Well, my first two cats were Shelter Cats and I loved them so. Then my third cat found me as I was walking through a cat show in Philadelphia. It was love at first sight. I went back to the cat show the following day to see if I could get the breeder to lower the price. They/she did and the rest is history. Mandy, my first Aby, was so sweet. She died two Feb.s ago from cancer of the tongue. I went to another cat show in Vermont just about that same time. I got the name of a new breeder about 4 hours away. We negotiated for two this time, and when I went to their house and saw how nicely they treated their kittens and cats, I was sure I had found the right place to buy my cats. I love Graemer and Miley so. The breeder prepared them for their new home, trained them to scratching posts and in general socialized them. They would not let anyone take the kittens until they were 16 weeks old. Much longer/older than many folks get kittens.

Why didn't I go to a shelter? I wanted a certain kind of cat and wasn't willing to wait until one appeared at a shelter. Maybe if I didn't have the money for one, I would have gone to a shelter. I wanted what I wanted and that was that. Sound spoiled, eh? I know. But hey, I am a responsible pet owner.

I know that there are tons of unwanted pets out there, but at the time, I wanted an Aby....ended up with two. If and when I get a new cat after these two have passed away, I may, at the time consider a shelter cat, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

I don't have anything against good shelters and their animals or good breeders and their animals. I do have problems with irresponsible pet owners.