Nanny Knows Best…?
I don’t know about you good readers, but I for one am sick of the ‘Nanny State’ constantly telling me what’s good for me and how I should be living my life.
I mean, take this ‘Five A Day’ thing… yes, of course it’s good sense to be healthy and have at last some of your five a day fruit ‘n’ veg. I drink a lot of orange juice (and whether or not this has a sloshing of vodka in it depends how far I’ve got with editing OUR CATS!), but I also have vegetables with my dinner, I make sure my kids get a healthy mix of foods.
But to listen to some of the so-called ‘health experts’ in the various Government quangos, you’d think we were breaking the law by having chicken or chips now and again.
My middle daughter, aged 13, asked me in all seriousness the other day whether eating Five A Day was the law! Now that’s when you know things have gone too far! State Brainwashing, never mind Nanny Knows Best!
So now – as our lead story this issue shows – the Government’s Chief Vet says “No Pets On The Bed – They Spread Disease!” The fact is, most people are sensible and responsible - they DO keep their pets healthy, up to date with their vaccinations or nosodes, health checked at the vets, well fed and so on.
Cats and dogs have slept on our beds for thousands of years, probably since the time we first domesticated them and ‘bed’ was just a pile of furs in a cave.
Have there been any mass outbreaks of diseases as a result? Somehow our ancestors managed to survive, despite having cats and dogs around.
Of course we should be mindful of the disturbing trend that, due to climate change (whatever is causing that, but that’s another contentious issue), there are far more parasites invading the UK and potentially threatening our cats, dogs and other animals. Parasites traditionally found in the Mediterranean countries are now found in northern Europe. But that doesn’t mean all our pets have got them!
The sensible approach would be to make the veterinary and medical professions in the UK more aware of these parasites, the symptoms of infection and how to treat them, not tell us to keep our pets off the beds! Some people like having a cat or a dog or ten on the bed. (Personally, it depends on the cat or dog for me – if they lie down, shut up and don’t disturb my beauty sleep – because I need lots of that – I don’t mind at all).
And what’s the EU’s answer to all of this? They want us in the UK (and some other countries) to stop parasite treatment for all pets entering our territory from the Continent. You couldn’t make it up, could you?
So Mr Chief Vet, thanks for the heads up, but do us a favour, Guv: Go and sort out something important, like bird flu or foot and mouth – leave our pets alone!
Let’s Hear it For the Mogs
Elsewhere this issue, you’ll read a very thought-provoking article from Pat Kidd, one of the top Household Pet/Non-Pedigree exhibitors in the UK (she does some pretty good British Shorthairs too!) I was very interested in what Pat had to say, because it seems that Non-Peds and their owners are getting a rough deal at far too many shows lately.
I show Non-Peds now and again and I’m actually on Carol Walker’s list of accredited Non-Ped judges, although I’ve not been asked to judge Non-Peds for two years. It seems that Show Managers are either unaware of the proper Non-Ped judges, or they’re trying to save some money by getting the Pedigree judges to judge the HP classes – often as an afterthought at the end of the show.
Many years ago, former CATS and OUR CATS Editor Brian Doyle became the first official HP judge that was not a trained Pedigree judge and set a trend. Then, in 1996, a group of disaffected HP owners, tired of being treated as afterthoughts or second-class citizens founded the Non-Pedigree Development Association (I was their Press Officer – that was the first time I ‘got political’ in the Cat Fancy!).
What we tried to do – and succeeded – was in raising the profile of Non-Peds/HPs, outlining the ideal schedule of classes for Non-Peds and getting these accepted by show committees, and compiling and circulating a list of approved specialist Non-Ped/HP judges.
So what’s happened lately? It looks like the old ‘second class citizen’ tag is back for the mogs – and their owners.
It would be a shame to have to form a pressure group again just to get what’s fair and right. So come on Show Managers – ask Carol for that lost and start asking some of the Non-Ped judges to officiate. And remember, they have to pay to travel top shows too, so don’t fall into the other bad trap of not offering a Non-Ped judge any expenses ‘just because’ they judge moggies!
As Pat so eloquently says in her article; ‘We must always remember that household pets should be regarded and treated with the same respect as pedigree cats and be treated as equals… All cats have pedigrees; it is just that some are unknown.’
Hear! Hear! (And I’m available for Non-Ped judging engagements by the way).
Nick Mays, Editor
BIRTHDAY GIRL!
Popular Burmese & Tonkinese breeder, Chrissy Smith (Ayshazan) wasn’t exhibiting at the recent Five Clubs Show, but in true Chrissy style - beloved by all her friends - she made an exhibition of herself anyway! Here she shows off her fine rosettes for all to see. It was Chrissy’s birthday on 26th April, so Happy Birthday from all your friends in the Fancy and at OUR CATS, Chrissy.
(Not quite a milestone birthday yet, but only a couple of miles to go...)
Nick Mays, Editor (running for cover!)
