# Recently switched sides...



## GingersMom (Apr 25, 2006)

Hi all, I'm new. Was an avian owner for decades but recently came over to the feline side of things when my cockatiel Alex died after being with me for over 17 years. 

I got adopted by a shelter kitten in August of 2005. She was 8 weeks old at the time, and was listed as a DSH. Well, those shelter folks don't seem to know much about kittens - turns out she is mostly Maine **** and her tail fur is close to 6 inches long - so her tail swells out to close to a foot across at its puffiest! And that's with her relaxed and happy! 

She is beautiful, of course (aren't all kitties?) as she is a torbie - tortie mixed with red tabby, so she has 5 colors rather than 4 and is completely striated with color where she isn't striped with orange and cream. She's mostly red, so I named her Ginger after having her home for most of a day. It seemed to fit! 

I love her much, and was looking for a place where I can talk about her without making others sick! 

Here's her very first baby picture - 8 weeks old, first night home...this is the face I fell for...



Grumpy girl getting used to her new mommy...


And a shot that shows her heritage - aren't her colors beee-yoooo-teee-ful?


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## estelle58 (Feb 28, 2006)

She is gorgeous...


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

I expect the shelter had her listed as a DSH because they don't have any papers to proove she is/may be a Maine ****. By law they wouldn't be allowed to "label" it a Maine **** because strictly speaking she isn't, she is a DSH. (Or as it seems, long hair ;p)

She is beautiful!


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## poppypower (Apr 24, 2006)

Welcome to the forum, she is gorgous kitty


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## kitkat (Sep 22, 2003)

Welcome Gingersmom, she's beautiful


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## DesnBaby (Apr 18, 2004)

Welcome, she is a very pretty kitty!


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## GingersMom (Apr 25, 2006)

Zalensia said:


> I expect the shelter had her listed as a DSH because they don't have any papers to proove she is/may be a Maine ****. By law they wouldn't be allowed to "label" it a Maine **** because strictly speaking she isn't, she is a DSH. (Or as it seems, long hair ;p)
> 
> She is beautiful!


Thank you all who have taken the time to welcome me/us to your forum!

I've read enough of the postings in this forum to know better than to proudly proclaim that she is a Maine **** - I know there are too many purists here that would prefer to verbally slap me for boasting of a pedigree on a shelter kitten with no papers.

That said, however, I am well aware there is no such thing as a purebred cat - ALL cats contain mixed genes, purebreds happen to have a trackable lineage up to the point where breeders actually started to breed them for specific traits - and to breed OUT the unwanted traits.

More specifically, my kitten would have been better stated to be a DMH or a DLH, not a DSH. With 6 inch long tail fur, and 4 inch long fur on her rear belly, behind and back legs, she can hardly be considered a short hair.

Her character traits are that of a Maine ****, her vocal ability, her coloring, her coat qualities, her face shape, the placement of her ears, etc., etc, show that she has Maine **** as a PART of her heritage. The other parts of her heritage could very well be non-specific alleycat.

It really doesn't matter, she is my beautiful rescued furbaby and I love her just as much as I would have if I'd shelled out $1,000 to buy her from a breeder.

Again, thank you for the welcome, I've already learned quite a bit here, and I'm happy to be a new member!


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## Lori (Jun 8, 2003)

She is so beautiful!! Welcome to the forum.


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## Wyvern (Feb 21, 2004)

Welcome to the forum


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

She's a very handsome D-whatever-H. And that's just an awesome tail!! She just has to wave that tail around and nobody's going to quibble about her heritage, because she's already purrrrrfect!!


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## ZAR (Aug 26, 2005)

Hello, and welcome here!


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## GingersMom (Apr 25, 2006)

coaster said:


> She's a very handsome D-whatever-H. And that's just an awesome tail!! She just has to wave that tail around and nobody's going to quibble about her heritage, because she's already purrrrrfect!!


Aww, thank you!  

The first thing her vet said when I took her as a kitten was, "My gosh - look at that tail!" She's very happy and inquisitive - her tail is usually in the full and upright position!


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