AboutNorman Auspitz Expertise I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.
Experience I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.
Organizations Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.
Publications Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook
Education/Credentials I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.
Awards and Honors We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.
Question QUESTION: My queen is only about 47 or 48 days into her pregnancy and last night she dropped out a precious baby that was to small. She is still very lovey and never stops purring and I can still feel a few babies inside. Will these babies have a chance of maturing another week or so or will she continue to have these babies. This was nine hours ago that she lost the baby.
ANSWER: Marj,
All you can do is hang back and see what happens. I have heard of cats expelling a mal-developed kitten part way through the pregnancy and continuing until term. I would expect that there is nothing more you can do except wait it out. Kittens more than a week premature have little or no chance of surviving.
Please let me know how she does.
Best regards... Norm.
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QUESTION: Now that she has lost her babies she is back to her mean old self. She can be very mean and vicious to everyone and we all have scars to prove it. What I am wondering is if there is some way or some drug we can give her to not make her so mean. One minute she is this loving cat and the next she is like this mean feral cat.
Answer Marj,
This cat was never socialized with humans. When cats/kittens play with each other they tend to play very roughly. They have to learn to play gently with people. This means no roughhousing with the cat and, at the first sign of aggressive play, the game ends immediately and you walk away.
You can also look into clicker training as a behavior modification tool (see Karen Pryor's web site):
www.clickertraining.com
The problem with drugging the cat is that the long term effects may be problematic and, if the cat thinks the drug is messing with its head, it will fight the effects and actually become worse!
