Sunday, October 3, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Registering Mod Daeng - and Kitten Update
Since starting this blog about Mod Daeng, I've been asked by a number of my Burmese colleagues how this Thai import and her offspring will be registered. So I thought I'd take a moment to address what has already been done since she arrived in the United States, and what we hope will happen over the next few months in CFA (the Cat Fanciers Association) and in TICA (the International Cat Association).
This Fall, active members of the CFA Burmese Breed Council will receive a ballot containing a proposal to register Mod Daeng. If approved by a majority of council members, it will then be forwarded for confirmation by the CFA Board of Directors at their February 2011 meeting. Then her registration will be issued.
There are precedents for this action. This same process was used for Thai imports for the Burmese breed in the 1940s, in 1974, and most recently in 1997. Several of these imports, especially Mahajaya Toffee, are behind a significant percentage of the existing Burmese gene pool. Once Mod Daeng is given a registration number, then her offspring can also be registered as long as the sire of the offspring and their descendants are CFA registered Burmese, which is the case with this, her first litter.
Therefore, to achieve CFA registration for Mod Daeng, and to help us take this step towards improving the genetic diversity of our breed, it is of critical importance for CFA Burmese Breed Council Members to vote yes on this proposal. Some members may not want to participate in this project, which is their right, and others may be unsure of its viability. While only time will tell whether this will be successful, we already know that Thai imports in the past have indeed been successfully integrated into our breed. One only has to look at the descendants of Mahahaja Toffee to observe how many Burmese today still carry his lines.
A yes vote therefore will allow us to move forward with these breedings, and give us the time we need to see how today's Thai imports can help strengthen our Burmese lines. Voting no, on the other hand, leaves us in the same state we are in now, which is a precarious one with low genetic diversity and further divided gene pools. With no action taken towards genetic diversity, it is also quite likely the decline that has been occurring over the last decade and more will continue.
In TICA (the International Cat Association), we have already taken the steps needed to get Mod Daeng registered. In July, at the Mid Pacific Regional show in San Jose, and with the help of Dr. Cristi Bird and Kathryn Amann, I introduced Mod Daeng to a number of TICA judges. In TICA you can incorporate a cat without a known pedigree into a particular breed as long as three judges agree that the cat is suitable for use in that breeding program.
At the July TICA show we were able to acquire the three signatures needed to register Mod Daeng as an F1 or "Foundation" Burmese. Her offspring will be registered as F2s, her grandchildren as F3s. Once we achieve the fourth generation -- Mod Daeng's great grandchildren -- they will be allowed to compete in TICA shows. In the meantime, her offspring will be taken to shows at the appropriate age as exhibit only and shown to the judges so they can see the progress we are making from breeding those offspring to TICA registered Burmese. I have received confirmation that TICA has the signed paperwork, and am simply waiting for the formal registration to be issued.
I have also been asked if Mod Daeng's mink offspring could be registered as Tonkinese. All Mod Daeng's sepia descendants in TICA will be registered as Sable Sepia Burmese, and in TICA both Tonkinese and Bombay breeders are allowed to use Burmese as outcross. Some of these breeders may be interested in using her offspring as well for their programs. What I still have to confirm, however, is whether her mink offspring can be registered as Burmese, given that mink is not a recognized Burmese color in TICA. I will report on that when I have more information.
Should the CFA registration proposal fail, because we will have the TICA registration we will eventually be able to register Mod Daeng's descendants in CFA. However, that will take a very, very long time. Currently for Burmese eight generations are required before a cat from another registry can be brought into CFA. Therefore, if you believe that you should not breed a female until she is at least ten months old, and if she gets pregnant on the first breeding, assuming she goes into heat right at that time, then the most optimistic scenario is that you would have one generation produced every year. This also assumes that you have a suitable, fertile female each successive litter. Therefore the minimum before Mod Daeng's descendants could be registered in CFA, assuming all breedings go exactly according to this plan, would be eight years. More realistically it would be 10 - 12 years or more. Thus under the current CFA Burmese restrictions this would mean CFA registered Burmese would be unlikely to benefit from Mod Daeng's lines for quite possibly decades. I am quite certain we cannot afford wait that long to help our breed. Once again, I strongly encourage you all to consider how these changes can benefit our breed and for CFA Burmese Breed Council Members to vote in favor of Mod Deang's registration. It will give those of us fortunate enough to be working with this lovely new mom the chance to breed in the diversity that is so important to the future health of our beloved Burmese cats.
One other idea that I believe should be proposed to the TICA Burmese Breed Committee is to change the designation of Burmese to a "Natural Breed". If we can achieve that change, then future Thai imports could be registered immediately without the multi-generation registration requirement. Certainly it is without question that Suphalaks (Burmese), along with Siamese and Korats and other Southeast Asian breeds, are native to that area and have existed for hundreds of years and more.
KITTEN UPDATE!
I will try and post more photos of the kittens this weekend. Their eyes are opening and I am better able to see their expressions and the different contours of their faces. Some look very much like our Burmese kittens at the same age, others have longer noses and profiles. It will be interesting to watch them develop. They are large, vigorous kittens and Mod Daeng continues to be an accomplished mother. There is very little I need to do other than make sure Mod Daeng is well fed, has plenty of water and a clean litter box, and to change the linens in the nest as needed. I can't wait for these little guys to start walking and exploring -- perhaps I will be able to post some videos when that happens!
This Fall, active members of the CFA Burmese Breed Council will receive a ballot containing a proposal to register Mod Daeng. If approved by a majority of council members, it will then be forwarded for confirmation by the CFA Board of Directors at their February 2011 meeting. Then her registration will be issued.
There are precedents for this action. This same process was used for Thai imports for the Burmese breed in the 1940s, in 1974, and most recently in 1997. Several of these imports, especially Mahajaya Toffee, are behind a significant percentage of the existing Burmese gene pool. Once Mod Daeng is given a registration number, then her offspring can also be registered as long as the sire of the offspring and their descendants are CFA registered Burmese, which is the case with this, her first litter.
Therefore, to achieve CFA registration for Mod Daeng, and to help us take this step towards improving the genetic diversity of our breed, it is of critical importance for CFA Burmese Breed Council Members to vote yes on this proposal. Some members may not want to participate in this project, which is their right, and others may be unsure of its viability. While only time will tell whether this will be successful, we already know that Thai imports in the past have indeed been successfully integrated into our breed. One only has to look at the descendants of Mahahaja Toffee to observe how many Burmese today still carry his lines.
