Friday, December 20, 2024

Feline Friday: Day of the Horse Was Last Week

The only prize this web site can afford to give our photo contest winners is sharing the pictures, so please share them everywhere where you think they might interest someone in adopting a shelter pet! Most weeks we do only cats and dogs. This week we have three cats, three dogs, and three horses.

I had planned to do a special Petfinder post for the Day of the Horse, and then another idea came along and I, well, didn't. So. Take Two. Let's find out how the Day of the Horse affected Petfinder's horse rescue page. But first, of course, the cats, and then the dogs. 

For the cats...we've not had a Manx photo contest lately.

The position of this web site is that nobody should encourage the breeding of Manx cats, but once the actual cats have been born, yes, they do make good pets. The birth defects that make up the Manx look are caused by a lethal gene. There are three degrees of mutation with which cats can survive; "Rumpies" have no tails, "Stumpies" have obviously incomplete tails, and the cats that can reproduce successfully have complete but short tails, fore and hind legs about the same length, and broad British-type body frames. (Our Queen Cat Serena, her father, and her grandmother, had the complete tails and broad frames--they can look like big fat cats, from a distance, when they're actually underweight. Serena's great-grandfather had a stump of a tail.) The lethal gene can also cause kittens not to be born at all, not to be born alive...or to be born alive and die painfully, as a result of having incomplete vital organs, when they're a few weeks old. Sometimes they survive with disabilities like blindness, or incontinence. The position of this web site is that breeding Manx cats is somewhere in between deliberately breeding humans with cystic fibrosis and deliberately breeding humans with Downs Syndrome.  

But the cats, the ones who survive, can be quite nice. They tend to have calm, reserved, stereotypically British temperaments and to bond with one human for life. Some don't climb well; some do. Some enjoy chasing thrown toys so much that they can be trained to retrieve their toys and bring them to you for more throwing and chasing. The retrieving and the "one-man cat" behavior cause some to call them "dog cats," or cats for dog people. The out-of-proportion legs, especially when the cats climb, cause others to call them "bear cats." People who adopt Manx cats generally love them. Although they have many little ways of making it clear that they love one person, Manx cats are generally friendly and even-tempered, and some are sociable enough with humans to be good visiting/therapy cats.

Proper Manx cats have short, but very thick and soft, coats that benefit from daily grooming. Crossbreeds can have extra-thick, extra-long hair. Graybelle, the long-haired Manx mix who was our Third Queen, used to "meow" for her coat to be brushed once or twice a day. Even with care that super-dense fur can become messy in the house and inside the cat. If you like the look of a huge mound of fur that you will have to brush every day, however, this could be the cat for you. 

With our usual disclaimers about the pet photo contests being about the pictures and the probability that you might prefer a different animal at the actual shelter, here are our picks of the most adorable photos of adoptable Manx cats in three Eastern States.

Zipcode 10101: Tippy from Nutley


Despite her very "typical" Manx look, Tippy is a crossbreed with a Siamese way of "talking" at humans. She likes to play. She's not social, tolerates other cats but "thinks she's a dog" and wants to own her own human. She is two years old, probably as big as she's going to get (Manx is one of the breeds that often revert to their ancestral size). 

Zipcode 20202: Mira (and Micah) from Flint Hill 


Mira is the pretty-faced, long-haired Stumpie shown above. Micah, at least her half brother, is the buddy she likes to hide behind. Both of them have super-sized coats that make them look much fatter than they are, but it doesn't sound as if they're underfed. They must be adopted as a pair. Born in 2022, they were house pets until their human died. Then they were feral for ten months. They are wary about new humans. I'd take some time to get to know them before offering to adopt them. They might decide they love you, if you proceed slowly and respectfully.

