Advert in a london paper...

Its about the Ashera. I noticed how they didn't mention that the domestic cat is a bengal
I find it annoying how much attention is given to this cat just because its huge and expensive.
It makes me worried people with more money than sense will want it on a whim and fail to understand its needs.
But i guess if they'd said that it needed more socialisation than the average cat people would freak out and think it was dangerous. (not that it would be, its just that breeding two shy cats doesn't usually lead to friendly kittens, even when they are part bengal as well, you know?)

Maybe i'm more vexed by this than i should be and just need to shut up, drink my morning coffee and let 'progress' trample onwards

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article....&in_page_id=34

I hate his last line. What happens to all the kittens who don't meet the same exact color/markings????? He acts likes its a car you can just paint a certain color and buy it.

Someone will get seriously hurt in the future!

I know! Plus the most beautiful thing about cats is how they aren't all the same.

I dont like that man.... it is very greedy to charge such a lot of money for the poor cats, that have been experimented on to get to this so called perfect appearance!

Personally I'm against keeping wild animals (and hybrids with such) as pets. I wouldn't feel safe with such a cat in my house either. I've dealt with some aggressive domestic cats and they're unreliable and dangerous... what happens when a cat like this turns it aggressions towards people?

I'm glad animals like the Ashera are illegal to keep as pets here in Sweden.

I want to throw up.

This guy is terrible , anything for a buck

In most areas that would be considered a WILD animal.... HOW can he say all will look alike/... the best breeders can only guess what colors till they arrive.... why breed two species that hybrids already exist from???

I read another article about the Ashera that said the 'creator' had previously tried to combine a jellyfish and a deer to make a glow-in-the-dark deer to reduce motorist accidents And he's been in jail for fiddling his accounts.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2201999,00.html

It just gets better and better

Although I objected to the slur on soft paws

Originally Posted by sharky

In most areas that would be considered a WILD animal.... HOW can he say all will look alike/... the best breeders can only guess what colors till they arrive.... why breed two species that hybrids already exist from???

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They are supposedly using cloning technology, and 'genetic monitoring' which likely means selection of fertilised ova based on DNA - basically a combination of IVF and feline eugenics.

Originally Posted by Epona

They are supposedly using cloning technology, and 'genetic monitoring' which likely means selection of fertilised ova based on DNA - basically a combination of IVF and feline eugenics.

Click to expand...

Great the LETS play GOD withOUT a GOOD reason...

Amazing that he could make a comment about this cat being "low maintenance."

Originally Posted by snosrap5

Amazing that he could make a comment about this cat being "low maintenance."

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Yep, an early gen Savannah/Bengal mix. Low maintenance?

There's not much else to say really.

Originally Posted by Epona

They are supposedly using cloning technology, and 'genetic monitoring' which likely means selection of fertilised ova based on DNA - basically a combination of IVF and feline eugenics.

Click to expand...

Bullcrap, as my wife says. She does work with genetics every day (she's a PhD candidate in biology) and the same blurring of science and simple breeding happened with the "non-allergic" cat that some company in the US patented. It's just a cat breed, they tested for the gene and simply bred the cat to see if they could reproduce it.

It's no different than what this guy is doing. Only it's usually much worse, because when you're working to create something with an express outcome, rather than out of love of a breed or animal, you're more likely to simply euthanize animals that don't meet the standard.

My wife is happy to point out to me whenever these things hit the news that none of these companies are cloning anything, and they're probably not even using modern genetic techniques -- just basic DNA screening and selective breeding. Then charging a premium for it, assuming that most buyers won't understand the science.

What utter rot!

As a breeder - 12,000 pounds can buy me at the very least:

A NW, BW foundation male + at least 2-3 foundation females all of which would be GC, RW worthy!

or

a completely new cattery

or

a brand new car

or even better

a 1st class holiday - the one I so desperately need!

I can't believe people fall for this nonsense!

Originally Posted by EggyToast

you're more likely to simply euthanize animals that don't meet the standard.

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Exactly my point, hence my comment about eugenics. They are trying to make out that they've somehow created something new, when all they're doing is selective breeding (and it is a Savannah at that, not a brand new hybrid) - something that cat breeders have been doing for ages without the technology or knowledge to study DNA.

The 'Feline Genome Project' is also only about 60% complete, I doubt anyone could genetically select by DNA sequencing a tabby cat of any variety with a guarantee of certain markings when the chaos and confusion factors involved in feline tabby patterns are complex and rufous polygenes are still a mystery....

Originally Posted by Epona

They are supposedly using cloning technology, and 'genetic monitoring' which likely means selection of fertilised ova based on DNA - basically a combination of IVF and feline eugenics.

Click to expand...

This is really disturbing. Let's send Dr Moreau here back to his little island and get back to breeding for the good of the species.

I have a feeling that the behavior problems one of these cats could have would be down right dangerous. A bored tabby can be a real destructive force, I can't imagine what it's like with an animal that's more than half wild. Little moggy scratches up your leather shoes, this one eats them

There doesn't seem to be any owner screening past the check book...

I know so very little about it, I will leave the opinions to the experts, other than I just don't it should be done. He is such a beautiful animal, it is a shame they have to mess with nature.

Since he's based out of San Diego, he's probably selling his cats to movie stars and show biz people who have that much money to waste. I can't see the average person having enough money to buy one of those cats.

I hate to admit it, but the cat that is in the photo is beautiful though.