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Cat Crossed with Skunk Produces "Bear"
Lumbering, Lovable Creatures Even Boast Breeder's "Trademark"
By Weldon D. Woodson



Ann Baker, owner of the Ann Baker Exclusive Cattery in Riverside, California, claims to have bred a cat that's part skunk.  She has "trademarked" the animal under the name of Honey Bear.  By appointment, Mrs. Baker conducts two-hour tours of her cattery, which houses more than 30 animals now of 5 varieties.

Involved in the development of the Honey Bear were a pair of Persian cats. The genes from a skunk, according to Mrs. Baker, were deposited in the female cat, which was then mated with a male cat.  The kittens resemble young skunks, being born silver and later turning black with stripes along the head, back or underside.  To doubters, Mrs. Baker quotes National Institute of Health findings on genetic research.  Genes for specific inherited traits of one species can be combined with those of another by putting the genes into bacteria, she says. The offspring containing the bacteria, she adds, has characteristics of the new genes.  "The mixing and inserting of bacteria," Mrs. Baker explained, "is done in a laboratory.  Then my cat is returned to me during pregnancy. The kittens are born here, where I raise and care for them.  The line can breed for seven generations, using one father." Part of the creature's uniqueness, Mrs. Baker noted, is its tendency to hold its tail up over its back like a skunk.  And the tail is flat on both sides, unlike the ""round"" tails of ordinary cats.  The Honey Bear was so named because, in "sticky" weather, the cats flatten their bodies against the cool floor, thrusting their legs out to the side.  With their long fur, they resemble bear rugs, and even lumber along like miniature bruin.

Other registered breeds developed by Mrs. Baker include the Ragdoll and Miracle Ragdoll, which have distinctive traits of their own.  As evidence of their authenticity, Mrs. Baker has formed the International Ragdoll Cat Association.  Anyone who acquires one of the animals from her is given an IRCA Registration showing it to be an authentic Cherubim.  The Honey Bears are usually large and gentle, possessing the intelligence and alertness of wild animals and the skunk's reluctance to fight, Mrs. Baker explained. When picked up they "go as limp as a mink stole," she said.   ""There's no animal in the world a child can have more enjoyment with," Mrs. Baker said, adding that the cats react to rough handling with purring, instead of bared claws and short tempers.



HoneyBear Kittens™ Cattery
Laura Leonard
18057 N. 88th Dr.
Peoria, Arizona
85382
Ph: (623) 933-9398
E-mail: JohnLauraLeonard@msn.com

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