIONS I'M OFTEN ASKED. THE ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE MY OPINIONS BASED
ON MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
ANSWER:THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A TEACUP PERSIAN! I get quite
a few inquiries asking for "teacup" kittens and there are some breeders "specializing" in breeding them
and often asking high dollar for them. There is no purebred CFA category classified as "Teacup". These
are basically just old-fashioned "runts" given a cute new label to make more money on them. Reputable
breeders (those who show and are trying to improve the breed) are working to breed away from this small size as
a Persian should be a genetically sound medium to large cat. To perpetuate the "Teacup", some breeders are
breeding runts to runts to get more runts. This increases the probablity for genetic problems in the resulting
kittens. There ARE some legitimate small cats - Munchkins, Napoleons, Exotics that are smaller than regular Persians
and are recognized by CFA & TICA. You never used to hear about anything called a "Teacup" Persian
or any of the other words being used like "Toy", "Pixie", etc. However, I have actually had
some kittens that were tiny, because they were the "runt of the litter" or in one case it was a "premmie".
However, they had a growth spurt in a few months and a year later were regular sized cats. That's very possibly
going to be the case with these "Teacup" kittens. This make them a bit of a "wild card" for me as
a breed to konw what to expect from them as they grow up. So, just be aware that the whole fad about "Teacup"
kittens is misleading and that it's not healthy to be breeding runts to runts. Having said all this, because of
the popularity of the term and the fact that it does sound better than saying "runt", I have referred to a couple
of the small kittens I had as being teacup-sized on my website where I posted their photos, but I do not advertise that I
breed or have "Teacup" Persians for sale. I also have said they are tiny or petite. I try to distinguish
my description from implying that I'm a breeder of "Teacup" Persians.
FACTS ON BLACK PERSIANS Black Perisans have always been highly desirable, however, a completely coal Black coat is almost impossible
to achieve. Actually, it's rare to find a black cat without variation from root to tip. In show cats, a judge might
suspect such a coat has been dyed. And show breeders will pluck hairs of other colors from the coat in an attempt to present
an all-Black coat. The nature of a Black coat is that it will oxidize at the tips just as in human hair, giving it a reddish
or rusty look. Various colors of Persian hair also have different textures. The early kitten coat in a Black Persian
is wooly and therefore more dull and pale. Even as old as 4-8 months, a Black Persians coat may be unevenly colored.
The coloring can change for up to 2 years before stablizing. So, seeing reddish, smoky, or even scattered white hairs
in a Black Persians coat is typical - but it IS a Black Persian.
INFO ON FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)
It sounds like something to do with teeth, right? Well, it's
not. FIP is a mutation of the corona virus that is dormant in about 85% of all cats. Perhaps less than 5% of felines
with dormant, benign corona virus will mutate to the deadly FIP form, and there doesn't seem to be any way to determine
which cats will and which won't. Some cats are born with it and other acquire it by inhaling or ingesting the virus
- so it is contagious. The test for FIP is pretty useless as it will identify the benign corona virus as potential
FIP, which would rarely be the case given the statistics. This can alarm a cat owner needlessly. There is a vaccine
for FIP, BUT it is very controversial because it is a live virus that can actually give the cat FIP rather than protect it
against it. Most cat associations and vets, as well as breeders, will advise against the vaccine for this reason.
There is no cure for FIP and most cats with FIP ultimately die from it. Here are some of the symptoms: weakness,
depression, decreased appetite, fever, yellow skin, labored breathing, a pot-bellied appearance, drinking and urinating excessively,
stumbling, behavior changes, convulsions, unhealthy coat, and bad breath. There is a "dry form" of FIP that
affects many organs, including kidneys, liver, lungs, and eyes. It can also cause central nervous system disease. The
"wet form" causes fluid accumulation in the chest and abdomen. I have known of a couple of cases where a vet
alarmed a cat owner simply because the cat had diarrhea for a longer period than usual and no cause could be found and the
vet did a test for FIP, which picked up on the benign corona presence and the vet had the owner thinking their cat was going
to die. In neither case did that happen and both cats made full recoveries from their diarrhea. So, in dealing
with your vet regarding ongoing diarrhea in a feline, if the FIP test is run and you are told your cat may have FIP and die,
don't panic. Unless their are other symptoms as listed above involved, the cat may be having IBS (irritable bowel
syndrome) other other stress-related diarrhea. If there has been any change in the cat's life, that is stressful
for a cat. Think "any change for cat = stress". Sometimes a probiotic like Bene-Bac will clear this
up and/or use of products like Comfort Zone and/or Rescue Remedy. Diarrhea alone is not a basis for concluding a cat
has FIP, not even based on the FIP test. If the vet recommends specific treatments and the cat improves, it is
not FIP because there is no treatment or cure for FIP.
