With their flowing coats and sweet, loving
personalities, many cat fanciers consider Persian cats to be the preferred
"lap cat" and the quintessential glamor
cat. Persians have long been the darlings of the
cat fancy, representing more than 60% of all cats registered.
Unfortunately,
this popularity has not escaped the notice of
the commercial and back yard breeders, who may not properly train the new
owners in the art of grooming and maintaining a healthy, well mannered Persian
nor educate new owners in cat care and the responsibilities that cat ownership
entails. Commercial and back yard breeders may also not know how, or care, to
breed to maintain health and temperament. As a result, it is estimated
that as many as 80% of all purebred cats arriving at Rescues are Persians.
Persian rescue involves the rescue of pedigreed Persian cats
and related cats and "copycats". Copycats are possible purebred mixes
or mutations within the stray population that produce a cat which looks like a
pedigreed animal to some extent. Sometimes the physical characteristics that
are elements of a breed are also found in randombred
cats. For instance, the longhair gene that
causes the Persian coat is also common and not confined to the Persian breed;
the gene that causes the distinctive "pointed" pattern in the Siamese
or Himalayan, is also present in the randombred
population; the genetic mutation that causes total or partial taillessness is also common and not confined only to Manx
and Japanese Bobtails. Since most animals in rescue do not come with their
registration papers and pedigrees, many Breed Rescuers often are called upon to
make a close determination. Purebred rescue organizations
are usually composed of people who are expert in identifying the various
breeds of cat. In more cases than not, they will give the benefit of doubt to
the cat, accepting what may be a "copycat" (though unlikely pedigreed
or pedigree related) in order to assure that they find a home. .
These cats may come from
Animal Shelters, Humane Societies and sometimes from individuals that have no
other resort than to relinquish their pet. Persian Rescues take these cats and
have them vet checked for Feline Leukemia and Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, spayed or neutered, vaccinated, wormed and
groomed. Rescues provide temporary homes for such cats. In those cases where
the rescued cat has previously acquired any problematic attitude or behavior,
Rescues work with the animal to correct these problems before placement..
If you are
interested in helping foster or providing a permanent home for a Persian
rescue, or in otherways supporting or participating
in Persian rescue efforts, please join the list for Persian rescue
communication.., the Persian
Rescue Email List. Please note that many of the Persian_Rescue
List members are cat breeders who care deeply
not only for their own breed, but for all breeds and for the randombred cats as well. Rescued cats are NOT used for
breeding nor are they available for breeding. Also, this list is not a vehicle
to place retired breeding cats - retiring cats who
were previously used for breeding are not placed by their owners through this
email list. It is through organized cat fancy
contacts that these breeders can provide the expertise and help most specific
to the cats in need. .
Cat fanciers
and breeders are best qualified to rehome
the relatively few purebred cats that enter shelters, and many work very hard
to accomplish this, both as individuals and as club efforts. The low incidence
of purebreds entering shelters can be attributed to the cat fancy’s dedication
to good breeding, careful screening of kitten purchasers,
and to the principle that only the very best representatives of breeds should
be bred. The vast majority of kittens are either sold with a neuter/spay
agreement or sterilized before going to their new homes. Breeders involved with
Persian Rescue exercise the same care in rehoming
rescued cats that they do with placing their own kittens..
A FEW CAT FACTS:.
·
Less than 1% of cats entering shelters are purebred.
It is estimated
that approximately 6% of all cats are purebred. The number of purebred owned
cats is growing presently because people appreciate obtaining pets with
predictable size, appearance and personality, as well as cats which have been
bred with emphasis on good health and good temperament...
.Goals. . of Persian Breed Rescue:.
§
to educate current and future cat
owners regarding Persians and other cats, including care and maintenance .
§
to promote and improve communication
and networking between Persian and ..Allbreed Rescue organizations and involved individuals ..
§
to provide information regarding
Persian Rescue organizations and Persian cats in need of rescue.
§
to attempt to assure loving homes for all rescued cats by providing
communication between individuals who would like to adopt a rescued cat
and Rescue organizations and involved individuals.
§
to promote animal welfare .
Rescued
Persians come from Animal Shelters, Humane Societies and sometimes from
individuals that have no other resort than to relinquish their pet. Rescues
take these cats and have them vet checked for Feline Leukemia and Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, groomed, vaccinated, wormed and spayed or
neutered, as necessary. Persian Rescues then provide temporary homes. In those
cases where the rescued Persian has previously acquired any problematic
attitude or behavior, Rescues work with the cat to correct these problems
before placement..
In far too many
cases, people give up animals because they do not understand animals
basic behaviors and needs or because of "lifestyle" changes that are
beyond their control. Please do help educate others about each
species or breed BEFORE they get a pet .. and caution them to ONLY get a pet if they can honestly
commit to that responsibility for the lifetime of the animal. If they are
considering buying a whole animal as a pet, please tell them the advantages of
spaying or neutering that pet. Only a very few purebred cats, as identified by
knowledgeable breeders, are likely to contribute to their breed's important
health, beauty and temperament characteristics. It is a rare cat that is
qualified for a responsible, pedigreed breeding program! If a person is not
ready to undertake the increased level of commitment to a breed which that entails,
then other options are available that will still allow them the enjoyment of
their chosen breed. Please ask them to consider the neutered or spayed rescue
cat as one of those options!.
Are you
interested in cat adoption? If so, lists of your
local rescues by breed and by location are provided here so you can easily find
out if there is rescue cat waiting for you..