A yes vote therefore will allow us to move forward with these breedings, and give us the time we need to see how today's Thai imports can help strengthen our Burmese lines. Voting no, on the other hand, leaves us in the same state we are in now, which is a precarious one with low genetic diversity and further divided gene pools. With no action taken towards genetic diversity, it is also quite likely the decline that has been occurring over the last decade and more will continue.
In TICA (the International Cat Association), we have already taken the steps needed to get Mod Daeng registered. In July, at the Mid Pacific Regional show in San Jose, and with the help of Dr. Cristi Bird and Kathryn Amann, I introduced Mod Daeng to a number of TICA judges. In TICA you can incorporate a cat without a known pedigree into a particular breed as long as three judges agree that the cat is suitable for use in that breeding program.
At the July TICA show we were able to acquire the three signatures needed to register Mod Daeng as an F1 or "Foundation" Burmese. Her offspring will be registered as F2s, her grandchildren as F3s. Once we achieve the fourth generation -- Mod Daeng's great grandchildren -- they will be allowed to compete in TICA shows. In the meantime, her offspring will be taken to shows at the appropriate age as exhibit only and shown to the judges so they can see the progress we are making from breeding those offspring to TICA registered Burmese. I have received confirmation that TICA has the signed paperwork, and am simply waiting for the formal registration to be issued.
I have also been asked if Mod Daeng's mink offspring could be registered as Tonkinese. All Mod Daeng's sepia descendants in TICA will be registered as Sable Sepia Burmese, and in TICA both Tonkinese and Bombay breeders are allowed to use Burmese as outcross. Some of these breeders may be interested in using her offspring as well for their programs. What I still have to confirm, however, is whether her mink offspring can be registered as Burmese, given that mink is not a recognized Burmese color in TICA. I will report on that when I have more information.
Should the CFA registration proposal fail, because we will have the TICA registration we will eventually be able to register Mod Daeng's descendants in CFA. However, that will take a very, very long time. Currently for Burmese eight generations are required before a cat from another registry can be brought into CFA. Therefore, if you believe that you should not breed a female until she is at least ten months old, and if she gets pregnant on the first breeding, assuming she goes into heat right at that time, then the most optimistic scenario is that you would have one generation produced every year. This also assumes that you have a suitable, fertile female each successive litter. Therefore the minimum before Mod Daeng's descendants could be registered in CFA, assuming all breedings go exactly according to this plan, would be eight years. More realistically it would be 10 - 12 years or more. Thus under the current CFA Burmese restrictions this would mean CFA registered Burmese would be unlikely to benefit from Mod Daeng's lines for quite possibly decades. I am quite certain we cannot afford wait that long to help our breed. Once again, I strongly encourage you all to consider how these changes can benefit our breed and for CFA Burmese Breed Council Members to vote in favor of Mod Deang's registration. It will give those of us fortunate enough to be working with this lovely new mom the chance to breed in the diversity that is so important to the future health of our beloved Burmese cats.
One other idea that I believe should be proposed to the TICA Burmese Breed Committee is to change the designation of Burmese to a "Natural Breed". If we can achieve that change, then future Thai imports could be registered immediately without the multi-generation registration requirement. Certainly it is without question that Suphalaks (Burmese), along with Siamese and Korats and other Southeast Asian breeds, are native to that area and have existed for hundreds of years and more.
KITTEN UPDATE!
I will try and post more photos of the kittens this weekend. Their eyes are opening and I am better able to see their expressions and the different contours of their faces. Some look very much like our Burmese kittens at the same age, others have longer noses and profiles. It will be interesting to watch them develop. They are large, vigorous kittens and Mod Daeng continues to be an accomplished mother. There is very little I need to do other than make sure Mod Daeng is well fed, has plenty of water and a clean litter box, and to change the linens in the nest as needed. I can't wait for these little guys to start walking and exploring -- perhaps I will be able to post some videos when that happens!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
First Baby Pictures!
Now four days old, all six of Mod Daeng's babies are gaining and thriving. They all weigh well over 100 grams, the biggest 130+ grams. It's still a bit hard to be sure about the colors, though some are definitely darker and look sable to me. Whether it's two or three or four sables, only time and perhaps genetic testing will tell.
Mod Daeng is a fantastic mom, she is keeping them immaculately clean and seems to have plenty of milk. I've not had to supplement or worry about anything. She's a bit less protective now, allowing me to handle them more and take photos. They are hard to capture as they are either asleep or squirming to get at the milk bar. And the "teat wars," as I call it, have begun, where they have their favorites and "fight" each other to get to the teat they want. But pretty soon they settle down and everyone's quietly suckling.
I've never had a litter of six or more when I didn't have to supplement at least one of the kittens. You probably could tell that by the list of supplies I had on hand before the birth. The ease of this birth, the natural maternal instincts that Mod Daeng has, the size of the litter and the vigor of the kittens -- I have been told that these are all benefits of genetic diversity. I must say that, as a breeder, it is a wonderful thing to experience!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Mod Daeng’s Babies Have Arrived!
Two days before her scheduled due date, Mod Daeng surprised us by having her babies. They arrived sometime in the early morning hours on Wednesday, September 22, 2010.
In hindsight, when I took Mod Daeng to the vet on Sunday the 19th, she was purring loudly – and it did sound a lot like that “double purr” that momma cats make when they are getting close to delivery. But I thought because she was at the vet’s office it was just “nervous purring". As she showed no signs of labor, and it didn’t feel like her milk was starting to come in, I wasn’t expecting birth for a few more days.
But I do now think about how last night she insisted on laying close to me, on my desk, as I read and answered emails before bedtime. And she continued to purr loudly, with the usual occasional grumbles. I did check her belly, and still it didn’t feel like her milk was coming in. And again, no signs of labor. So as I headed for bed I put her in the cage for the night. She had already been investigating – and apparently approved of -- the birthing box I had put in there for her. She'd pawed at the bedding to make her nest and enjoying lying on the nice warm heating pad I set up for her and her babies. Then, after giving Mod Daeng some chin scratches and back strokes, and making sure she had all she needed for the night (or so I thought), I turned off the lights and went to bed.
About 4:30 in the morning I was awakened by tiny cries. Because I had some two month old kittens in another part of the room, in my sleepy state it took me a moment before I recognized the sound of newborns. Then I jumped out of bed, turned on the lights, and opened the cage door. And there was Mod Daeng with six babies around her. She’d had them all by herself, apparently with no problems -- they were clean, cords were neatly cut, no afterbirths in sight, and the nest was immaculate. A few of the babies were still slightly damp, so one by one I took them into the bathroom and used my hair dryer on low to dry them off and warm them up. I also took a quick look to see if I could tell a difference in colors, and it did seem as though some were darker than others. By my quick count, three sepias and three minks.
