Raskal

Here is a picture of the boy that just passed the Bridge. He was about 4 when this was taken

A Sadness

I was just informed that a boy I bred a long long time ago has passed the Rainbow Bridge.  His name was Kender's Raskal Tzarovich of Tzigane. A blue & white bicolor, just 13 years young. A sweet and gentle giant. Shown quite a bit when he was younger in some of the smaller associations.

You Are Your Cats Advocate - Part 2

I recently acquired a copy of the Banfield Journal Fall 2010 ed.  This is the publication of the large conglomerate of veterinary hospitals. Make no mistake , their goal is to sell their products and services through their outlets. They are in fact no different than a Walmart or a Great Clips in that regards except that they "care" for our pets and not ourselves.  They play on the fear that we are somehow not knowledgeable enough to care for our own pet. Or that we are unable to give them the "best" unless it is from them.  Because after all, don't we all want the best for our companions?

Now in this particular edition of the Banfield Journal they are focusing on obesity and weight management.  We all know what obesity is. Quite simply it is when an living animal cat, dog person, takes in too much energy (in the form of calories) and expels too little energy in return.  Their article begins out be stating that ....."Indeed surveys suggest that 25 to 40% of cats and dogs presented to veterinary clinics are overweight or obese." The basis for this information is sited as coming from 4 sources 1) published in 1970, 2)published in 1986 in the UK 3) published in 1994 and 4) being published in 2005.

(in this picture you can easily see the kittens famine belly)

But how does this apply to our Siberian cats?  Easily. The Siberian cat is a substantial cat of solid weight and boning. Part of the show description includes what is called a fat pad/round belly or famine belly.  This is correct and TYPICAL for our breed. And what your vet is unlikely to know(or care) is that this is as much a part of the cat as his ears are.  You should no more try to eliminate that famine belly than you should his ears. This is a survival mechanism brought about over hundreds if not thousands of years of natural selection.  When visiting your vet, be aware of this.   A famine belly is that rounded (there's that word again) pouch or pooch (forgive the pun) between his rear legs. It should be present in most every correctly proportioned healthy Siberian including kittens as young as 4 months of age. Now some females, esp those who are cycling or nursing, can loose that pouch, and that too is normal but should not be considered a long term state.

In the above picture, you can easily see the kittens "famine belly".  And in the adults picture you can readily see the belly as well as where it ends too.
 The belly - should begin  between the  rear legs in the upper groin region and can extend (esp in older spays and neuters) as far up as the last rib.  However at no time should it be so pendulous as to impede movement, swing freely, extend over the cats rib cage or across any part of the back. That is what would make your Siberian obese.   And of course with out good condition and muscle tone none of the above matters anyway!

So  be aware - or rather be wary  - the next time you visit your vet. Know your cat. Know what is right and correct for your breed.  And don't allow yourself to be persuaded by a good sales job. High fiber, calorie control diets are just a fancy way of adding corn, beet pulp and rice into your cats diet.  And last time I checked, all cats were still obligate carnivores, not omnivores.

You Are Your Cats Advocate

Just like they say with children  you are your own cats best advocate.  Take for instance a recent occurrence with a kitten I placed in CA. They took him to their vet for his initial check up - and the vet told them he had NOT rec;d his correct/current vaccines even though they had the appropriate paperwork proving the kitten did in fact. When this vet then proceeded to vaccinate the kitten a second time not only for the FVRCP-N combo But also for Rabies! Now as we all know Rabies is one of the most reactive vaccines in cats, second only to the Felv (Feline Leukemia). Both of these vaccines are proven and known to produce site sarcomas (CANCER!) in a certain number of cats.   This vet, his technicians and other support staff failed in their duty to read and accurately interpret the given paperwork,  And in fact, put this animal at extreme risk for vaccine reaction, vaccinosis and further lifelong potential neurological problems.

And this is just one single known instance. How many times every day does this occur. Most likely way too much.

You are your cats ONLY advocate. Most vets today work for these large conglomerates where veterinary medicine is secondary to their bottom line. Educate yourself. What vaccines should your cat in fact be getting and maybe even more importantly how often.

