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Germans saying Sphynx are a "defect breed" and should not be continued

dviry13

dviry13

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Hi everyone!

Every once in a while I meet/hear about people that have negative things to say about the Sphynx breed (whether due to lack of information or pure stupidity, without ever even seeing one of those).
Just came across a thread on a german cooking site (! yes, cooking site) - Hat jemand von Euch eine Sphynx-Katze? | Hund, Katze, Maus Forum

Basically someone asked info about this race, and the 2nd reply he got was sort of "why the heck would you get a defect breed"..
I'll try to translate the biggest chunk of his reply:

QUOTE: "Fell in cats is not only decorative, just to please our eyes. It has a function, just like the tail, long legs, straight ears (and not bent) - the Sphynx - the vibrissae.... One breeds a species without features that are intended by nature, then you breed her so literally to disabilities and impairments. Is that necessary? Man must cultivate all, just because he can? It must be the ultimate "exotic animal ", the super striking appearance? Where is the benefit to the animal?

... But I would never be buying such extreme breeds even if legal, (if whiskers are missing, they are considered as such) to torment breeding, support . This has absolutely nothing to do with love of animals, but only with the human, selfish desire for the unusual." - END OF QUOTE



You can check the whole thread (in German) and see how others have the same opinions, based again on wrong facts and pure misunderstanding...

Those things make me sad. Stupidity seems sometimes contagious, and the opposite of what such forums are supposed to do...

Gladly I'll be back home soon with my own Sissi... :BigSmile:

Take care,

Leon
 
Gullivers Keeper

Gullivers Keeper

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I love my sphynx but hairless cats are just for human needs and without us would not survive. Also with all the inbreeding and hcm I'm starting to wonder how fair it is to keep breeding. I love my boys, but with Gullivers hcm and the constant fear of bacon developing it... I don't know, its heartbreaking... I don't know what's right or fair , but out is something that could use some real thought.
 
danimcd

danimcd

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well if they only knew...

it was a natural genetic mutation, and we continue it because we can... we dont rip out their wiskars or shave the cats...

and really all sorts of other animals are bread for human companionship or reliance... like the horses we used to use to get around in our buggy's... lol
oh wait german guy... did you know that the cows and chickens you eat on your table are bred for eating... you know, cause that's not selfish of course... where's the benefit to the cow's and chickens there? to be our dinner??? hmmm maybe do some research before you get on your soap box
:Stop:

EDIT:
i agree gulliver, they probably wouldn't do to well if left on their own ... but you never know... there are tonns of species that have faired well in wild after selective breeding (like horses), however there are a bunch that haven't...

maybe in temperate regions, where its not so cold, somewhat warm but with some shade??

i mean technically....if we were nake out in the elements too we wouldn't survive either... we are pretty hairless compaired to most other mammals :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

i guess we just developed the ability to take care of ourselves... who knows... maybe these guys would too! lol
 
Gullivers Keeper

Gullivers Keeper

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True we do it all the time, but like you say, is it fair to the animal?

Justread your edit, maybe if we could grow them thumbs :)
 
Gizzymom

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I also love how he considers sphynx traits "disabilities".... I was not aware that being bald and having big ears is a disability... Hey, El Gato... maybe you can quality for the good parking spots!!:LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
dviry13

dviry13

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HCM is possible in any cat breeding, not only Sphynx. That's a whole different topic - do we really think breeding animals is "human"? We'll leave that for a new thread.

On this topic, the guy on the forum wasn't against breeding - just "illegal breeding" of "un-natural" mistakes - what they call in German speaking countries "Qualzucht". According to the German/Austrian law, any animal that is bred hairless or without whiskers is basically illegal to import/sell/breed/etc.. Sphynx got through because they are (still) considered an official breed (which btw is under discussion in EU regulations, as far as I've read - but it's going to take years to change this legislation).

Also, "but hairless cats are just for human needs and without us would not survive" sounds purely pretentious, even without "our help" a lot of animals have survived for longer than we ever did - in fact, it's usually "our help" that kills them :Cry:

Looking forward to more replies on this disturbing topic...
 
ypvsypvs

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Just a forum thread. Every pet forum around the world talking cats in general has a thread like that more or less.

We do have some genetic traits that are illegal to bring into the country here actually but certainly not hairless. It is nothing that makes the life of the cat/dog any worse. It just changes how you need to care for them a bit.
Dwarfism and tailessness are not allowed to breed on or bring into the country though.
Munchkins and all hybrid crosses from them is one and bobtails another.
 
Ripley

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I hate to start a firestorm, but I do see the point about the breed being unable to survive on its own, thereby being a 'disability'. On the other hand, humans have domesticated animals and if we didn't care for them, fur or not, that would not be beneficial to the animal either. I don't really have strong feelings either way, perhaps because I just stumbled across my wonderful naked friend. I am not offended by the comment, nor am I encouraged. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. I did neuter my guy, partly for his health, but also partly to help him adapt to my lifestyle in a home. I also had no intention of breeding him, but don't see anything wrong with that.

