PETA - There's no such thing as a responsible breeder

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Given the amount of feral cats roaming the planet, and the fact that organised groups of folks have been fighting for DECADES to neuter and reduce numbers and haven't touched the surface, it would take some very dramatic set of circumstances for domestic moggies to dissapear - such as a biblical plague. 

I can understand your arguement is logical, Gill, but it's not practically likely to happen. 

I'm outta here before any more fur flies...   

[Angiew]

gill, spend a week with DD and see if you feel the same way.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

if there is no breeding then there will be no ferals and cats will die out.

There has to be some breeding somewhere for cats to live on.

Pedigrees are not just a fancy name , and why would you want to start with new pedigrees...............do you want horrific designer cats like some of the stuff being done in the States?

You have to take this no breeding to its ultimate conclusion if it were to happen and that is that cats will die out, extinct, nonexistant. never to be found ever again. You cant take it half way. There wont be any little ones to stray from home and produce kittens cos they will be neutered.

Cats that were still living would be so valuable for the remaining part of their life.

As you know I have two birmans but they were not bought by me as pedigrees , just rescued. A rescued pedigree is the same as a rescued moggie.

if someone wants a british blue, I am sure if you hunt you will find one that needs rescuing.

As I said this is an old chestnut thats been done to death and we will just have to agree to disagree.

[Dawn (DiddyDawn)]

I've not read what Peta has to say but I'm gonna agree anyway.  After what we've been through the last day, unspayed females and unneutered males is a subject that really makes my blood boil........sorry, they should all be done regardless, and as Angie said, there are always going to be cats and we should be thinking of the homeless and unwanted, not adding to the population   

[Angiew]

cats won't die out 'cos there will always be ferals around - or at least the little uns that stray from home and continue to populate the earth.

when the moggies are sorted we can start new breeding programs- remember pedigree is only a fancy name for inbreeding. New pedigrees can be developed that don't carry things like pkd (?) or breathing problems.

Or perhaps we could have pedigree sanctuaries where beeding colonies are kept going until such as day as we can say we don't have a cat problem.

I for one am getting very tired of turning cats away. The only homing enquiry I got from the newspaper article for our kittens was for someone who wanted 2 kittens for thier mum who live on a dubious street in the city centre and then turned out to be 70! Perhaps we should just stop doing any sort of home checking.

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Ooh..! Controversy! Like it!   

Pinkbear's perspective on this is that I can gell with folks who want a soooper dooooper bells and whistles pedigree something or other. But just like us humans have carbon foot prints, we also have a devestating effect on feline hood by our foibles.

So the responsible thing to do if you choose to have a pedigree, would be to also get a rescue cat OR actively support the work of rescue - say by paying for the upkeep of a homeless cat each month.

I say this because one day I will get my longed for British Blue, or odd eyed White kitten.  That's when I've got the money and the circumstances. But I'll also have a fistful of moggies as well, I expect... 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

if they all neutered cos there is no breeding then you cant think about breeding later!

The ultimate bottom line of this is no more cats!

How is what I said not true?  If there is no breeding cats will die out..................wont they?

[Angiew]

now now gill you know thats not true!

perhaps people who want a pedigree should have to adopt a companion moggy at the same time - abit like that US cat organ thingy.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

if they all neutered cos there is no breeding then you cant think about breeding later!

The ultimate bottom line of this is no more cats!

[Angiew]

bottom line is.....

you want a cat
you get a pedigree cat.

one less home available to the cats of the world.
one more stray to die on the street.

I think the priority should be to get a home for every cat then think about breeding.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Bang bang bang 

I couldnt agree more to a certain extent but do you want the pedigrees like birmans to be wiped out?

This is an old chesnut and we have beenn round it, over it and under it and we will never agree except that in most cases cats should be neutered.

However i would not want to see the pedigrees die out but I would like to see only registered breeders that need a licence and must adhere to certain standards. And all other people who allow cats to breed and sell cats and kittens on should be prosecuted.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

Mark i'm with you on this one too !!

AIM....SHOOT.....FIRE !!!  Thats 3 of us dead

[Angiew]

I'm afraid I couldn't agree more.

Far to many cats and not enough homes.

[Mark]

I'm inclined to agree - but will probably be shot down in flames 

Anyway, here's their take on it

http://peta.org/campaigns/ar-responsiblebreeders.asp?c=weekly_enews