Cat Keeping in the US and UK Compared

American Cat Magazines frequently carry advertisements for 'hats, jackets and accessories for the fashionable feline' and 'feline finery'. You can get bomber jackets for cats, baseball caps and even fancy Victorian lace collars. Of course, an indoor cat won't be able to drag its finery through the nearest hedge. Apart from the occasional indignity of being dressed up in doll's clothes by children, British cats don't currently have any fashions designed specifically for their feline forms.

Some indoor cats in America get a monthly bath despite never having the chance to get dirty. A regular bath in distilled water apparently removes some of the allergens from a cat's coat. This is beneficial to owners who suffer from asthma, but don't want to give up their cat. Apart from show cats who need to look their best, few British cat-owners bathe their cats. The only time I have ever bathed one of my cats is when she rolled in cold bonfire ashes.

In summertime, longhaired cats in the hottest regions may be clipped. A nearly nude cat with fluffy bootees and fluffy head may look hilarious but at least it won't overheat.

The Quest for Novelty

Some British cat fanciers believe that the quest for novelty may have gone too far in the States with the Munchkin and the Sphynx and with attempts to breed genetically miniature cats. Persians come in several varieties depending on whether you like a cat with a punched-in look or one with working tear ducts. Siamese cats also come in two varieties as the 'traditional' chunkier Siamese of yesteryear is making a comeback.

Many British cat lovers are not aware that there are two types of Ragdoll cat with a minor spat going on in the classified ads section of cat magazines and litigation over which of the two Ragdoll 'breeds' is the genuine one despite the fact that they all stem from the same foundation cats. It doesn't help that neither party will admit to the existence of the other party. It's a case of 'will the real Ragdoll please step forward?'

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