CFA s Top 25 KITTENS. by Linda S. Bartley. inflated counts caused by stuffing at later kitten shows were also unfair to some.

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1 CFA s Top 25 KITTENS The economy has certainly made an impact on the number of kittens being shown this past season but not the quality! Judges were often heard to remark that the decisions on which kittens they wanted to bring back for finals was very difficult. Many of the shows did not have the usual high number of entries that exhibitors were accustomed to finding during prime kitten season. Many of the owners of the kittens were forced to fly to shows extensively, and others were able to only fly to one show or not fly at all. There was also some controversy with the effect that the National Show had during prime kitten season. Some kittens fell out that normally would have been in for National Wins because of that show and several other shows inflated kitten counts. Some kittens were able to gain 500 to 1000 points in one weekend, which was hard to overcome. And some of the NW kittens had already moved on into the Championship classes by the time the National Show was held. Many people complained that the by Linda S. Bartley inflated counts caused by stuffing at later kitten shows were also unfair to some. It has been a memorable year of the first National Wins for two of our breeds. We had the first National Wins for the Oriental Longhair and Siberian breeds in any class, and we were excited at their success. Some of these kittens are the first National Win for the breeders and/or owners, and some are following the traditions for their breeders and owners of many National Wins with their cats. This includes three National Kitten Wins for breeder Frederic Gaspard this season and multiple wins for several other breeders and owners. It has been a wonderful year and a heartbreaking year for some, including the devastating loss of our Kitten of the Year. We had a National Winning kitten from Europe that was only shown a few times in the United States, including the National Show. We had twenty-three kittens from the United States, one from Italy and one from Canada. We had three kittens from Regions 1, 2, 4 and 6, but we had six kittens from Regions 5 and 7. We had no NW kittens from Regions 3 and 8. We had fifteen female and ten male kittens. All but a few were coowned with at least some of the breeders. We had fifteen shorthair kittens, including three American Shorthairs and three Sphynx. We also had one Abyssinian, one American Wirehair, one Russian Blue, one Devon Rex, one Manx, one Oriental Shorthair, one Oriental Longhair and one each of the Scottish Folds, longhair and shorthair. We had ten longhair kittens, with Persians again leading the pack with five solid colors and one bi-color. We also had one Birman, one Exotic, one Maine Coon and one Siberian. It is with great admiration and pride that we present the Top Kittens stories for the season. NW D Eden Lover Maestro of Catsafrats was CFA s Best Allbreed kitten and Best Solid Color Persian. He was a blue Persian male kitten and was bred by Frederic Gaspard and owned by Bruce and Donna Isenberg, Gaspard and Leclerc of Culver City, CA. As Maestro developed, Frederic was delighted with him and asked if Bruce and Donna would be interested in showing him and keeping him for their breeding program. Maestro was structurally as perfect as a Persian kitten could be: large, expressive copper eyes, wonderful boning, oodles of Best Kitten: NW D Eden Lover Maestro of Catsafrats Blue Persian Male Breeder: Frederic Gaspard Submitted by Donna Isenberg coat, and the color magnificent. Maestro s sire is CH Kuorii Soprano of D Eden Lover, and his dam is D Eden Lover Bella. Still, Donna was not thrilled to have a blue in her breeding program and resisted until he appeared before her in Frederic s hotel room. Maestro was a whirling dervish and really did not have time for perusal or approval, yet instantly he was theirs. Maestro came home after the Southern Annual last year, and he resided with Bruce and Donna (though co-owned with Frederic Gaspard and Annie Leclerc) until December 3, 2011, when the unthinkable happened: Owner: Bruce & Donna Isenberg, Gaspard & Leclerc two days shy of turning eight months old, Maestro died suddenly. Maestro did not suffer Only those that loved him suffer his devastating loss. Maestro achieved the honor of becoming the highest scoring kitten in CFA history and was the Best Kitten at the CFA National Show in Indianapolis last November. Although Maestro is not here. he achievements remain an honor bestowed upon a kitten that deserved every accolade given to him in his short life span. Bruce and Donna s love for Maestro has not diminished with time; their reverence for his perfection will exist forevermore, and as for his