Unless you are familiar with feline genetics, you may not understand what “mink” or “sepia” means, so I hope my friend and colleague Kathryn Amann won’t mind if I paraphrase(with some slight modifications and additions on my part) an excellent explanation she posted today on one of our Burmese lists. However, I may have to edit this after Kathryn and some others read my version and correct any errors on my part! I must tell you up front that genetics is not my strong suit, which is why I appreciate a good explanation that is easy to understand!
Pointed, mink, and sepia are all part of the albino series of genes -- these are not colors themselves but they modify colors. Siamese and cats with similar markings carry the pointed gene. The darker areas on these cats are the cooler parts of their bodies, such as the head, legs and tail. This is because the expression of the albino gene is affected by temperature. The albino gene in Burmese is seen through the sepial genes. Burmese also have some pointing like Siamese, but it is almost invisible except in the champagne or chocolate color, which is created by the “chocolate” gene.
Here is an example of how the genes are expressed. Take a black cat. If that black cat's coat was affected by the "sepia" albino gene, it would be the seal color plus the sepia gene which would create what we call Sable in the Burmese breed.
If that same black cat carried the pointed gene, it would be seal point (as in Siamese or Birmans).
Finally, if the black cat's coat was "mink," then it carries one gene for pointed and one gene for sepia. The expression of those genes in a mink coat is intermediate. So this cat would be called a natural mink in the Tonkinese breed.
Therefore, if you did a chart with two sepial genes (for the sire) and 1 sepia gene and 1 pointed gene for Mod Daeng, who is mink, statistically you have a 50/50 chance of getting "sepia" and "mink".
Then you have to do another chart to see what your chances are of getting seal (Sable) or chocolate (Champagne). Mod Daeng would need to carry chocolate in order to produce a chocolate. But when Mod Daeng was tested, she was shown not to carry chocolate. Therefore her kittens will be either Sable (seal color plus sepia albino gene) or Natural (seal color plus mink albino expression).
Hopefully that genetics lesson makes sense -- assuming I have phrased it correctly! ;-)
I checked the kittens again when I got home from work tonight, before I had dinner. Of course this is a precious litter and during the day at work I couldn't help but worry how they were doing, was she feeding them, did she lay on any of them (she's a big girl and they seem very small in comparison!) But they were all fine when I checked them. I wasn't able to weigh them tonight, Mod Daeng got very agitated when they cried as I held them, and she tried to take them from me or pushed her nose and paws through the cage in desperation to try and get at them, and I didn't want to stress such a new mother out.
However, I got enough of a glimpse tonight to realize that it looks like there are four sepias and two minks! I also did a quick bottom check -- and that is good news or bad news depending on your perspective. It looks like there is one sepia girl -- good news -- but ALL THE REST are boys! I only had a quick look so I could be wrong. Then again, if we get a nice boy he could be useful to more than one breeder. And at least one of the boys looked like he had a nice head. Two in the litter (not sure which color) have long sloping heads and probably won't be useful for breeding. Again, only quick glances were allowed by momma Mod Daeng. Hopefully in time she'll let me handle them longer. And we may be surprised by how the kittens develop. It is also important to remember that this is a multi-generational project, likely we won't get good show type for a couple more generations.
I did manage to weigh the kittens this morning before going to work, and the smallest one was just over 70 grams, the largest more than 90 grams (a sepia). Will try and weigh them tomorrow morning and see if they've gained. That is the next hurdle -- with six kittens, are they all getting enough to eat? She has a pretty long body and her teats are spread out more than my other Burmese girls, so maybe there is enough room!
I will take some photos as soon as Mod Daeng lets me. And I'll post again soon when I have more news to report. In the meantime, your good thoughts are welcome that these precious babies will grow and thrive!
In hindsight, when I took Mod Daeng to the vet on Sunday the 19th, she was purring loudly – and it did sound a lot like that “double purr” that momma cats make when they are getting close to delivery. But I thought because she was at the vet’s office it was just “nervous purring". As she showed no signs of labor, and it didn’t feel like her milk was starting to come in, I wasn’t expecting birth for a few more days.
But I do now think about how last night she insisted on laying close to me, on my desk, as I read and answered emails before bedtime. And she continued to purr loudly, with the usual occasional grumbles. I did check her belly, and still it didn’t feel like her milk was coming in. And again, no signs of labor. So as I headed for bed I put her in the cage for the night. She had already been investigating – and apparently approved of -- the birthing box I had put in there for her. She'd pawed at the bedding to make her nest and enjoying lying on the nice warm heating pad I set up for her and her babies. Then, after giving Mod Daeng some chin scratches and back strokes, and making sure she had all she needed for the night (or so I thought), I turned off the lights and went to bed.
About 4:30 in the morning I was awakened by tiny cries. Because I had some two month old kittens in another part of the room, in my sleepy state it took me a moment before I recognized the sound of newborns. Then I jumped out of bed, turned on the lights, and opened the cage door. And there was Mod Daeng with six babies around her. She’d had them all by herself, apparently with no problems -- they were clean, cords were neatly cut, no afterbirths in sight, and the nest was immaculate. A few of the babies were still slightly damp, so one by one I took them into the bathroom and used my hair dryer on low to dry them off and warm them up. I also took a quick look to see if I could tell a difference in colors, and it did seem as though some were darker than others. By my quick count, three sepias and three minks.
Unless you are familiar with feline genetics, you may not understand what “mink” or “sepia” means, so I hope my friend and colleague Kathryn Amann won’t mind if I paraphrase(with some slight modifications and additions on my part) an excellent explanation she posted today on one of our Burmese lists. However, I may have to edit this after Kathryn and some others read my version and correct any errors on my part! I must tell you up front that genetics is not my strong suit, which is why I appreciate a good explanation that is easy to understand!
Pointed, mink, and sepia are all part of the albino series of genes -- these are not colors themselves but they modify colors. Siamese and cats with similar markings carry the pointed gene. The darker areas on these cats are the cooler parts of their bodies, such as the head, legs and tail. This is because the expression of the albino gene is affected by temperature. The albino gene in Burmese is seen through the sepial genes. Burmese also have some pointing like Siamese, but it is almost invisible except in the champagne or chocolate color, which is created by the “chocolate” gene.
Here is an example of how the genes are expressed. Take a black cat. If that black cat's coat was affected by the "sepia" albino gene, it would be the seal color plus the sepia gene which would create what we call Sable in the Burmese breed.
If that same black cat carried the pointed gene, it would be seal point (as in Siamese or Birmans).
