The £12,000 Ashera Cat: "good-tempered, loves children & content to eat supermarket catfood"

This cuddly feline is not a baby leopard but the most expensive pet cat on the market - priced at £12,000.

The Ashera - billed as the world's "largest, rarest and most exotic" domestic cat - is the size of a small dog and sports eye-catching leopard-like spots and tiger stripes.

British businessman Simon Brodie is selling the designer kittens at a whopping £10,796 plus shipping costs - and already has a nine-month waiting list.


They are a cross between two wild cats - the African serval and the Asian leopard cat - with one normal domestic cat, which he refuses to name.

The bespoke cats - which stand four feet tall on their hind legs - live for 25 years and grow to a top weight of more than two stone (30lbs).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=490429&in_page_id=1770

spent over $12,000 on a cat, would you feed it supermarket food???!!!!!

Very regal.

I can see the appeal. But that is a lot of money.

Breeders. Fuck 'em all.

:(

Though I am opposed to overwhelming breeding in many cases.

The cat fancy has, more than the dog fancy, been instrumental in keeping some of the different breeds of cats alive. They love cats, period. Responsible breeders also do a lot of work in spay and release programs, and helping the cat population get manageable.

I don't think that scrupulous breeders contribute as much to the overall population of cats--in fact, many breeders I know stop after two or three pregnancies. And they are careful in treating their cats. Many breeders do it strictly for the love of a particular breed--most of them stick to one breed, and make the most of their abilities in raising them.

The real problem is having animals treated like property, instead of a stewardship. By this equation, pets become throwaways and do not have the ability to be defended legally. Look at the Michael Vick case--many of us were shocked, but in some regions of the country, the behavior of Vick and others implicated in the dog fighting issue was and remains the norm, and it will take a very long time before the situation changes for the better.

I simply question, in this article here, how some people are imagining a wonderful relationship with a 35 lb., four feet high feline, and are going to end up with a mess--figuratively and literally--on their hands.

The cat in the middle of my sig line is a Turkish Angora-a rare breed that is sometimes called "the border collie of the cat world" because of it's extreme personality. It's one of the original domestic cat breeds, yet it nearly went extinct in the 1960s when only 16 animals were left. The Ankara zoo and one US breeder saved it from extinction and now a handful of breeders exist world wide-but few breed more than one litter a year. Puck's breeder has only had a total of two litters of four kittens in the past four years. I searched for a male turk for the past four years on Petfinder but never found a genuine one. I finally had to be put on a waiting list for one. I've had plenty of rescues and have done pet rescue myself, but I'm just wild about the Turk personality and have never found another cat like them. Personally, I'd like to see mandatory spay/ neuter laws become the norm and have breeders pass a certification process-that way, years down the road we may never have a pet born who didn't have a home waiting for it.

An yeah, I had one of those cats from the OP as an adopted rescue (it was the exact mix described in the article: 1/2 serval, 1/4 Asian leopard cat and 1/4 domestic). He was unmanageable and eventually I had to send him back to his original owner. She would have had a great relationship with him if she had invested the time in him that he needed daily. He IS like a border collie-very smart and very active, and he becomes destructive when bored.

but I wonder how the hell he knows the lifespan if it's a new breed?

tell us these essential details.

I wouldn't. Just think of it -- even if you are childess, you could not have any nieces, nephews, neighbors' kids in your home. It would also be dangerous to allow that wildcat around disabled adults.

Remember, it's mostly wildcat. It's not just a bigger version of your friendly docile housecat.

named Call Me Wesley. He's well trained and seems to do okay with the goddaughters and neighbors. ;)

and we have a deal.

I'm kinda partial to 'em both, but I have to say, the goddaughters are more charmed by Ginger than their uncle, Call Me Wesley. :rofl: :spray:

:rofl: Heidi made a funny! :D

of chewing your shoes? :P

once in a while, he gets a little rambunctious with the toilet paper dispenser. :P

But I'll keep adopting rescues, thank you. My cats are wonderful, amazing cats even if they aren't expensive designer pets.

