My husband and I were talking whilst driving one day, as we do sometimes, and I came up with the idea of breeding housecats that are about the size of a lynx. I think it would be very cool to have a cat that size. What do all you all think?
IIRC, Maine Coon cats can get to be about that size. Personally, I’ve always wanted to breed chihuahuas the size of rottweilers. Nothing like a giant high strung dog to protect your property! 
Okay, bigger than a Maine Coon, then. Think cocker spaniel, I guess.
(I like your idea, Tuck. That’s quite a mind picture.)
Cool idea, but you’d need a really big litterbox!
Maine Coon cats are gorgeous. My friends had a cat that must have been partly Maine Coon cat, because he had the right kind of body, just different coloring. I stayed at their house one time, and woke up in the morning with 20 pounds of cat on my chest. Very cozy, but hard to breathe.
Tuckerfan, Chihuahuas the size of Rottweilers? :eek:
You may laugh now, but some day, my army of giant Chihuahuas and I shall rule the world! [John Carradine] Bwahahahahaha! [/JC]
I for one bow to our large, yappy overlords.
I always wanted to breed tiny, longhair cats… picture a Persian or Himalayan that never got to be taller than 6 or 7 inches. I could make a fortune!
Instead, I have this: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/snowboarderbo/9-whoo1.gif
It’s all fun and games until the baby goes missing…
As long as it had a good temperament I could go for a 20, maybe 30 pound cat. I’d hate to see one pissed off though. :eek:
S’funny - my wife & I were just discussing this yesterday. We were saying that it’s nice that our Baby is such a big boy, but we’d like him to be, well… bigger. Still as stupid and friendly, but, yeah – lynx-size big. That would be cool!
E-mail me when you’ve isolated the Big Gene and have figured out a cloning strategy.
About a month ago the New York Times had an article about this breed of really big cats-- larger than a medium dog. I think they were called savannah cats.
Savanah, Savanna or Savannah. They’re a cross with an African wildcat called thge serval. New York City has outlawed them for some reason.
I saw some at a kitty show up in White Plains, though, and they looked very appealing indeed, big spotted shorthaired housecats with a wild look.
Why the heck can’t we breed cat for anything but appearance? Why not for train-ability, longevity or intelligence?
Ever been to a cat show? Why? It is just a beauty contest.
Just out of interest, Paul, are you breaking Saudi law by accessing this site?
And I for one bow-wow to our large, yappy overlords.
Savannah’s are pretty but I would have a little apprehension about a pet that is half-wild animal. There are a lot of problems with wolf hybrids due to the clash between the wild side and the domestic side.
I am happy with my average (well-fed) sized cats, 10 to 12 pounds of cat running across your abdoment in the middle of the night is plenty. We have an 18 pound cat and work and when he sits around the office, he really sits around the office. He’s a sweetie but you don’t really want him to decide to sit in your lap.
As for the smaller than average cats. Yes, they are adorable but one of the problems we see with the tinyness of kittens is that they are often getting stepped on, caught in recliners and wedging themselves into all sorts of unusual and dangerous places. Some of which still happens when they are full-grown but kittens (and kitten sized cats) are much more likely to have it be fatal.
“My, what big ears you have!”
There is also a breed of cat called the Pixie-Bob , which is a cross between a domestic cat and a bobcat . Again , we go back to that wolf-hybred thing . Not a good idea . I trained dogs for a local obedience club , and the hybreds are bad news , mentally unstable for the most part . Dunno about the Pixie Bobs , but I woud be leary .
We had a housecat who tipped the scales at 24 lbs, without being fat. He was huge- his eyes were the size of human eyes, big mitten paws, and an upsettingly large mouth. He looked like a coffee table with a cat head on one end. He was a an exceptionally gentle and laid back cat.
There was one one time my husband had to give this cat a bath. It did not attempt to claw or bite. Instead it kicked off with its back legs, hit him in the chest, and rebounded off a wall to throw him through the window.
I miss big Mo, but I think the reason we don’t have giant-sized housecats is that are too dangerous for most people. Cats are enormously strong for their size. Still, if you succeed in breeding more, I would like to order a pet quality male with a personality like a friendly beanbag.