• Magnetar@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    The whole “purebred” thing always seems weird to me, “purebred” royal families aren’t pretty but full of genetic defects, why should it be an better with cats or dogs.

    • Rakonat@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Nearly every cat I ever had was once a stray and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.

        • credit crazy@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Honestly it’s always something magical when a cat decides ah yes you are my human. It’s like the dark souls version of getting a dog. And thusly cats in a way are the peak of loyalty because no one else can win a cats favor.

        • teuast@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          I was at cat lounge/rescue/adoption place in my area recently (not to adopt, just to pet the cats) and one of the cats, a maybe ~7mo female tabby with a slightly fucked up ear named Maggie, after spending most of the time I was there hiding in a corner, decided she liked me, came up to me, sat down on my lap, and refused to budge. One of the staff members came up to say “hey man you’re at your time limit, but I can see you’re in a situation here so just… whenever is chill”

        • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          This just reminded me of a good scene in the book The House in the Cerulean Sea. Minor spoiler, the character has a cat that chooses him.

    • credit crazy@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Perchance these competitions should have a points deducted by the animals quality of life. Of the poor thing has a hard time breathing -10 points idk

    • Daft_ish@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Every one acts like every purebreed is a medical oddity when really it’s just an increased likelihood of defects for certain breeds. I can tell you right now any animal can hurt your pocket the second they decide your gold plated anal beads look like a tasty treat.

    • Rolder@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      Hmm two possible reasons come to mind. First, purebred in terms of cats and dogs not necessarily meaning genetic defects. Second, having a defined breed gives the judges something to rate against.

      • Pringles@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Not necessarily? More like by default. Purebreds are a thing because of certain genetic traits and are bred to not only maintain them, but to enhance those traits. Because of all that inbreeding the propensity for certain diseases and cancers are vastly increased. A purebred dog or cat will with near certainty be riddled with cancer or disease by the time they start getting a bit older. I love both cats and dogs, but purebreds shouldn’t be a thing.

        • oatscoop@midwest.social
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          1 year ago

          It’s the size of the population and the competence/goals of the breeders. Breeders chasing exaggerated traits at the expense of the animal’s health are the major problem.

          There are “pure” breeds of every domestic animal that are healthy – provided it’s a line not perpetuated by selfish idiots. Domestic shorthair cats, various working breeds of dogs, horses, etc.

          • zalgotext@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            I like how you put “pure” in quotes because the way they keep those lines healthy is by occasionally mixing in other breeds.

            • oatscoop@midwest.social
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              1 year ago

              No, it’s because I find the idea and the importance attached to it idiotic.

              Having said that, I also believe it doesn’t automatically mean a breed is inbred and/or has health problems.

      • SharkEatingBreakfast@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        I once was looking to get a cat and found the goofiest looking idiot on Craigslist. Turns out, it was a purebred Exotic Shorthair that was surrendered to a shelter because it didn’t look fucked-up enough (it could still kind of breathe through its nose). New owners wanted to recoup costs because they adopted another cat that was “more playful” and the exotic was getting eye-goop on their white carpets. A wonderful standard for purebreeds!

        I changed his name from “Luigi” to “Waluigi”, and he was best best buddy for many many years.

    • iheartneopets@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      To introduce a little nuance, this is not always true in working dogs! What you want is to avoid in those cases are AKC (American Kennel Club) certified dogs; that’s where it gets in-breedy—seriously, look up some of the requirements a dog has to meet in its breed to qualify. It’s gross.

      Anyhoo, in working dogs, a ‘pedigree’ is actually quite helpful because it shows that that dog comes from a long line of dogs who have been certified to do their job, and so your new farm pup is highly likely to be able to do it too. These breeds will usually have their own organization that oversees this; in border collies it’s the ABCA (American Border Collie Association). This organization judges the dogs not on the specific dimensions of their bodies like the AKC, but on their ability to do the job a farmer needs them for.

      Sorry for the ramble, I have two border collies and I think working dogs are super neat.

      • Soggy@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Working dogs are great, but aren’t usually great pets. They need a job, an outlet, and usually a lot of structure.

        • iheartneopets@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          They’re challenging for sure and I don’t recommend them to inexperienced/unprepared dog owners, but they can be amazing as pets! Very rewarding, especially once they get past the first year and a half or so. Then, if you’ve done well, you’ll almost have your own language with these dogs and they’ll understand almost everything you say to them. They’re incredible. I may honestly never have a different breed of dog.

          The huge ‘BUT’ is definitely everything you just said. They need outlets for their energy (even if it’s just a hardcore game of fetch every day) and ways to engage their mind (Kong toys and smart balls do wonders for ours when it’s raining) or they can be very anxious, destructive, and generally neurotic.

        • ephemeral_gibbon@aussie.zone
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          1 year ago

          Yep, grew up on a farm in Australia with kelpies. They’re great dogs and really lovely.

          However, I’ve seen them appearing in the city a bit and that’s just a terrible idea all round. They need much more space and stimulation than they can get off a farm.

  • cley_faye@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    We could just have that. A contest where you bring your cat, they get to play around for an afternoon, and the only outcome from the judge is “yep, that’s a cat”.