I still would love one (or two) of those if anyone is thinking of me in May (my 40th birthday). :P

at your own risk (see post below).

my own residence has been rescued or the offspring of a rescued kitty. The one I have now was a feral cat that my daughter rescued when she was 8 - 10 weeks old. She is now 6 years old and has turned out to be a very nice kitty and keeps my place mouse-free. She's quite the homebody now, but from time to time her wild beginnings show up.

But they can still be wonderful little beasts. :)

I questioned, and second guessed, before taking in all three of my current cats. And I definitely made the right choice. They're absolutely awesome, amazing cats. I'm very glad I have all three of them.

I love Maine Coons, because my first cat was a Maine Coon. If I had a choice I'd definitely get more. But I can't imagine turning down a stray or rescue who wanted to adopt me. So I guess I'll only get another Maine Coon if one adopts me someday. :)

I went to a cat show to view the rescues from five different rescue groups, and somehow came home with Oberon-a "pet quality" Maine Coon. I had wanted a companion for my elderly rescue kitty Miro, who was grieving the loss of Peewee, yet another rescue that I had raised since he was only a few days old. I didn't even know what breed of cat Oberon was-I just had a gut feeling that he would be the perfect companion for Miro-and I was right!










There are many Maine Coons out there available for adoption. Just look up the breed on Petfinder-of visit breeder's sites to find a retired show cat.

that has ever had me as it's keeper. I love when he cuddles up with me on the sofa while watching Heroes, or nuzzles up against me when I sleep. Damn, now I need to find him in this mansion (OK, it's just a three-level townhouse) of mine and give him a big hug. I know he wants it.

he's great to spoon with in the winter because he's so massive and such a gentle guy. I used to do fostering for a pet rescue group, and Oberon would act as a surrogate "dad" for all the kittens that came through. He washed them, taught them good manners and would break up squabbles. They all found homes and became beloved pets in part, I believe, because of the good example he set for all of them. They really are exceptional cats!

The shot of Oberon crawling through the blue and red tube bring back the time when Guy was a kitten and decided to crawl through the leg of a pair of jeans that were laying on the bed, he made it, but I truly wish I had a picture of just his head popping out of the bottom of the leg. Like every Maine Coon that I've ever met, Guylian is a gentle giant.

Got a bit teary-eyed seeing that pic of Hekate....

:loveya:



I miss Hekate. I'm so glad that I could save her siblings, though. They now have a really wonderful home together.

My Maine Coon rescue cat sleeps on her back like that too. Always thought it was either wind or furballs until I saw others' Coons doing that.

I love to see pics of other MCs. I'm guessing that they sleep on their backs to keep cool (heat escaping from those long haired areas of the belly). Obie has done this since kittenhood:



He really stretches out on a hot day:



The weirdest thing though is that he often sleeps with his eyes open. Kinda creepy!

In the final analysis, though, it seems to me this is feline eugenics and I can't support it, however beautiful these Asheras and the beautiful bengals are. I have to wonder how many kittens were rejected and possibly euthanized simply because they didn't meet a breeder's standards. I wouldn't support that practice in humans, so how could I support it in other sentient animals?

but they don't always stay in those homes (see post below).

but, he was far from "good tempered" and I would never had trusted him around children. He also ate a diet of raw meat, not supermarket cat food (hell, I won't even let my domestic cats eat supermarket pet food-it's like letting a family member live on twinkies and Pepsi). He would be a friendly lovekitty one moment and a rip-your-face-off hellcat the next. The problem with these cats is that they only ever bond to one person-the person who raised them. They have no use for anyone else and can't be re-homed without a huge time commitment (years of patience). They are very, very intelligent and can figure out drawers, locks, doorknobs...you name it. They are easily bored and will chew almost anything to bits if left on their own for very long. It's like living with a troubled perpetual two year old.

