THE BELIEF RUNS DEEP AND EMOTIONS ARE STRONG - ONLY "PUREBRED" ANIMALS SHOULD BE BRED
- Lorraine Brown
- Feb 8
- 11 min read
Updated: Feb 16
I recieved this message about an ad I listed on Kijiji.
"Are you selling cats or watt? Because I’m not sure what your ad is about. You should never put down other breeders or try to take their business. Pure bred animals are the ones that don’t usually end up in a pound because people pay high prices for them, so they make sure they take care of them. Your ad is ridiculous. It’s not gonna help you sell any cats. It actually makes you look like the kitten milk, which is what you look like because your cats are living outside in the cold and the cat you’re trying to sell doesn’t even look healthy and your breathing crossbreeds, which is a big no-no so before you give everybody else has maybe clean up your own act"
(The text and photo's have been copied and are at the end of this blog.)
This belief runs deep and people get emotional very quickly.
"Purebred" animals are the only animals that should be bred.
Every dog and cat club has indoctrinated society with those words - since the beginning of dog shows and cat fancy.
So let's look back a ways.
The worlds first officially recogised dog show was held in Newcastle upon Tyne, England in June 1859.
The first recorded cat show was held in 1871 at the Crystal Palace in London, England.
Regardless of the animal involved, shows have always been about competition, winning and accolades. Every win a group or individual gets, not only increases the value of that particular animal, but it increases the value of his or her offspring, along with the value and status of the kennel, cattery, stable, etc.
But, it's always been a game for the well to do and the elite, and they do not like outsiders or anyone wanting to rock the boat to play in their sandbox.
Cats are not dogs though. I know that sounds obvious, but selective breeding in dogs was for a purpose. The land owners and farmers selected for the best guardians, the best herders, and the best hunting companions. Dogs were part and parcel of the land and farm, and in those days problems dogs were not kept around. A dog who worried sheep or cattle was a detriment and it was removed, and in those days that was simply a matter of fact.
For cats, however, it's all been about looks.
"In the 1860s, the cats of England were suffering from a major image problem. Having experienced the highs of Ancient Egyptian veneration and the lows of medieval torture on account of their supposed allegiance with the devil, cats were regarded by the average Victorian as scruffy, mewling rat-catchers who weren’t welcome in well-appointed rooms. Then came one man who, with his unabashed adoration of his feline friends, shook up the cat world for good: Harrison Weir, organizer of England’s first cat show."
Harrison Weir is traditionally credited with bringing the first cat show to light (although purists will say differently), but it didn't take long for him to see what was really going on in the cat fancy world.
"In 1892, Weir wrote a new preface to the second edition of Our Cats and All About Them. In it, he expressed his remorse at being part of the National Cat Club, whose ideals he no longer believed in.
“I now feel the deepest regret that I was ever induced to be in any way associated with it,” he wrote.
The main problem, he said, was that narcissistic pet owners had made cat fancying all about themselves instead of focusing on the animals: “I found the principal idea of many of its members consisted not so much in promoting the welfare of the Cat as of winning prizes, and more particularly their own Cat Club medals.”
So, number one is elitism and snobbery over the actual health and welfare of the animals themselves.
But, as is generally believed - purebred cats are not pure. They are actually the "mixed breeds" and the minority.
"The domestic cat (Felis catus, Linneas 1758) is prolific and cosmopolitan, occupying most habitable corners of the world. Archeological evidence suggests the domestication of the cat occurred in the Near East approximately 9,000 - 10,000 years ago. However, the initiation of domestication probably began thousands of years earlier as humans and ancestral cats became progressively more interdependent.
The domestication process likely began during the period when humans ceased following wild herds of animals and adopted more agricultural lifestyles, particularly in the Fertile Crescent . This change occurred 10,000-11,000 years ago, and was made possible by the domestication of certain wild grains and grasses. The human/cat relationship was beneficial for the control of crop-destroying rodents, which had also joined their evolutionary fate to human civilization.
Although many cats eventually became pets, the modern cat is not fully domesticated in the classic sense. Modern cats remain self-sufficient if need be, maintaining keen hunting skills even when provided food, and exhibiting a spectrum of behaviors ranging from untamable to highly affectionate pets.
Cats spread to virtually all parts of the Old World, probably along trade routes between ancient civilizations. In spite of their rapid spread, cats have remained amazingly similar to their wild felid ancestors (Felis silvestris subspp.) in form and function.
The progenitor species of domestic cats remained compatible with human agriculture. Gene flow between feral and tame modern cats, and between modern cats and their wild subspecies, has not negatively impacted the role of cats as the principle small carnivore in human dominated ecosystems. In fact, having a feral pool of modern cats surrounding the periphery of villages and farms may have been advantageous for the control of pests and associated zoonotic diseases.
Therefore, the impetus to change cats to suit certain human needs was much less than for the other domesticated species and breed development for cats lagged considerably.
Although reasons to change the basic form and function of the cat were not as compelling as for other species, nonetheless, certain types of cats were artificially selected in various regions of the world.
