When I was recently on Martha’s TV show I was celebrating some of the purebred cats so people could learn more about them. The first cat we saw was Martha’s own newly-adopted Himalayan, Sir Frost. I want to clear up any misunderstanding about the other cats: they were all privately-owned by wonderful listeners to CAT CHAT® who took a whole day of their lives to have their beauties spotlighted. But my listeners know that I urge everyone to consider adopting as their first resource for adding a cat to their lives, especially because at least 1/3 of all cats in the shelter are purebreds. So you get the look and temperament you might want, while saving a life and being part of the solution, not the problem. Here are a couple of interchanges I had on this topic:
FROM RICH: Why would you introduce purebred cats when there are so many homeless cats that need homes? Push for adoption, not breeding of more cats. This is also the case for dogs so we can put an end to puppy mills. Thanks for listening.
I WROTE BACK TO RICH: If you ever had a chance to listen to me on CAT CHAT® on Martha’s channel of Sirius/XM you would know that I am all about adoption and rehoming and NOT giving your pets up for adoption when you encounter problems. Maybe you didn’t see the whole segment of my visiting Martha on her show? Martha explained that she just adopted her new cat Frost and his sister Snow from the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF) at age 10, making it clear that adoption is the way to go, even with elderly pets. If you have a chance to look at my website TracieHotchner.com you’ll see that I support rescues and shelters across the country, some that are cats-only, and my book THE CAT BIBLE makes it clear that at least 30% of all animals at shelters are purebred, so that’s the first place to go when looking for a new pet. My work with the Humane Society of the Untied States to educate about the horrors of pet store and puppy mills is well known, so please spend some time getting to know who I am so you can call me on the air and share in my efforts. Thanks for caring about the animals.
I GOT THIS SWEET REPLY FROM RICH: Hi Tracie. I stand corrected. Thank you. I really didn’t know much about you, only little tidbits that I have seen here and there. In the future I definitely will make myself more familiar with the whole story before I open my big mouth. Thank you for taking the time to tell me about yourself, and [your] love for animals. The dogs and cats need all the help they can get. Thanks again. Rich
SO I WROTE HIM ONE MORE TIME: Dear Rich – What a kind note and don’t apologize for having a “big mouth,” the animals need us to make a lot of noise for them! I would much rather have you mistake my intentions so I can clear it up than have you not care enough to find a way to contact me. From my perspective, your question was one worth asking, because I always tells people to Question Authority, even mine! Your gentlemanly response showed who you are.
Tracie
