Albastru de Rusia

Tara de origine: Rusia
Speranta de viata: peste 15 ani
Descriere fizica generala:
Rasa Albastru de Rusia este formata din pisici de marime medie spre mare, cu un corp gratios si elegant. Forma capului prezinta nu mai putin de sapte regiuni perfect plane. Colturile gurii, usor ridicate, dau fetei o expresie zambitoare, ceea ce reprezinta o caracteristica a rasei. Distanta dintre ochi este cel putin la fel de lunga ca distanta dintre varful nasului si ochi. Ochii sunt de culoare verde intens. Urechile mari, late la baza, sunt indreptate spre inainte. Pielea urechilor este subtire si acoperita cu un puf fin. Blana este dubla, scurta si matasoasa, de culoare albastru-gri, cu varfurile argintii. Corpul are oase fine, muschi bine devoltati si o gratie deosebita.
Hranire: 80 kcal/kg/zi. Aceste pisici sunt predispuse la obezitate.
Sanatate:
Albastru de Rusia este o rasa sanatoasa. Nu are probleme de sanatate specifice, dar, ca si in cazul celorlalte rase de pisici, incepand cu varsta de opt ani, este recomandat sa mergeti anual cu pisica la un control de rutina, incluzand curatarea dintilor si analize ale sangelui pentru ficat si rinichi.
Energie: ridicata
Compatibilitate cu alte pisici: medie
Compatibilitate cu late animale: medie
Compatibilitate cu copiii: medie
Caracter si temperament:
Pisicile din rasa Albastru de Rusia au un temperament linistit, calm, fiind tandre si afectuoase. Sunt active si jucause, dar nu suporta zgomotele puternice si agitatia. Nu este nicioadata insistenta, chiar daca are obiceiul sa-si urmeze peste stapanul peste tot. Este tacuta, silentioasa si foarte discreta. De regula, se adapteaza greu convietuirii cu alte animale. Afectiunea Albastrei de Rusia se indrepta catre o singura persoana si devine atat de atasata de aceasta incat ajunge sa o considere centrul universului ei. Este o pisica foarte curata care suporta foarte bine atat frigul cat si cadura, dar, daca are de ales, alege sa stea confortabil langa un calorifer. Desi este foarte jucausa, nu are obiceiul de a distruge lucrurile, precum alte pisici din alte rase.
Albastra de Rusia este o pisica foarte sensibila si se simte ranita daca persoana ei preferata o trateaza cu indiferenta. Datorita afectiunii exagerate pentru o singura persoana, poate deveni nervoasa si precauta in prezenta strainilor. Nu o deranjeaza deloc sa ramana mult timp singura, pentru ca va fi ocupata toata ziua sa pandesca revenirea prietenul ei uman. Miauna rar, iar vocea ei este calda, melodioasa si foarte placuta la auz.
Ingrijire:
Ca majoritatea raselor cu parul scurt, Albastra de Rusia nu are nevoie de foarte multa ingrijire pentru a-si mentine blana sanatoasa. Cu toate acestea, iubeste sa i se acorde atentie si, de aceea, nu strica sa fie periata cu o perie moale din cand in cand. Luciul si reflexele blanii sunt admirabile atunci cand felina se afla sub razele de lumina naturala. La atingere, blana trebuie sa fie asemanatoare cu catifeaua si atat de deasa incat sa acopere mana. Caracteristicile blanii si aspectul plusat creeaza impresia, la prima vedere, ca pisica ar avea o greutate mai mare decat in realitate. Puii se nasc avand marcaje tigrate difuze, care tind sa dispara odata cu cresterea si dezvoltarea acestora. Naparleste foarte putin.
Istoric:
Albastru de Rusia este o rasa naturala, rezultata in mod spontan, nefiind rezultatul incrucisarilor selective dintre alte pisici. Rasa isi pierde radacinile in negura timpului, cei care au incercat sa afla originile acestor pisici nereusind sa afle decat un numar mare de povesti, mituri si superstitii. Una dintre vechile legende rusesti povesteste ca la nasterea unei printese, la marginea patului ei au venit sapte zane pentru a-i darui fiecare in parte cate un cadou. Prima a daruit-o pe micuta printesa cu un spirit neinfricat, a doua i-a dat o inima loiala, a treia zana i-a predestinat ca va fi toata viata ei supla si frumoasa, a patra i-a ursit ca fiecare miscare a ei va fi plina de gratie si vraja, a cincea a spus ca va purta numai argint, matase si catifea, a sasea zana i-a facut cadou doua smaralde mari, stralucitoare, deosebit de frumoase, iar a saptea i-a ursit printesei ca va gasi prieteni peste tot in lumea larga. S-a intamplat, insa, din pacate pentru micuta printesa, ca zanele sa fie foarte tinere si lipsite de experienta si in loc sa lase darurile langa copila, le-au pus in cosuletul de langa patul ei, unde statea ghemuita o pisicuta - ea fiind in final beneficiarul acestora. Iata deci explicatia folclorului rus pentru deosebita frumusete si caracterul exceptional al Albastrelor de Rusia!

