How about, ohhhhhhhhh the price of twenty-two-thousand smackeroos? That’s right, forget about Labradoodles, Puggles and Schnoodles. Costly crossbreed felines are the latest designer hybrid to hit the pet industry.

Animal lovers are clamoring for cat crossbreeds - and they are sparing no expense on the latest “it” pet.

Hybrid house pets were originally developed to create well-behaved companions that don’t shed. But with unmatched cuteness and likeability, crossbreeds like Puggles, Labradoodles, Yorkipoos, and Schnoodles drove demand among the dog-loving set.

Now mixed-breed cats, with their beauty and stature, are causing a craze for those with a fondness for felines.

And for some, no price is too high for a designer kitten.

“For our customers, money is no object,” said breeder Simon Brodie.

Brodie used a “secret recipe” to mix an African serval and Asian leopard cat with a domestic cat, to create the world’s most expensive feline hybrid and if you’ve got the dough to shell out for a pet, you can have one too.

The Ashera, an exclusive product of Brodie’s firm, Lifestyle Pets, resembles a little leopard and can weigh up to 30 pounds. But it’s more suited for lounging than stalking prey.

“They are very friendly, very affectionate,” Brodie said.

Although an Ashera costs $22,000 - yep you read that right - (plus $6,000 for the premium placement option, which will expedite kitten delivery by about six months) Lifestyle Pets has already sold several cats to customers around the world since the pricey pet was unveiled last May.

Once an order is placed, the Ashera is hand delivered (the cost of delivery is approximately $1,500 within the United States) by a representative who remains on hand for a few days to answer questions and facilitate the transition. Asheras come fully vaccinated with a microchip identifier, a supply of kitty food and cat toys, access to an animal behaviorist, and a year of veterinary insurance included.

There’s even a certificate of authenticity that includes an image of each kitten’s DNA “fingerprint.” But what else would one expect for a cat that costs as much as a car?

Brodie says that his company will keep the supply small, developing less than 50 cats each year to uphold its unique appeal - and high price.

Although the Ashera may be the most expensive mixed-breed offering to hit the market recently, it’s certainly not the only one.

Other popular hybrids include the Bengal (part Asian leopard mixed with a house cat), Savannah (part African serval, part house cat) and Chausie (part jungle cat, part house cat).

Holly Hummel, who has been breeding hybrids for 20 years, says demand for exotic blends is growing, and the pricier the pet, the more sought after it seems.

“The more expensive ones move faster than the less expensive ones,” Hummel said.

Even though her top-of-the-line Habari-breed cats range in price from $10,000 to $12,000, “most of our kittens are spoken for by about two weeks of age,” she said.

But does coughing up that kind of dough guarantee a perfect pet?

With any designer hybrid, “there are things to watch out for, as far as genetic defaults go,” cautioned a spokeswoman from the International Cat Association.

But, generally, emerging exotic breeds are well monitored, she said. “We’re very careful that there is no genetic downside.”

That means pet owners can rest assured that their investment in a designer cat will not disappoint - that is until the next hot mix hits the horizon.

Wow! These cats better have 99 lives at this price

Source: AP

A chihuahua that went paragliding in Australia strapped to its owner’s chest survived when the pair crashed into a tree shortly after taking off, police said Saturday.

Victoria state police said a 42-year-old man set off early Friday evening for what they described as “a routine flight” with his pet dog.

The man and his intrepid canine got into difficulties and crashed into a tree, where they became entangled 35 metres (115 foot) up.

Police found the pair after the man called them from his mobile phone, and they were safely retrieved from the tree after being stuck up there for almost five hours.

Police said the man received abrasions in the crash. The chihuahua was believed to be unharmed.

Source: AP

Bella, a 3-year-old golden retriever/collie mix who was once rescued as an abused puppy, returned the favor to her owners by alerting them to a house fire. With help from Maddie, a 6-month-old golden retriever, Bella helped get Sue Feuling and her 9-year-old daughter, Mckenzie, out of the house last week. The dogs didn’t make it.

“Those dogs were without a doubt the heroes,” said Winona Assistant Fire Chief Jim Multhaup.
Bella had jumped on Feuling’s bed early Friday morning and started barking, and Feuling then smelled smoke, grabbed her daughter and rushed out of the house. But Feuling couldn’t coax the dogs out of the house, even when she tried to run back in to yell for them.

“Bella must have thought Mckenzie was still in the house,” Feuling said.

A firefighter who arrived at the scene tried to save the dogs, but it was too late. The Feulings were taken to an area hospital for smoke inhalation monitoring, but were OK, Multhaup said.
The fire, which was caused by an overloaded electrical outlet, gutted the home, Multhaup said. While an assistance fund was set up, Sue Feuling said she was only thinking about her dogs.

“Everything I lost is nothing compared to them,” she said.

The National Geographic Channel said that its new series Dogtown will spend the next few months documenting the attempted rehabilitation of 22 dogs that belonged to jailed Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and are now residing at Dogtown, the Best Friends animal sanctuary in Utah.

The series will focus on four of the toughest cases as the experts at Dogtown try to “resocialize these seriously aggressive pit bulls.”

An 80-year-old woman, Martha Smith, faced off with a lion to protect her dog - and killed it in doing so!

Smith was home alone when she heard her Border collie Bo barking outside. When she looked through the window, she saw the dog confronting a snarling mountain lion.

Without hesitation, she grabbed her .22-caliber rifle, walked outside and fired a shot at the lion - but missed.

She went back inside and called the emergency services but they said they could not come out immediately, so she again took the matters into her own hands.

I knew I’d have to kill him. You can’t have a mountain lion in your yard.”

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