Interestingly, this “breed selection” was often based on aesthetics and involved simple traits of coat color, color patterns, etc., and less noticeably form or function.
Cats did not lend themselves to become herders, workers of the hunt or guardians, but their grace and beauty have always been obvious.
The small subset of domestic cats that have undergone intensive artificial selection is the pedigreed (purebred) cats, which were bred to maintain or alter purely aesthetic traits.
Of the 41 breeds recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), sixteen “natural breeds” are thought to be regional variants that predate the cat fancy.
The remaining breeds were developed over the last 50 years and are usually defined as simple, single-gene variants derived from the natural breeds.
This is in stark contrast to most other domesticated species that have undergone millennia of intense selection for complex behavioral, performance or production traits involving complex gene interactions.
The so-called 'natural breeds' are, for example, Maine Coons, Norwegian Forest Cats, Siberians, and Angoras. They ``grew'' without human influence, no other cat breeds were crossed in, differently than in Ragdolls, Persians, Ragamuffins, British & American Shorthairs and some other cat breeds.
But, even these cats aren't "natural" anymore.
Since the Maine Coon cat is our breed, I'll focus on them.
The Maine Coon cat is a large domesticated cat breed and is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America. Originating from Maine, these cats come from the New England region on the east coast of the United States.
However, their lineage is surrounded by mystery.
Certain myths suggest that these cats are hybrids from other animal species like raccoons or bobcats. Another myth is that they descended from cats brought on Viking ships, known today as Norwegian Forest cats. A third tale involves Marie Antoinette and her attempt to escape France.
But science tells us a different story.
Phylogenetic research indicates that the Maine Coon is part of the Western European monophyletic cat lineage, yet it shares the closest connection with the randomly bred cat population in the Northeastern US (New York area).
This Western European branch includes the Norwegian and Siberian Forest cats, although the Maine Coon belongs to a separate sub-branch.
They are the decendants of cats introduced to New England by Puritan settlers during the 1600s-1700s, and among European cats, they most closely resemble those found in the United Kingdom.
However, it is not relatedness that makes them look similar to the Norwegian and Siberian Forest cats, it is - convergent evolution.
These breeds all developed in harsh climates and natural selection pressured for similar qualities. Long, thick coats, toe and ear tufts, large bodies and large snowshoe-like feet are useful traits to have in the harsh climates where all of these breeds originate.
The Maine Coon developed from a mix of cats brought from the UK on merchant ships and and local cats on Maine's east coast, acquiring traits to survive the cold, harsh climate of North America's eastern coast.
They were working line cats. They lived around the docks of the east coast shipping areas, and they gradually made their way to the fields and farms to keep the farmers property free of rats and mice.
The residents took pride in their cats and wanted to display them at local fairs. In the late 1860s, farmers in Maine shared tales about their cats and organized the "Maine State Champion Coon Cat" contest at the Skowhegan Fair.
Where the inaugural North American cat show took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 8 May 1895. A female brown tabby Maine Coon named Cosey was entered and awarded Best in Show, earning her a silver collar and a medal.
However, their popularity waned with the arrival of fancy breeds such as the Persian, and the decline was so drastic that the breed was declared extinct in the 1950s.
However, also during the 1950s, a group dedicated to the breed, consisting of Ethylin Whittemore, Alta Smith, and Ruby Dyer, was determined to revive their popularity.
This brings us to how a natural breed has been transformed and stylized into the 'purebred' we know today.
The earliest recorded Maine Coon was a black and white male called 'Captain Jenks of the Horse Marines' in 1861.
In the initial years of developing the breed, the Heidi-Ho lineage was likely the most extensively propagated and bred foundational line. By incorporating the Tati-Tan line and a touch of Maine's Whittemore line, the resulting offspring were eventually referred to as the "Clones" due to their resemblance to one another, which is, naturally, the aim for any animal breed. A "purebred" should be identifiable as a unique and distinct animal.
The Top5 are five of the foundation cats born in the 1960s and are represented disproportionately in all pedigrees.
The Maine Coon foundation cats are:
Andy Katt of Heidi Ho – about 20%
Bridget Katt of Heidi Ho – about 20%
Dauphin de France of Tati-Tan – about 15%
Tatiana of Tati-Tan – about 8%
Whittemore Smokie Joe (or Smokie Joe of Whittemore) – about 7%
The average pedigree in the 1990s is believed to be 65-75% of the Top5.
The numbers commonly seen have risen sharply by 2020 to values of 72-75%.
As a 'natural breed', the Maine Coon could, and should, have been based on hundreds of different foundation cats.
But that's not how the game is played.
The clones often produced cats with good size and nice show quality, and breeders generally believe that if a little is good - more is better, and - that's where we get into inbreeding and line breeding depression. Inbreeding depression refers to the decreased biological fitness and potential for health issues that can occur when animals are bred too closely within bloodlines.
Inbreeding depression can manifest as reduced fertility, increased susceptibility to diseases, physical and psychological abnormalities and a decreased life span.
So tell me again, how the creation of "breeds" is better than everything else???
