wild cat species' welfare!
 

bmgb: I agree with cat overpopulation being a problem.I rescued and sheltered my share of strays,and strongly believe in early spaying /neutering: I believe the problem lies in irresponsible owners,who should make sure to "fix" their kitties unless they are absolutely willing to be responsible for the welfare of every single kitten-for life. Reputable,licenced breeders place their animals under strict contracts,taking them back if they are not "fixed",or anytime during the animals ' lifetime if the owners can no longer care for them.
There's unfortunately a lot of people who are into exotic animals-spiders,snakes,lizards,etc....and large wild cats.The new breeds can be a safer alternative for these people who absolutely "must" have a wild-looking feline at home,without all the special care and facilities the wilder cousins require: I believe that breeding hybrids actually help protect the wild cats,keeping them where they belong,at home in the wild. A lot of these species are endangered,and the hybrids might soon be the only wild looking felines left!
Also,exposing the public to hybrids greatly helps in raising awareness about little-known wild species(have you ever heard of a fishing cat before?)-for example,because of the Bengal's growing popularity,the Asian leopard Cat has been moved onto the endangered list of different countries,thanks to petitions and pressure from breeders' associations...
I know that people first meeting my Bengals become quite interested in earing about wild cats,especially children!
People concerned about cat overpopulation can help by donating-time and money...check locally.For example,in my province, an association(people and businesses) raise funds to pay for Vet fees, so low-income/student cat owners who can't afford spaying/neutering can do so for free,or for very cheap...

Hum,well,though that might help...kitties are the best! >^..^<

Amen. I got Tinkerbell from an adoption outfit called The Lucky Ones. Their whole deal is that they rescue cats that are about to be put down. As in, that day or that week. And she's like... the best thing in my life. I do love that cat.

We got Pickle in much the same way. She was about 8 months old when she wandered into the back yard of the webmaster for http://www.fancycats.org - and since she was obviously a stray, he took her in and cared for her. Fancy Cats put her up for adoption (they're another rescue agency, first class all the way, really great operation - if you're in the NoVA area and looking for a cat, check them out) and no one would take her. Well, Jenni and I saw her at the Fair Lakes PETsMART and thought she was adorable (though obviously having a bad day). We were looking for a buddy for Tinkerbell (having gotten her back less than a month prior, we could tell that she missed Shadow and needed another cat), and we had settled on either Pickle (who was called "Little Miss", ugh) or this other cat named, ironically enough, "LuvBug". Well, LuvBug was all friendly and loving and would have no trouble getting adopted, while Pickle was kinda shy and really needed some work. Jenni and I decided to go with Pickle because we knew LuvBug would find a good home easily and it was considerably more difficult for Pickle. So we got her, and in the eight months we've had her, she's really opened up. She's super friendly now, if a bit scared of the unfamiliar. And she sleeps on the bed with us, as all cats should. :)

So yeah. Adopt a cat that needs a hope. If you do your homework, you'll be every bit as happy as you would with one of these special breed cats. After all, it's what's inside that counts, right?

They sure do. There's a great PBS show where a gator stole a tigers dead buck. The tiger recovers it and not just bounding through shallow water but a lengthy swim dragging a couple hundred pounds of prey.

Re: wild cat species' welfare!
 

They sure are. And any animal-lover is a friend of mine. Your cats must be beautiful. Any pics?

I think we can both argree with Tigger here, that Tiggers are wonderful things. ;) Oh, and on a side note, I'd have loved to see the real video of that. Karma, baby. Karma.

Quzah.

Ok - kinda off the topic - but not really.

Has anyone read the paper backed version of Scott Adams "The Dilbert Future?" (Its either that one or "The Joy of Work.")

If anyone has read Scott Adams' books they will know that he is a huge cat lover and had this humungeos (sp) tuxedo cat named Freddie. At the end of the paper backed version he mentions that Freddie after the release of the book had passed into kitty heaven and he recommends that everyone go get a kitty from their Humane Society and to remember to have them spayed or neutered. Made me cry.

^..^

My brother discovered the secret to building big cats: Feed them all they want when they're kittens, and then taper it off to normal when they reach adulthood. His cat, Ritz, is huge. She stalks and attacks an ocassional ankle, but usually keeps the squirrel population down in the yard. We watched her dragging a squirrel across the yard to a secret eating spot, and I swear she looked like a lion dragging a wildebeast off into the bush.

That must be what I did to my cat Dusty. I've got to start limiting her food or she might get out of control.

...err kinda flip-flopped for a cat, eh. Usually, they cuddle with people and avoid water..

Look! Another thread discussing letting cats roam.

This thread brought to you by SDRTP.

lotta people I never heard of or saw before on this thread too.