Conference misery::feline

    Rania has an Abyssinian, doesn't she?  For the life of me I cannot
    remember her last name but she was the very attractive woman at Jill's
    party last Spring that brought the awesome baklava.  Yonee, do you know
    who I'm referring to?  If someone in here could post her last name,
    perhaps you could write to her for details on her cat?  I recall she
    found her Aby somewhere in Massachusetts.

    Before we found our two cats, one of the breeds I was interested in was
    the Abyssinian.  (What do I mean "was"?!  I'd still like to have one! :^)
    Out of all the people I spoke with that had them, some of the things I
    recall are that they are full of energy, love to climb and they are
    very fun loving cats.  They can also be fairly expensive to purchase.

    Rania's last name is Lavranos unless she got married already and
    changed it.
    
    Leave it to Cheryl to remember someone by what FOOD they brought to a
    gathering! It WAS awesome Baklava though! ;-)
     
    Yonee

    LEDDEV:: is her node and she's still listed in Elf.  
    
    Thanks for the tip Yonee!  Oh, and I think she named the cat Cleo or
    Chloe.  Isn't there a note in here already about her?

	Pat Senser at Weeselum breeds Abys, but she's in western MA
	(Greenfield).  I don't think she has any kittens now, but
	generally has red, ruddy, and blues available (she's got a
	fawn, but she's keeping him!).  She's at 413-773-3308.

	Sandy

    re: .1 & .2
    
    Thanks Cheryl and Yonee. I've sent her a note requesting furhter info.
    
    re: .4
    
    Thanks too, Sandy! I've been watching the papers for a couple of weeks
    now, and there doesn't seem to be that many breeders around this area. 
    If I decide to get an Abby, I may have to head out that way.

    Also Meg Lambert has Nubian cattery.  She's in Attleboro, MA. 
    (508)222-3823.
    
    Holly
    

    Re: baklava
    
    Toasted newspaper covered with a syrup composed of one
    cup of water and an amount of sugar equal to the annual
    sugar consumption of South America.
    
    (I live for baklava :-)
    

    RE: .6
    
    I forgot to mention that she has mainly Reds and Ruddy's.  I've never
    seen Meg with a Fawn or Blue.
    
    Holly
    

    
    Hi all....actually a friend here at work owns the Aby, I'm the one owned
    by another active breed, Ocicat.
    
    Joe contacted me and I've forwarded his note to my friend.  But, I
    couldn't resist and replied to him plugging Ocicats.
    
    Karen, loved your description of baklava!  I'll be bringing some to the
    east coast gathering by the way.......
    
    ...Rania
    

    re: .6
    
    Thanks Holly! From what I've read/seen, I'm leaning more toward 
    a Ruddy or a red. So that should be good.
    
    There was an add in the sunday paper recently for Ocicats, (a
    lady up in Hanover, N.H.). I called to find out about them.
    Sounds like an interesting breed, with unique markings and temperment!

    The breeder in Hanover, NH and has an excellent reputation.  I once
    knew a guy in Providence who had Abyssinians for quite a long time and
    then he got two Ocicats (hence my reason for mixing up the two breeds). 
    He thought that they were the greatest cats on earth.  Incidentally,
    they came from Hanover, NH and he had nothing but high praise for this
    breeder.  I believe she's an older woman and has been in the business
    for years and years.  Oooooh, an ocicat!  Now they are neat cats but so
    are Abys.  Maybe you could get one of each?  :^)

	My memory might be fried, but aren't Ocicats a result of an
	Aby/Siamese breeding?

    
    >>>	My memory might be fried, but aren't Ocicats a result of an
    >>>	Aby/Siamese breeding?
    
    Close, just forgot one.... american shorthair.
    

    I have never been to Meg Lambert's house but she has nice kitties and I
    like her.  I met her once through a friend and we went for drinks.  She
    has shown some National Winning Abbies.  Nubian's Here Comes the Son is
    one of them!.
    Karen

    
    As Sandy has mentioned, Pat Senser in Greenfield has Aby's. I aquired
    one from her 2 years ago and the little guy is something... He's a
    blue.... I can't put nothing over on him  ... 8^)
    
    George

    What's wrong with this picture?:
    
    Saw an ad in the Boston Globe for Aby's. 
    
    I called, and asked what I considered to be standard questions one would
    ask of a breeder. (Questions I learned from this Notesfile, BTW!!
    i.e. Do they have papers, are the parents on the premises, do you give a 
    guarantee, etc.)
    
    The "breeder" seemd a bit put off by the questions. He claimed that the
    parents were on site, that the offspring could be shown, but that he'd
    rather just sell them for pets. He then stated that he was selling
    them for $250, because, (and I quote) "normally, Aby's go for $400 to
    $450, but I feel guilty charging that much for them."
    
