Conference misery::feline_v1

    Blue Aby's aren't a breed, they are a color of a breed.  The color
    may not yet be recognized in all associations.  There are recognized
    in CFA.  I believe that Jill Grafton has one.
    
    They are very beautiful, but aren't easy to come by.  
    
    Jo
    
    PS CFA will soon be accepting Fawn Aby's too (we all hope)
    

    Our Gandalf is a Blue Aby, and we absolutely love him!  The coloring
    has to be seen to be believed; it is indeed bluish-grey above and
    peach below.  Like other Abys, he is intelligent, friendly (to a
    fault), and one of the most affectionate cats we have.  He feels he has
    to do *everything* with us and will try to speed us up if we're doing
    whatever it is too slowly.
    
    As far as breeding more Blues, your friend could mate the Blue with
    either another Blue or with a Fawn.  We spoke with an Aby breeder at
    the last cat show we attended and she explained how the Fawn carries
    the 'dilute' gene of the Red Aby while the Blue carries the 'dilute'
    gene from the Ruddy.  The dilute gene is recessive and must pair up
    with another dilute gene to obtain either the Blue or Fawn color.  With 
    the Blue, she could be guaranteed to get Blues (if my memory for 
    genetics is still good), and with a Fawn Aby, she could get either
    Blues or Fawns.  Either ones are beautiful, but I think (personally)
    that the Blue is most striking.
    
    From our experience, the Blues and Fawns are fairly rare.  But we're
    seeing more and more right along, and they are not impossible to find. 
    Your friend just may have to look a little further than for a Ruddy or
    a Red.
    
    There is one book I know of that carries an excellent picture of a Blue
    Aby.  If I can remember, I will bring it in tomorrow and post the name
    and number here for those interested.
    
    Jill

    Jill, I think that blue and fawn are the dilutes, and red and ruddy
    are the dominant (of course, red is recessive to ruddy).  I only
    know of one person who is working with fawns (actually showing and
    breeding them, they can be shown in CFA as AOV[any other variety]
    but cannot attain titles until they are recognized).
    
    If she wanted to set up a breeding program, she could breed to a
    Ruddy and through a series of different breedings, and crossings,
    eventually end up with a blue.  The fastest way would be to breed
    to a blue though.
    
    Matt Goldman would be better equiped to explain all of this though.
    I do not work with the dilute colors in my Birmans, and my knowledge
    of them is very limited.
    
    Jo

    Jo,
    
    < Jill, I think that blue and fawn are the dilutes
    
    I thought that was what I said, that the Blue is the dilute of the
    Ruddy and the Fawn is the dilute of the Red.  Perhaps I didn't say it
    clearly enough.
    
    Jill

    Not trying to be nit picky or anything, but the way you worded it
    made it seem like the "fawn carries the dilute red gene..."
    
    (I don't know how to extract)
     
    I just wasn't sure if you had just made a wording error or if you
    had been given misinformation.
    
    Jo
    

    Mre Abyssinians! Wonderful!
     
    Surprisingly enough, lots of colours of abys are recognised in NZ.
    We have a ruddy. Sorrels (sometimes called "reds" but they are not
    a "true" or sex-linked red) are fairly common. Last year blues,
    lilacs and silvers all appeared in the shows; one blue girl did
    particularly well (beat Kimi; gnash, gnash), and there was a beautifrul
    silver that unfortunately had a disqualifying fault ( a "joined"
    necklac{; but she can probably be successfully bred from if her
    mate is carefully chosen).
    
    The national Abyssinian show is in May; it'll be interesting to
    see who's there this year.
    
    Shayne

    I am curious about the typical cost of one of these.  Especially
    since the next cat I dream of getting is a Somali.
    
    Are there blue & peach Somali's?
    

	Re. cost - I just talked to Pat, and she thinks that when
	she has Blue Aby kittens, she'll probably sell them for
	about $225-250, pet quality.  She'll be showing her female
	at the Worcester CFA show in May, if anyone wants to have
	a look.  She'll be still in the kitten class, as she's
	4 months old now.  Pat's trying to find a blue male to
	breed with her, so if anyone has any info about availability,
	please let me know.