Zipcode 30303: Ozmerelda and Ozadora from Powder Springs


These sisters were the result of crossbreeding a Manx with the other breed that shares a similar mutation, a Japanese Bobtail. However, Ozadora has a short tail and Ozmerelda has a complete one. They're not show quality. Isn't that just a pity and a bleepin' shame. Shelter staff are willing to separate them but it sounds as if Ozadora is accustomed to letting Ozmerelda go first and check out new things and people, and might panic on her own. Both cats have gorgeous glossy black coats; visit their web pages to see them under different lights. 

This web site has often prodded the Georgia shelter photographers about putting homeless animals' best sides forward...well, if you visit the page for all the adoptable Manx cats at the zipcode 30303, you are in for a treat. Nine beautiful cat photos!

Now for the dogs...We've not done poodles lately, either. A poodle person visited the Cat Sanctuary this morning; why not a poodle photo contest? 

Be warned, though: Homeless poodles don't have the cute haircuts of poodles appliqued onto various clothing items during various twentieth century fads. Their curly coats grow long, stringy, and matted. The fancy cuts evolved from the need to cut out hopelessly matted patches. Whether you cut a poodle's hair short all over, cut fancy patterns, or prefer a long-haired shaggy dog, dogs need daily grooming with a fine-toothed flea comb. For a true poodle person this is a great way to relax.

Zipcode 10101: Popular from Brooklyn 


...says he is indeed popular, and so will you be, if you lead this dog home. French Poodles are a medium-size breed. Their American descendants have crossbred with big and small breeds--poodle hair comes on bodies of all sizes. Popular is at the large end of the spectrum, 58 pounds (his other ancestors are thought to have been retrievers). Apart from looks, he's popular because he doesn't bark, walks nicely on a leash, is crate trained and housebroken, makes friends with other dogs, and seems happiest when snuggled up beside a human. Maybe I should have picked a runner-up. This dog doesn't sound likely to spend much time looking for a home.

Zipcode 20202: Sriracha from Chestertown 


Yes. The photo contest winner comes from a horrible HSUS shelter. There are some close runners-up on the general page for poodle-mix dogs near DC. Anyway, Sriracha is said to weigh just twelve pounds--mostly fur. She's one year old and will probably grow a little bigger, but she'll always be a small dog with a quirky mix of poodle and beagle traits. She is full of energy, described as a dog that will wear you out and then snuggle up beside you. 

Zipcode 30303: Lulu from Social Circle 


Her other ancestors are thought to include Shih Tzus. Lulu is a very small poodle mix who likes to snuggle and be held, and even models a pink knitted sweater. If you want the complete spoiled lap dog, Lulu is for you. There's a fantastic mix of poodle-mix dogs on Petfinder's Atlanta page, including some big ones crossbred with retrievers and Irish setters.

And now...horses! Yes, Petfinder still has several horses looking for homes.

Zipcode 10101: Spirit from Quakertown 


All kinds of horses get into rescue situations. There are some race horses and show horses at Petfinder too, but the photo contest winner is an old mare who's not recommended for serious riding. She's recommended as a companion animal for someone who has a field and barn where she can roam around and hang out with you. Horses are social. Spirit is accustomed to hanging out with other mares and geldings (neutered males).

Zipcode 20202: Elle from Waldorf 


This one can be ridden. She's a Thoroughbred, only sixteen years old and in good physical condition. 

Zipcode 30303: Chance from Ellenboro 


Granted, Ellenboro is a long road up from Atlanta, but Petfinder's Atlanta page failed to load, and I wanted to show you one Tennessee Walking Horse in any case. Tennessee Walking Horses are a special breed. They have a gait called the "running walk" that looks like a goose step, but the horse is absorbing all the shock; the human in the saddle always says it's quite comfortable. People who wanted to show off have sipped drinks while riding a horse who was running-walking around a show ring. Chance is said to be a friendly, trustworthy horse who behaved well when rented out by the hour for children to ride. His adoption fee is high because money could still be made by hiring him out that way. The organization also has a mare who's recommended for a companion more than for serious riding, for one-fifth of the cost. 

Can you believe it? Only one more Petfinder post this year! Then we'll go into review mode. Share these pictures far and wide so we can find new ones next year.
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