News, information, and important updates to SagaKitty's KittyCatS™ Trait Charts. To view the FAQ or the trait charts, see the links to the right. SagaKitty Charts: Keeping the KittyCatS™ community informed since 2011.
On May 12th AstridSolace, more famously known as Bunny NomNom, captured the first proof on our KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted Proofs List! Bunny had recently heard about the reward for some of the missing proofs and was walking through her cattery when she saw some suspicious activity. She investigated, and found proof that Genesis Flame III is dominant to Genesis Smokey II! She copied down the cats' information and brought it to the SagaKitty team, where we added it to our database. This will help the team work towards finding the order of all those Genesis furs that are running wild in the Saga Charts! Congratulations to Bunny for her keen eye and we thank her for this important catch! Bunny has won an Epic Prize Box full of goodies for her capture!
In the early hours of May 13th, we received a communication from the famous duo Rheaven and Marishka Tussaud. Rheaven and Mariskha have been on the lookout for proof of the Tonkinese Blue Mink and Maine Coon Plush Calico for quite a long time. When they heard about the reward being offered for this proof, they quickly dove into action and worked at capturing this proof that has been bugging many breeders for quite some time. Their hard work was rewarded when they produced a Maine Coon kitten from two Tonkinese Blue Mink parents, proving that Tonkinese Blue Mink Tortie is dominant to Maine Coon Plush Calico! They have also been rewarded with an Epic Prize Box for their hard work and persistence with this capture! We congratulate Rheaven and Marishka and thank them for their diligence in tracking down this very important proof!
There are still many more proofs to narrow down and capture so keep on working hard! We want to thank the community for continuing to work with diligence and patience to clean up those charts. We know we'll see more results from you all very soon! :)
Remember that anyone who captures a proof wins an epic prize box containing:
A super cute one-of-a-kind multi-pose “Me and My Kitty” pillow by Beloved Ruby of ScratchN Post – this item can only be obtained by contest winners and is not available to anyone else on the grid!
A beautiful one-of-a-kind hearts collar hand crafted by Nino Heartsdale, the Mad Cat Lady - this item can only be obtained by contest winners and is not available to anyone else on the grid!
A $L200/$K500 KittyCatS!™ gift certificate, usable in the KittyCatS!™ main store or the KittyCatS!™ Cattery
Also remember that anyone who narrows down a trait wins a one-of-a-kind knitted hat lovingly made by Bree Ann, specifically for this contest!
In a future article coming soon, I'll show you the proofs that were submitted and we'll go over how they work! Until then, thanks for reading and may all your dream kitties come true! :)
The Saga Trait Charts are looking for missing proofs!!
Rewards are being offered for missing proofs and for information that leads to the capture of missing proofs!
How it Works:
Find proof of any of the traits listed in the KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted Proofs List: narrow down a trait by at least one spot or place a trait in its correct position in the charts. You could win a reward for narrowing down a trait, or you could win an Epic Prize Box for placing a trait! Your proofs can be current cats you're breeding, dusty old cats and boxes you've had sitting around in the cattery or your inventory for ages, or even cats belonging to someone else!
Rewards include special one-of-a-kind items made specifically for the KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted! Contest and the SagaKitty Trait charts, gift certificates for collars, rentals, accessories, and even for the KittyCatS!™) main store!
The contest begins on Saturday May 9 and runs until the KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted Proofs List has been cleared.
New proofs could be added to the list, as new traits are always being discovered and released. This means that the contest could run indefinitely!
Thank you!
We'd like to thank the following people for their generous donations and/or amazing custom creations:
Your proof must be conclusive.
No guesses and no assumptions. If your proof relies on the fact that a cat hides a certain trait, you must provide visible proof of this. Your proof must actually prove something in the KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted Proofs List.
Your proof must be complete.
All information must be included. E.g if your proof relies on a cat that is “pure Grotto” then you must provide proof that the cat is “pure Grotto”, otherwise we will evaluate the proof as if the cat is hiding Grotto or something more recessive.
Proofs must be submitted to SagaKitty Resident in SL OR to SagaKittySL@gmail.com.
Proofs sent to individual team members or by any other means will not be accepted under any circumstances.
Proof documentation must be submitted in the following format:
To SagaKitty Resident in SL:
A notecard explaining what your proof shows. Be sure to include that your proof is an entry to the KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted! contest
Full-perm textures of actual pedigree pages needed for the proof OR permanent URLs to images of actual pedigree pages needed for the proof.
To SagaKittySL@gmail.com:
Subject: KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted! Proof contest
Text explaining what your proof shows.
