Are cats sickly little beasts?

[fossyant]

I knew a bloke who looked after his daughter's seven cats while she went on holiday. They were those without hair on their bodies. He told me they were around £1000 each and his daughter gave instructions to feed each of them different diets as they were very fussy. He also said they drove him crazy, climbing the curtains, trying to get out the house, knocking ornaments off etc.

Yeh, fairly standard here too. One of ours knocked a 1kg Elephant 'ornament' onto my wife when she was asleep. Right onto where her covid vac was, not once but twice. We've a big outdoor run for them all though, but 'zoomies' can be quite destructive, as Ragdolls are big cats - not just fluff, but tall. Add in they are nutters too.

 

[Reynard]

I knew a bloke who looked after his daughter's seven cats while she went on holiday. They were those without hair on their bodies. He told me they were around £1000 each and his daughter gave instructions to feed each of them different diets as they were very fussy. He also said they drove him crazy, climbing the curtains, trying to get out the house, knocking ornaments off etc.

Ah, Sphynx cats.

One of the breeds that often end up in rescue. People think that a hairless cat is easier to care for because it's got no coat to groom, but they do have to be bathed at least once a week, because the skin oils don't get wicked away - as they would do on a cat with fur. You quickly end up with a rancid cat if you don't bath them.

They're prone to stomach issues (Sphynx litter tray deposits would make a good riot control medium) and so you do have to watch their diets. They also eat more because they can't regulate their body temperature as well.

On the other hand, they are very sweet and affectionate, but you do have to put the work in.

 

[fossyant]

Ah, it depends whether you are buying show quality or pet quality, and also whether any show quality kittens are on the active breeding register or not.

Price also depends on the breed, and whether that breed has variants or not, due to outcrossing programmes etc.

Ours are Pet quality as there is a 'iccle' bit more Persian in them.

 

[Reynard]

Yeh, fairly standard here too. One of ours knocked a 1kg Elephant 'ornament' onto my wife when she was asleep. Right onto where her covid vac was, not once but twice. We've a big outdoor run for them all though, but 'zoomies' can be quite destructive, as Ragdolls are big cats - not just fluff, but tall. Add in they are nutters too.

A full-grown Raggy male can get to around 7 kilos or so. The average domestic (moggie) tends to be around the 4 1/2 to 5 kilo mark.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Ah, it depends whether you are buying show quality or pet quality, and also whether any show quality kittens are on the active breeding register or not.

Price also depends on the breed, and whether that breed has variants or not, due to outcrossing programmes etc.

If i were to ever own a cat i'd buy/get a common-or-garden kitten or abandoned moggy. Like with dogs, i'm not into expensive finicky pedigrees.

Not having a go at those who are, but it's the love they give back not how they look that i like.

 

[Reynard]

Ours are Pet quality as there is a 'iccle' bit more Persian in them.

Persians were used to develop the breed back in the day. Although some breeders, particularly in the US are starting a trend for shorter muzzles and flatter faces. It looks odd - Raggies should be a well-balanced cat, with nothing exaggerated.

 

[Reynard]

Yeh, fairly standard here too. One of ours knocked a 1kg Elephant 'ornament' onto my wife when she was asleep. Right onto where her covid vac was, not once but twice. We've a big outdoor run for them all though, but 'zoomies' can be quite destructive, as Ragdolls are big cats - not just fluff, but tall. Add in they are nutters too.

I don't need the zoomies here...

Poppy will knock stuff off the work surfaces etc when she wants a whim catered to.

 

[fossyant]

I've seriously thought about a Bengal before, when we dropped our moggies off at a cattery (they bred bengals) but the cost was daft. Then we've now got three pedigrees and a gingie.

 

[fossyant]

Persians were used to develop the breed back in the day. Although some breeders, particularly in the US are starting a trend for shorter muzzles and flatter faces. It looks odd - Raggies should be a well-balanced cat, with nothing exaggerated.

They are, just fluffy. New'ish breed isn't it, from the 50's. Our three are spot on weight wise despite looking huge. I'd like Simba to have a little more meat on him as he's very tall but skinny - good inch or two at shoulder height than the girls. Kyoto (white with socks), is nearer in size than his twin Luna (grey).

Ours have longer noses like normal moggies.

 

[fossyant]

I grew up with dogs, but our lifestyle meant we really didn't have the time. So we've had cat's since. I do love my sister's labrador and go mad playing with him when we get together - he loves it, I get covered in slobber, and our cats aren't impressed.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I've seriously thought about a Bengal before, when we dropped our moggies off at a cattery (they bred bengals) but the cost was daft. Then we've now got three pedigrees and a gingie.

What about Siamese cats. Are they still popular? Our neighbours in the 1960's had a Siamese called Jason after the famous Blue Peter cat.

 

[fossyant]

What about Siamese cats. Are they still popular? Our neighbours in the 1960's had a Siamese called Jason after the famous Blue Peter cat.

Can be still popular, they are hard work - Reynard will tell you.

We went with the Ragdolls as they are laid back and go floppy when you pick them up. Our first was a loon though, and wanted out all the time, so we did as he wanted to play all the time with our elderly tortie (grumpy buggers). Unfortunately he got run over. Wife devastated, then ended up with grumpy tortie and a rescue ginga, at the same point the breeder had more 'raggies' on the way. Mrs had two, then a year later she and daughter got another from the breeder, so ended up with five. Old tigs passed away earlier this year, so we've now got 4 cats under 4, crazy...

The rescue wants to be boss all the time, and whilst he can be lovely with us, he bat's the others about. He likes Luna the grey raggie, but not too keen on the two white ones. Thing is, Simba our big ragdoll is at least two inches higher at the shoulder, so is massive, and he has teeth and claws. Leo only has claws. Simba just is too laid back to fight.

 

[Reynard]

What about Siamese cats. Are they still popular? Our neighbours in the 1960's had a Siamese called Jason after the famous Blue Peter cat.

Definitely - they are still very popular.

Siamese (and orientals and balinese) are great conversationalists and very affectionate, but gods, they have this bloody-minded persistence and a need to get involved in absolutely everything their Human does... They can have a very twisted sense of humour (or what passes for humour in cats), but it also means you need eyes in the back of your head.

They're actually one of my favourite breeds to handle when stewarding as they're fabulously interactive. Although they seem to develop six pairs of legs when you're holding them.

 

[Reynard]

I've seriously thought about a Bengal before, when we dropped our moggies off at a cattery (they bred bengals) but the cost was daft. Then we've now got three pedigrees and a gingie.

Bengals can be arsey sods temperament-wise - not great for the casual owner. They're the one breed I really don't like handling at shows, as you just don't know whether they'll purr at you or bite you.

For those of you who don't know, Bengals are a hybrid between a domestic cat and an Asiatic Leopard Cat. The breed resulted from an experiment to get ALC genes into the domestic cat population, as ALC are immune to FeLV. Of course, that's now a moot point, because there is now a vaccine for feline leukemia.

 

[Reynard]

They are, just fluffy. New'ish breed isn't it, from the 50's. Our three are spot on weight wise despite looking huge. I'd like Simba to have a little more meat on him as he's very tall but skinny - good inch or two at shoulder height than the girls. Kyoto (white with socks), is nearer in size than his twin Luna (grey).

Ours have longer noses like normal moggies.

1970s, founded by a lady called Josephine Baker. Ragdolls are colourpoint cats, with or without white. Ragamuffins are newer (the breed has only recently achieved championship status) - they are basically the same type of cat, but not colourpointed.

I have a friend in Manchester who breeds Raggies.