16th Sept 2013 — We read that Iran plans to send a Persian cat into space as a follow up to sending a monkey into space. We don’t know if this is all a public relations exercise to sharpen up the public profile of a country that is largely disliked in the West or whether it is real. You never really know the truth when it comes to Iran. Mind you, the same applies to most governments.
Iran state that they want to improve their space technology so that they can launch satellites to improve telecommunications and so on. But is it a smoke screen for developing rocket technology for missiles carrying war heads?
They state they are choosing between a Persian cat, a rabbit and a mouse.
All the online newspapers show a picture of a modern flat-faced Persian. This is incorrect because this cat is exclusively an American cat. I would be surprised if there are flat-faced Persians in Iran. There may be one or two but the mainstream Persian in Iran should be a real or, at least, a traditional Persian cat and thank God for that because the flat-faced variety has known breathing problems. They are highly unsuited to space flight. Note: there are probably no Persian cats in Iran but that is another story.
Iran can do far better than sending an extreme bred Persian cat into space even if it is named after their country. The connection ends there – with the name. The Persian cat has no connection with Iran except for the country’s former (and alternative) name. In fact, we don’t even know if the Persian cat comes from Persia.
If Iran is stuck on the idea of sending the famous Persian cat into space, please, oh please, make it a traditional Persian, or a real Persian cat, a freeborn cat that lives on the streets. He’ll have a much better chance of returning in good health or alive.
Better than all of these options is to send a human, one of the politicians would do nicely. Why should the life of a cat be jeopardised for the sake of a dubious human objective?
My thanks to Marc for pointing this story out to me.
The trouble with the idea of sending a real Persian cat native to Persia into space, is that there are none and never were. That is why they are using this imported European type. How could a steaming hot place like Persia give rise to a cat whose morphology and fur type and length are obviously the result of adapting to very cold conditions. Much further north in Turkey and the Caucasus Mountains is where such a cat may develop. Anyway that’s beside the point. Anything they claim to need to learn from this is already known. It’s a publicity stunt designed to appeal to the “ignorant” masses, or so they think. When the news gets out that the cat was actually developed in Britain someone will have egg all over his face. A modern Persian is the most unsuitable candidate for this. Poor cat.
Western Iran and Eastern Turkey have cold winters. But the original Persian cats didn’t have the sort of crazy fur length of the modern Persians. It was just a bit longer than normal, I suppose. As you say it is a pure publicity stunt.
People think without feeling.
How awful this is, and I see it’s quite true as Animal Aid are now trying to stop it happening, why send a cat, why send any animal, it’s all been done before many years ago and humans have been into space many times so why go back to sending innocent animals. What would happen, how long would a cat be in space, how would it eat and drink, how would it go to the toilet? It has to be a huge stress on any animal and if it is lucky enough to get back to Earth what then? Cut up and analysed? Horrible, horrible people!
Here is my “Traditional Persian Cat” Matahari demonstrating the tact of hiding in confined spaces. Here she is hiding in a shopping bag that was left on the table.She could be a good astronaut for any country!
The present day “Ultra-Faced Persian ” cat is just a name to the original “Traditional Persian cats” of Iran, having no link to the Country but for the name “PERSIAN”. Its akin to the “Bombay cat” named after Bombay(Mumbai) city but having no connection to the city and same with the “Bengal Cat”.All present day cats have evolved by specific breeding by breeders catering to the cat fancy clubs of the West which is Europe and America.Today the “Traditional Persian cat” which originated in Persia(Iran) is no longer recognized as the “PERSIAN CAT”, its place taken by the “Ultra-Faced(Flat faced) Persian” as shown in the photo.If Iran intends a publicity coup then they should send a “Traditional Persian Cat” to space which originally had its origins in that country and not a “Ultra-Faced Persian” which is a creation of the West cat breeders!
I hope this is a farce.
LOL….I thought the same thing but I don’t think it is a farce although it seems like it.
Then, they can just shoot ME into space, because this world has gone mad!
I think I’ll have to do a picture of you in a space suit ;).
Yes the world has gone mad!
Why send an innocent cat into space, he can’t come back and say how he felt, I think it would traumatise any cat for life!
Why not send a criminal, say a murderer, let him redeem himself for his crime.
But humans should concentrate in putting this planet right before trying to take over outer space planets to ruin also.