Dats or Cogs?

[HAPe4me]

Nahhhh, I don't believe it either.I don't think even I can blame even Geo Bush for this:

Dispute Over Claim of Puppies Born to Cat(Reuters) PASSO FUNDO, Brazil (Nov. 17) - Geneticist Adil Pacheco took blood samples on Friday from three puppies in a poor neighbourhood in Passo Fundo in southern Brazil to settle a dispute over a claim they were born from a cat.

"It's rather simple really. If the puppies prove to have 78 chromosomes, they are dogs. If they have 38, they are cats," said Pacheco, director of the Institute of Biological Sciences of the University of Passo Fundo.

"But I seriously doubt they are feline. Every characteristic about them is canine."

Cassia Aparecida de Souza, 18, said her cat Mimi had given birth to the three puppies as well as three kittens, which did not survive. And she, her husband Rogerio Jorge da Silva, 26, and several others in the town believe a neighbourhood mut named Dog is the father of Mimi's pups.

When news of the spectacular claim spread in the Brazilian media, some local newspapers accused the poor couple, who are expecting their first child in a few months, of fraud and said they were simply trying to make money off a hoax.

"I feel indignant at such accusations," da Silva said.

Pacheco said he was asked by a local newspaper to conduct the chromosome test, which should yield results on Tuesday.

"It's not uncommon for mammals to nurse young from another species. The cat gave birth in a field and she likely inherited the puppies from a nearby female dog who had recently given birth," he said.

Additional reporting by Edison Vara in Passo Fundo

Nov. 17, 2006

Edited November 19, 2006 by HAPe4me

[Linda Z]

HAP, check out the debate about this news story going on in "About the Way." The thread title has something to do with PFAL being wrong.

Oh yeah, it's "Talk about something that turns PFAL on its head." Had to go look.

[coolchef]

dogs are dogs and cats are cats oranges are oranges and apples are apples and i didn't need ole cornfiel vic to tell me that!! oh and corn is corn!!

[HAPe4me]

bah humbug, in that other thread they talk too much bible and TWI stuff. here we can have fun.

Like, any ideas for some other impossible crossbreads?

Edited November 20, 2006 by HAPe4me

[waysider]

"Any ideas for some other impossible crossbreads?"

Do you mean like zucchini/sourdough? Or how about French/pumpernickle?

[krys]

"It's rather simple really. If the puppies prove to have 78 chromosomes, they are dogs. If they have 38, they are cats," said Pacheco, director of the Institute of Biological Sciences of the University of Passo Fundo.

But let's just suppose the chromosomes don't come out either or! Each cat egg will have 18 and each dog sperm will have 39. (Chromosomes exist in pairs, and only 1 of each pair is in the gamete - just reminding you in case you forgot HS bio). So what will you think IF the result shows there are 57 chromosomes....18+39?

Personally - I really think this is much a-do about nothing too. But suppose Garth's "cold hard science" counts 'em up and they don't get an expected number! Just wondering.....hmmmmmmm (that's the scientist in me)

[rhino]

I was raised by wolves, but I'm not sure yet if they were just surrogate parents or my dad really loved the wildlife.

But I still howl at the moon ...

[GarthP2000]

Impossible crossbreeds ehh?

How about pineapple and pizza? ((ducking))

[WordWolf]

I'm waiting to hear 2 different results of the tests.

A) The chromosome count.

B) A genetic test confirming the cat is the actual mother of the puppies.

See, a mother cat had kittens.

She was found with puppies and kittens.

Jumping to the conclusion that she birthed the puppies is silly-when there are more

likely possibilities that have happened before.

One link I read said that there's been plenty of times that's happened-

and I've read stories down the years where one animal of one species

raised an animal of another species.

[socks]

This story had caused me to look at my pets in a new light.

At this time we have 1 cat, and 7 tropical fish.

There's also at least 1 neighborhood rabbit, big gray guy. Or girl, haven't checked. Cat's female. And the fish, gender's unclear, although I'd assume the ones that leave the filter screen up, those are the guys.

So now, I'm watching everybody close. REAL close.

Edited November 20, 2006 by socks

[allan w.]

or how about this one...

a dolphin crossed with a...

[krys]

That rocks Allan!

[templelady]

How about a cross between a cow and a lobster

you know , a Stakenlobster

[WordWolf]

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7005596044

Brazil Cat-Puppies Theory Debunked

November 21, 2006 10:49 p.m. EST

Megan Shannon - All Headline News Staff Writer

Sao Paulo, Brazil (AHN) - A Brazilian woman was disappointed when her claim that her cat gave birth to puppies was debunked by a blood test.

Cassia Aparecida de Souza, 18, said her cat, Mimi birthed three puppies and three kittens. While the claim seems far-fetched, it actually received a lot of attention by the media and the community.

A local paper even asked geneticist Adil Pacheco to do a chromosome test to see whether the girl was right. When the results came back negative, he explained that sometimes mammals will nurse the young of another species, which is probably what gave Souza the impression that the cat birthed the puppies.

Pacheco, director of the Institute of Biological Sciences of the University of Passo Fundo said, "People who aren't experts often imagine things. All the facts contradict her."