Finally, if the black cat's coat was "mink," then it carries one gene for pointed and one gene for sepia. The expression of those genes in a mink coat is intermediate. So this cat would be called a natural mink in the Tonkinese breed.
Therefore, if you did a chart with two sepial genes (for the sire) and 1 sepia gene and 1 pointed gene for Mod Daeng, who is mink, statistically you have a 50/50 chance of getting "sepia" and "mink".
Then you have to do another chart to see what your chances are of getting seal (Sable) or chocolate (Champagne). Mod Daeng would need to carry chocolate in order to produce a chocolate. But when Mod Daeng was tested, she was shown not to carry chocolate. Therefore her kittens will be either Sable (seal color plus sepia albino gene) or Natural (seal color plus mink albino expression).
Hopefully that genetics lesson makes sense -- assuming I have phrased it correctly! ;-)
I checked the kittens again when I got home from work tonight, before I had dinner. Of course this is a precious litter and during the day at work I couldn't help but worry how they were doing, was she feeding them, did she lay on any of them (she's a big girl and they seem very small in comparison!) But they were all fine when I checked them. I wasn't able to weigh them tonight, Mod Daeng got very agitated when they cried as I held them, and she tried to take them from me or pushed her nose and paws through the cage in desperation to try and get at them, and I didn't want to stress such a new mother out.
However, I got enough of a glimpse tonight to realize that it looks like there are four sepias and two minks! I also did a quick bottom check -- and that is good news or bad news depending on your perspective. It looks like there is one sepia girl -- good news -- but ALL THE REST are boys! I only had a quick look so I could be wrong. Then again, if we get a nice boy he could be useful to more than one breeder. And at least one of the boys looked like he had a nice head. Two in the litter (not sure which color) have long sloping heads and probably won't be useful for breeding. Again, only quick glances were allowed by momma Mod Daeng. Hopefully in time she'll let me handle them longer. And we may be surprised by how the kittens develop. It is also important to remember that this is a multi-generational project, likely we won't get good show type for a couple more generations.
I did manage to weigh the kittens this morning before going to work, and the smallest one was just over 70 grams, the largest more than 90 grams (a sepia). Will try and weigh them tomorrow morning and see if they've gained. That is the next hurdle -- with six kittens, are they all getting enough to eat? She has a pretty long body and her teats are spread out more than my other Burmese girls, so maybe there is enough room!
I will take some photos as soon as Mod Daeng lets me. And I'll post again soon when I have more news to report. In the meantime, your good thoughts are welcome that these precious babies will grow and thrive!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Preparing for the Birth
It's now less than a week before Mod Daeng is due to have her babies. She's sticking close to me whenever I'm home, and starting to show nesting behavior as she noses her way around the perimeter of the office, bedroom, and bathroom and every nook and cranny, drawer and closet in between. No pile of paper is safe (now where did I put that bank statement?!?!?!?), and she is particularly interested in bags of every size and texture.
Today I took Mod Daeng to my vet, Dr. Rachel Boltz at Adobe Animal Hospital in Los Altos, California. Rachel has a great fondness for Burmese as she grew up with one. She had given Mod Daeng a health exam when I first brought her back from Southern California, and is fascinated by her story and our Burmese outcross project. So we both were eager to see how many heads and spines we could count in the x-ray taken of Mod Daeng's bulging belly.
One, two, three, four could be seen crowded together close to Mod Daeng's front legs, their heads splayed out like a bouquet of roses . . . and the fifth, maybe a sixth pointing the opposite direction close to the exit. So five kittens for sure, six perhaps (I think her belly is bigger on one side, so it may be an odd number). And likely four breech births unless the ones in front can find a way to turn around in the next few days, which is doubtful! At least it looks like the first one will come out head first.
The kittens also look big. Mod Daeng, with five or six 60 day old kittens in her belly, weighs nearly twelve pounds. She is considerably larger than my other Burmese females, even larger than my stud male. I wonder how big she will be as an adult.
Now that we know how many kittens to expect, it's a waiting and frequently double and triple checking to be sure she's not in labor game. Birthing to me is quite nerve-wracking, especially with a new, untried mother, and even more so with a rare and precious Suphalak! I don't know whether she'll have an easy birth, accept the babies to nurse, have enough milk, know to lick their little bottoms. I hope there won't be any problems as I have grown very fond of this chatty girl -- I wonder if it is the Siamese in her that produces the ongoing humming, occasionally grumbling, commentary as I stroke her back or scratch her chin. Louder grumbling as other kitties come near, though she's become more accepting of some, especially her buddy Gimli.
Gimli is a sable Burmese who is about the same age as Mod Daeng, and will be going to a new home in October. He was small as a kitten, and so I was leery of placing him in a home until I could figure out the reason for what appeared to be stunted growth. I'm still not sure what caused that, but I did discover that he has a deformed xyphoid process - it sticks out where the ribs come together at the sternum, rather than laying flat. It feels strange and I worried whether surgery should be done to fix or remove it, but my vet wasn't concerned and it certainly hasn't slowed Gimli down. He is in fact the energizer bunny of my cattery, while paradoxically also the most calm and fearless Burmese I've ever had, which is why he became the perfect companion for Mod Daeng. When I decided Mod Daeng had been here long enough to introduce her to another cat, it was Gimli I put in with her. She grumbled at him initially but he payed no mind. And within a day or two they were playing and chasing each other in the cage, bouncing from the top of the litter box to the shelf to the scratching post. It became quickly obvious that they needed more space and so out they came to frolic together in the bedroom. And she never grumbles, even in her pregnant state, when Gimli lies close to her.
Mod Daeng is due on Friday - though the kittens may of course come earlier or later. Tomorrow is Monday and I'll be off to work -- luckily I live only 10 minutes away from Stanford University, so I can pop home at lunch or other times if needed to check her. I don't think her milk has started to come in, so it will be at least a couple more days. At night and while I am out of the house she will be caged with a nice big cardboard box lined with fresh bedding that I've prepared for her, just in case. I have my supplies nearby -- dental floss to tie off the cords, blunted scissors to cut them, a bulb syringe to remove fluid from kittens' mouths, fresh washcloths and towels and a hair dryer to dry off the babies, KY jelly if needed for a stuck baby, heating pad for the kittens that have arrived while mom is pushing out the next one, her favorite chicken baby food to give her some energy mid-labor . . . . what else do I need? I'll go through the list many times in my head before the kittens start to arrive.
And the biggest concerns -- will Mod Daeng let me help her as she gives birth, will any kittens get stuck, and will any be sepia! Please. oh please let there be at least two sepia girls or a sepia girl and a sepia boy would be ok too! And if we could also have two mink boys, please, I have a client that really, really, really wants kittens that have that old style Burmese look. And if the others could have broader heads and muzzles that would be nice too . . .