Tzitzi il iubeste pe Horia!!!

The Persian Cat

Origin of breed
The first documented ancestors of the Persian were imported from Persia into Italy in 1620 by Pietro della Valle, and from Turkey into France by Nicholas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc at around the same time. From France they soon reached Britain. The longhaired cats from Persia were interbred with Turkish Angoras. Their appearance then differed greatly from today's standard[. Hundreds of years of selective breeding made Persians cobbier cats with drastically shorter muzzle. It's not clear when longhair cats (in general) first appeared, as there are no African Wildcats (believed to be ancestors of domesticated cats) with that kind of fur. There have been claims that the gene responsible for long hair was introduced through hybridization with Pallas cat. Recent research however refutes this theory.

Characteristics
A show-quality Persian has an extremely long thick coat, short legs, a wide head with the ears set far apart, large eyes, and an extremely foreshortened muzzle. Their eyes are often gooey, and the owner should clean their eyes at least once every day. The breed was originally established with a short (but not non-existent) muzzle, but over time this feature has become extremely exaggerated, particularly in North America, and Persians with the more extreme brachycephalic head type are susceptible to a number of health problems (specifically affecting their sinuses and breathing) caused by it. Their short muzzle also causes them to have dust and debris cover the inside of their nostrils more often, which makes it very difficult for them to breathe.
The 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia) suggested that the Persian is derived from the Pallas Cat, a belief prevalent at the time. A photograph accompanying the entry in the Encyclopædia shows a Blue Persian Cat, the conformation of which we would now call a "Doll Faced Persian" or "Traditional Persian". Early photographs and drawings from magazines show the Persian as a Traditional Persian Cat. The Persian was first registered with the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) in 1871 when the association first kept records.
Photographic records indicate that Persians, up until the 1960s, show a difference in appearance to cats of the early 1980s onwards (i.e., from the Traditional "doll face" to the "extreme", "ultra", "flat-faced" or "snubby" face of today). However, the Persian Breed Council's standard for the Persian had remained basically unchanged over this period. The Persian Breed Standard is by its nature somewhat open ended and focused on a rounded head.
It is generally accepted (and by the Breed Council) that through selective breeding, in an attempt to develop the ideal Persian appearance, the Ultra Face came about . This has been called ultra-typing. The Persian Breed Council's standard was changed during the late 1980s to limit the development of the extreme appearance. In 2007 the Persian Breed Standard was altered to reflect the flat face and it now states that the forehead, nose, and chin should be in vertical alignment.
Conscientious breeders take into account and minimize health issues by careful choice of breeding stock with more moderate head type, as the stated goal of most breeders is first and always healthy cats.
Persian cats can have any color or markings including pointed, golden, tortoiseshell, blue, and tabby. Tipped varieties are known as Chinchilla. Point varieties are called Himalayan in the United States and Colorpoint Persian in Europe.
In the USA, there was an attempt to establish the Silver Persian as a separate breed called the Sterling, but it was not accepted and Silver and Golden longhaired cats, recognized by CFA more specially as Chinchilla Silvers, Shaded Silvers, Chinchilla Goldens or Shaded Goldens are judged in the Persian category of cat shows. In South Africa, the attempt to separate the breed was more successful: the SA Cat Council (SACC) registers cats with 5 generations of pure bred Chinchilla as a Chinchilla Longhair. The Chinchilla Longhair has a slightly longer nose than the Persian, resulting in healthy breathing and no tearing of the eyes. Its hair is translucent with only the tips carrying black pigment: a feature that gets lost when out-crossed to other colored Persians. Out-crossing also may result in losing nose and lip liner, which is a fault in the Chinchilla Longhair breed standard. One of the distinctions of this breed is the blue-green or green eyecolor only with kittens having blue or bluish purple eyecolorSince Persian cats have long, thick dense fur that they cannot keep clean themselves, they need daily grooming. To keep their fur in its best condition, they must be bathed regularly, dried carefully afterwards, and brushed thoroughly every day. Their eyes need to be checked for problems on a regular basis because some animals have trouble keeping them clean. As they grow older, Persians tend to develop a crusty-like object under the eyes. Likewise, Persians are particularly susceptible to a genetic disease which causes kidney failure, PKD, Polycystic kidney disease, among other diseases. However, cats can now be DNA screened for the gene that causes PKD, so these affected cats are gradually being removed from the Persian gene pool by responsible breeders.
Longevity is usually between 10 and 19 years on average. The White Persians eye-color can be orange-eyed, blue-eyed, or odd-eyed. The blue-eyed type is prone to deafness.The Persian cat is the most popular breed in the US.

