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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Letters To The Editor<br />
Dear Editor:<br />
I hope that the Renaissance of the UBCF will help to<br />
eliminate those problems that today threaten the <strong>Burmese</strong><br />
breed.<br />
Individuals more knowledgeable than myself claim our<br />
genetic gene pool is sufficient. I heartily disagree.<br />
The diversity that the geneticists speak of is only useful<br />
if one doesn’t mind breeding <strong>Burmese</strong> that carry the genetic<br />
coding for the head defect. If Traditional breeders hadn’t<br />
stood their ground all these years, by not incorporating the<br />
carrier lines into their breeding programs, there would be<br />
NO clean lines from which to draw to rebuild the breed.<br />
Separate the two gene pools, Contemporary and Traditional,<br />
and each is very small.<br />
Traditional breeders should not have to sacrifice the few<br />
clean lines left to save the breed. I hope we will be able<br />
to find a way to enlarge the unaffected lines through better<br />
education and other avenues allowable by the <strong>Cat</strong> Fancy<br />
Association.<br />
I hope that by better education of the public and other<br />
breeders that it will help to make strides to encourage better<br />
genetic husbandry among the breeders. What our breed<br />
faces today, those other breeds now affected by the head<br />
defect will face tomorrow. I hope that the efforts of the<br />
UBCF will act as a flagship for those other breeds before it<br />
is to late.<br />
Lynette Massow<br />
Dear Editor,<br />
For the future of UBCF I would like to see a UBCF web<br />
site, dedicated to the traditional <strong>Burmese</strong> cat. We could<br />
have suggestions from members for what to include on<br />
the site. Suggestions could come in as letters to the editor.<br />
There can be a members-only section, with access for<br />
members that should be through password only. Also, I<br />
would think we could have a section for the general public<br />
as well. A few suggestions from me to get the ball rolling:<br />
I’d like to see a section where members could post show<br />
pictures of their cats, sort of a brag section. Maybe even<br />
a fun section of pictures, of <strong>Burmese</strong> doing funny things,<br />
we have lots of candid shots from pet owners and from our<br />
own cats as well that we could share.<br />
Possibly a section for Memory Lane, written stories<br />
from the show hall, of past winners, of memories of past<br />
breeders, of big show moments, especially for traditional<br />
cats today. These could go on either the web site or in the<br />
newsletter.<br />
Another idea I have for the newsletter, how about a<br />
health tip column where <strong>Burmese</strong> breeders and owners<br />
could send in tips that have worked with their cats.<br />
Margaret Stevens<br />
Dear Editor,<br />
As a former member and officer of UBCF, I am pleased<br />
to see this organization get on its feet again. UBCF always<br />
was and should be a leader for establishing the goals of the<br />
<strong>Burmese</strong> community.<br />
Last week I attended a CFA show in Hudson, MA with<br />
my daughter who wanted to show her sable female, Nori’s<br />
Puzzled Lady (Puzzler). I specifically had this girl checked<br />
out by my vet as a potential breeder and, in the process, he<br />
noted that she would make a great queen. High praise from<br />
another breeder (he raises American Shorthairs).<br />
Puzzler has a beautiful sable coat, albeit a bit plush, and<br />
lovely round gold eyes. Her face is moderate with a decent<br />
nose break and her bite is excellent. Like all my cats, she<br />
is HD-free.<br />
Her looks, of course, did us no good in the CFA show<br />
rings. The flattest face was awarded the ribbons. I was<br />
really appalled at the appearance of the <strong>Burmese</strong> and the<br />
Bombays. When they sat down, they looked like triangles<br />
with small flat heads, bulging eyes, and all their weight<br />
towards the back end. It was clear that the judges knew or<br />
cared little about <strong>Burmese</strong> and what had become of them.<br />
I consider the last 10 years to be comparable to the<br />
40’s when the <strong>Burmese</strong> were banned from the show rings.<br />
This breed is in a very sorry state and new goals need to be<br />
set to bring them back to a healthy breed. The so-called<br />
“spokespeople” for <strong>Burmese</strong> are leading them down a path<br />
to destruction in the <strong>United</strong> States.<br />
It is time to speak out loudly for these loving cats. A<br />
united UBCF can set new goals and make people sit up and<br />
listen. Today, we have more tools and information than<br />
ever to set a standard that is a model for all pedigreed cats.<br />
Let’s use them to keep breeders, organizations, and the<br />
public informed and keep working until we have nothing<br />
but beautiful healthy <strong>Burmese</strong> in the show ring again.<br />
This is a breed that originated in the <strong>United</strong> States. Let’s<br />
not let it die there.<br />
Nina Pearlmutter, Ph.D., J.D.<br />
Page 22 UBCF <strong>January</strong> <strong>2008</strong>