In this issue

It's our annual Kitten issue! We discover some of the more interesting places that queens have decided to give birth, and opinions of the pros and cons of giving your own vaccinations. A pair of scientists use 3D imaging to investigate feline breed diversity. Also: how various state laws affect cat breeders, use of CBD with pets.., and what you don't know about the Burmilla.

Queens Candilee Jackson Choose the Strangest Delivery Spots

I remember well the first litter of kittens I birthed on my own. I was excited to finally have kittens to show under my new cattery name, Pawdancer. At the same time, I felt like the fictional Prissy from Margaret Mitchell’s novel, Gone With The Wind and her famous quote, “But Miss Scarlett, I don’ know nothin’ ‘bout birthin’ no babies!” I read everything I could lay my hands on, visited my vet at least ten times during the final week or so (the office staff finally just waved me into an exam room without getting my charts), consulted with my mentors and non-mentors, laid in enough birthing supplies for a small army and as the “watch” date approached, I consulted the calendar at least five times a day. I fixed up a toddler’s playpen with two soft, washable beds—one for delivery and one for after delivery, food and water dishes, litter box and covered the removeable plywood top (painted baby pink) and mesh of the playpen with warm pink fleece. All was ready. The only thing I DID NOT prepare for was Jazzlynn, my mother-to-be. While I really did not know Jazzy’s thoughts on all this preparation, her inscrutable eyes, half-closed in thought, watched the process and a little smirk crossed her muzzle. Little did I realize she had made plans of her own.

9 mins

Birthing 101

How Kittens Get Here from There

4 mins

Defining Breed Differences IN 3D

We cat aficionados know about the fabulous variety of cat breeds—just compare a Siamese to a Persian, or a Singapura to a Maine Coon. But to most of the world—and I’m sorry to mention the D-word in CatTalk—it is dogs that are the kings of diversity; cats are thought to all be much the same, except for superficial differences in coat color and length. The great variety of dogs is backed up by scientific research showing that the variation in head shape among dog breeds far outstrips the differences among wild canid species, such as wolves and foxes.

3 mins

What You Don't Know About... Burmillas

Shades of Elegance

9 mins

State Breeder Laws Every Resident Fancier Should Know!

CFA State Breeder Law Series, Part 2 - States of the Gulf Shore Region: Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee

10 mins

Inside the CFA Credentials Committee

The “Inspectors of Election” is the formal term referred to in New York Not-For-Profit Law that applies to CFA operations. The group has been called “tellers” in previous meetings. As a group this also constitutes the “Credentials Committee.”

7 mins

My First Cat

First Cats. We all have that special very first cat—the one that we had as a child, or perhaps the first one when we had a home of our own. Maybe one found us, and we hadn’t realized that we needed a cat until then. Or perhaps this special cat was a first rescue, first pedigreed cat or first show cat. These are the stories of some of those special cats.

7 mins

CBD and Pets

More Questions Than Answers

3 mins

Read all stories from Cat Talk

Cat Talk Magazine Description:

The official publication of the Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc.
Information about pedigreed cats; CFA cat shows; cat health, welfare, and well-being; and cats in our culture. Published bi-monthly - 6 issue per year.