BTW, I have a friend who was raised in Kenya, Africa. When she saw my kitty, she was astonished. She said that over there in the city they have ferrel cats that look just like him. She said they are always running around the shops and outdoor cafes begging for food. She had always believed they were something from the jungle and nobody wanted them. She certainly could not believe anyone would PAY to have one! So...there goes the argument that they cannot survive in the wild!
 
Gizzymom

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Here are two definitions of "disability".

Dictionary definition:
•the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness.

ADA definition:
“The term ‘disability’ means, with respect to an individual –
(a) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual

Hairlessness / baldness is absolutely not a disability....:ThumbsDown:
 
ypvsypvs

ypvsypvs

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Gizzymom said:
Are you saying SIZE is a disability??:Frown:

Cuz I am only 5'2"!!!!

:LOL::LOL::LOL:
Click to expand...

No but that being able to survive on it's own should not be in the equation for what is an allowed pet or not.
Breed on genetics that impair an animal physically or socially is very questionable though.

5´2 is not a disability if you don't count not being able to see shi.t at a concert or reach stuff on top shelfs. :D
 
dviry13

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Here's a light translation of the definition of Qualzucht based on Austrian law:

In Austria, 5 prohibits paragraph 2 of the Federal Animal Welfare Act Varieties, "which are connected to the animal or its offspring with severe pain, suffering, injury or severe anxiety. . (torment breeds), "Both the breeding and the import, acquisition, transfer and exhibition is prohibited [2] [3]

The Act also provides the following features for the detection of prohibited breeds:
Difficulty in breathing
Motion abnormalities
Lameness
Inflammation of the skin
Baldness
Inflammation of the palpebral conjunctiva and / or the cornea
Blindness
Exophthalmos
Deafness
Neurological symptoms
Abnormalities of the dentition
Malformations of the skull
Body shapes, which most likely make natural births impossible
(taken from Wiki)

If Baldness would really be a disability, that would make the majority of the adult men population rather needy (pls don't start on this), not to talk about the ladies out there paying (and painfully praying) to get theirs off.... :Wink:
 
wright878

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ypvsypvs said:
I'd like to see a chihuahua hunt for it's own dinner.
Or survive 6 hours of winter. (or rain for that matter :Hysterical:)
Click to expand...

Heck I can't even get my 4 pound chihuahua to go and pee when it is below 60 degrees....
 
marlene

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I think human males with small personal parts are unnatural mistakes and they shouldn't be allowed to breed. Especially when one considers that such men could pass on the emotional distress of having small parts to their male offspring for generations to come by providing them with the genetic material for small parts. Germany should declare that all men with teeny weinies are Qualzucht!

On a more serious note, I think some Chihuahua's would do well fending for themselves in the wild. My grandma had a Chi that killed chickens, innumerable rats, and a 6' long blacksnake.
 
danimcd

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Gizzymom said:
Are you saying SIZE is a disability??:Frown:

Cuz I am only 5'2"!!!!

:LOL::LOL::LOL:
Click to expand...

i'm 5'3... i know the feeling... my bf comes from a family of giants and they put everything they use on the top shelfs in their house... if i were locked in their house for a week i wouldn't survive either...

but i do understand why some people think it's cruel to breed bare animals... and like ripley said, everyone has a right to their own opinion... but also... seriously... you cant say that breeding animals to slaughter and eat is really any better...

i was gonna mention the dwarf animals, because i know they are bred here in northamerica (horses etc), but i find it intresting that these countries have such rules and regulations. i like that they really do try to protect the animals though... even though we see it as ok... but i guess a counter to that (correct me if i am wrong or you know otherwise), some countires eat animals we consider pets.... and they deem that ok.... so i guess there is always a shoe on the other foot right??? :Wink:
 
danimcd

danimcd

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marlene said:
I think human males with small personal parts are unnatural mistakes and they shouldn't be allowed to breed. Especially when one considers that such men could pass on the emotional distress of having small parts to their male offspring for generations to come by providing them with the genetic material for small parts. Germany should declare that all men with teeny weinies are Qualzucht!

:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
:Hysterical: :Hysterical: :Hysterical: :Hysterical:

i literally laughed so hard i cried a little there... :Wink::ThumbsUp:
Click to expand...
 
M

MissMySphynxBoys

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Very interesting (and entertaining) thread. Thanks for posting it.


dviry13 said:
According to the German/Austrian law, any animal that is bred hairless or without whiskers is basically illegal to import/sell/breed/etc.. Sphynx got through because they are (still) considered an official breed (which btw is under discussion in EU regulations, as far as I've read - but it's going to take years to change this legislation)
Click to expand...


Does this mean Sphynx are illegal to own in Germany?
 
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