Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: CustardCats on March 16, 2007, 22:23:24 PM
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If you could have your dream come true, would you?
I've always admired the British Shorthair, and I am now looking for a cat to join our family, I could save up and get a BSH, but feel more inclined to rescue a cat instead, my heart tells me rescue is the way to go, but my head - and a few people - have said "why not buy your dream while you can??"
But I've always admired the BSH, not always wanted to own one. My hubby says its like his motorbike, hes always wanted a 1000 cc Gsxr, instead he has a 600 cc Gsxr, and hes fine with that, loves his 600, but if he could have the 1000 he would.
Do you think I should wait for a pedigree kitten, while I can afford it, or rescue a cat? My heart says rescue, I know its the right thing, and very rewarding too, but I can't help but feel tempted by a pedigree :shy: Sorry rescue cats!!
Would you get a pedigree if you could, or would you still rescue?
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Hi custard cats
sorry but rescue everytime.....just think how much more you would get out of rescuing a little furbabe that hadnt had a good start to life and all that money to spend on special treats and donate some to CPL
XXXX
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Why not do both!!! You can still have a pedigree and a rescue. Try contacting the following:
http://www.britishshorthaircatclub.co.uk/rescue.htm
http://www.british-shorthairs.co.uk/
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I agree with Sam. You can rescue a BSH and that way you don't have to feel guilty! :)
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I have already tried looking at rescue BSH, and they are either rehomed or too far away :'( So typical of my luck! I could wait and see if any more need rehoming, and have actually been asking breeders themselves to think of me if they need to retire a cat from breeding - and had quite a few rude replies in return! :-:
Somehow I knew people would say rescue lol ;D
I'm going to visit a cat rescue today to see some of the cats needing homes, I have talked to the lady who runs the place a few times on the phone and by email, and can't wait to go and see them!
Trouble is, I just know I'm going to fall in love with them all and want to bring them all home! :Luv:
How on earth do you choose? I remember it was a nightmare when we went to see our cat Pearl at the RSPCA, there were lots of tiny, cute kittens playing in the pens, my eldest son was only 3 and was going crazy for one - but as soon as I saw Pearl I knew, she came to the glass in between us and rubbed herself all over it trying to get to me! lol :Luv: The guy who was looking after them actually tried to convince me to have a kitten rather than an "oldie"!! :P
I think its always quite hard to tell a personality when they are in a pen, I just hope we can find a cat who can fit in, regardless of age, as I would hate to make the wrong decision and have to take them back! I'm actually a bit worried I might make the wrong decision, I'd hate to mess a poor cat about.
I hope there will be someone there for us, we've been looking for quite some time now, and always end up going looking at cats/kittens and having to make the hard decision that they aren't quite right for us, and coming home with nothing but crying kids! But I refuse to choose a cat/kitten just so my kids aren't upset! It has to be the right pairing!!
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I think if being owned by a BSH is your dream then you should go for it. Having a pedigree cat doesn't mean you can't have a rescue cat too, at the same time or at a later date, or help out a rescue in other ways. I have 1 rescue cat and 1 pedigree cat (a Somali). I originally had 2 rescue cats and when one of them died I got my Somali as I'd always hankered after either a Somali or an Abyssinian. I will definitely have more rescue cats in the future and I'll almost certainly have another Somali too. If a pedigree BSH is what you really want dont' feel bad about having one. Just make sure you find a reputable breeder.
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It really is your choice, and we are slightly biased on here!! If you really want a BSH, then you could keep persevering with the rescue route. I have a couple of dream cats but I will only have them if one comes into a rescue when I am in a position to extend the family, but that is just my choice, and I haven't picked the majority of my cats, even the two that came from shelters!! So am afraid I can't help you out on the choosing aspect either!!
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Id say rescue
but as others have said u can have both .
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I have both, 2 domestic short hairs (aka moggies) and 1 pedigree. However even tho the only pedigree i always fancied was an oriental the reason why i got my laperm was because i looked into low shedding cats as that was a criteria for us. after finding out about all the various things it was a cornish rex i decided i wanted and then i stumbled across a pic of a laperm kitten (laperms are rex breed aswell) and whether he had actually been classed as a low shedding cat or not it was love at first sight with his photo. Luckily he is a low shedder and the texture of his coat means that any odd hair you get is very easily picked off unlike most cat hair (the texture of laperms coats is totally unique)
I dont feel guilty for having bought a cat and now that i have him and as i have experience in many moggies ive had over the years of my own and family cats and through working with hundreds of cats, my pedigree has a very different personality which we love and suits our family life fantastically..i dont think i have had any moggies quite like him, (i guess he's more like a dog in many ways) and i wouldnt think twice in having another laperm in the future. However one of my favorite types of cat will always remain and that is a male moggie who has been very late in being neutered (so a stray etc) they tend to be bigger and very chunky with big thick cheeks and often have a big soft personalitys, I'd fall for one like that every time.