    I told him I'd like to take a look. He then told me to call back in two 
    weeks, he would then set up a time so I could look at them on the
    weekend (he's located in Northborough, Mass.) I suggested that I'd like
    to look at them sooner, but he was insistant I wait the two weeks before
    setting up an appointment to see them.
    
    Well, I called back, and now he tells me that they are all spoken for,
    that there are deposits on all of them. 
    
    I was ticked off at this: He made me wait two weeks, before setting up
    a time to view them, when obviously other people were coming in and
    putting down deposits. 
    
    Am I missing something, or do I get the distinct feeling he just
    didn't want to sell to me?
                                                   

I'm glad I found this note!  I had put in a request for some info on Abys
a few months back and hadn't gotten any breeder names.  

Jo came to my rescue (as always!) with LOADS of info on some of the breeds
that I might be interested in.... am still in the investigating stage, since
I still think my house (in renovation/restoration stage) is too dangerous
for any baby animals -- especially one as curious as a kitten.

This file has been a great wealth of info for me!  You folks are really
helpful...

dana

    Re:  473.16
    
    I get the impression that guy was put off by your questions and
    just didn't want to sell to you because of it.  How dare a potential
    kitten buyer want information about the conditions the kittens were
    raised under, etc.  You'll probably be better off getting a kitten
    from someone who is willing to talk with you at greater length.  They
    are out there.  Just for the record, the above is my opinion only.
    
    Jan  

    You are probably better off not buying from this person.  Why is he
    breeding if he feels guilty charging the competitive rate?  It boggles
    the mind why he feels guilty charging $400 for a supposedly show
    quality cat, yet feels no remorse about bringing yet more "pet" kittens
    into the world when the shelters and streets are already overcrowded. 
    Not to mention that the bargain price of $250 he's charging out of
    guilt will probably line his pockets and not go right back into the
    "breeding program."  Bet he feels no remorse about that either!
    
    I understand why you are upset but maybe this is a blessing in
    disguise.  Do yourself a favor and purchase from a registered,
    reputable breeder who stands behind what s/he sells, long after the $$
    have changed hands.
    
    -Roberta
    

You guys may all be right, but I want to add my 2cents worth as a breeder.  
First I think the price thing is a little weird, but you would have to have 
actually heard the conversation to see why he said that.  Sometimes I have 
so much to say and so much I want to ask a perspective buyer that I might 
come off sounding weird too!  As for the visiting. This is how I might 
perceive/handle this:  if my kittens were too young, ie. not had all their 
shots or are at risk for exposure, I ask the person to wait and explain this 
to them.  I also do not sell my kittens at a very young age either.  The 
breed that I have seem to take a little longer to mature than others and 
they need to be with mom to learn.  This does not excuse the person from not 
taking your name and getting back to you unless maybe you did do something 
that he didn't like.  I admit a couple of times I had names and didn't call 
back either because I couldn't bring myself to sell the cat or the people 
were obviously not what I wanted after having TRIED to DISCUSS topics such 
as spaying or indoor/only.  There are just as many good/bad breeders as 
there are good/bad buyers remember!  I just hope I do the right thing.
Karen

      I received the name of a breeder of Abbys, named Tony Costa.
    
    Has anyone had any experience with him, or has anyone bought an
    Abby from him?
    
       I would appreciate any input.  

    
    Re: -1
    
       Don't know of Tony Costa but I do know Pat Senser of Weeslum
       Cattery. She just had a litter this past Monday. She also has
       a ruddy female available mid April which will be about 12 weeks
       old. The new litter consisted of 3 blues (1 male, 2 female) and
       1 ruddy female. Of course this litter wouldn't be ready until
       the end of June.
    
       I've purchased a blue aby from her (remember bald belly Bijou)
       and have been extremely happy. She's in Greenfield,Ma. and can
       be reached during the day @ 413-773-3308.
    
    George

    
    re.  Tony Costa
    
    A really, really late reply ;-).
    
    We just got a blue Abby girl from him 12/29/94 as pet.
    He seemed like a nice guy and knew what he was doing.
    The kitty checked out fine at the vet. The kitty came
    with a one year "warranty" against congenial defects.
    So far so good.
    
    We also have 2 Siamese, aged 11, got them as kitties. 
    I think, the Abby is very smart, like the Siamese, but 
    the Siamese are a bit more people oriented. The Abby
    is mild and sweet, but the Siamese have more personality. 
    
    
    Eva

    :^)
    
    'congenial defects' : when a kittie is less-than-friendly???
    
    Oh boy I'm tired & silly!
    Dana

    
    re. 24
    
    oops, missing a t somewhere ;-)
    
    
    
    Eva

    
    	re: less than friendly [is that what you said?]
    
    	When I got Max [red aby], I was overwhelmed with how "aggressively
    	affectionate" he was [at 10 weeks - and ever since]. I got Augie at
    	8 or 10 weeks [fawn aby], and he disappointed me at first because
    	he was very shy and reserved. I expected him to be just like Max.
    	But, at 6 months, Aug is now just as affectionate as Max. I think
    	it has something to do with the home he was brought up in - Max 
    	grew up in a small family home and Aug grew up in a breeder
    	situation with 15 other kittens - maybe it's a difference in the
    	type of socialization he got. So, be patient...
    

