First fool the humans with the cute kind of cats, and then when they're lulled into a false sense of security, the supercats will take over the world! Here's a story of the rise of a new breed of predator cats as pets in Britain:
The savannah, the most popular, is bred from a serval, a cheetah-like
wildcat found in Africa. It can grow three times larger than a domestic cat and can jump 7ft vertically.Another breed to have arrived in Britain is the safari, produced by mating a domestic cat with a South American Geoffroy’s Cat. There are also plans by breeders to import the caracat, descended from a caracal, a lynx-like wildcat found in the Middle East and Africa. The savannah is banned in some US states and in Australia, where there were concerns it could kill koalas. [...]
Peter Neville, an expert in pet behaviour from the Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB), said: “Cats are predators. I wouldn’t be happy with a savannah around a small child, because of their genes and their size.
I, for one, welcome our new supercat overlords. Jasper Copping of the Telegraph bravely uncovered the supercat conspiracy: Link (Photo: BNPS)
On the other hand, I think caracats and savannahs pose as much danger to kids as dogs. I was attacked by dobermans as a child and have had Parson Russell Terriers (Jack Russells) fighting to the death over my lap. Those dogs are made of nothing but pounds per square inch of jaw pressure yet no one ever makes a fuss of their danger to small children. The culture rarely frets over anything more cuddly than the pit bull.
ANY animal we bring into our homes should be supervised around small children. That should go without saying. Cats are no more "predators", hybrid or not, than is man's best friend.
Buuuuuut...(and there always is a "but")in any country where millions of healthy, adoptable cats die every year simply for lack of a home it is irresponsible to breed and sell some expensive new "novelty" cat breed like it's a trendy fashion accessory. Domestic and wild crossbreeds are to cats as "designer breeds" are to dogs, and it is nothing more than a marketing ploy to line the pockets of the greedy. There's no telling when the first dog breeder said to themselves, "What am I going to do with this accidental litter of poodle-lab puppies that I can't register? I know! I'll give them a cutesy made-up name and tell people it's a RARE NEW BREED! Then I can still get $800-$1000 per puppy!"
Now this scam is becoming more and more prevalent in the cat fancy, with the added twist of wild cat genes. Meanwhile, "plain" domestic cats everywhere die by the thousands in shelters every single day. It's a terrible shame, it's unnecessary and completely avoidable.
I'm proud to say I've never gotten a cat from any place but a shelter or directly off the street, and I never will buy from a breeder. Never ever.
If someone goes out and buys a domestic/wild hybrid kitten or a designer dog, they ought to be made to walk around with a sign around their neck that says, "Look at me and my trendy pet! I don't give a crap about pet overpopulation, I've got to look COOL!"
As for buying from breeders, buy from responsible breeders only. Getting cats from the shelter is like trying to stop the tide. "Oh, I don't neuter poor Mrs. Slippers because I know people will adopt her kittens from the pound." It never ends. Indeed, owning an un-neutered cat or dog should be accompanied with a hefty annual fee, except for legitimate breeders.
As a means of full disclosure, I have two breautiful, lovesome cats that were thrown away by people who didn't appreciate them and I wouldn't trade them for anything, but you're no more likely to get a cat that will love you at the pound than by paying thousands of dollars for them. I know breeders, both of cats and dogs, and none of them do it for money. Only the puppy mills turn a profit, and only because they don't bother getting their animals treated or cared for before dumping them on unsuspecting people. The people who show their animals usually just break even, are usually involved in rescue groups that cater to specific breeds, and cat/dog shows are used as vehicles to encourage the adoption of pound cats/puppies. Go to a cat show sometime!
There are people out there doing awful things to animals (like breeding poogles en masse, as you mentioned, or collecting them and letting them starve out of misplaced love) but the majority of people devoted to breeding cats and dogs are doing it because they love the temperament, colour, and performance of the breed, not for money.
I was once so taken with Japanese Bobtails, for instance, that for a long time I planned to breed and show them. I had a name set aside and everything. Everything I read said not to expect a profit, and I didn't. The only thing that eventually stopped me was thinking about all the other things in my life I wouldn't get to do if I devoted so much time to breeding. So it's really not fair to breeders to lump them all together like that.
As per all the homeless cats out there, it's a good argument for considering adoption, but it's also like telling a kid to finish everything on their plate even if their not hungry because kids are starving in Africa. Like starvation, finishing your dinner isn't going to solve the problem. The problem is that people think cats are disposable and that they "take care of themselves."
Of course, I also think domestic cats belong indoors, insured, and chipped, which is apparently at odds with the prevailing opinion too, except among songbird lovers like Creesto. So what do I know?
I reserve the right to select my cats. I have two Siamese. I also reserve the right to select my partner and mother of my children. Shall we all forgo selecting our partners and having children and instead adopt all the street urchins from India or china?
You are an idealist and unrealistic. As for wearing a sign around my neck 'proclaiming to be trendy and care less about pet overpopulation...' are you for real?
Chip, shoulder...
Also, a cat that size could definitely bring down a small dog, or a chicken. They are not pets. Even regular cats aren't very domesticated, they roam and hunt, and return when they want to. I wouldn't want to meet one of those huge cats walking down the street.