January 2008 Newsletter - United Burmese Cat Fanciers

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Editorial By Nancy L. Reeves The State of the Breed The opinions expressed in this editorial are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UBCF’s officers or its members. An Unexpected Turning Point One day last February, I found myself sitting at my computer, disgusted by yet another heated argument on one of the Yahoo Burmese lists. I finally had had enough of these venomous exchanges, tired of watching one group of Burmese breeders expressing their opinions only to be harshly criticized by breeders on the other side of the argument. It should be no surprise to most readers of this newsletter that the primary issue involved in these discussions is one that has haunted our breed for decades: the lethal cranio-facial mutation, more commonly known as the Burmese Head Defect. That February day I felt it was time for a new forum, one where traditional breeders (those who choose not to United Bumese Cat Fanciers Newsletter Volume 1 Issue 1 November 2007 Editor: Nancy L. Reeves Art Direction & Printing: Art Graafmans Contributors: Leora Alden Kathryn Amann Carolyn Beard Hyla Carney Jo Whitman Diamond Prudence Dorazio Becky Drew Bob Gleason Art Graafmans Kristi Graafmans Willa Hawke-Rogers Larry Jelinek Barbara Kish Lynette Massow Jenny Nelson Nina Pearlmutter Margaret Stevens Shirley Storey Rose Wheeler Tim Wheeler Cover Photo Credits: All Photos © Chanan Photography work with the lethal gene) could freely talk without fear of criticism from contemporary breeders (those who choose to work with the lethal gene). So I set up a new Yahoo group, and invited the traditional breeders that I knew personally to join. They in turn recommended some of the breeders they knew. And those new members invited more traditional breeders. And so the list grew. Our first exchanges on the new list were hesitant – in fact I sensed the need to “seed” the list with topics that I hoped would spark discussions. When several weeks passed without much activity, I began to feel that perhaps this kind of forum wasn’t needed. But soon discussions multiplied, until a cathartic flurry of exchanges occurred. The floodgates had opened, and traditional breeders felt free to vent and commiserate over many years of accumulated frustrations. And the primary source of those frustrations was the Head Defect and the hoped-for development of a genetic test. “The Test” Being an optimist by nature, for years I have been waiting eagerly for Leslie Lyons and her team at U.C. Davis to identify the horrific lethal gene or genes that cause the Head Defect to occur, and which ultimately threatens our breed. My optimism, however, has become tempered by reality. My early assumptions were that developing a genetic test for the Head Defect would solve numerous problems within the breed and help heal the divided Burmese communities. I’m no longer so naïve. In fact, I have come to believe that “The Test” may, if not handled correctly, further divide us. Nevertheless, I still think this test is a critically important milestone for the Burmese breed. I make no claims to having a good understanding of genetics, and I find many aspects difficult to comprehend and explain. However, for me at least, there is compelling evidence that the gene or genes which produce the contemporary look and the accompanying Head Defect can not be separated, and once the Head Defect gene is found I believe it unlikely that there will be lines which can produce the contemporary look without the litter losses. The early work done by the Search Core group, which demonstrated this fact to many people’s satisfaction, and more recently the health survey done by Dr. Susan Little, which shows that after three decades the percentage litter loss has remained at 25%, leads me to this conclusion. Page 2 UBCF January 2008
No one knows how much time will pass before the genetic marker(s) for the Head Defect are found. It may be next month, or it may take years. When it is found, I think the most important use of the test will be to verify which lines and cats are free of the defect. That is critically important to the Burmese breed. Should the lethal defect spread into all lines of Burmese, it would weaken the health of the breed and might eventually lead to the end of the Burmese cat. Even with a genetic test in hand, I fear it may be unlikely that most breeders who work with contemporary lines are going to make changes in their breeding programs, if it turns out that the “contemporary look” invariably carries with it the lethal gene. They breed their cats because they prefer that look, and they like the show hall success they have experienced for decades. Many are also deeply invested in their contemporary lines, both financially and over many generations. There may be some who choose to spay and neuter their lines and start over, and I personally will do all I can to applaud and support their decision. A Great Responsibility Thanks in part to exchanges on the Traditional Burmese Breeders list, but mostly thanks to the energy and commitment of its members, a decision was made to revive the United Burmese Cat Fanciers Club, whose history is included in this newsletter. Key to the revival of UBCF is the decision to include all colors and variations of Burmese, American and European, and to promote healthy Burmese throughout the world. All cat breeders deal with health problems, be they genetic, congenital or environmental, and all breeds of cats carry health problems to a greater or lesser degree. We can never solve or breed out all of those health problems without severely limiting gene pools and thereby endangering the existence of the breeds we love. However, my personal feeling is that a key ethical defining line is crossed when breeders knowingly promote or continue severe and/or lethal health problems, when other alternatives are available. Ever since the contemporary Burmese cats and their descendents first appeared, they have come to dominate the show ring. But thanks to the hard work and perseverance of many breeders, traditional line Burmese have become increasingly competitive, achieving significant regional and national wins, and I predict they will continue do so in the future. But this will only happen if we work together to produce and promote the healthiest and best Burmese that we can, mentor new breeders to join us in this effort, and aim to inform the general public, show judges, and everyone involved in cat registries around the world, how critically important their choices are to the future of the Burmese breed. I feel proud to participate in the renaissance of UBCF, with its rich history of accomplishments. The club and its members also bear a great responsibility. I believe we may hold the very existence of the Burmese breed in our hands. As members of UBCF, dedicated to the health and well being of the Burmese cat, let us stand together and do all we can to help the Burmese breed flourish now, and for the future. CH Burma Pearl’s Petite Princesse ©Chanan Photography Nancy L. Reeves Burma Pearl Cattery UBCF January 2008 Page 3
Page 1: United Burmese Cat Fanciers UBCF Ne
Page 5 and 6: UBCF History By RoseAnn Wheeler UBC
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Page 9 and 10: in that timeframe the ACFA standard
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Page 13 and 14: What recommendations are most impor
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Page 17 and 18: Rescuing Burmese Through a variety
Page 19 and 20: Breeding Pedigreed Cats Carolyn M.
Page 21 and 22: 9. Upstairs, make final sweep. Clos
Page 23 and 24: UBCF Membership Region 2 Central We

January 2008 Newsletter - United Burmese Cat Fanciers

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