But of course over my years of breeding Burmese I've asked Mother Nature for certain sexes and colors before, even colors that according to genetic charts would surely appear, but as you know Mother Nature does what she wants. So we'll just have to wait until the kittens are born to see what they look like, and even that may take time depending on how close the mink and sepia colors look at birth.
In the meantime, I'm taking deep breaths, am going to have to be patient, will say a few prayers, and hopefully we'll have some great news to share with the Burmese community at the end of the week!
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Case for Outcrossing
Our Burmese community has been divided into two camps for so long that I believe we lost sight of our most important mission.
As caretakers of one of the world's most precious cat breeds, Burmese breeders have a great responsibility: to assure the health and preservation of this wonderful cat for many generations to come. And right now we have an opportunity that we haven't seen for decades. Whether you are a contemporary or traditional breeder, at last we seem to agree that without restoring our breed to genetic health, the Burmese cat's long-term survival is at great risk.
There have been several turning points that have brought us to this place. Dr. Leslie A. Lyons' 2008 study of the genetic diversity of cat breeds showed us that Burmese have the lowest of all breeds with the exception of Singapuras. That year Dr. Lyons also made recommendations on how to restore diversity. Then this past February, the CFA board approved three changes in our Burmese standard and show rules that many thought would never happen. This gave hope that the board in the future might also approve other and more significant changes for the betterment of our breed. Finally, Renee and J.D.'s trip to Thailand to bring back a Suphalak sparked a discussion of what other steps we can take in that direction.
Dr. Lyons has pointed out that modern cat breeds have been developed within a very short time, most in the last 100 years. Although we know that Suphalaks have existed for centuries, the modern Burmese was developed with only a few foundation cats. For contemporary lines, there is an additional bottleneck in that all current contemporary lines trace back to one cat, Good Fortune Fortunatas. Thus our breed started with low genetic diversity, and though cats have been brought in from Thailand over the years, this has not happened often enough to solve that problem.
Geneticists uniformly point out that breeds with less genetic diversity are at a greater risk. When there is little gene variation within a species, healthy reproduction becomes difficult and a population can become increasingly vulnerable to disease. Cheetahs are an example of an extremely inbred cat species. Approximately 10,000 years ago, all but one species of cheetahs died out. This in effect resulted in a population bottleneck, and close relatives bred together in order to to keep the species going. This low genetic diversity continues to create reproduction problems for cheetahs -- currently, only about 5% of cheetahs survive to adulthood. It also has made the breed susceptible to disease, and just a few years ago one colony of cheetahs was decimated by feline infectious peritonitis.
Some are concerned about the loss of Burmese type through outcrossing. One only has to look at photos of Mod Daeng to wonder how long it will take to shorten that nose. But when placed in the context of our greater, long-term purpose, how soon outcross offspring can achieve success in a show hall is insignificant.
There are American Burmese breeders who have already worked with more genetically diverse Burmese lines (crossing American with European lines in TICA), and they have reported greater vigor and size in the kittens born to these matings, as well as larger litters. Reducing the number of generations before cats with European lines from other registries can be registered in CFA would be another way to incorporate greater genetic diversity. There are two other breeds recognized in CFA that are genetically Burmese and would be other logical options for outcrosses: Solid Tonkinese and Sable Bombays.
It is interesting to note that the Korat population is smaller than Burmese, but Korat breeders deliberately undertook a careful breeding program, importing Korats from Thailand every few years, and this has made a significant difference in the health and genetic diversity of the breed. This is a program that Burmese breeders should examine and emulate.
Finally, opening the breed to outcrosses could potentially increase the number of Burmese breeders, as current breeders develop working relationships with breeders of outcross breeds. A greater number of kittens would also increase the client base and the pool of potential exhibitors.
As we continue to discuss this, it's important to remember that no Burmese breeder would be required to outcross, it would be up to each individual. But denying outcrosses to the breed as a whole likely will result in continued deterioration of genetic diversity, health, and fertility. I hope that all UBCF members, and other Burmese breeders and exhibitors as well, will support the current efforts underway to help the genetic diversity and health of our breed. Let us not remain in the past but seize this opportunity to create a healthier future, not only for ourselves but for our beloved Burmese cats.
Nancy L. Reeves
As caretakers of one of the world's most precious cat breeds, Burmese breeders have a great responsibility: to assure the health and preservation of this wonderful cat for many generations to come. And right now we have an opportunity that we haven't seen for decades. Whether you are a contemporary or traditional breeder, at last we seem to agree that without restoring our breed to genetic health, the Burmese cat's long-term survival is at great risk.
There have been several turning points that have brought us to this place. Dr. Leslie A. Lyons' 2008 study of the genetic diversity of cat breeds showed us that Burmese have the lowest of all breeds with the exception of Singapuras. That year Dr. Lyons also made recommendations on how to restore diversity. Then this past February, the CFA board approved three changes in our Burmese standard and show rules that many thought would never happen. This gave hope that the board in the future might also approve other and more significant changes for the betterment of our breed. Finally, Renee and J.D.'s trip to Thailand to bring back a Suphalak sparked a discussion of what other steps we can take in that direction.
Dr. Lyons has pointed out that modern cat breeds have been developed within a very short time, most in the last 100 years. Although we know that Suphalaks have existed for centuries, the modern Burmese was developed with only a few foundation cats. For contemporary lines, there is an additional bottleneck in that all current contemporary lines trace back to one cat, Good Fortune Fortunatas. Thus our breed started with low genetic diversity, and though cats have been brought in from Thailand over the years, this has not happened often enough to solve that problem.
Geneticists uniformly point out that breeds with less genetic diversity are at a greater risk. When there is little gene variation within a species, healthy reproduction becomes difficult and a population can become increasingly vulnerable to disease. Cheetahs are an example of an extremely inbred cat species. Approximately 10,000 years ago, all but one species of cheetahs died out. This in effect resulted in a population bottleneck, and close relatives bred together in order to to keep the species going. This low genetic diversity continues to create reproduction problems for cheetahs -- currently, only about 5% of cheetahs survive to adulthood. It also has made the breed susceptible to disease, and just a few years ago one colony of cheetahs was decimated by feline infectious peritonitis.
Some are concerned about the loss of Burmese type through outcrossing. One only has to look at photos of Mod Daeng to wonder how long it will take to shorten that nose. But when placed in the context of our greater, long-term purpose, how soon outcross offspring can achieve success in a show hall is insignificant.
