January 2008 Newsletter - United Burmese Cat Fanciers
January 2008 Newsletter - United Burmese Cat Fanciers
January 2008 Newsletter - United Burmese Cat Fanciers
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What recommendations are most important for caring<br />
for their new kitten or breeding cat -- food, care, supplements,<br />
caging.<br />
Always keep your cat or kitten used to a cage, though<br />
a cage should only be used in training or raising kittens.<br />
Sometimes a whole male needs to be caged, but it should<br />
be big enough to give him a comfortable life. I recommend<br />
a good quality food to everyone, pet owners or potential<br />
breeders, but I do not hold them to that food. If their cat<br />
looks and feels good then the diet is fine.<br />
When it’s close to time for the first birth, what do you<br />
tell a new breeder?<br />
I walk them through the whole experience, and am<br />
available anytime to help. I tell them just be there to help<br />
if needed but allow the mother to do it herself, she knows<br />
how.<br />
What are suggestions you have for caring for new babies<br />
in the first few weeks, and weaning kittens.<br />
The first few weeks require no care other then you petting<br />
them, picking them up, and talking to them to get them<br />
used to everything. There are sometimes nervous mothers,<br />
but you have to let her know you are not going to take her<br />
babies away or hurt them. I allow the mothers to wean the<br />
kittens and them to wean themselves when they start eating<br />
soft food and raw beef.<br />
What are your recommendations, if any, for vaccines or<br />
supplements for breeding cats?<br />
I have a maintenance mix that I use and I explain it to<br />
them and advise them to use it. I advise very few vaccines.<br />
Once every three years after the initial shots.<br />
What are the best ways to help a new breeder evaluate<br />
the confirmation of <strong>Burmese</strong> kittens when deciding if they<br />
are show quality?<br />
The things to look for are the little golf ball head, short<br />
muzzle, short compact body, and then start to look for other<br />
things as they grow, such as heft to the kitten, just like they<br />
say, a little brick. Other things are explained as the kittens<br />
grow and the eye color starts changing, gold eyes are<br />
a must.<br />
CH LAKI’S DIABOLIQUE OF GRAY MARK, DM<br />
Sire: CH Laki’s Barrelin Barry, DM<br />
Dam: CH, GP Laki’s Proud Mary, DM<br />
Br: Barbara & Richard Kish<br />
Ow: Margaret & Ray Stevens<br />
What other suggestions do you have for mentoring new<br />
breeders?<br />
Don’t try to press them into doing something they don’t<br />
want to do, and above all do not start out with a whole<br />
male. Buy the best female you can, either a kitten or a<br />
young adult, and proceed from there with advice from me<br />
or another old time breeder, who knows the blood lines and<br />
can recommend who to work with. If you work alone it<br />
is very hard so try to find someone to work with you, to<br />
exchange kittens, give stud service so you can work with<br />
different lines. Try to get someone to help you along or<br />
work with you that lives close to you.<br />
Barbara Kish, Laki <strong>Cat</strong>tery<br />
Interviewed By<br />
Nancy Reeves, Burma Pearl <strong>Cat</strong>tery<br />
UBCF <strong>January</strong> <strong>2008</strong> Page 13