R-C PAPER MATE OF LAPEYROUSE -
BLUE LYNX POINT HIMALAYAN
CLICK
ON THE LINK BELOW To Read an Article on the Himalayan Breed Written by Rosemary Kreitler Who
Bred Cowboy and Matey. The Article Was Published in Condensed Form in the 2009 TICA Yearbook.
QUESTION:
I am interested in breeding/showing. What do I need to know?
ANSWER:
The link below is a true story written by VIRGINIA KING of PRANCENPAWS
CATTERY. Virginia is a long-time CFA breeder and exhibitor. Some of my own pedigrees
include her bloodlines. My CFA mentor, ANITA MEHRYARI of GORBE IRANI shared
this and I was so grateful to get all this information in one succinct email because it addresses questions I am
so often asked by novice breeders/exhibitors. I have been given permission by the CFA Mentoring Program to post it on my website
to share with other breeders and protégés. I have no doubt you will find it very informative
and helpful.
ANSWER: No. Males generally spray to mark territory and out of anxiety, but it's not true that all males spray. It's
also not true that having an adult male that is already spraying neutered will stop the habit. Sometimes it might,
but in some cases it might not since it has become "habit". Neutering a male kitten before it reaches sexual
maturity is a better option. However, if you have a male cat that sprays, there is hope. My first stud didn't
begin spraying until he was about two years old, but he had a BAD spraying habit once he began. I was able to stop his
spraying habit using a product called Comfort Zone. It's available in pet stores and online. It works like a normal
room air freshener only the content is cat pheromones. We can't smell anything, but the cat does and the product
calms the cat. It comes with a starter kit and you can buy refills. I only had to go through one refill before
my male had stopped his habit of spraying.
FEMALE
CATS CAN ALSO MARK TERRITORY!!
THE ISSUE OF THE NOSE Most people have a preference as to whether they prefer a doll-faced Persian, one
with a "moderate" face, or the extreme-faced Persian. And some people don't think it's a Persian if
it doesn't have an extremely flat face, but this isn't true. The original Persian did NOT have the flat faces
seen on Persians today. In fact, until a couple of decades ago the Grand Champions in the CFA Yearbook were doll-faced.
In England, to this day, the extreme-faced Persian isn't allowed in a cat show, as they consider the face we've developed
in the US to be an abnormal face for the breed. Touchy subject. So, the breed comes with a variety of faces and
not even the two main registries for CFA - US and Great Britain - agree on what the perfect face is. In purchasing a
kitten as your pet, the only guideline that truly matters is the type of face that YOU love and will enjoy looking at day
after day for many happy years. Since we live in the US, the face does make a difference if you plan to show - whether
showing your pet feline or as a show breeder. Just keep in mind - the face that wouldn't be allowed to show in the
US might be a Grand Champion in Great Britain! So if it's a doll-faced look you love, you may very well have
a pet feline that in another country would be a show cat!
CATS & SPRING ALLERGIES, ETC.
I was just reading the current 4/10 TICA email newsletter.
There was a short paragraph about cats and seasonal allergies. I knew about sneezing and runny eyes, but I did not know that
scratching and hair loss could be the result of allergies! Cats are so much like us. The same things that the
seasonal changes wreck havoc with our human sinuses, etc. also can plague our furry family members.
"Can Cats Sneeze?! Ah...choo! Just
like people, cats can have allergies too! Not only from fleas and other parasites, but from plants, and blooming trees! They
can start to scratch, lose hair, have runny eyes, and oh yes, sneeze! If you have any questions, call your vet."