Your Cat’s Ancestors: The African Wildcat

I thought it would be fun to post some information about our favorite pets’ wild ancestors, so here is some information about the Wildcat (Felis sylvestris lybica) that the Domestic Cat is descended from.
WHERE THEY LIVE:
African wild cats occur throughout Africa in a wide variety of habitats. They are absent only from tropical rainforest. In desert regions they are restricted to mountainous areas and waterways They occur up to >3000 m in montane areas.
WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE:
Wildcats are generally grey-brown with bushy tails and a well-defined pattern of black stripes over their entire body. Their fur is short and soft. Their coloration is similar to that of a tabby domestic cat and makes them difficult to see in their forested habitats. African wild cats (F. s. libyca) are difficult to distinguish from domestic cats. Their fur is lighter and less dense than European wild cats, and their tails are thin and tapering. African wild cats (F. s. libyca) span a large geographic range, though, and coat coloration and density varies with latitude, ranging from sandy yellow to gray and brown, with darker stripes and spots. They have a characteristic reddish tint to the fur on the backs of their ears.
WHAT THEY EAT:
Cat teeth are highly specialized for carnivory. Canines are excellent for stabbing and holding prey as the upper ones point almost straight down and the lower ones are curved. Molars are specialized for cutting. Since wildcats lack any teeth for crushing, they eat their food by slicing it. The tongue is covered with tiny, curved projections called papillae. These are used for grooming and licking meat off bones.
As with most small cat species, the diet of wild cats, or domestic cats, is mainly made up of small rodents, such as mice and rats. Rabbits may be preferred prey in some areas and seem to be the dominant prey for European wild cats (F. s. silvestris). Other prey items include birds, young ungulates, reptiles, amphibians, eggs, and large insects and arachnids. European wild cats (F. s. silvestris) have been recorded scavenging carrion, but this is reported to be rare in African and Asiatic wild cats (F. s. libyca and F. s. notatus). Occasionally, cats eat grass in order to clear their stomach of indigestible food, like bones, fur, and feathers. Wild cats are able to subdue prey almost as large as themselves and tend to avoid prey that is spiny, has shells, or has an offensive odor. Female wild cats may teach their young how to capture prey by bringing them injured animals on which to practice.
HOW THEY ACT:
Wild cats, and their domestic counterparts, are usually active at night or at dusk and dawn, although they are also active during the day, particularly in areas with little human disturbance.
Wild cats are primarily solitary animals, their domestic counterparts are more social and can occur in small family groups. Domestic cats are also usually solitary, but may form small colonies in areas where food sources are clustered, such as garbage dumps. In unrestrained domestic cat populations, female cats typically stay in their area of birth while males leave their area of birth and attempt to establish a home range elsewhere. In areas with concentrations of free-ranging domestic cats a sort of hierarchy is formed. Newcomers must go through a series of fights with resident animals before their position in the hierarchy is established.
I found this information here if you want to read more: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Felis_silvestris.html
So though they are not a true desert species like their close cousin the Sand Cat (Felis margarita), they do very well in Africa’s semi-arid environments, thus their great success at surviving in the African savannah, and maybe your pet cat at home is just a little bit wild in his heart too!

