Silver Whiskers and Natural Shade as traits

[Kayla Woodrunner]

On the Argent,I totally agree with Eleanor, another silver whisker would be nice -- it would be awesome to have lots and lots of different whisker colors. It would, of course, have to be a different shade of silver -- maybe between silver and dusky. Maybe brigther than the current silver. Argent is a really pretty name for a whisker. I'd also like to see Gold, Brass, Steel. Gilt, Tarnish might also be cool names although they are not as neutral. So it would be cool to have a line of metal-named whiskers (even Pewter, Bronze although there are eyes named after that but there are tails and whiskers that have the same names so why not eyes and whiskers?)

I see traits in terms of availability. The more dominant a trait is, the more likely it will show if thrown on a kittybox and the more of them there are. It's like a mass market paperback -- make a lot, it's cheaper. Then the more recessive something is, the harder to get on a kitty box,the rarer it is, the higher the price. Also applies to retired traits that are hard to find in the marketplace. White mysterious whiskers although retired are very very easy to find on the marketplace so it's not rare, so it's cheap. The most recessive in a particular season is high at first due to being rare but as a lot of people start breeding it, it falls in price because it becomes highly available.

I don't like the 9T tyranny though -- it doesn't really rate the dominance of the various traits and makes a lot of people pump out cats with mysterious/small eyes which I happen to hate due to their looking like snake pupils -- no offence, KC. The 9T tyranny also does not rate the cuteness of a cat -- but that is subjective and varies according to a person's taste and experience. The problem with the 9T tyranny to me is that new breeders who go to auctions when they are first starting to learn get it hammered into them and it becomes a self-perpetuating thing. I've noticed people who learned to breed on their own or through the forum for at least 6months to a year before they hit the auctions don't tend to buy into it as much -- although once they start selling cats, even they will tend to make at least a few lines of 9T even if it's with white mysterious whiskers to sell at auctions just so auctioneers can say their cat is a 9T.

You make great cats, Eleanor as do a lot of people who also prefer to breed in the 9T-style. I do understand it makes quite a bit of difference at auction to be able to say 9T and natural is a genesis trait. However, I don't think KC should buy into the 9T thing for shades by creating a shade that is similar to what is available and that people like/want but are afraid to breed because it is a genesis trait the way natural is. The 9T is a contruct that may lose it's popularity one day if another construct becomes popular. For example if an ABC rating was created where an A-cat is a cat with fur, eye color, tail, ears and whisker are all in the top 10% of recessiveness and a Z-cat is they are all in the bottom 10% of recessiveness. However, we do all buy into the 9T for now due to it's popularity to one degree or another. Still, I just don't think KC should -- they have to remain Switzerland, as it were, neutral and above it all. I seriously would like the breeders and buyers to rise up in REVOLUTION and embrace the NATURAL. Pumps fist, lol.