January 2008 Newsletter - United Burmese Cat Fanciers

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