    
    
    re. 26
    
    >less than friendly [is that what you said?]
    
    	Well, I made this typo in - I meant to say congenital defects,
    not congenial (less than friendly) defects.
    
    	The Abby, her name is Sam, is really sweet. But, she is more
    independent than my Siameses. Maybe, I'm too used to having 2
    dog-like cats, who would follow me around the place and yell at
    me when I don't pay them enough attention. Maybe, Sam is just more
    cat-like ;-) You have a good point about the socialization. The
    Siameses came from a family home and the Abby from a breeder. We
    are trying to teach the Abby her name and a special sound for a
    call. The Siameses are trained to come out of the woods and into
    the house when we call them.
    
    
    Eva

    Aby's are known to have a few "defects"  one of which is a blood
    disorder and also kidney problems.  I have known a couple of people
    that have had to deal with this heartbreak.
    
    They are an active kitty and some like water!
    Karen

    
    Karen,
    
    	What are the symptoms of these defects? I didn't think
    to check up on these details, we just saw the kitty and fell
    in love ;-(
    
    Eva

    Eva,
    I honestly couldn't tell you.  The best thing to do is to call the
    breeder and discus it nicely with them.  Not all lines contain
    the problems.  It may be that they are saying this in preparation for
    people knowing about the problems or perhaps they have had difficulty
    in the past and are providing for it.  Either way, it is a good thing
    to have.  You should talk to them about possibilities though.  
    
    Don't necessarily view this as a negative thing!  I am sorry if I gave
    that impression. 
    Karen

    
    Karen,
    	
    	Thanks for the advice.
    
    	>Don't necessarily view this as a negative thing!  I am sorry if I
    	>gave that impression.
    
    	No, I just want to know more about the kitty so I can be on the 
    lookout for potential problems. We don't have much experience with 
    "acquisition" of kitties, we don't usually get beyond "Oh, he/she is 
    so cute and he/she looks healthy, let's bring him/her home. Oh, by 
    the way how much do you want?" This is the first time we actually 
    bought a kitty ;-);-) We got 2 Siamese kitties from a friend's mama
    cat 11 years ago, they have been very healthy. So, we didn't think
    much about the contract since we are not into breeding thing...
    I'll call the breeder today.
    
    Eva 

    That sounds okay to me Eva.  Breeders make contracts to protect
    themselves but to also protect you as the buyer.  It works for both
    sides.
    
    The breeder usually gets back your promise to maintian a happy, healthy
    kitty, keep it indoors, to take it back if you ever can't keep it any
    more.
    
    You get the promise that the kitty was given to you with a basic good
    health.  That you will or should have a kitty to love for many years.
    If something should happen say 2 or more years down the road, the
    breeder cannot be held responsible.  Especially if  the death relates
    directly to something unforseen such as disease.  If the kitty was to
    pass in the first 1-2 years due to something genetic, you could work out
    how to handle that.  If much later, talk to the breeder.  Perhaps they
    would give you a kitty at a reduced rate, for free or not at all.  The
    breeder may not even be around at that point.    Just some thoughts to
    ponder.
    karen

    
    Thanks for the info - wow, I never thought about it this way. I
    always think of a kitty as a baby - I can't emotionally return 
    him/her for a refund no matter what happens. 
    
    Another question - is there any advantage to register the kitty
    even if we don't plan on breeding her? The breeder gave me a
    form to send in.
    
    
    Eva

    Eva,
    I hope I have helped you as well as some of the other read-only noters.
    Some people do return cats, I took one back after I found out they were
    abusing it.  All they wanted was the money and didn't give a hoot about
    the poor cat.  I ended up giving her to a woman who already had the 
    brother and what a great team!!  Not all people are like you.
    
    There are two advantages to registering.  One for you, the other for
    the breeder.  It will give you a legal description and certificate 
    stating that YOU own the cat, plus it's nice!  For the breeder,
    they can do a cattery search in the future and see to where and to 
    whom all their kitties have gone.  I always registered my old cats
    as it made me feel special.  I have Stinky's papers and it reminds me
    of his exact birth date and parents.  For $7 it's worth it.
    Karen

    
    So far, Sam, the Abby is going very well. She just turned a
    year old. No medical problems to date. 
    
    She is quite a climber, trees, swingsets, etc. Weighing in at
    6 pounds, long legs and long lean body (weasle like body) enable 
    her to be so athletic. It is kind of funny though, we are not used 
    to a small cat, we would look at her and say "You are done growing
    already?!". 
    
    Sam is very sweet, a nice kitty, not as much of a people cat 
    (compared to the Siamese) though. When she inside, she hangs out 
    in her room (my daughter's room).
    
    
    Eva