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i guess he's more like a dog in many ways)
Bit like my Jessica then (who is a moggie)
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now i thought she was more alikened to a cow ela :rofl:
Yes many moggies can have an extrovert personality aswell and even if they dont they can make up for in other ways ie you only have to look at fraser and he purrs like a steam engine but cody hardly purrs at all even when he's being stroked and showing affection back, he licks instead LOL.
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I have 9 moggies, most of them rescued one way or another and then my 10th is a Tonkenese.
My first ever cat was a rescue from Foalfarm.
Lulu and Lala i got from work, both needed a home.
Issey was a ferel kitten that was rescued from a stable (her Mum had eat the rest of the litter)
^Pooh^ i bought as a tiny kitten from a petshop - so you could say that i rescued him !!
And then i treated myself to Freddy J (Tonkenese) as Lala needed someone her own age to paly with !!
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now i thought she was more alikened to a cow ela
Thats just her bum, although there is a big movement improvement just now.
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Hi Custardcats, I went with my dream!!!!! :Luv:
I have 4 pedigree bengals and think they are absolutely fantastic. I will always have a bengal in my life :) I do however have my rescue girl too and give a sizeable donation to an independent rescue. You can have both!
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You could always get a BSH and a rescue kitten to keep it company?
:)
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Id never buy a pedigee kitten
when theres so many beautiful moggies in rescue centres
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Dreams cannot be bought, and if you were to get your dream you would then start dreaming for something else. In general I mean.
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I think you should go with your dream, you only live once if you dont you will only end up regretting it! good luck :wow:
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I have 4 cats all rescue and 2 are moggies and 2 are birmans. Have to say my big moggies are great even though i cant get near one and the birmans are older and leading a quieter life,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,well as they dont start that whineeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ;D
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I'd been looking at getting another cat for my 2 year old burmese, and needed a cat that would be very active so my first thought was another burmese or an ocicat but in the end we walked up to the local rescue and I found a lovely 14 month old DSH.
Sometimes, you've got to let the cats pick you ;)
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I went with my dreams and got 2 abysinnians ... however I have always had a resuce as well. I originally had Bob a big black male who was a stray. I took him in got him neutered, vaccinated etc unfortunately him and Zephyr never really saw eye to eye so I ended up rehoming him :'( I was then adopted by Sox ... beautiful, gentle ginger and white male who was sadly involved in an RTA September 2005. I now have Rossi ... my wonderful little tortie.
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You should go with your dream, but nothing to stop you having both - pedigree, rescue and/or pedigree rescue! I've had both, always used to have resuce mogs and never even thought about owning a pedigree, until I met my friend who used to breed persians - and even then I hadnt thought about owning one, till my mum went to visit my friend without me knowing, to arrange for me to have one of her kittens!
That was 11 yrs ago now - and I went on to have several more persians from her, plus several rescue persians, and have just adopted 2 older persians whose owner died. So now I have 9 persians and 3 mogs ;D and I know I will always have a persian in my life.
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I always wanted a PERSIAN but i ended up wi mi rescue moomin who we love ;)
I could however never get over mi dream persian so a yr later got one :evillaugh:
I love moomin as she is indipendant dsh that insists on going out and love mango persian as she is my lap cat
but guess what .....i want anouther persian :evillaugh: once youv got the bug , youv got it
MY ADVICE GET 1 OF EACH
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9 persians :wow: wow u must have a lot of grooming to do then
so u have 12 cats ? :wow:
must show my oh this
as he always says we have too many >:( >:( >:(
i got 7 :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv:
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gillian has my dream :evillaugh:
she has 9 persians and is a cat groomer too
she got it all ;)
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9 persians :wow: wow u must have a lot of grooming to do then
so u have 12 cats ? :wow:
must show my oh this
as he always says we have too many >:( >:( >:(
i got 7 :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv: :Luv:
Lots of bathing and blow drying ;D
My friend who bred some of mine has 17 persians, but when I first knew her she had 29 - now that IS a lot of grooming ;D
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gillian has my dream :evillaugh:
she has 9 persians and is a cat groomer too
she got it all ;)
Feels like its a dream sometimes! :evillaugh:
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:evillaugh:
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Have the newbies arrived then, Gillian? ;D I can't remember whether it was this weekend or next that you were getting them.
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I think it would be nice to go for an adult rescue cat, especially if you got it from a rescue where the volunteers knew the nature and some of the history of the cat. This way you would have a cat whose personality fitted you.
There is a wonderful smug satisfaction obtained from seeing a contented healthy rescue cat snuggled on your lap or by your fire. It's a great feeling to know that this cat could otherwise have had a very different life, not the happy one you have provided. :cold:
I sometimes think it would be nice to have a maine coon. But when P and S shuffle off this mortal coil, I'll go to a rescue and look for a pure black or a black and white moggie, or any puss I fall in love with. I'll look for the one no one else wants. This gives me most satisfaction: to take a nervous, sickly cat and transform it into a loving happy moggie. It gives me a warm maternal feeling. And it gives the cat a good home.
