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From: rjg2@ukc.ac.uk (R.J.Gibson)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Cats and Rabbits
Message-ID: <7455@harrier.ukc.ac.uk>
Date: 29 Apr 91 13:15:37 GMT
References: <1991Apr28.152146.1353@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> <42178@netnews.upenn.edu>
Reply-To: rjg2@ukc.ac.uk (R.J.Gibson)
Organization: Biology Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.
Lines: 25

In article <42178@netnews.upenn.edu> rowe@pender.ee.upenn.edu (Mickey Rowe) writes:
>>I have just been told that cats and rabbits can mate under 
>>domesticated situations, producing offspring called "cabbits".
>
>I severely doubt that this is true. 
>In any case their relationship is quite distant, and I suspect that their
>genetic structures are sufficiently different that no such offspring
>could be produced.
>
>>Ashok Aiyar
>
>Mickey Rowe    (rowe@pender.ee.upenn.edu)

I also do not think that this is likly.  However, I will not dismiss
this as absolute nonsense as I have never seen any proof that this is
so.  I do think that  under "natural" conditions that a cat would not
try to mate with a rabbit, infact I think it would eat it!!..
but with A.I.D this could be overcome.  Now as to whether a live
offspring wolud be produced, well, I doubt it.  But in science one
cannot say "NOT TRUE" until you have tried.  Obviously I am agreeing
with you on this so well I thought i might just say so.



Ro.