And, why would we want to continue that indefinitely?
Description
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN OUR KITTENS, PLEASE TEXT YOUR FIRST NAME AND THE KITTENS NAME TO 403 200 1950 AND WE CAN SET UP A TIME FOR A ONE-ONE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In The Company Of Cats Company believes that the more physically and psychologically healthy animals are available—at reasonable prices—the less burden there will be on municipalities and humane societies/‘rescue’ organizations - and it's time to change the narrative!
Physically and psychologically healthy animals are far less likely to be a burden in the home, run away, or get lost, and we will ALWAYS take our kittens/cats back if you find that you cannot care for them —no questions asked.
Remember. "purebred", pedigreed, and registered do not necessarily equate to healthy. Back-Yard-Breeders and Kitty/Puppy Mills bring thousands of purebred animals into this world.
The animals filling Rescues and Humane Societies originate from selfish and irresponsible people. These are the people not taking proper care of their animals and they are the physically and psychologically unhealthy animals Back-Yard-Breeders and For-Profit-Only kitty/puppy mills produce.
While these people should be held accountable for their choices and actions (will the governments and powers-that-be ever step up to protect our companion animals???), the responsibility ultimately falls on the shoulders of the people BUYING animals from these selfish and irresponsible people.
Without BUYERS these people and organizations would not/could not exist.
IT IS TIME TO STEP UP AND STOP TAKING OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY AND PICKING UP THE TAB --- ULTIMATELY SUPPORTING SELFISHNESS AND IRRESPONSIBILITY!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In The Company Of Cats Company is a natural and holistic cattery with our highest priority being physically and psychologically healthy animals - for companions.
We firmly believe proper nutrition is the absolute KEY to excellent physical AND psychological HEALTH.
We feed a species-appropriate, biologically-appropriate diet of ‘real’ food, such as raw meat, bones, organs, tripe, eggs, fermented goat milk, and kefir. We also provide single-item supplements like organic wheatgrass, kelp, spirulina, mushroom powder, nutritional yeast, and homemade bone broth.
Our cats live with us on 8 acres SE of Consort, AB. They are conceived, born, and raised in our home with us two ‘mature’ folk, other cats, and two large dogs (a German Shepherd Dog and a Great Dane X English Mastiff). They grow and develop at their own pace amongst the thumps, bumps, bangs, crashes, and noises of everyday life, and when the weather allows they are outside in the dirt, dust, pollen, grass and trees.
We do not have children here, so while our kittens have not been specifically socialized with kids, they grow up in a safe environment and build confidence at their own pace. Young, kind, and respectful children should not be a problem for our kittens.
Our ultimate goal and highest priority is to produce COMPANIONS for individuals and families, and many of our cats are in emotional support roles in their new homes.
You may want a new kitten in your family, but – if you already have a pet do THEY want a new pet???? Some do not!!!
Does EVERYONE in your home want a new pet?
Can you afford quality food with the rising costs and our country’s economic problems?
Can you afford health care and, especially the cost of spay/neuter? Around here the cost of a spay can be up to $500.00 and can be much more in other clinics!
What if there’s an emergency?
Where will your cat stay when you go on holiday?
New baby? New boy/girlfriend with allergies? Need to move and landlord won't allow pets?
*** A kitten is a +/- 20-year commitment!!!!
They are not passing fancies
They are not disposable! _______________________________________________________________________ We do not use chemical dewormers, give vaccinations, or spay/neuter our kittens at this young age, however - it is expected that you will have your kitten spayed at an appropriate – BEFORE REPRODUCTIVE - age. It is the RESPONSIBILITY of EVERY PET OWNER to be ethical and socially responsible, which means not creating a burden for others in society and irresponsibly adding to overpopulation.
These kittens do not come with breeding rights.
All of our originating cats were health tested by our veterinarian including physical exams, blood panels and negative results for FeLV & FIV. They all had genetic panels run through organizations such as UC Davis, Optimal Selection, Cat Scan, and BasePaws (clear results) and BOTH parents of these kittens were tested (by HealthGene Corp., Molecular Diagnostic and Research Center) and neither carry Fel d 1. For more information on cat allergies and Fel d 1 see below, and there are lots of resources available on the internet about Fel d 1 and cat allergies. ***An update on molecular cat allergens: Fel d 1 and what else? Chapter 1: Fel d 1, the major cat allergen “The most important cat allergen in disease pathogenesis is, unlike in other mammals, a secretoglobin, called Fel d 1, and not a lipocalin [7]. Its predominance, shown by inhibition studies, is such that it is classically recognized as the major cat allergen, the only one whose clinical impact is essential [8].” https://aacijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13223-018-0239-8
While we strive for excellent health and do everything we can to ensure that, Mother Nature does not give guarantees and neither do we. The obsession with having everything perfect has already created many problems with our companion animals such as genetic problems from in/line breeding for appearance's sake, to antibiotic resistance - a serious problem for our society today.
This kitten was 12 weeks old on January 21 and is ready to explore a new life in a new home.
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