Let someone else take the in-bred, expensive, pedigree kittens which have been deliberately produced when there are so many other cats needing homes. Sorry if this annoys all the pedigree-fanciers.
:welcome:
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While I am not as anti-pedigree as Hippy is, she makes a good point on the adult rescues, there really is something wonderful about seeing a contented rescue cat and knowing that their life could have been so much different.
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There are plenty of pedigree rescues needing homes. I wouldn't buy one from a breeder though. Since going on here, I am developing a soft spot for bengals. As much as I love cats, other people are welcome to the longhairs :evillaugh: (I have a issue with persians - I think they are Barbara Cartland cats :evillaugh: )
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Completely agree with HippyKitty especially about wanting a maine coon (or a Norwegian Forest Cat) but always find myself going the rescue route instead. Unlikely to find those breeds at a local rescue when we have a space available which I hope won't be for a good long while.
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As much as I love cats, other people are welcome to the longhairs :evillaugh: (I have a issue with persians - I think they are Barbara Cartland cats :evillaugh: )
Mine arent! ;D Don't think this pic of Gypsy eating a chick could be consiidered a Barbara Cartland cat - do you? :evillaugh: (Don't look if your'e squeamish :sick: )
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Ha ha! Definitely not a Barbara Cartland cat!
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Have the newbies arrived then, Gillian? ;D I can't remember whether it was this weekend or next that you were getting them.
Yes, there here Susanne - see this thread http://www.chaptanservices.com/purrs/index.php?topic=2772.0 Jasper and Zeta have arrived.
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Poor chick! :'(
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Just looked on the re-home list on http://www.british-shorthairs.co.uk/ all I can say is I'm so glad they don't have pictures of these little babies as I think I'd be dying to get one - although don't think the OH or my girls would be too happy with me hehe.
If it's your dream go for it these guys fall into both BSH and in need of loving homes!!!
:Luv:
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:rofl: at mark
and
:rofl: at that chick pic..somehow its not the first thing you think of when you picture a persian in your mind.
I too am a shorthair person, altho nothing wrong with a longhair permie since they still are low shedding, dont tangle/knot, still need minimal grooming ;D purrfect.
actually i would still stick to my shorthairs but i do get a pang of jealousy when i see longhaired perms full of lurverly curls >:(
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My dream... would be to have a PROPERLY cat-proof garden (bomb proof more like) so that I could offer a home to a feral or two as well as being able to safely let my moggies play out. I'd also love to have a big enough house to have a 'cat room' for litter trays n stuff so that they can't stinkle up the rest of me house! :rofl:
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I think Hippykitty has it right in that half of the pleasure in adopting Bilbo and Baggins and having them as our family is thinking that you've made a difference for them, and given them a chance of a happy and secure life. I know I'd not get as much satisfaction from adopting a cat from a breeder.
I'm not anti-pedigree. Quite the opposite, but the only way I'd have one is if it came from a rescue.
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Topic: If you could have your dream..... (Read 181 times)
well i bloody cant coz hubby didnt pick the right Bloomin numbers on saturday night :rofl:
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I've think I've already got my dream which has always been doing something worthwhile with animals. Feral cats wasn't quite what I envisaged but I wouldn't have it any other way. The only thing I would like now is, to have a bigger house and more money so I could take more in and give them all the life they deserve..........a life of pampering :Luv:
Re Pedigree cats, there are plenty that go into rescues. My gorgeous Maine Coon Billy came in as a rescue along with 2 other Maine Coons and 3 Norwegians.......just because they are pedigree doesn't mean they will have a home forever. I've had an email today about taking 2 Persian Crosses, sadly the owner feels it's too much to look after them as she also has 2 other cats, all rescue..........they come into rescues for all sorts of reasons and sometimes it due to circumstances but through nobody's fault.
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Ooh, well if we are talking about that kind of dream, it would be more money, so I could have a bigger house, with a massive secure garden (and a cleaner and gardener!!), so I could have a nice sanctuary for the oldies, got it all worked out in my head how I would like it to look too. Maybe actually buying the lottery ticket would be a good start!!
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WELL if i did win loads a money on the lotto, i'd defo have another laperm and i'd hold out till i got my my pref red polydactyl dsh coz i have wanted one for about 15 years.
but i would have a kennels to take greys in and employ a kennel maid ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
( i mean temp home greys not a business but i would end up owning a few i reckon)
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Hi all, an update for you, you know how I was going to the rescue on saturday? well....check out <a href="http://www.chaptanservices.com/purrs/index.php?topic=2901.0" target_blank>this thread[/url]. :D :D