Attached/downloadable images of actual pedigree pages needed for the proof OR permanent URLs to images of actual pedigree pages for the proof. Images must be standard image formats e.g. .png, .jpg, .gif, etc.
All images/textures must be clear and legible and not modified in any way.
Multiple Entries: Please do not submit multiple entries at once. Each entry should be a separate submission.
Submissions that will not be accepted:
Proofs with no explanation.
Images/textures of pedigree screen shots that have been modified.
Textures that are not full perm – they must be copy allowed, modify allowed, transfer allowed.
URLs that are temporary.
Image files that aren't viewable, legible, downloadable.
Your proof must do one of the following to be considered valid:
Narrow down a trait by one position. For example, Odyssey Crystal Rose eye is between Rainbow Prism and Odyssey Rainbow - If you find proof that Odyssey Crystal Rose is recessive to Peach Bellini, you win a reward!
Place a trait in its correct position. For example, if you find that the Tonkinese Blue Mink Tortie is dominant or recessive to Maine Coon Plush Calico, you win an Epic Prize Box!
Determine the order of a pair of specific Genesis Furs in the selected list. For example, if you prove the order of Domino III and Flame III, you win an Epic Prize Box!
Ineligible Contestants:
The following are ineligible to compete in the KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted! Contest:
The Pampered Pet Company owners/staff/employees, their partners, alts, and SL family members (e.g. spouse, child, parent, sibling, etc). Exception: CSRs may enter the contest on their main account (FYI, CSRs have no inside knowledge of the dominance/recessiveness of unproven traits).
SagaKitty Team members, their partners, alts, and SL family members.
Current list of prizes and rewards:
Rewards and prizes could change as the contest progresses and the KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted Proofs List changes. If you'd like to donate a prize for a future prize box, reward, or consolation prize, please contact Bree Ann (brunabug.nightfire), Charles Courtois-Oh (charles.courtois), or WendiKitteh (wendi.lavendel).
Reward for narrowing down a trait: One-of-a-kind knitted KittyCatS!™ hat made by our very own Bree Ann!
Click to open in a new window.
Consolation Prize (awarded to the owner of a cat that was used in a valid/winning proof by another person): One-of-a-kind shirt “My Cat proved something and all I got was this shirt!” custom created by Somnia by Sanura Snowpaw
Click to open in a new window.
Click to open in a new window.
(thanks to Sanura and LickN for posing!! ♥)
Epic Prize Box (awarded for placing a trait in the correct position on the charts, or for determining the order of one of the specified pairs of Genesis furs). The Epic Prize Box contains:
Super cute one-of-a-kind multi-pose “Me and My Kitty” pillow by Beloved Ruby of ScratchN Post – this item can only be obtained by contest winners and is not available to anyone else on the grid!
Beautiful one-of-a-kind hearts collar hand crafted by Nino Heartsdale, the Mad Cat Lady - this item can only be obtained by contest winners and is not available to anyone else on the grid!
$L200/$K500 KittyCatS!™ gift certificate, usable in the KittyCatS!™ main store or the KittyCatS!™ Cattery
Can I submit a proof that isn't from my own cat (e.g. something I saw at auction or at the market)?
Yes! You can submit a proof as long as it's conclusive and complete, and as long as the owner of the cat's are visible and legible. You will win a prize if your proof narrows down a trait or places a trait in its correct position. The person who owns the cat will win a consolation prize.
How much of an explanation should I include?
For most proofs, a single sentence is fine e.g. “Here is proof that Tranquility eye is dominant to Dry Olive and recessive to Onyx.”. If the proof is complex and involves multiple pedigrees, a short explanation of each step or how each pedigree is applicable would be appreciated.
What if someone sends in the same proof that I submit?
The person who submits first will be evaluated first. We will go by the date/time that the email is received (all inventory offers are emailed to SagaKitty Resident when SagaKitty is offline, so this works for both forms of submission).
What if I submit information that's incomplete or inconclusive?
You will receive an explanation of why the proof was considered incomplete or inconclusive. You may resubmit the proof documents after adding any additional information, or submit a completely different set of documents if you wish, and that will be treated as a new submission.
Can I submit/win more than one proof?
Yes! If you submit multiple entries, please submit them separately.
Why do you only want proofs for the traits listed in the KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted Proofs List?
This was the list we decided to start with. The team chose these traits because they're mostly older so it's harder to get proofs for them. Some were also chosen because they're referred to in other proofs (e.g. at the time of this writing, a couple of new furs were referencing Ocicat Black, so we would be able to place those better if we knew where Ocicat Black fit.) We also included a couple of newer traits that many people have. For the Genesis furs, specific pairs were chosen that would help us determine the order between generations as easily as possible.
