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Half a century ago, Belgian Zoologist Bernard Heuvelmans first codified cryptozoology in his book On the Track of Unknown Animals.

The Centre for Fortean Zoology (CFZ) are still on the track, and have been since 1992. But as if chasing unknown animals wasn't enough, we are involved in education, conservation, and good old-fashioned natural history! We already have three journals, the largest cryptozoological publishing house in the world, CFZtv, and the largest cryptozoological conference in the English-speaking world, but in January 2009 someone suggested that we started a daily online magazine! The CFZ bloggo is a collaborative effort by a coalition of members, friends, and supporters of the CFZ, and covers all the subjects with which we deal, with a smattering of music, high strangeness and surreal humour to make up the mix.

It is edited by CFZ Director Jon Downes, and subbed by the lovely Lizzy Bitakara'mire (formerly Clancy), scourge of improper syntax. The daily newsblog is edited by Corinna Downes, head administratrix of the CFZ, and the indexing is done by Lee Canty and Kathy Imbriani. There is regular news from the CFZ Mystery Cat study group, and regular fortean bird news from 'The Watcher of the Skies'. Regular bloggers include Dr Karl Shuker, Dale Drinnon, Richard Muirhead and Richard Freeman.The CFZ bloggo is updated daily, and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else. Come and join us...

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

UPDATE ON TWISTY CAT

We have contacted the RSPCA's legal department as to the legality of breeding such deformed creatures. To do such a thing is tantamout, in our opinion, to intentionally breeding children with a genetic abnormality such as de Lange Syndrome because they look "sweet". After some research the RSPCA told us that the case of the twisty cat was a tricky one.

There is currently no legislation stopping people from breeding any kind of cat in the UK. However because the nature of the twisty cat's deformity prevents them from acting in a normal way, this could be seen as cruelty. Hence each case involving a twisty cat would be looked at on a case by case process.

However, the whole subject seems so absurd that one is reminded of the wonderfully grotesque internet hoax of the `bonsai kittens` about ten years ago. This was a website that claimed to give instructions on how to grow kittens in bottles as a form of decoration, similar in fashion to a Bonsai tree. Soon after birth the kitten is supposedly placed in a glass container, allowing the kitten to grow to fill the vessel that contains it.

The kitten allegedly breathes through specially drilled holes in the glass and may be fed and expel waste through tubes, and their purpose is supposedly as an elaborate ornament, instead of a pet. This was completely fallacious, and whilst we thought it was funny, lots of people believed it and much merriment was had by all. If the twisty kittens do, indeed, turn out to be a hoax then no-one will be happier than us. However, we think that is highly unlikely. Sadly, this disgusting practise is genuine.

Thankfully we have so far found no publically accessible breeders of these unfortunate creatures in the UK. However, if we come across any evidence that there are indeed such people, we shall regard them as legitimate targets and will take appropriate action ourselves, whether or not the RSPCA choose to do so.


Does that mean that we are prepared to take the law into our own hands if we feel ethically bound so to do?


Hell yeah!

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