There are American Burmese breeders who have already worked with more genetically diverse Burmese lines (crossing American with European lines in TICA), and they have reported greater vigor and size in the kittens born to these matings, as well as larger litters. Reducing the number of generations before cats with European lines from other registries can be registered in CFA would be another way to incorporate greater genetic diversity. There are two other breeds recognized in CFA that are genetically Burmese and would be other logical options for outcrosses: Solid Tonkinese and Sable Bombays.
It is interesting to note that the Korat population is smaller than Burmese, but Korat breeders deliberately undertook a careful breeding program, importing Korats from Thailand every few years, and this has made a significant difference in the health and genetic diversity of the breed. This is a program that Burmese breeders should examine and emulate.
Finally, opening the breed to outcrosses could potentially increase the number of Burmese breeders, as current breeders develop working relationships with breeders of outcross breeds. A greater number of kittens would also increase the client base and the pool of potential exhibitors.
As we continue to discuss this, it's important to remember that no Burmese breeder would be required to outcross, it would be up to each individual. But denying outcrosses to the breed as a whole likely will result in continued deterioration of genetic diversity, health, and fertility. I hope that all UBCF members, and other Burmese breeders and exhibitors as well, will support the current efforts underway to help the genetic diversity and health of our breed. Let us not remain in the past but seize this opportunity to create a healthier future, not only for ourselves but for our beloved Burmese cats.
Nancy L. Reeves
Sunday, September 5, 2010
A Nose by Any Other Name (with Apologies to Shakespeare)
Editorial by Nancy L. Reeves
The opinions expressed in this editorial are solely the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of other UBCF members or officers.
As editor of the United Burmese Cat Fanciers (UBCF - www.united-burmese.org) Newsletter for the past two and a half years, I have explored and written about a variety of subjects related to the Burmese cat. Over the past few months, however, unexpected events and experiences have given me a fresh perspective on our breed's colorful past, the challenges we are facing, and what the future must hold for the Burmese cat if it is to survive and flourish.
To me, fair friend, you never can be old
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still.
William Shakespeare, Sonnet 104
Most of our UBCF newsletter readers know that I am a dedicated "traditional" Burmese cat fancier, breeder, exhibitor, and advocate. I have had Burmese in my life for more than 20 years. As a breeder for 12 years I have experienced setbacks along with successes, and learned some difficult lessons along the way. But I have persevered and am proud of the beautiful, healthy kittens I have raised this past year. I am also grateful for the generosity and trust of those who have provided me with outstanding breeding cats, allowing me to produce offspring that are competitive in the show hall. Mine is a small cattery with only a few litters a year, so each kitten I raise is precious.
But on three separate occasions recently, to my amazement, prospective clients rejected my beautiful healthy kittens on sight. I had carefully screened these families, and knew they would provide wonderful homes for my Burmese babies. I looked forward to meeting them in person and anticipated the joy they and my kittens would experience in their lives together. But when these individuals came to my home to meet my kittens, they did not want them for one simple reason: the kittens' noses were too short. Didn't I have any with longer noses, they asked?
I did my best to assure them that the other wonderful characteristics of the breed remained intact, but they did not care. They were searching for the look they admired in the Burmese they had known and loved for ten, twenty years and more. They wanted the same Burmese that captured the hearts and loyalty of countless cat lovers in the decades after Dr. Joseph Thompson and geneticist Billie Gerst raised the first kittens born to Wong Mau, the mother of our breed.
In the eighty years since Wong Mau first came to the United States, her progeny have spread all over our world and, according to recent reports, have even been returned to the land of Wong Mau's birth, Burma. But on their journey across the globe the looks of many Burmese - their noses in particular - has changed dramatically.
Certainly some changes in cat breeds are to be expected over 80+ years, as they are influenced by the personal tastes of the breeders who produce them, the exhibitors who show them, the judges who award them, and by those who subsequently amend breed standards. In that same time period, other breeds besides Burmese have also changed and new breeds have been developed as a result of spontaneous genetic mutations, including Scottish Folds, American Curls, and the wavy coated Rex breeds. An older, existing breed's look can also be affected by these new breeds, in an effort to make breeds distinct from one another.
Arguably, however, no other breed in the cat fancy has ever experienced the rapid and dramatic change that occurred within the Burmese breed. That too was caused by a genetic mutation . . . a lethal one.
I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion,
Cheated of feature by dissembling nature,
Deform'd, unfinish'd, sent before my time
Into this breathing world scarce half made up. . .
William Shakespeare, Richard III
There are different theories about where and when it happened. Some believe it was a spontaneous mutation as has resulted in the creation of new breeds. Others feel it may have arisen concurrently with the development of Exotics, which in the early years were produced through breeding short-nosed Persians to Burmese. Regardless of its origin, no one disputes the fact that a genetic mutation occurred in the late 1960s to early 1970s that profoundly affected our breed and literally changed the face of Burmese cats.
A male named Good Fortune Fortunatas epitomized the new "contemporary" look. According to those who saw him, he was magnificent, with a broad rounded head, short nose, enormous gold eyes, stocky body, and a lustrous sable coat. He achieved great success in the show hall, and Burmese fanciers were soon lining up their females to breed to him, purportedly even in motel rooms in the evening hours after cat shows. His offspring quickly spread across the country and grew up to echo their father's achievements in show halls. When they were old enough, these cats were bred together and their progeny eagerly anticipated. But breeders were in for a rude shock. Deformed kittens began to appear, born alive but tragically without the ability to survive for long outside of their mother's protective womb. Good fortune it may have been for the show success of Fortunatas and his descendants, but that success came at a terrible price.
In the early years after the head defect appeared, it was estimated that an average 25% of kittens born to contemporary Burmese cats were affected by this "cranial facial mutation" or "Burmese Head Defect," and that average continues to this day according to a study completed only a few years ago. It wasn't long before the existence of these deformed kittens created a rift in the Burmese cat community. Some chose to continue breeding the carriers of this lethal defect, as they preferred the new look of the cats and enjoyed their show hall success. Others did not like the look and believed it was wrong to deliberately continue any lethal gene because of the long term impact it would have on the breed's overall health. Many also objected to the sad fate of the deformed kittens that had no chance of survival.
Action is eloquence.
