First off, I’d like to thank everyone who liked and shared my last post regarding Makhmal’s Medical Fund.
So far, we have not received any donations. I must say, I am a bit saddened, but I understand that not everyone can donate and that the post did not reach many people.
I don’t like to share my follower count, but in this case, I think it is necessary to help spread the word about Makhmal and her need for support from kind patrons like you.
There are 21,562 of you wonderful people with wonderful blogs. It’s not a remarkable number, but it is a good number and I appreciate every single one of you for supporting me and following my appreciation for wild cats all over the world (including domestic cats). If only 4,000 of you donate just $1, Sara would be able to help pay off Makhmal’s surgery costs as well as provide continual support (physical therapy, rehabilitation, etc.) in the hopes that one day, Makhmal may be able to utilize her left hind leg to the best of her ability.
Just one dollar and we can get Makhmal the help that she so desperately needs!
Every donation counts. Every reblog and share counts. Please do not give up on Makhmal. She is only 6 months old. A beautiful tortie shell kitten who so desperately needs your help. Please help her mom pay off her medical costs and provide her with the medical support and care that she needs.
I know that this is not wild cat related, but a domestic cat is just as important and worthy of our attention and help. As you know, there are 39 extant species of cat, the Domestic cat is #40.
I hate when there’s a big ass bug in the room and someone’s like “LEAVE IT ALONE!” … why are you defending the bug for??? I don’t know what kind of stroke game this bug got cause you must be fucking it??? is that it??
If you love Scottish fold cats, I’m going to tell you something you don’t want to hear. Please, please read on anyway. If you are considering adopting a Scottish fold, PLEASE continue reading. This information needs to be more widely known.
In 2008, the Journal of Small Animal practice released a short report on disorders associated with breeds of cats. In this report, the authors mentioned the Scottish fold:
People who own them may be “charmed” by their round faces and open expression (and they may not realise that the reason the cats do not move around too much is because they are variably crippled with arthritis).1
The gene that causes the cute fold in the Scottish fold’s ear also leads to the development of a degenerative disorder called osteochondrodysplasia. ALL Scottish folds have this disorder, whether they show symptoms or not- the fold in their ears is caused by a cartilage deformity that also affects their joints.
Osteochondrodysplasia leads to crippling osteoarthritis, which affects Scottish folds at much younger ages than other breeds of cats. In cats heterozygous for the gene, the disease’s progression can be seen in cats as young as six months. In homozygous cats, it can be seen as early as seven weeks old.
Affected cats may be grossly deformed, with short wide limbs and a short, inflexible tail. They show lameness, swollen wrist (carpal) and ankle (tarsal) joints, have an abnormal gait, and are reluctant to move and jump. Severely affected individuals become crippled and unable to walk.
…Many affected cats are euthanased earlier in life due to the profound effects of this disease.2
The breed is often described as “placid” and “calm.” This is due to the fact that they are constantly in pain due to this disorder. Even in mild, ‘asymptomatic’ cases which can occur in heterozygous cats, they may still be experiencing pain due to cats’ tendency to hide their suffering.
Many breeders of Scottish folds claim that not all heterozygous cats have the disorder, because the studies that examined the cats (which were all, heterozygous or not, shown to have it) had small sample sizes.
In 2003, Lorraine Shelton, a specialist in genetic diseases, offered to pay for 300 x-rays of healthy adult Scottish folds to prove that the disorder was not present in some heterozygous cats.
…She has asked a list of 300 Scottish Fold breeders from around the world to go to their vet to get X-rays done. She had offered to pay for these X-rays but not a single breeder had taken up that offer. You could not know whether this problem existed unless an X-ray was taken. If somebody would send her an X-ray of a healthy hind leg of a folded eared cat, she would be grateful as she wanted to see the very first one.3
To date, no one has taken her up on the offer. The breeders’ unwillingness to have their cats examined speaks volumes. The authors of all studies on these cats agree: it ethically wrong to continue breeding these cats.
It disturbs me that any breeder would knowingly continue to create animals that will be in pain throughout their lives. As a cat lover myself, I am begging you, please do not buy Scottish folds. Do not support these unethical breeding practices, or the concept that it is acceptable to intentionally breed unhealthy animals for the sake of how they look.
Before you buy ANY animal, please do your research. If a breed suffers from high incidences of genetic disorders, don’t use your money to support the creation of more animal suffering.
This is a game. About ants. In which you basically manage resources to maintain the population. There will be disasters, migrations, predators, I don’t know what else.
And combats. With acids. Exploding ants. It will be messy.
PiraticOctopus 