Jazi wrote:Not to mention, Bengals are hybrids and illegal in some areas as a result :O They are very different from your average run of the mill moggie (as are all purebred cats) and it bothers me when I see EVERY spotted moggie labeled a "Bengal mix" or "Savannah mix". Uh, no, I'm pretty sure that alley cat isn't part Asian Leopard or Serval, thanks. It's about as ludicris as calling every sable dog a wolf hybrid (which some people do, which is annoying, as well as black, white, and piebald dogs).
Here's a good question for the thread. I hear a lot of judgement against wolf hybrids on CS... what do you guys feel about the wildcat hybrid breeds? Bengals, Savannahs, Toygers, Cheetohs, Serengetti, etc.
I absolutely HATE it when someone calls a husky or husky mix a wolf or wolf mix. People, learn what the hell a wolf looks like! I honestly don't think siberian huskies or malamutes look ANYTHING like wolves.
As far as hybrids go, I'm largely against them. I think most domestic animals are too far removed from their wild ancestors to make hybrids ethical. Even if domestic cats are closer then most other domestic animals, the fact is we've bred them to be social and to retain kitten-like behaviors. Most cats, not including ferals that weren't socialized with people, want and need to be around people. Nearly all wild cats, including the small ones, are solitary. So, by combining the two, you get a cat that could very well have a mix of both wild instincts and domestic instincts. Also, a low generation hybrid (like a F1) is just as dangerous and demanding as it's wild parent. To be fair, I largely don't agree with keeping exotics like tigers and wolves as 'pets'.
"Only ignorance! Only ignorance! How can you talk about only ignorance? Don't you know that it is the worst thing in the world, next to wickedness? - and which does the most mischief, heaven only knows. If people can say 'Oh! I did not know, I did not mean any harm,' they think it is all right."
~ Black Beauty by Anna Sewell