William Shakespeare, Coriolanus
When Fortunatas and his progeny first appeared in the show hall, their conformation was well suited to the Burmese standard, so it was understandable that judges would final them. However, after judges learned this new phenotype carried the head defect, they could have made a stand against the continuation of a lethal gene in a breed, especially one that at the time carried with it such an identifiable phenotype. Unfortunately, they didn’t. I believe that if judges had not continued to award HD+ cats, which practice continues to this day, our breed would not be in the precarious position it is in with such animosity between breeders and exhibitors, two completely isolated gene pools, and declining numbers of breeders and kittens born. While it may not be their job to make those kinds of decisions, only to judge according to a written standard for each breed, we all know politics and subjectivity exist in judging. And since CFA’s objectives, as stated on the cfa.org website, include “The promotion of the welfare of cats and the improvement of their breed,” then the decisions these judges have made and continue to make are counter to the very mission of the organization that they represent.
Today we are faced with an additional problem that makes the choices difficult for any judges who do want to support HD- cats. To produce competitive show cats, traditional breeders have been raising offspring with rounder heads and shorter noses that increasingly resemble contemporaries, though these cats do not carry the lethal genetic defect. And without a genetic test to prove HD+ status, how can all but the most experienced judges now tell which cats are carriers?
Because traditional breeders are now producing competitive cats that so beautifully meet the Burmese standard, there is no longer any reason for breeders to continue the contemporary lines that carry the lethal head defect. Only slight differences remain in the "looks" of traditional and contemporary cats, and they are increasingly subtle. Tragically, however, it is unlikely most traditional breeders will trust contemporary breeders with their lines. Too many harsh words have been spoken, and too many deformed kittens have been lost because of the desire to produce winning show cats. Raising kittens is difficult enough, kitten mortality can and does occur through congenital defects, and as our Burmese population diminishes each loss is to be mourned. And to knowingly produce litters in which an average of 25% of kittens will be deformed and have to be euthanized is absolutely incomprehensible and abhorrent to me, and to so many of my traditional colleagues.
No legacy is so rich as honesty
William Shakespeare, All’s Well that Ends Well
As mentioned in the Fall 2009 newsletter, the past two years I have been registering and showing my cats in TICA as well as in CFA. When evaluating this past show year’s statistics, the numbers show a marked contrast between the show success of contemporary and traditional cats in the two registries. In CFA in 2009-2010, five out of the six top cats (Kittens, Champions and Premiers for the Sable and Dilute Burmese Divisions) were contemporary cats, and four of those top cats were from only one contemporary cattery. By contrast, in TICA all three of the top Burmese (Kitten, Champion, and Alter) are from only one traditional cattery. For the remaining top 10 placements, contemporaries dominate in CFA, while traditional and European Burmese catteries and cats dominate in TICA.
TICA judges in general do not support the extreme Burmese look that is awarded in CFA. But there are exceptions. Last year I spent time with a judge who had placed my traditional kitten high in one final, but who had also placed a contemporary adult high in another final at the same show. I don’t recall how we got on the subject, but when we started talking about traditional and contemporary Burmese, his statement “well, there aren’t really any contemporary breeders anymore,” caught me off guard. Did he really not know that he had just finaled a contemporary cat? As it turned out, no, he didn’t realize the cat was contemporary. It was obvious to me, because through observation and experience I can usually identify the distinctive contemporary phenotype that the lethal genetic mutation produces. But not everyone can, not even some judges as it turns out. And, to quote Shakespeare yet again, “ay, there’s the rub” (Hamlet). For I have come to believe that few outside of the Burmese community, including judges, exhibitors, and the general public, are truly able to distinguish the contemporary phenotype, and even fewer understand how the proliferation of these cats, along with the lethal genetic defect they carry, has affected our breed worldwide.
This sickness doth infect
The very life-blood of our enterprise.
William Shakespeare, King Henry IV
While Good Fortune Fortunatas may not have been the originator of the mutation that created the contemporary Burmese, research shows that he is the bottleneck. Every contemporary cattery today can trace their cats back to Fortunatas. Whatever concurrent contemporary lines may have existed in the past, they have all been brought together through him. We know this because a member of UBCF spent several years analyzing records, using reverse pedigrees to identify the descendants of Fortunatas. Of course only those offspring that were registered and entered in available databases could be traced, so these numbers are likely undercounted. When this research was completed in 2009, it had identified more than 5,000 Fortunatas descendants in the United States and more than 3,000 in Europe. The study showed Fortunatas descendants behind a few traditional Burmese lines as well.
How does this research benefit the Burmese breed? The study was done based on a premise that will remain controversial until a genetic test for carriers (HD+) of the cranial facial mutation is developed. If the gene or genes producing the head defect are simply recessive, then it can be bred out through careful matings and pedigree management. If, however, the lethal gene cannot be bred out, then this database will be useful for those wishing to identify which cats they should test for the lethal gene and, if the test is positive, eliminate those HD+ cats from their breeding programs.
When will the gene or genes identifying head defect carriers be found? We have been assured that they will be found and that there will be a test, and I believe researchers are getting very close. But will this test be all that we hope it to be, will it solve the problems our breed is facing? Will it unite a divided breeding community? And can we wait for this test to take action to help our breed? To all these questions, the answer is no.
It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
In 2008, Dr. Leslie A. Lyons at the University of California, Davis published a landmark study analyzing the genetic diversity of cat breeds, and that study showed that the breeds with the lowest genetic diversity in the cat fancy are Burmese and Singapuras. The samples for Burmese studied were a combination of traditional and contemporary cats. Unfortunately, however, because of the cranial facial mutation that has divided the Burmese community, those two breeding populations are in actuality further separated into two distinct gene pools. Therefore, the genetic diversity of the Burmese cat is even lower than Dr. Lyons' research has shown. And low genetic diversity is not healthy for any breed, especially in a time when the number of breeders is declining because of the rising costs of raising kittens and other factors. Low diversity can impact a breed's overall health and make it more susceptible to genetic problems. It can make a breed vulnerable to diseases that could potentially wipe out segments of the population. This apparently is happening in Burmese and Birmans in some parts of Europe, which currently are being hit hard by the lethal disease feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
For years Burmese breeders have been waiting for a test to identify the gene or genes that create the Burmese Head Defect and the mode of inheritance for this mutation. While we have waited for "The Test," it has seemed to take on almost mythical proportions, not unlike a talisman with magical powers that can heal all our wounds. It is past time for that myth to be dispelled and our goals for our breed to be grounded in reality. I do believe that all Burmese breeders, be they contemporary or traditional, would like to eliminate the head defect from our breed. But if the genes involved are shown to be inextricably linked to the distinctive phenotype created by the cranial facial mutation gene, will all contemporary breeders be willing to give up the look they like, the show hall success they enjoy, and the long term investments they have made in their breeding lines? It is my personal belief that many if not most will not be willing to give those up, and therefore the cranial facial mutation gene will continue in our breed even after the test for HD+ cats is available. Given that possible scenario, what steps can we take to help the Burmese cat? The clear path that will lead us to a healthier breed is through outcrossing.
