How We Raise our Kittens to be Good Pets Our cats share all the best qualities of their founding (Siamese) lines: inquisitive and very social, they seek out people, other cats, even our dogs for company and games. Outgoing and talkative, they communicate their needs so clearly that people often have the distinct sensation that they are having an out-loud conversation with them. They are so responsive to people, so willing to please, that they can be trained to perform tricks. At Madrigal, we keep these traits in mind so that we can provide them with the care and environment that will help them grow best. We raise our kittens in our home, not in a separate building, because this exposes them to positive formative experiences naturally and frequently. Our kittens have experience with boys or men to ensure that they will be comfortable with men later in life. Here, the kittens sleep with everyone, my teenagers and in the master bed with my husband and me. They become accustomed to the more exuberant and vigorous handling as well as to the quieter ways. My husband gives them chest and tummy rubs so vigorous I initially thought would be better suited to a dog. Instead the kittens revel in it, and they stretch out their bodies and purr so loudly that they can be heard across the room. We also expose them as appropriate to all that may be expected in a forever-home: kitchen sounds, vacuums, radios and TV, open windows, dogs (barking, sniffing them, etc). They are practiced car travelers, settle easily; secure outlooks help them to maintain their curiosity and amusing ways in new places.
Balinese and Javanese and Oriental Long-Hairs How they are like Siamese: All of these breeds are founded on the Siamese. They share a wedge-shaped head and a long, tubular body type. (In the show-ring, they are all judged by the same standards: sleek, tubular, elegant, and muscular, straight nose and wedge-shaped face framed by widely spread large ears sparked by almond shaped eyes!) How they differ from Siamese: All have longer hair than Siamese. Their hair should be two inches long but often looks shorter because it should flow smoothly along the cat's body towards a plumy tail. (As opposed to the whip-tail on a Siamese.) There is no undercoat, only hair the texture of silk. Color is what differentiates Balinese from Javanese and Oriental Long-Hairs. Balinese: These were the first variation from the original Siamese. They come only in the four original Siamese colors: seal, chocolate, blue, and lilac. The Balinese has points, like the Siamese. Javanese: The Javanese also has points and these can be any color in pattern found in the cat world except for the four original colors that characterize the Balinese (seal, chocolate, blue, and lilac). Oriental Long-Hair: The Oriental Long-Hair is not a pointed cat. But any other pattern, or color, is allowed. For more on the history of these remarkable cats, see http://www.cfa.org/
A Brief History and How We Came to Choose these Breeds, by Debra Jacobson I am a mother and artist living in semi-rural western Massachusetts with my husband and my younger daughter. My oldest daughter lives at college, and my younger daughter has just a few years to go before she too flies from the nest. Over the years we have shared our lives with horses, standard poodles, as well as rescue and purebred cats. My younger daughter's room has housed pet rats (!), hamsters, snakes, hermit crabs, and beta fish. When she was around nine years old, she was nicknamed the Pied Piper of cats because of her affinity with them. As a final big project that she and I could share before she went out on our own, and anticipating my soon-to- be empty nest, we thought that we would like to try raising cats. We love cats and wanted more feline joy in our world; we thought we could do a good job and I could continue on after she left. We believe the joy of cats enhances well-being and could be enjoyed by many many people in different types of living situations.* Now we found ourselves struggling with a Goldilocks and the three Bears (or Cats?) dilemma: There are scores of cat breeds. We wanted to find the one that was 'not too big, not too small, not too active and not too passive', but was 'just right'. It was a tall order. The siren call of beauty seduced us several times, but we came to our senses when we thought that these kitties were going to be living in our house. They would need to learn to tolerate, if not enjoy, poodles, loud instruments practicing, people coming and going, a certain hustle and bustle. While we were attracted to Persian cats, we were too busy to properly attend every day to the coat of one, never mind a cattery's worth (even if it was a small cattery). We realized that we liked creatures with lively intelligent personalities, playful, even mischievous once in awhile, but not so busy as to need constant supervision.. We wanted kitties who purred when we picked them up balanced on our shoulders while we worked, and were light enough for someone with back problems to hold . Social, people-oriented and engaging kitties. Compliant, cooperative, and trainable kitties, who leave a room with a minimum of cajoling when asked and can easily be taught to sit. Tribal kitties who could enjoy living with many species, great and small. Kitties who communicate, are responsive, talkative, but are not too loud and persistent. Kitties who amuse themselves until their people came home from work and school. Like many quests, the answer was right at home, in front of us. Our first and only purebred cat, whom we had adopted when we were in our 'black animal phase', long since come and gone, had all the qualities mentioned above. Oriental breeds it was then.
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