BREED CATS FOR HEALTH!

BREED CATS FOR HEALTH!

by Ruby
(NYC)

Lilac Burmese cat - Photo by deeleea - this photo was uploaded by Michael (Admin) to illustrate the breed only. There is no connection to the article.

Lilac Burmese cat - Photo by deeleea - this photo was uploaded by Michael (Admin) to illustrate the breed only. There is no connection to the article.

My first Burmese was a cat from the Sangazure line. A tiny contemporary Burmese with a personality that was like a child's. Loving, hilarious, mischievous, acrobatic as a monkey, generous to small children and delighted with advances from anyone, including dogs and strangers.

She cuddles like she's made of velcro and she flirts shamelessly with everyone. She has been the love of our lives and, having had cats my entire life, I can say with certainty that we will never have another that compares.

Burmese cat with facial problem causing health problems

Photo above: I've snapped a quick photo of my poor Minkus' face to illustrate my point. She's still active enough that she can jump from the floor to my shoulder despite the fact that she's nearly blind and utterly ancient.

...HOWEVER:

When I got her, she'd just finished surgery for double cherry-eye. The veterinarian who did the surgery destroyed her tear ducts, so over the years the porphyry and other junk sticking her eyes together and running down her face has gone from an annoyance to a real crisis. Unbeknown to us (and them), the breeder had a rampant strain of feline herpes ripping through his cattery, and her delicacy made it a given that she would have a (constantly) active case.

Despite the fact that we treated her for that daily with lysine and colloidal silver (
for a short period), in her eighth year she developed an eye ulcer and we had to have a graft performed so that she might keep the eye. The sneezing and continual nose and eye drip made it more difficult for the eye to heal.

It ran us thousands, and while I will never regret doing it, I know that not many out there have the resources or desire to commit what we did to keep our baby comfortable and happy.

Then in her 13th year, the other eye ulcerated. We spent huge amounts to have a graft done on that eye, but this one didn't hold. We finally had to remove the eye altogether. Poor darling!

But the misery isn't over... She now has hyperthyroid. While lots of older cats develop it, Burmese are small enough to begin with that it really puts them into danger to lose so much weight.

She's sixteen now, and our (very good) vet checks her regularly, and lets us know that she's feeling alright. She also tells us that she'll let us know when it's time (you know - TIME).

I love this animal as thoroughly as any member of our family, and I grieve that she's had such pain and misery due to the delicacy of her breed.

BREED FOR HEALTH FIRST, BREEDERS! Because the animals suffer, and we the pet owners suffer with them.

Ruby

BREED CATS FOR HEALTH! to Burmese cats

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BREED CATS FOR HEALTH!

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Feb 11, 2010
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Breed cats for Healthy
by: Anonymous

THANK YOU Ruby for putting the public on alert about your Burmese kitty's health issues. I have a rescue Siamese mix who may have the herpes virus in one eye as well. Your article has given me clues of what to look for and how to monitor his condition. THANK YOU.


Dec 29, 2009
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Breed cats for Health.
by: Rudolph.A.Furtado

Just today i visited Mumbai's famous pet market, "Crawford Market" and was aghast and sad to see at least a dozen "Persian crossbred etc" kittens lying in cages awaiting buyers and a "PET HOME". My cat Matahari was purchased from a pet shop in the same market and at that time "Persian cats(Traditional)" were rare, besides "Matahari" as proven later was a classic pick of a litter of just 2 kittens. In August 2007 i paid Rs14,000(US$ 350approx) for purchasing kitten "Matahari" while today in 2009 due to "Kitten Mills breeding programme" the pet shops are littered with badly bred mixed breeds selling for Rs 8000(Us $ 170approx!)."Matata" the offspring of "Matahari" is a classic model of the "Traditional Persian cat(Doll Face)" and i am proud to say that i didn't spot a single kitten or cat of his calibre nor of his dam and now mate "Matahari".Strange, my source of "BREEDING STOCK" was from these same pet shop owners yet my cats have developed into beautiful specimens and in the best of health, absolutely sturdy and tough ruffians. I think i was just lucky to pick the right "Unregistered pedigree kitten", hence the exorbitant price tag and in hindsight, i have no regrets and a proud owner of one of the best cat specimens in mumbai.I am just anxious to see the resultant off-spring of "Matahai and Matata, the ultimate "Mumbai Persian Cat".

Rudolph avatar


Dec 29, 2009
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Picture
by: Michael

Hi Ruby..by the way, if you have a photo I would be pleased to upload it. Just email me:

mjbmeister [at] gmail.com

replace the [at] with @


Dec 29, 2009
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Thanks
by: Michael

Thanks Ruby for your very informative article. Articles from people who have first hand experiences are the best by far and when experience is combined with insight and intelligence you get the best articles such as yours.

I think breeding for appearance over health is a symptom of the failure to regard the cat companion as a true equal to us. It is part of the culture that says cats are objects to do with as we wish.

That culture will always produce problems for the cat and eventually it will backfire on us. The vets are the only people who win.

Why aren't the vets going out and lecturing on how to prevent cat illness?


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