The average vet still is woefully ignorant - either intentionally or because they are too lazy to educate themselves -  in regards to current recommended vaccine protocols.  Much of the literature out there is flat out wrong!  The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) has put out a schedule of vaccine guidelines since 2000. Their current schedule  dating from 2006 is readily available to all, most importantly you would think, your vet by looking on their web site here : http://www.catvets.com/uploads/HTML/VaccineSummary.html

I have copied and pasted this schedule below.

American Association of Feline Practitioners 2006 Feline Vaccination Guidelines.  Summary: Vaccination in General Practice

Vaccine	Primary Series-Kittens (< 16 weeks)	Primary Series-Adolescent/ Adult (> 16 weeks)	Booster	Comments
Panleukopenia Virus (FPV) /Feline Herpesvirus-1 and Feline Calicivirus (FHV-1/FCV) Injectable: MLV, non-adjuvanted Killed, adjuvanted[i] Killed, non-adjuvanted Intranasal MLV, non-adjuvanted	Begin as early as 6 weeks of age, then every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks of age.	2 doses, 3 to 4 weeks apart	A single dose is given 1 year following the last dose of the initial series, then no more frequently than every 3 years.	Core Killed vaccines are preferred for use in pregnant cats (and only if absolutely necessary) and in FeLV and/or FIV infected cats, especially those showing evidence of immunosuppression. Killed panleukopenia vaccines should be used in kittens less than 4 weeks of age.   All kittens and cats should receive at least one injectable panleukopenia injection. .

Rabiese Injectable: Canarypox virus-vectored recombinant (rRabies), non-adjuvanted 1-year killed, adjuvanteda 3-Year killed, adjuvanteda

Administer a single dose as early as 8 or 12 weeks of age depending on the product label. Revaccinate 1 year later.

Administer 2 doses, 12 months apart.

Annual booster is required. Vs. Every 3 years or as required by State or local ordinance for 3-year

Core In States and municipalities where feline rabies vaccination is required, veterinarians must follow applicable statutes. Booster vaccination with a 1-year rabies vaccine is only appropriate in States and municipalities where permitted by law. Any rabies vaccine can be used for revaccination, even if the product is not the same brand or type of product previously administered.  No laboratory or epidemiologic data exist to support the annual or biennial administration of 3-year vaccines following the initial series.

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) Transdermal: Canarypox virus-vectored recombinant (rFeLV), non-adjuvanted Injectable Or Killed, adjuvanted

Administer an initial dose as early as 8 – 12 weeks of age, depending on product; a second dose should be administered 3-4 weeks later.

2 doses, 3 to 4 weeks apart

When indicated, a single dose is given 1 year following the last dose of the initial series, then annually in cats determined to have sustained risk of exposure. f

Non-Core ·         FeLV vaccination is highly recommended for all kittens. ·         Booster inoculation is recommended only in cats considered to be at risk of exposure. [ii] ·         In the United States, the 0.25 ml rFeLV vaccine dose may only be administered via the manufacturer’s transdermal administration system.[iii]  ·         Only FeLV negative cats should be vaccinated; FeLV testing prior to vaccine administration is recommended. ·         Cats should be tested for FeLV infection before their initial vaccination and when there is a possibility that they have been exposed to FeLV since they were last vaccinated.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Injectable: Killed, adjuvanteda

When indicated, 3 doses are required: The initial dose is administered as early as 8 weeks of age; 2 subsequent doses should be administered at an interval of 2-3 weeks.

When indicated, 3 doses are required: Each dose is administered 2-3 weeks apart.

