XPost: alt.cats, rec.pets.cats.health+behav 
 From: mmontcha@OregonVOS.net 
  
 On Fri, 26 Sep 2003, Misty9999 wrote: 
 |>If an owner can show that her cat shares the relevant DNA, she could 
 |>compel the organization to have her cat recorded?  Assuming the fee 
 |>is paid? 
 | 
 | In the case of Maine Coons , a prospective breeder must be sponsored 
 |by an established breeder. 
  
 If they are a private organization, they ought to be allowed to be as 
 exclusive as they want to be.  OTOH, does the organization depend on 
 public outlays in anyway?  Have they ever received letters of recognition 
 from any public bodies?  Do they bandy about letters of recognition, or 
 rely on them for advertising purposes in any way? 
  
 |The breeder has provisional status for two years with the Maine Coon 
 |Breeders and Fanciers Association. They must prove that they are willing 
 |to follow strict guidelines and make every attempt to improve the breed 
 |before they have full status as a Maine Coon breeder. 
  
 There must be some objective way of deciding what constitutes a breed, 
 let alone what constitutes an improvement.  'Consensus' is not the same 
 thing as enumerated list of requirements.  Winning a cat show - being 
 a highly subjective event - does not seem to be an objective way of 
 deciding.  (Any band of hillbillies could hold a cat show, and exclude 
 supposedly pedigreed cats, so what would that show?) 
  
 |The provisional breeder's cats are allowed in the registry. 
 | 
 |Backyard breeders or people who bought from backyard breeders can NOT 
 |simply buy their way into the registry. 
  
 Yet the registry is meaningless without some way of knowing whether 
 one cat is really the cat in question, and whether it belongs to 
 a breed that is so well-defined that even a blind man could say what 
 it is, or that it belongs to the putative breed. 
  
 |These cats are the ones who often end up in shelters. Breeders rescue 
 |their respective breeds. The scumbag backyard breeders have violated 
 |a legal contract. 
  
 What, would you say that it is a tort or a crime, and would you care 
 to say which? 
  
 |Once they are caught ( the backyard breeders , not the buyers ) are 
 |eaten alive in court by cat loving attorneys . 
  
 Cite some cases, please. 
  
 |Whatever money they might have made from backyard breeding is quickly 
 |wiped out in civil court. 
  
 On how many counts of common law slander of chattel? 
  
 |There is nothing you can do if a backyard breeder manages to find an 
 |unregistered stud and queen ( not obtained from a reputable breeder 
 |who requires a legal contract ). Thankfully , that does not happen 
 |very often. 
  
 Yet there must be some way of deciding what constitutes a breed, 
 and what *is* a departure from that breed. 
  
 |>|There is little difference in looks and no difference in temperament 
 |>|between " show " cats , breeder cats, and pet quality cats. 
 |> 
 |>I've noticed that different cats have different personalities.  This 
 |>may not be a factor in winning a "show" but there may be a genetic 
 |>basis to the cat's personality.  With enough DNA samples, modern 
 |>science might realize a new discovery or two. 
 | 
 |Agreed , but ALL cats have unique personalities. Temperament is a very 
 |important thing to both breeders and prospective buyers of purebred 
 |cats. 
  
 I would agree that a hissssing cat is not too likely to win a cat 
 show.  But the tendency to hissss may be genetic in origin. 
  
 |>|Very few people want to get involved in breeding or showing. It is an 
 |>|expensive and time consuming endeavor. 
 |> 
 |>It can be a lot of work restricting access to your cats if you allow 
 |>them to roam around in your south forty, a couple hundred miles from 
 |>civilization. 
 | 
 |I have never heard of a breeder or cat owner ( purebred or moggie) 
 |allowing their cats to roam around in the south forty a couple hundred 
 |miles from civilization 
  
 Do cat breeders live only in cities? 
  
 --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05 
  * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)