	Thanks,

	Sandy

    I remembered to bring in the book!! (Tah Dah!!)  The title is _Harper's
    Illustrated Handbook of Cats_  published by Harper and Row (ISBN
    0-06-091199-9).  The photographs of the cats are wonderful.  The book
    cost is $9.95.
    
    I'm not sure about Blue Somalis; I've never heard of any but that
    doesn't mean anything.
    
    As far as cost goes, Gandalf is show quality, and we paid $425 for him
    (I think he was also a bit high because he was pick-of-the-litter). 
    Sage, his sister, who is a Ruddy of pet quality cost $375.  I'm not
    sure if the prices are higher here on the west coast or not; we didn't
    do a lot of comparison shopping.
    
    Jill

    Jill, $475 for a show quality anything is outrageously cheap on
    the west coast!!!!!
    
    The price you paid for the pet quality one is about the going rate
    for pet quality kittens out here.
    
    As for Blue Somali's.  If the gene is in the Aby gene pool, then
    it won't be long before it is in the Somali gene pool.  Right now,
    Somali's are only recognized in Red and Ruddy in CFA.
    
    (TICA also calls the red Aby's sorrel)
     
    Jo

    Jo,
    
    Then we done good!!   (pat,umph, pat, umph -- Sounds of a person 
    patting herself on the back.)  :-)
    
    Thanks for the info.
    
    Jill
    

    If he is a show quality, when are we going to see him at a show?
    
    Jo

    Does Show Quality automatically mean Breeding Quality?

    Usually, but not always.  There can be cases were a cat can be shown
    but should not be bred.  For example, if for some reason a breeder
    thought that there was a possibility that the cat might be carrying
    a recessive gene for a genetic fault, then the cat could be altered
    and shown in Premiership class, but shouldn't be used for breeding
    due to the possibility of passing the fault on to future generations.

    Can't really think of other examples at the moment.
    
    Jo
           
    

    
    < If he is a show quality, when are we going to see him at a show?
    
    When we get up the time, energy, and gumption to do it.  After the last
    show in San Francisco when we checked out all the Abys, we felt that
    Gandalf would give a real good go at it.  He would be in the
    Premiership Class (did I get it right?) 'cause he just isn't all that
    he used to be.  ;-)
    
    How difficult is it to get set up, enrolled, and equipped for a show?
    
    Jill

    It is not difficult, and I would be willing to help you if you would
    like.  The next show in this area will be at the end of May, at
    the San Jose Convention Center.  Let me know if you would like help
    getting started.
    
    Jo

	Just to update this note - I haven't yet seen Pat's Blue Abyssinian
	in person, but I've seen pictures, and she is *gorgeous*! :^}  Pat
	said she did moderately well at the show in Cranston last week.  I
	understand that Penny got to hold her - does she feel as good as she
	looks?

	Pat's gotten a whole male now, and his name is MightyMaus - nickname
	is 'Buzz' since all he does is purr . . .It'll be quite a while till
	these two are ready to breed though.

	If anyone at ZKO is interested, I've got the pics in my office, as
	well as a picture of her litter of Ruddys.  I'm in ZKO3-3/T01, right
	outside the Runge-Kutta Conference Room.

	Sandy

    I saw the blue aby, and it was magnificent looking.  I  know that
    the judges were questioning the amount of white that she had under
    her chin...I don't know how much is allowed.  
    
    She made quite a few finals....really beautiful kitty.
    
    cin
    

    I have been seeing more blue Abys out here, but I am disappointed
    in the ground color we are seeing lately.  When the blues first
    came out, the ground color was a really warm apricot, the blues
    I have seen lately have a pale cream ground color.  The apricot
    is so much flashier.
    
    I will have to check the CFA standard to find out what they are
    looking for, cream or apricot.  What are the other associations
    looking for?
    
    Jo