He's back with the woman who raised him now. But if anyone here thinks that they want to take him on as a pet, then go ahead and PM me. She would still like to find him another home.





That's a DOG crate beside him:





Happily trashing the bathroom:

with the right training.

why is she trying to give him away? :shrug:

she's a pretty superficial person. She won't build him an outdoor enclosure because "it would partially block my view of the lake". :eyes:

:wtf:

I imagine a cat that big, especially one bred from wild cats, needs a lot of physical activity, stimulation and space. I hope she succeeds in finding a better home for that cat, and I hope the cat comes around and appreciates it. :(

throw pillow.

He does need a lot of physical activity. He never chewed anything but food when he lived with me-but then, I played with him for an hour every day. I knew that if she played with him regularly, trained him to a leash, and built him an outdoor enclosure to enjoy when she was out of the house that he would be an almost ideal "pet" for her-if a wild animal can ever really be a pet. I suppose that I could have brought him around eventually, but my little cat Puck was constantly trying to get at him, thinking that she could kick his ass (9 pounds vs. 35 pounds). I didn't want to see how that confrontation would have ended.

Ashiki playing:

(and already have 3 cats) I would SO be willing to give him a try. :(

I'd love the chance to see what kind of family member he could be. If he finds a good home I hope you'll post about it.

he really needs a place where he can have a fair sized outdoor enclosure as well as indoor space to roam.Ashiki loves people once he feels comfortable with them, but he needs to express his wildness outside too, imho. He already lives with another cat-but introducing him to a territorial cat (like my Puck) could be iffy.

I already have 3 cats and 3 kittens at home though. Otherwise I would totally take that cat, wild nature and all.

cleaning that litter box would dissuade me.

:D

but I am not sure that they should be bred--There are too many people out there who would purchase them and not be aware of what to do with them, and there are others out there who only want such an animal as a status "toy," who have no common sense on raising them.

There are also too many beautiful cats and dogs being killed daily because they haven't found homes for them. I know that's an old argument, but it's a real scenario, and there needs to be some change affected if we're to continue to consider ourselves even a smidge "humane."

In a case like this, some law should be enforced, perhaps to slow down the purchasing, even to the point of making potential buyers go through a greater scrutiny before they got one. And something like that is never going to be a "housecat"--they're going to want an outdoor life, and at their size, it would be fully warranted.

them should be legal. They are neither domestic or fully wild, so they will never be comfortable in either environment.

As for breeders; I don't have a problem with hobby breeders who want to keep a particular breed of dog or cat around, as long as they only have a litter or two a year. The problem I have is with those who allow their pets to breed because they are either too cheap or lazy to spay/ neuter, or because they want their kids to see the "miracle of life" (yes, I've actually heard this argument on THIS BOARD). I believe that spaying and neutering should be MANDATORY for all pets over the age of six months. Laws to that effect have already been passed in some areas, but it's not enough. Breeders should be certified and limited in the number of animals they are permitted to produce each year, thus putting an end to "mills". Health inspections should be done yearly. Feral animals will always produce offspring, so such laws would never completely eliminate pet adoptions. In a perfect world, no pet would even be born that didn't have a home waiting for it in the first place.

I don't like people who breed domestic to wild animals, thats asking for trouble, as I expect tempermentally it will not be an easy per to deal with. And being a "desginer kitten" I fear that someone would purchase it as a fashiion accessory, a la Paris Hilton. Cats are not expensive handbags to be shown off as status symbols, and thats the feeling I get from this ad.....

Nice to see you. :hi:

:loveya:

Think your current version of hairballs are bad?

oddest things. Mine hated headsets. If he saw me using one he would leap up and snatch it right off my head! Scared the bejeezus out of me.

I think it's a shame that they are being bred however.

:(

I'll get my own good tempered kitty.