A woman in America, April Arguin, has created two new hairless breeds of cat by turning two existing breeds, the Bambino and the Sphynx into cats with no tail (bobtailed). They are hybrids. The Bambino is a dwarf hairless cat. She introduced the gene which removes the tail or shortens it to create the BamBob. The Sphynx is the world’s best known hairless cat. She created a tailless breed from this cat which she calls the ShynxieBob; a cat without fur and tail. Let’s remind ourselves that this breed is based on removing two important aspects of the domestic cat’s anatomy (fur and tail) to create what Arguin believes is an attractive or interesting cat. The same, more or less goes for the Bambob.
The video tells her story. She wants her new breeds to be recognised by a small, rather insubstantial cat breed registry called the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry (REFR). The mainstream registries in America are the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA). The former would not recognise these breeds on health grounds although ironically they promote the breeding of an inherently unhealthy cat, the contemporary Persian (and Exotic SH – the shorthaired version). As for TICA they currently recognise bobtailed cats, hairless cats and a dwarf cat (the Munchkin) and therefore may in due course recognise the SphynxieBob and the BamBob.
April Arguin says she has not created these breeds for financial gain but for her own pleasure and to bring new cat breeds into the world. The question is: does the world need or desire two new hybrid cat breeds? If we are honest, the answer is probably, no.
Dwarf cats are controversial because of potential health problems so these will be carried forward to the Bambob. Bobtailed cats are not uncommon and for instance you’ll see lots of street cats in Japan and Asia with short and kinked tails. The SphynxieBob is probably a better breed because it is probably inherently healthier. The Sphynx is quite popular although some people argue that it is unfair on a cat to remove its fur. These are essentially full-time indoor cats. They are an interesting cat breed, however. They have monkey-like behavior characteristics.
Do you think it is a good idea to create yet two more cat breeds to add to the existing 104 (approximately)? The major era for the creation of cat breeds was around the 1960s, by the way.
Note: this page was first published on September 11th 2015. The current video is still on YouTube. The page has been updated.
Thanks for the additional info Sarah.
I especially enjoyed your article, because I’ve been wondering how breed committees expect to trademark mutations and if that’s even feasible.
A lot of other registries already won’t recognise the mix-and-match cats (in much of the EU there is companion animal legislation that bans certain traits and, being legislation, it overrides registry rules). Paper registries are the exception. Since cat shows are run by registries or welfare societies, those “outsider breeds” wouldn’t be accepted for exhibition at shows.
As for disadvantages … do we need another Munchkinised breed? Or another bald breed derived from a Sphynx? There is a loophole – what if a lookalike mutation occurs spontaneously and is developed?
More here: http://messybeast.com/mutation-who-owns.htm (something I wrote when the rules were changed)
Thanks for sharing the story of your Sphynx and your honesty about the maintenance required to keep them clean and healthy. I think those are aspects of owning a Sphynx which many people simply aren’t aware of, but should be to ensure they can provide the necessary level of care.
Your vet sounds lovely… a real antidote to the likes of cat killing vet Lindsey.
Interesting to learn that rules have been updated regarding mix and match breeding. I wasn’t aware of this. If that decision is based on putting the welfare of cats first, then it’s welcome news.
Other than not being able to register their breed with one of the recognsied registries (and all that entails), are there other disadvantages in not seeking the permission of those breed committees before creating a new breed? What is there to deter people from creating new breeds and registering them elsewhere?
Rules have been greatly updated to prevent such mix-and-match breeding. Nowadays, if you want to use a Munchkin to found a new breed, you have to get permission of the Munchkin breed committee. Same goes for using Sphynx or any other structural or fur-type mutation – you have to get the permission of the breed committee of the breed in which the mutation originally occurred (or, more likely, the breed in which it was originally registered). Breeds that got recognition before the rules changed will not lose recognition, but new mix-and-match breeds are likely to be refused any type of recognition. These days, the only “anything goes” registries are the online “paper registries.”
I loved Jeff Goldblum in the Jurassic Park films. He was the best human character there, in my opinion. “World” was better than I thought it would be. Chris Pratt was very good and I had no problem with Claire running around in those high heels. I’ve know women who could do that in real life. Of course, they weren’t being chased by a T-Rex.