 The
Cat's Meow
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| Issue 22, Vol. 4 | New Cat In Town | May 22, 2005 |
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There's A New Cat In Town |
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Recently, there have been several births among the world's rarest and endangered cats. Here are some pictures we found of the cutest baby Bengal tigers, jaguars, and lions—all less than 4 months old—now living safely in environmentally-conscious zoos around the world.... |
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     Bengal Tigers |
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 Jaguars |
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   Lions |
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Photos from the editor's personal email -- most by Reuters |
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New Breed Behave More Like Dogs Than Cats |
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 The exotic Desert Lynx |
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For those who cannot choose between a dog or a cat, these may just be the perfect pet. Up to two-and-a-half times bigger than a standard kitty, the desert lynx loves to play, fetch sticks, and swim like a dog. And now the first kittens from this rare breed to be born in Britain are opening their eyes and beginning to explore their West Wales home. Charm, Cookie and Lion are the first desert lynx in the UK, apart from the two new arrivals that Cookie gave birth to 14 days ago. The muscular cats have been imported from America by Sarah Harrison, a breeder of rare cats and dogs, based in Llandovery. There are only several hundred in the world and five of them have now taken up residence in Y Neuadd, Ms Harrison's country house bed and breakfast. Ms Harrison says price is given on application. In the US they can be bought for between $350 and $800. 'Desert lynx do not have large litters like normal cats, but they are born blind and deaf exactly like a normal moggy,' said Ms Harrison, 41, who lives with partner Tony Eyre. 'Now their eyes are opening and they are beginning to hear me. Another week and they are going to be causing havoc.' Their size, large paws and exotic looks - including striking green eyes and marbled or leopard fur - attracted Ms Harrison instantly. 'When I first heard about them, I had another cat, an old black and white moggy called Webster,' she said. 'I thought if I got a desert lynx she would pack her bags, and leave. But unfortunately he was put to sleep two years ago so I went over to Oregon to have a look at these cats. The first one I saw was a neutered male called Mr Bigstuff and I thought, 'Wow! He is massive'.' But it took her a year to get the cats over to Wales, with quarantine and paperwork. The cats were even stranded in Chicago and Ms Harrison had to drive to Heathrow and back twice in a matter of hours before finally getting them home. Now they are becoming fiercely loyal companions - something that has made them popular with old people's homes in the USA, where the cats are used for therapy. 'They are less boisterous than dogs but still very friendly, and will come and talk to you,' said Ms Harrison. 'The average cat just ignores you and is very independent for much of the time, so these are a bit special. They are extremely friendly and behave more like dogs than cats - they fetch things when thrown. 'They have big paws and Cookie can actually scoop up her kittens quite skilfully. They also love water, again something the average cat would avoid. In the summer I'm going to get them a kids' paddling pool to splash about in.' She heard about the cats through a friend in Selma, Oregon, who she met 11 years ago when she brought over the first American Indian dogs to Britain. She was living in Aberdeenshire at the time and was flicking through a magazine when she came across an article about the dogs, which also come from Oregon. She made contact with Kim La Flamme, who was the breeder of the dogs and has been a pioneer in rescuing the then threatened breed. They were on the brink of extinction until Ms La Flamme, who is part Native American, intervened to save the oldest breed of domesticated dogs in the world. Then Ms Harrison met Arlene Magrino, who owned the desert lynx cats. As the first breeder in Britain, Ms Harrison's kittens have attracted lots of interest already and one has already been homed. The cats will be named by their owners. 'Our guests are interested too,' said Ms Harrison. 'One couple drove all the way from Hull to stay for just one night so they could see the cats. They were nutty about them.' Originally from Oregon in the USA, the desert lynx is approximately two-and-a-half times the size of a normal domestic cat and weighs up to 25lb, compared with the average 8-10lb. housecat. The breed has its origins in the bobcat, an American wildcat. The desert lynx has been in existence for around 20 years and is fully domesticated but can still be up to 33% bobcat. They give birth to smaller litters than domestic cats but live for a similar amount of time. They will eat canned pet food just like any normal moggy and adore other typical cat food, like pilchards. Their hair is short to medium length with ear tufts and ruff. Desert lynx have a short three-quarter- length tail like their bobcat ancestor. This breed can have six toes on all four feet, otherwise known as polydactyl. (Learn more about this cat.) Desert lynx are recognised in the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry. Reprinted from Arcamax Cats and Dogs |
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The Firecat |
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 firecat, can stand on two legs for over 10 seconds. He has not been trained to do this. |
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Have you ever heard of a firecat? Despite its unusual name, a 'firecat' is neither a firehouse pet—like the dalmatian—nor a kittenish version of the mythical Phoenix.And, while the picture above makes it look like a kitten wearing a black leotard, it isn't even a cat! But, it is an extremely interesting animal we'd like to share with you. Please see this page for more info on this highly-unusual creature with the intriguing name. |
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