People 'babying' pets.

[Time Waster]

BTW are there any cat breed health issues like there are with dogs? I'm guessing the Persian cat might be one instance. It seems to me that general moggies are healthy as are many pedigree ones, much more than dogs, but that's really my ignorance of cats. I could be very wrong in that cats and dogs suffer similar health issues due to selective breeding for perceived beauty standards from show bodies like the kennel club.

I'm only asking as in the dog show / breeding world unhealthy breed standards are a problem and I hoping there's less of it in the cat world. I believe in the rabbit world there's been issues with some of the larger breeds. A friend had English giants, one was 8 out 9 kg. Bigger than most large tabbies indeed, medium dog sized. They were healthy until one died in an accident and the other one seemed to mourn it then became a bit aggressive. An 8kg rabbit has quite a kick!

 

[Reynard]

Pedigree cats have generally had far less tinkering than pedigree dogs, and despite what a lot of people assume, Persians and Exotics don't tend to have breathing issues.

The big ones are polycyctic kidneys (PKD) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but none of those are restricted to any one particular breed. The GCCF has encouraged screening for genetic diseases for quite a few years now, and instances of PKD and HCM are getting a lot rarer.

The big thing in the cat world is that there are different governing bodies, each with different standards, and approving different breeds. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy is the UK's version of the Kennel Club, and has probably the strictest policies on breeds and breed standards etc. TICA, which is US-based, sits at the other end of the spectrum. The others are probably somewhere in between.

For instance, a lot of domestic-wild hybrids e.g. Chausie, Savannah are allowed in TICA, but not in the GCCF, which only accepts the Bengal and its tabby cousin, the Toyger. The GCCF also won't allow munchkins, which are cats with reduced leg length, and nor will it sanction the Scottish Fold, where the gene for folded ears can also cause limb and joint deformities.

Yet the GCCF does allow the Manx. Admittedly it is an ancient breed, but the lack of a tail in a show Manx is actually a form of Spina Bifida. Having said that, it's rare to find Manx (or its longhaired version, the Cymric) on the show bench these days, as they are incredibly hard to breed to the Standard of Points. You have to breed tailless to tailed, else the gene is fatal in the womb.

The Scottish Fold has similar issues to the Manx - and while a fold x fold mating isn't fatal in utero, it almost guarantees what I mentioned above re limbs and joints.

In the past, Siamese have also had problems with squints and kinks in the tail. At one time they were seen as a characteristic of the breed, but now they're a withholding fault on the show bench, and as a result has largely been bred out of the gene pool.

Also, breeds which only have a small gene pool, can be outcrossed to other approved breeds in order to maintain type and genetic diversity.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I love Whippets. Their coats are so soft I could just cuddle them all day 🐱 comes under the duvet and usually snuggles into the back of my legs at night.

Sounds familiar....

 

[Time Waster]

Pedigree cats have generally had far less tinkering than pedigree dogs, and despite what a lot of people assume, Persians and Exotics don't tend to have breathing issues.

The big ones are polycyctic kidneys (PKD) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but none of those are restricted to any one particular breed. The GCCF has encouraged screening for genetic diseases for quite a few years now, and instances of PKD and HCM are getting a lot rarer.

The big thing in the cat world is that there are different governing bodies, each with different standards, and approving different breeds. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy is the UK's version of the Kennel Club, and has probably the strictest policies on breeds and breed standards etc. TICA, which is US-based, sits at the other end of the spectrum. The others are probably somewhere in between.

For instance, a lot of domestic-wild hybrids e.g. Chausie, Savannah are allowed in TICA, but not in the GCCF, which only accepts the Bengal and its tabby cousin, the Toyger. The GCCF also won't allow munchkins, which are cats with reduced leg length, and nor will it sanction the Scottish Fold, where the gene for folded ears can also cause limb and joint deformities.

Yet the GCCF does allow the Manx. Admittedly it is an ancient breed, but the lack of a tail in a show Manx is actually a form of Spina Bifida. Having said that, it's rare to find Manx (or its longhaired version, the Cymric) on the show bench these days, as they are incredibly hard to breed to the Standard of Points. You have to breed tailless to tailed, else the gene is fatal in the womb.

The Scottish Fold has similar issues to the Manx - and while a fold x fold mating isn't fatal in utero, it almost guarantees what I mentioned above re limbs and joints.

In the past, Siamese have also had problems with squints and kinks in the tail. At one time they were seen as a characteristic of the breed, but now they're a withholding fault on the show bench, and as a result has largely been bred out of the gene pool.

Also, breeds which only have a small gene pool, can be outcrossed to other approved breeds in order to maintain type and genetic diversity.

It's good there's less breeding issues in cats. It's where I think dog breeding needs to go. To derecognise problem breeds or change the standard to remove the breeding issues.

There's a lot of myths about cat breeds out there it seems.

 

[stephec]

My little baby's had her coat on again tonight as it's only 6°c.

Similar to the hounds she doesn't have an undercoat, just a single layer of hair.

She's at her furriest here, haircut time in a few days.

Pedant alert: that's Mrs Stephec's spelling of daddies, not mine. 😂

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Do any of your pets like pizza?

 

[keithmac]

I wouldn't be without our two Labradors but if I dressed them up and pushed them about in a pram they'd never forgive me..

 

[Kajjal]

What’s not to love about a Westie ? We are on to our 3rd now. What you’ve described is typical of the breed. we’ve never rushed into getting another dog we take time to get over things and use to not having one around. We do things that are possible with a dog just a bit harder like weekends away to see shows , long days out without worrying about being away. We find it helps us everyone is different one thing is true you just know when it’s time for another.