Ville si Dani :D

Ville si Dani - pisicile Sorinei Cazacu. :D, doua feline frumoase:X

Laws on domestic cat breeds wild cat species and animal rights law enforcement

The European Union cannot be ignored when discussing animal welfare law in relation to individual states. The European Constitution contains an section on animal welfare (Article III-121). This is what it says:In formulating and implementing the Union's agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal market, research and technological development and space policies, the Union and the Member States shall,since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the requirements of animal welfare, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage.As I understand it the European constitution is not yet in force. However, this would not be a issue in the founding members or early EU/EEC member states as they have strong legislation in place already. It is the some of the new members that need pushing into creating better animal welfare law, such as Romania. Member states have obligation to formulate laws that bring into effect EEC legislation. Some EEC member states have animal welfare written into their constitutions. For example, Article 20a of the German constitution, the Basic Law and in Article 11 para. 1 on the Austrian Federal Constitution.Switzerland, although not a member of the EEC has the longest standing references to animal welfare in their constitution. All the more reason to ask why there have been allegations that Switzerland is the center of the fur trade in Europe. See cat fur Switzerland. It is alleged that cat fur is being shipped to China from Switzerland.The European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals (effective May 1992) is a treaty entered into by member states of the EU and any other country who would wish to be bound by the terms of the treaty. A treaty is a form of contractual obligation between the signatories to ensure compliance with the terms of the treaty. In respect of the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals the terms are a framework for promoting the welfare of pet animals and ensuring minimum standards of care over a wide range of issues. The parties to the treaty have an obligation to implement its terms. This will be achieved by the creation of primary and/or secondary legislation. The UK Animal Welfare Act 2006 would seem to be based in the treaty. Member states can legislate for stricter and more wide ranging terms than as stated in the treaty if they wish. The treaty states the minimum terms. Romania would seem to be in breach of this treaty. What can be done? Not much frankly. An acceptance that the breach will be corrected slowly would seem to be the process.

In Romania: Well, sadly I am unable to bring good news as at Oct 2008. Things will no doubt change in time. It'll take too long, far too long for the feral cats and dogs and wildlife of Romania who are meant to be protected by Romanian animal welfare law but are not because of poor drafting of the law and lack of enforcement.There are other issues such as a lack of education as to animal welfare at a grass roots level. There would also seem to be corruption at local government level and organized crime. Then there is the EU. Romania joined the EU/EEC in 2007. Some would argue that it happened to soon as there is continuing organized crime in Romania (at 2008). The EU constitution in respect of animal welfare is not yet in force. Yet the EU could do more to push Romania in the right direction.

History.

The domestic cat has gone through phases of popularity and persecution. During the period of the early Egyptians she was worshiped but that does no mean the domestic cat was well treated, see Egyptian Cat art. In fact the Egyptian Mau, an ancient breed, is persecuted in Egypt but an exotic looking and quite rare cat in the West. Before that, when the wild cat domesticated herself her usefulness was welcomed by the hunters who had become farmers.
During the Middle Ages in Europe she was persecuted as a result of misguided religious Christian fervor.And now we have the era of the cat shows, more different cat breeds and wild/domestic cat hybrids; even tame wild cats as domestic cats. This represents a return, almost, to the Egyptians attitude towards domestic cats. Despite the apparent popularity of the domestic cat there is still an almost hidden but widespread cruelty towards this animal. I am talking about feral cats, no kill cat shelters and animals of China and cat meat. And see Laws and cats.