When indicated, a single dose is given 1 year following the last dose of the initial series, then annually in cats determined to have sustained risk of exposure.h

Non-Core FIV vaccine should be restricted to cats at high risk of infection.[iv] Vaccination induces production of antibodies indistinguishable from those developed in response to FIV infection, and interferes with all antibody-based FIV diagnostic tests for at least a year following vaccination. Cats with positive FIV antibody assay results may have antibodies as a result of vaccination, infection, or both. FIV antibodies are passed from vaccinated queens to their kittens in colostrum.  Colostrum-derived antibodies interfere with FIV diagnosis past the age of weaning in the majority of kittens, but this interference appears to wane by 12 weeks of age. Cats should test FIV-antibody negative immediately prior to vaccination. Permanent identification of vaccinated cats (e.g., using a microchip) will help clarify vaccination status, but will not indicate that such cats are free of infection. This vaccine has been shown to provide protection from some, but not all, strains of FIV.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) MLV, non-adjuvanted Intranasal	If administered, give a single dose as early as 16 weeks of age, and a second dose 3-4 weeks later.	If administered, give 2 doses, 3-4 weeks apart.	Annual booster is recommended by the manufacturer.	Not Generally Recommended According to the limited studies available, only cats known to be feline coronavirus antibody negative at the time of vaccination are likely to develop some level of protection. Vaccination of cats living within households in which FIP is known to exist or cats that are known to be feline coronavirus antibody positive is not recommended.
Chlamydophila felis Avirulent live, non-adjuvanted Or killed, adjuvanted Injectable	Administer the initial dose as early as 9 weeks of age; a second dose is administered 3-4 weeks later.	Administer 2 doses, 3-4 weeks apart.	Annual booster is indicated for cats with sustained exposure risk.	Non-Core Vaccination reserved as part of a control regime for cats in multiple-cats environments where infections associated with clinical disease have been confirmed.  Inadvertent conjunctival inoculation of vaccine has been reported to cause clinical signs of infection.

Bordetella bronchiseptica Avirulent live, non-adjuvanted Intranasal	Administer a single dose intranasally as early as 8 weeks of age.	Administer a single dose intranasally	Annual booster is indicated for cats with sustained risk.	Non-Core Vaccination may be considered in cases where cats are likely to be at specific risk of infection.[v]
Feline Giardia Killed, adjuvanteda Injectable	Administer a single dose at 8 weeks of age; a second dose is administered 2-4 weeks later.	2 doses, 2-4 weeks apart.	Annual booster is recommended by the manufacturer.	Not Generally Recommended There are insufficient studies available to support the role of Giardia vaccination in preventing clinical disease in cats. Whether the Giardia vaccine is an effective therapeutic agent in naturally infected cats is currently unknown.

Kender's Show Schedule Updated

Well I thought I would give a brief update to our next planned or anticipated shows.

Scheduled/Entered is Palm Springs 6 x 6 this weekend with a new and young kitten our own Kender's Got A Blue Attitude and our newest Grand Premier Kender's Run Out The Guns, who will be attending his last show. His new owners will be picking him up sometime on Sunday.

Scheduled/Entered is Denver the following weekend on Sept 25/26.  Chakotey & Magic will be attending that one.  Chakotey has a nice tally of 123 Grand points  -needing just 77 more to Grand. Umm.. Magic has just a single lone grand point...hehehehe.. well maybe she'll catch up!

Planned but not set in stone is Palm Springs in Oct on the 2nd  - 1 day show
And of course Planned and most likely is Phoenix since it is a home show - 1 day on Oct 16th.

Wish Us Luck !

Kender's Chaos Theory of Judo

Please welcome our newest show hopeful. Kender's Chaos Theory of Judo.
Co-owned with a dear friend.
A Blue Cream Female born 8/17
Photos taken today just 1 day shy of 4 weeks

Just A Few Updates

I just thought I should give a few updates. First , when Santa Monica points posted we found, to our delight that Gunner had garnered 50 total points, WOW!

Next - please visit us at our next show in Hemit, Sept 11th. We are hoping to get some professional photos of Gunner done there by a new and up and coming photographer.

And next, we would like to introduce a new little girl - from our Impossible litter a brown classic & white we are calling Kender;s Thru The Looking Glass. She so far seems to have our Miss Tonks wonderful bubbly outgoing personality. We are looking forward to showing her as she comes of age.