KittyCatS!™ Most Wanted Proofs List
(last updated May 13 2015)
The list of wanted proofs will change over time: as people provide proofs that allow us to remove items from the list, we will add new items. We will likely never run out of proofs and therefore this contest could go on indefinitely!
Furs:
Place or narrow down the following fur traits: Ocicat BlackCaptured!! Pandie FlameCaptured!!
Newly Added Traits: Pandie Ebony & IvoryCaptured!! Foxie ArgyleCaptured!! Foxie Red MaskCaptured!!
Chateau Slate & White No. 1
Place the following fur traits: Tonkinese Blue Mink TortieCaptured!!
Prove the order of the following sets of Genesis Furs: Domino III and Flame IIICaptured!!
Domino II and Domino (Domino I) Flame III and Smokey IICaptured!!
Diamond IV and Smokey III
Eyes:
Place or narrow down the following eye traits:
Tapestry Harvest
Cognac
Odyssey Crystal Rose
Odyssey Slush
There's a saying, "the proof is in the pudding": It means that the truth about something can only be determined by putting it into action or by testing it out. That saying is actually a lazy version of the saying “the proof of the pudding is in the eating” (my family is half Scottish so a pudding to me is a cake: as I type this I'm picturing a yummy-looking sticky toffee pudding, but you can picture something equally delicious if you like!) That phrase means that a sticky toffee pudding may look beautiful and yummy but you can only tell if it really is delicious by tasting it: something could look sweet and delectable, yet taste like a peanut butter and ketchup sandwich. This is kind of how we approach the proofs for KittyCats™ traits: No, we don't taste the cats (well, WendiKitteh licks the Porcelain ones, but that's a different article series altogether). When you have a kitten, you don't know for sure what it's hiding unless you can “test it out”. Sometimes this means breeding out its hidden trait, breeding parents or offspring, tracing it's pedigree back far enough to find out what hidden traits its parents and grandparents hid, etc. When we update the Saga Charts, we try to find these proofs in the pedigrees sent to us by the community: is a cat really hiding Tranquility eyes, or is it hiding a peanut butter and ketchup sandwich?
On that note, I want to introduce the series of articles we'd like to present about proofs: What makes a solid proof? How do you know if a proof you have is correct? How do you know you have all the right information? We are very lucky that we get so much information from the wonderful KittyCatS™ community members! You might even notice that sometimes it takes some time to get the information updated on the charts. We thought we'd start with an introduction that described the process – how a proof sent by a community member gets updated on the Saga Charts.
Finding Solid Proofs
When we receive and analyse a proof, we need to make sure the following questions are answered "YES":
Are the documents complete?
Is the information correct?
Is the proof conclusive?
1. Are the documents complete? We need to make sure we have all the information we need in a format that allows us to examine the proof and later archive it for future reference. We look for the following things:
Are textures sent to SagaKitty's inventory “Full Perm”? Textures must be copy/mod/transfer so they can be archived into notecards (we archive proofs into one notecard with all the urls/textures/etc). Also, sometimes the person getting the proof documents from SagaKitty passes them to someone else to be analysed. If anything isn't full-perm, we contact the sender and request full-perm documents.
Are all URLs permanent? If someone sends a URL to a screen shot of a pedigree, it should be a permanent URL because we often need to go back to a proof for later reference. If the URL doesn't work anymore, we've lost our proof! We also save the images for valid proofs from the web to Google Drive, just in case!
Has all the information been included; is anything missing? If the proof uses information about the parents' hidden traits (or starter's hiddens, or a breeding partner's hiddens, etc), has proof of those hidden traits been included? If the information is about a certain set of cats or certain traits, was the correct pedigree included? If any of the information is incomplete or missing, we contact the sender and request the missing information.
FYI: Kitten Boxes
Sometimes people send a screen shot of the part of a pedigree that shows the rows of kitten boxes a cat has birthed. We don't need that information at all; in fact, it usually doesn't tell us anything conclusive about the cat in question.
2. Is the information correct? Sometimes people send incorrect information; it happens :) For example, maybe someone sent a note that said “Here's proof that this cat is hiding Sassy tail.” but we see that the cat is showing the more recessive Puff tail, so there's no way that cat is hiding Sassy tail. In that case, we'll send a nice note back to the sender explaining the error and, if possible, a request for different information that might help with a proof for the trait in question. Don't worry if you send something that's incorrect; keep sending us stuff! :)
3. Is the proof conclusive? This is probably THE most important part of how the Saga Team evaluates proofs, and this is what has always distinguished Saga's charts from other resources available. We consider the following: Is the proof solid, concrete, and does it actually prove anything? Is it based on assumptions or guesses? We do not make assumptions and we do not accept guesses.
