New to the site, not to cats though :)

Hi everyone! I just joined yesterday after having done much research on pregnancy and delivery of kittens. I am not new to pregnancy or delivery of kittens, but it's been a while since I have gone through it. Most recent time with newborn kittens was 4 years ago when we fostered a mother and her four 2 day old kittens. We fostered them until they were 8 weeks of age and then they were taken back to the shelter for adoption. They were all adopted within the first few days of going back. They were raised like all other cats in my house--with much love, attention, and alot of spoiling.

Anyway, I have 5 cats. Three of the cats are Siamese, one lilac point female intact, and two seal point males who have been neutered. My other two cats are Devon Rex/Sphynx crosses. I have attached pictures of all of my cats.

The Devon/Sphynx crosses are going to be bred, as I purchased the breeding rights. They are currently just under 9 months old. The male has been "practising" on my lilac point female, and I think he was successful while we were in Jamaica a few weeks ago. She is starting to show and she's eating like a cow, which is uncharacteristic of her.

Here is Murray, one of my seal point siamese boys. He is a year and a half.



Here is Bob, who is almost 9 months old, Devon Rex/Sphynx cross.



Here is Bonnie, almost 9 months old, Devon Rex/Sphynx cross. This picture was taken the second day we had her, and caught them snuggling in bed together...it's my ultimate favorite picture



Here is a body shot of Bonnie giving her the look of regal-ness of a Sphynx.



And another of Bonnie showing her markings on her body.





Here is Ferd (Murray's brother), Bob and Lily the lilac point siamese having quite a nice nap together.




I have always had cats throughout my life, and many siamese kittens as a child. My husband calls me the Cat Whisperer, and have been training him and my kids how to read the cats' and their moods...how to pet the cats, when and for how long LOL. We all know that cats like to be petted differently depending on their mood.

Susan

Your cats are awesome!

Welcome to TCS! Your cats are all gorgeous!!

Welcome to you and your beautiful cats!

Hello and Welcome to TCS!

Hope you enjoy the forums

Btw, your kitties are beautiful!

Welcome to TCS

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! I was viewing pictures last night of kittens and it just makes me weak in the knees when I see newborns and watching them grow...I'm such a sucker for cats and kittens. I have been named a crazy cat lady by a few of our friends, but I take it as a compliment I just love them but know that there IS a limit to how many I can have, I just haven't reached it yet LOL.

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend with all the goodies! We don't do easter egg hunts in our house; the cats would find them all before the kids! Kids getting older anyways (17 and 10), but the bunny brings baskets of treats still. Costs me a darn fortune!!

Susan

Originally Posted by skewch

The Devon/Sphynx crosses are going to be bred, as I purchased the breeding rights

Click to expand...

How can you have breeding rights to mixed cats? Is one an allowable cross to the other?

Ocicats still allow Aby outcrosses, but you breed early generations to later gen Oci's.

May I suggest you keep the boy away from the girl, as they are young you don't want the girl pregnant yet

..and welcome to the site

Hello Susan, my name is John. Welcome to you and your beautiful cats

I just love the hairless cats!!! They are sooooo gorgeous!!! :love3:



I hope you love it here as much as we do!!! See you in the forums!!!

Hi, Cat Whisperer! You have found the best cat site around!

We have a lot of support and advice to give here. Our members are always ready and willing to help you or just chat with you. We also have a game called KatKwiz (cat quiz), designed for newcomers just like yourself, which teaches you things about The Cat Site and also allows you to win lots of points. (It also teaches you what points are.) Just click on the here link below to learn more. Glad you decided to join us!

I have never touched a Devon Rex. Is it true that they feel like warm velvet?

Mr. Blanche, yes they feel like warm velvet. They are so affectionate too, which allows for alot of warming up under the covers in winter. Two soft hot water bottles under the covers is like nothing else. I am pretty cold all the time, so they are more than welcome to sleep with me. I feel comforted and protected when I have a cat in the bed.

Devons are just the most loving cats. They are much like dogs in the sense they need to be with you all the time...and they don't poop on your floor LOL My cats all greet us at the door when we come home from being out somewhere and when we have company, they greet our visitors at the door...but they don't hang on their pants like a scratching post LOL.

I am very addicted to the Devon and Sphynx breeds, they're all I talk about when away from home. We were just in Jamaica and I had my iPod touch with me and showed the employees at our resort the pictures and they fell in love with them too. It does take time to adjust to their looks at first....like maybe a minute, until you touch one...then you're hooked.

If you ever get an opportunity to be around one, you must. I love them to pieces.

Susan

Hi! Nice to meet you and your kitties! Welcome to TCS!! Glad you could join us!!

While you have pretty cats, I'm not sure why the breeder you got your sphynx crosses gave you breeding rights.

According to CFA standards for both the Devon and Sphynx breeds you are NOT allowed to outcross to each other. The only allowable outcrosses in both breeds are:

American SH
Domestic SH/Sphynx (or Devon) crosses.


And to let your male "practice" on your Siamese (unless the Siamese is a Domestic SH type and not purebred) is wrong.

Why are you breeding the cats? You cannot register them or show them. Please get them spayed and neutered.

I didn't join this site to be flamed or criticized. I understand what you are saying, but my female is registered pedigree, and according to TICA, sphynx and devons are allowable crosses and can be from unknown or unregistered ancestry in the CATEGORY III breeding standards due to the unusually limited gene pool.

There are things about breeders that *I* don't agree with in the same respect that you don't agree with what I'm doing. I find it sad that cats and their kittens are in cages and barriers from other cats in the house. I also find it gut-wrenching to see them in separate rooms with limited access to the rest of the house. Saying that kittens are raised underfoot with the rest of the family cannot hold much truth to it if in the same breath breeders comment on how they are in cages after birth etc. Another thing that irks me is when they retire a cat from the breeding program, they are offered out for adoption...so this to me means, they got them for breeding purposes only and could not be bothered to keep that cat after altering as a loving pet. My cats were purchased for additions to the family, not a money maker or anything else.

Having been to both breeders homes, I know how they breed their cats. I am not telling anyone how or when to breed, because it is not my business to comment. I chose to purchase my cats after having talked in great length with the breeders and met them and their adult cats. I felt comfortable with the contracts I signed and I don't think I am in the wrong here at all. But alas, we all have our opinions.

I will be reluctant to post on this site again, as I don't appreciate being told in not so many words that I am going against all regulations and rules of a cat organization and making me feel like an irresponsible person for participating in breeding.

Thanks for the insight and helping me understand that this may not be the site for me to be involved in.

Sorry you feel that way, but if you are going to be a serious breeder you need to do your homework. Since CFA does not allow this cross, you cannot register them in CFA. CFA is the biggest association and most all cats are registered with CFA and, if the breeder shows elsewhere, in that association too.

As far as your comments on cages, etc., you haven't met too many breeders. Most males will HAVE to be caged eventually as 90% of them will spray anywhere. I agree with you on the tiny cages some breeders use, but most give the males almost a room size type of cage. And to allow your males to breed anytime they want is asking for trouble in the long run. You have no control over the situation and therefore, will not know what females are really due and who is breeding who.

Male and female kittens can and do breed as early as 4 months old, so you have to separate them.

Charlie's breeder has a separate fully furnished house next to their main house. The cattery is like a normal house with furniture, etc. The boys have their own bedroom - no cages. But the breedings are controlled at all times.

I'm sorry you feel you are being picked on, but you have to learn to take good and bad in what you are doing if you are gonna be a breeder. Are you planning on just breeding or are you also showing?