All ours have been dogs needed a new home they’ve all come with a few sharp edgers. But you soon sort them out.

As for now it will feel like a you’ve a big hole in your life and in your home. When times are hard think of the good times they get you though the bad times.

I often wake up with a Westie on my head snoring away 😁

They are strong willed independent little beasties !

 

[Time Waster]

Do any of your pets like pizza?

Out of curiosity, were you in Leeds outside the city Hall in 1992?

I was a student wearing a street hawkers t-shirt at the back of the crowd standing with a group of rather big skinheads with their rottweilers wearing I think the same t-shirt I was, possibly in the same size they were beasts those dogs! Perfectly safe as we were all enjoying the parade and city hall celebrations from the team and massive crowd.

Funnily enough I lived near Blackburn when they won the premiership on 95. Jack walker could and did get away with a lot in Blackburn after buying that win. Missed the parade but a lot of indie shops celebrated in their stores after that.

 

[Mrs M]

My little baby's had her coat on again tonight as it's only 6°c.

Similar to the hounds she doesn't have an undercoat, just a single layer of hair.

She's at her furriest here, haircut time in a few days.

Pedant alert: that's Mrs Stephec's spelling of daddies, not mine. 😂

View attachment 668233

Stunning girl! 💕
Our baby has his waterproof coat on but decided not going out as it’s raining and too windy! 🤣

 

[Reynard]

I often wake up with a Westie on my head snoring away 😁

They are strong willed independent little beasties !

Must've been a tortoiseshell cat in a previous life...

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

My little baby's had her coat on again tonight as it's only 6°c.

Similar to the hounds she doesn't have an undercoat, just a single layer of hair.

She's at her furriest here, haircut time in a few days.

Pedant alert: that's Mrs Stephec's spelling of daddies, not mine. 😂

View attachment 668233

Lovely dog, am so thinking about getting a standard poodle when I retire (hopefully fairly soon). Never really wanted one but I have my daughters Labradoodle when I have her. He's a lovely dog, lovely nature, playful and intelligent. The only issue is barking at some dogs when on the lead, off it, he's totally soft. Just have a feeling that's the poodle in him. He's a Labradoodle crossed with a standard poodle, so I guess he's more poodle than some are. You can train him really easily as long as you spend time playing with a ball with him. It's a bit like a therapy dog as he seems to know when your down and you can hug him like a big teddy bear.

When I have the dog he sleeps on my bed with my cat. So I guess I'm guilty of babying pets. Just imagine some breeds are more suited to being treated this way than others. Used to have a Patterdale and that was certainly not into babying. Lovely dog he was though, if not a bit crazy.

 

[stephec]

Stunning girl! 💕
Our baby has his waterproof coat on but decided not going out as it’s raining and too windy! 🤣

She loves being outside and is always asking to go in the garden, if it's raining she doesn't mind, but strong winds are a no no.

 

[stephec]

Lovely dog, am so thinking about getting a standard poodle when I retire (hopefully fairly soon). Never really wanted one but I have my daughters Labradoodle when I have her. He's a lovely dog, lovely nature, playful and intelligent. The only issue is barking at some dogs when on the lead, off it, he's totally soft. Just have a feeling that's the poodle in him. He's a Labradoodle crossed with a standard poodle, so I guess he's more poodle than some are. You can train him really easily as long as you spend time playing with a ball with him. It's a bit like a therapy dog as he seems to know when your down and you can hug him like a big teddy bear.

When I have the dog he sleeps on my bed with my cat. So I guess I'm guilty of babying pets. Just imagine some breeds are more suited to being treated this way than others. Used to have a Patterdale and that was certainly not into babying. Lovely dog he was though, if not a bit crazy.

She's the same with other dogs, easy to train apart from that, but as a dog trainer who I know said to me, 'they're working dogs, very clever, and if they decide that their way is better than what you want them to do they'll try and do it.'

 

[Time Waster]

Had the best day off so after driving duties for son's school I took the BT out mid afternoon. She was so hyped she ran off before I could get the lead on. She usually waits on the driveway but she ran down the stairs, out of the driveway and sat in the middle of the pavement with a look like she's saying "what are you waiting for? "

Drizzle came in but I was well wrapped up after a cold spell outside waiting for son's school event to finish to drive the kids back to school. I got cold so I wrapped up for the walk. The dog was more wrapped up and had a few wriggles on her back before we got to a strange little shop near us that sells disability stuff right through to hardware stuff and pet stuff. She likes to pull me over to sit tight against the door with her head pointing up where the double doors meet. I then have to pick her up to take her past the place.

Then we got to the path up and over the station bridge to get onto the old train line embankment she stopped and wouldn't move until we took that path. Wasn't planning that way but sometimes you have to let the dog choose the route, if not for an easy time on the walk.

She's not normally as hyped and hyper as she was. Not with me and not when it's a fine drizzly weather. Didn't phase her, double coat it shouldn't but she doesn't like rain normally. So we had a pleasant little walk. She doesn't like to walk far, knows when she's had enough and makes it very clear.

All in all a nice day.

PS as a owner of a dog with a tough, rough, wiry double coat you do wish it was softer after you've met a cocker spaniel or other dog with lovely, soft and sleek coat. There's only so long you can stroke a BT before you feel like you've taken the skin off. It's like wire wool!