In CFA, there are currently no outcrosses for Burmese even to those cats that are genetically Burmese but cat-egorized in different "breed" divisions: European Burmese, Solid Tonkinese, and Sable Bombays. In TICA, however, European and American Burmese are all one breed. Bombays are also a part of the Burmese breed group. So I joined TICA to be able to outcross to the European and Sable Bombay lines that are not available to Burmese in CFA. I am looking forward to obtaining a blue female kitten that is one quarter European later this summer.
Though our Burmese community is divided, there are ways we can work together to improve the future of our breed. We can do this through taking advantage of the outcross options in TICA and making a similar outcross program available to breeders in CFA. In CFA the discussion has already begun. Exactly where that discussion will lead is uncertain at this time, but there are logical directions in which we could go, including reducing the number of generations before cats from other registries that have incorporated European or Sable Bombay lines can be brought into CFA, and planning and requesting a CFA outcross program that includes Solid Tonkinese and Sable Bombays. Both of these breeds are genetically Burmese, but they are from breeding lines most of which have not been brought together for decades.
Another factor that impacts the Burmese cat's genetic diversity is the small number of foundation cats that were used to create the breed. After her 2008 feline genetic diversity study, Dr. Lyons proposed steps that could be taken to improve the health of the Burmese breed, and these were published in our September 2008 UBCF newsletter. Besides identifying and using outcrosses such as those mentioned earlier in this editorial, Dr. Lyons' recommendations also included bringing in imports from Thailand. Though Wong Mau herself may have come from Burma, it is likely that the breed's true origins were in Thailand. And thanks to Burmese breeders Renee Weinberger and J.D. Blythin, we now have a young Thai Burmese (known in Thailand as a "Suphalak") named Mod Daeng to help us in that step.
To achieve success, we need a carefully planned multi-pronged approach to bringing genetic diversity into our breed. Not every breeder will want to participate. And some may prefer one outcross option over another. For example, contemporary breeders are more likely to be interested in Sable Bombays for outcross, due to the fact that most Bombays are contemporary. Traditional breeders probably would prefer Solid Tonkinese because they are unlikely to be carriers of the cranial facial mutation. Unfortunately, it appears that European Burmese in CFA will not be available as an outcross, as their breeders have worked hard to create this as a unique breed in CFA. But European Burmese lines are available through other registries, as long as the number of generations before they can be brought into CFA can be reduced to make this a practical option for outcross.
Will the current look of the Burmese we love change as a result of these outcrosses? Temporarily, yes, it is likely for the first generations created through outcrossing. But when comparing the long-term health of our breed to the ability to achieve show success in the short-term, the choice is clear.
We must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
William Shakespeare, Julius Caeser
A very significant event for Burmese cats occurred in February 2010, when the CFA Board of Directors voted to combine the Sable and Dilute Burmese Divisions into one breed, following an affirmative vote for that combination by members of the CFA Burmese Breed Council. While this was long overdue and is ultimately the right decision, it was nonetheless shocking and upsetting to many traditional breeders. Yes, traditional HD- Burmese have been making great strides in recent years. We have bred increasingly competitive cats that have won high awards in CFA, but these have primarily been in the Dilute Division. And if this past show season is any indication, those successes remain few and far between. Only one traditional HD- cat made it to the top of the six classes this year (Kitten, Champion and Premier in the Sable and Dilute Divisions), and that was a Dilute Champion. In this current show year in CFA the divisions are now combined, and in a world where contemporary HD+ sables tend to dominate, success for HD- cats may be an uphill battle.
While the recent decision by the CFA board to combine the divisions may seem at first a disadvantage for the breeders of traditional HD- Burmese, I think there is a way we can take advantage of it instead. I believe this is an opportunity -- a chance to speak out and inform the world about our HD- cats and why it is so important, now, to support traditional cats and to create a bright and healthy future for them and for the breed as a whole.
We must develop tools to inform and educate judges, fellow cat fanciers, and the general public about what is happening to our breed. We should not assume that anyone truly understands how widespread HD+ cats are and how few original HD- Burmese cats remain by comparison. And we need to be sure that judges and exhibitors in all registries understand the importance of allowing outcrosses for the future health of our beloved Burmese. Outcrossing will take time, and we cannot wait any longer to start that process. Some contemporary breeders may choose not to work with outcrosses or not to eliminate the HD+ carriers from their lines. But if traditional breeders make that same choice, then the future of our breed will be in jeopardy. Without action on the part of traditional breeders, the number of contemporary cats is likely to continue to increase worldwide and with them HD+ carriers. It is important for all of us to participate in taking steps that will lead us to fewer carriers, greater genetic diversity, and an overall healthier future for our breed.
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet . . .
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
When UBCF was revived a nearly three years ago, we amended the original mission to reflect our concern for and dedication to the health of the Burmese cat. Yes, UBCF is about inclusion and our membership crosses registries with no affiliation, however our dedication to the health of our cats and the survival of our chosen breed remains paramount. While I believe we have accomplished a lot in two and a half years, we must do more. Before the population of the original, traditional, HD- American Burmese declines any further, there are steps we must take to reverse this trend.
Over the last couple of decades, to produce show cats that are competitive with contemporaries, traditional breeders have been raising offspring with rounder heads and shorter noses. Must traditional breeders keep producing shorter and shorter noses in an effort to make our traditional cats compete with HD+ cats? Is that what we really want, to imitate the look that is a phenotype expressed by a lethal genetic mutation? While in general I do like a more rounded head and a shorter nose, which balances nicely with the cobby bodies of our little brown cats, I think in our own efforts to win show ribbons that also can be taken to the extreme. There are health risks associated with shortened profiles, including excessive eye discharge, susceptibility to URIs, or cherry eyes. And do we really want to entirely lose the look of the original, traditional American Burmese, the look so many of us fell in love with long ago? The look that clients still want to find when they look for Burmese kittens with whom to share their lives?
Let us work together to restore this wonderful cat to the vitality and widespread acclaim that it deserves. If you are not already a member of your registry's breed council, join it and propose and vote for outcross options, then participate in whatever options become available. These now are within our reach, and we must take advantage of these opportunities before it is too late.
In closing, whatever registry you are involved in, please also find a way to exhibit your cats and kittens for the world to see. Bring your HD- Burmese out to show judges, fellow fanciers, and the public, so they understand how important it is to preserve this unique and beautiful breed. Whether you call the cats you love traditional, HD-, European, American, or the original Burmese, the name is not important, but keeping this wonderful Burmese breed healthy and flourishing -- that is what matters.
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