Another "responsible breeder"

[LeftyMom]

http://www.life.com/Life/article/0,26385,1588202,00.html


It's a house cat! It's a tiger!
Meet the Toyger, America's next superpet By Kenneth Miller
Mike McGregor
In an oak-shaded backyard 30 miles outside of L.A., Judy Sugden is conducting a tour of her secret genetics lab. The well-kept facility consists of several cabins built of plywood and fencing in which dozens of domestic cats nap, wrestle, prance, and preen. The cats flock toward visitors as they pass by, poking paws through their cages. They’re striking creatures, more muscular than the average tabby, with reddish-amber fur set off by bold dark stripes. But to Sugden, they’re pieces of a puzzle—a collection of traits and tendencies from which she’s constructing a cat such as the world has never seen.

TOYGER FEVER
“Look at this little boy,” she says, cradling a young tom. “See the nice dark markings over his eyes? But he doesn’t have the muzzle.” She gives him a few strokes, then moves on. “This one has a lovely face. Look up, sweetie. But he doesn’t have the coat.”

Sugden doesn’t like to publicize the location of her cattery, for fear of wire-cutting animal-rights activists. (comment from LM: Yeah, it'd be a damn shame if somebody stole your breeding stock. I'd cry a river. :rofl: ) But her project is creating a high-decibel buzz in the world of cat fanciers. The 58-year-old architect is the inventor of the Toyger, a house cat bred to look like a toy model of the largest member of the cat family. If this dedicated breeder can perfect her imitation tiger, some experts expect it to become one of the most sought-after cats in history—fetching prices as high as $4,000.
“They’re going to look different from breeds,” says Kay DeVilbiss, the president of the International Cat Association (TICA). “There’s going to be Toyger fever.”

CATS GONE WILD
In an era when a few cosmetic tweaks can elevate a handbag into a high-priced fetish, it’s no surprise that demand for designer cats—especially those that bring a whiff of wilderness to the suburbs—is booming. Current popular felines include the Savannah (part house cat, part African serval) and the Chausie (a house cat bred with a jungle cat). But until now, no professional breeder has tried to capture the mystique or allure of a tiger in a sofa-friendly form. -MORE at link-

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Millions of cats are euthanized every year for lack of homes. The number that are feral and die outdoors of starvation, predation, disease or after encounters with cars are not known. Bringing more cats into the world when we've done such a piss poor job with the ones already in our care is cruel.

[flvegan]

1. What's her APHIS permit number?

She's a commercial breeder by definition.

"Toygen fever" should be renamed "foot-up-Judy-Sugden's-ass fever"

Bitch.

Apologies to the "bitch" offended.

[LeftyMom]

2. The Dept of Ag doesn't have them searchable online that I can tell.

:shrug:

"Bitch" is much nicer than what I was going to say. :grr:

[flvegan]

3. Sure they do. Link to APHIS inside...

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/publications.html

Scroll down to "Facility Lists" and it lists all of the registered classes of permitholders.

[LeftyMom]

4. Not listed.

I don't know about you, but personally I'm in shock. ;)

[flvegan]

5. Most dealer/breeders have no idea what APHIS even is.

Quickest way to mindfuck a dog/cat breeder. The USDA does an initial fact-finding, usually in the form of a letter. Getting a letter from the government is NOT what these folks want. Then, after going federal, you go state, then local. Next thing you know, their mortgage company is getting a call telling them that there's potential illegal activity going on at their property. If they bought that house with the proceeds from that illegal activity, it could be taken, and the mortgage company is out all their cash.

Shit...they HATE hearing that. What REALLY brings the intellectual Vietnam, is when Code Enforcement (or like entity) with jurisdiction shows up because of an anonymous tip that the house/yard reeks and there are illegal structures housing animals.

It becomes easier just to get a real job rather than deal with multiple hassles like this.

[Critters2]

6. I saw this in the Tribune. I was appalled.

One of the cats I live with was given up when her "family" bought a purebred ragdoll--$1800.00!! Sophie, a BEAUTIFUL calico dsh, didn't get along with the expensive cat (yet she gets along fine with two cats and a beagle here), so they took her to the Humane Society. Sophie had been a stray turned in to the local vet, who gave her to them when she learned they were looking for a kitten. Yet, she was disposable once her "guardians" fell in love with purebreds. Since giving her up, they've bought two more ragdolls.

How many more Sophies will there be because this moron is breeding cats and will charge $4000.00 for them. And yes, there are idiots who'll pay.

Makes me furious!!!

Thanks for posting this.