Making Assumptions
More often than not, assumptions and guesses are actually correct! However, the integrity of the Saga Charts is not worth the risk of an error made based on assumptions that might be incorrect. This is a key rule when dealing with proofs for the Saga Charts that is often overlooked by others: we NEVER assume anything and always require concrete proof of everything. If you say a cat has pure Grotto eyes, we need proof that the cat is pure Grotto, otherwise we will evaluate the proof as if the cat's hidden eyes are Grotto or something more recessive. Making assumptions and guesses can lead to mistakes. People rely on the Saga Charts to make decisions about pricing and breeding. Mistakes affect people's work and they affect the market. We will never compromise the integrity of the information in the charts by making guesses and assumptions.
Sometimes people send information based on their own extensive knowledge of their cats, however we don't know your cats at all. If you know that your cat hides Light Dream whiskers, we need to see visible proof of this. Just because your cat had all Light Dream whisker babies doesn't help: I once repeatedly bred two sibling cats showing Odyssey Carnival eyes and all they ever gave me was Odyssey Carnival babies, even though I knew the little buggers were hiding the Fancie Pink Diamond eye from their Pink Champagne Ocicat dad. That kind of result is rare and against the odds (there was a 25% chance on each breeding that those siblings would produce a Fancie Pink Diamond eye but clearly luck was not in my favour) but things like that do happen.
The Saga Charts have lasted this long (since 2011, which is a long time in KittyCatS™ and SL years!) and have been the most reliable source of KittyCatS™ trait information because people trust that the information in them is correct. Oh yes, there have definitely been mistakes made in the past, and that's why the process for analysing proofs has gotten more meticulous and more formally defined.
What is The Process?
What happens when you send a proof? How does it go from your inventory to an entry on the charts? Here's how!
1. Proof Received: Documents are received by SagaKitty (or by one of the team members, as some folks send proofs directly to team members they know personally – in this case, if the proof is valid and conclusive, a copy of the information is stored with the SagaKitty account in case anyone requests information about a proof).
2. First Analysis: Here the documents are checked for completeness and correctness: is all the information there, is anything missing? Are textures full-perm and URLs working? If required, more information is requested from the sender. Otherwise, we make sure the proof is correct and if so, we pass it on to step 3. If the proof is incorrect, it's filed away in case it's needed for future reference.
3. Second Analysis: The documents are analysed to see if the proof is solid or inconclusive. A decision is reached and the proof moves on to step 4.
4. Double-Check: A person not involved in the analysis in step 3 checks the proof. If they agree with the decision, the proof is sent on to step 5. If not, analysis and discussion takes place until a decision is made that the team members agree with. If the decision is that the proof is valid, it moves to step 5. Otherwise, it's filed away in case it's needed for future reference. Sometimes we just need more information, in which case, we request it from the sender and start all over again.
5. File and Update Charts: Finally! If the proof has reached this step, it's conclusive and can be filed in the archives with all of the other proofs. Then the charts are updated!
For those of you in a business analysis or systems analysis field, you might enjoy this flowchart I lazily made:
Click to open in a new window.
Exception: New “Most Recessive” Traits.
Sometimes people discover a new “most recessive” trait. In this case, it is policy to require two independent proofs (ie. from two different breeders). Why? Unfortunately, documents (images, for example) can be manipulated in order to make a new trait look more recessive than it is. Since marking a trait as “the most recessive” has a huge effect the market, we require two proofs from different catteries/breeders to ensure the reliability of that information. The two valid proofs can't contain any of the same breeder names in the pedigrees, from the kitten in question to both sets of grandparents. Also, the two independent proofs can't be from one avatar and an avatar's alt – they must be from two completely different real life people.
Hopefully this has helped you understand what happens when we receive proof information and how it gets onto the Saga Charts (or why it doesn't). Next week we'll start doing some actual examples of proof analysis: we'll start with a simple one we see all the time: drawing a new trait from a starter. Thanks for reading, and may all your dream kitties come true!
I've added a Facebook account and a Twitter account for the SagaKitty News and Updates. If you want to follow the SagaKitty blog, you can now friend SagaKitty Resident on Facebook (see the badge on the left side of the blog) and/or you can follow @SagaKitty on Twitter!
Thanks for reading, and may all your kitty dreams come true! :)
![[tiny kitty]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sGtx3_AFLaQCyl1l1RIhalWwC3c01pgplnxpYPSW-FpvQrgrp4-HSS67nF8SbopF5dF0nN639cxagOq3AqcBBa5E2Y-khmVcs-zMw5a5VL-Aw9lisYVEqdRKceA3cYfb6jdMdp0cHCJqhJ7HDw=s0-d)