2 loss there really aren t any words to express their sorrow. Maestro will remain a kitten forever; he will not grow old, suffer the sands of time, or loss of beauty Maestro, and all the wonderful times they shared, will remaine in Bruce and Donna s hearts as long as they live. Life is brilliant, delightful, horrible, charming, thrilling, agonizing and bittersweet It is an adventure to be treasured and tasted with all we have. Bruce and Donna are thankful for all of it! Till we meet again, darling boy, be happy. Breeder: Dianne Henderson GC, NW Anqet Akasha was CFA s 2nd Best Kitten, CFA s Best Shorthair 2 nd Best Kitten: GC, NW Anqet Akasha Ruddy Abyssinian Male Submitted by Dianne Henderson Kitten, and the Best Abyssinian Kitten. Akasha is a male Ruddy Abyssinian, and was Owner: Dianne Henderson bred and owned by Dianne Henderson of Corona del Mar, CA. Dianne thought Akasha might be a National Winner when his big beautiful eyes opened at 7 days old. When Akasha was two weeks old, she was 100% sure she is not kidding. Akasha debuted at the prestigious National Capital cat show in DC at 4 months and 4 days old, where he was 6th Highest Scoring Kitten. At the fabulous Cotton States Cat Club, Akasha was Highest Scoring Kitten. At the CFA National Show, he was 2nd Highest Scoring Kitten and a proud participant in the Best of the Best, where he also achieved the Breed Win. Akasha s final kitten show was December 31, 2011 at the Nashville Cat Club; he was 2nd Highest Scoring Kitten. Chanan Of the 11 shows Dianne exhibited at, she drove to 3 and flew to 8. She showed in 7 states (AZ, CA, CO, GA, IN, TN, VA).

3 The show which had the biggest impact on Akasha s National Win was the CFA National Show, where he earned 1,232 points and had only 214 replacement points. So Akasha netted 1,018 for that show, which did propel him up the NW ladder. Luckily, he was peaking at the perfect time and benefited as such. Akasha didn t always fall into the Top Five at every show; he had bad shows, too. He was the SWR s 2nd Best Kitten and Best of the Best at the CFA National Show. Dianne said that the show she was most impressed with during the season was the Cotton States cat show in Duluth, GA. She had never shown at Cotton States before, and she was so impressed by the attention to detail and warmth of the Southern hospitality. These people know how to put on a show, let me tell you! Dianne commented. The show was an incredible experience which every CFA exhibitor must experience. She calls it the Cotton States Experience truly an amazing show. Dianne thanks her husband, Scott, for his constant support. Some may have had a glimpse of him in a fleeting moment, as he rarely came into the show hall, but he is always her rock. He made sure that Akasha and Dianne got to the shows and home again always safe and happy. He is very proud of them both. Akasha is sired by GC, BW, NW Astech s Jet Stream, who is owned by Sue Truesdell. Thank you so much, Sue, for allowing the union of Jet and Akasha s mother, Anqet Soot Singh. Competition is always stiff in CFA, and winning 2nd Best Kitten is an absolute thrill for Dianne and something to be very proud of. New friends and fun times with old friends is the best. However, behind the titles and the shows, there is another facet of deep reward which Dianne receives. Through the process of breeding and showing, she cannot keep all of her kittens, and what gives her that extra special heartfelt warmth is seeing the joy an Anqet kitten brings to so many loving families. 3 rd Best Kitten: NW Velva s Alyona Russian Blue Female Breeder: Bob & Diana Doernberg & Rick Hoskinson Owner: Diana, Bob & Michael Doernberg NW Velva s Alyona is CFA s Third Best Kitten and Best Russian Blue Kitten. She was bred by Bob and Diana Doernberg and Rick Hoskinson and owned by Michael, Bob and Diana Doernberg of Akron, Ohio. Alyona is the repeat breeding of last year s Third Best Kitten, GC, NW Velva s Stepping Out of Teada, and 2010 Cat of the Year, GC, BW, NW Velva s Felling Hot,Hot,Hot. In my experience, it is the rare breeding indeed that produces consistent quality. But such has been our good fortune with the combination of Richson Blu Star of Velva, DM (thank you, Rick Hoskinson) and GC Wynterwynd Jackpot of Velva (thank you, Annette Wilson). Again, this year it produced a National Winner. Submitted by Diana Doernberg And perhaps like the third child in a family, Velva s Alyona was more appreciated at our house for her winning personality and boundless energy than for her winning ways in the show ring. From the beginning, we knew that Alyona was destined to go to Sherry and John Randolph in Phoenix, AZ if she found success in the show ring. The Randolph s had been introduced to us by Dick Kallmeyer and Diana Rothermel as prospective Russian Blue breeders. Thanks so much Dick and Diana for sending the Randolph s our way. Their enthusiasm for all things CFA has been very exciting and takes us back to our own first nervous days in the cat fancy. So as we did the year before, we took Alyona out initialy because we wanted to be sure that she would enjoy the show scene and hoped L. Johnson that actually showing her would confirm our feeling that she had show potential. She took Best Kitten honors in her first four shows and was shown beautifully by Donna Andrews in her fifth show to Second Best Kitten in Show. Our thanks to Donna for her help! This was Donna s first experience with showing a Russian Blue kitten, and Alyona came back to our house with great toys and a lovely cozy to sleep in. Thanks also for marking the catalog, Donna. Our son Michael never marks anything in the catalog when he shows one of our cats. Alyona was shown in a total of ten shows (one a back-to-back). She was Third Highest Scoring Kitten at the National Show to the top two kittens nationally, which certainly gave her a big step up in point count. Because this first National Show had such a big point count, it was very nerve-racking for everyone showing I know. Fortunately for us, Alyona s personality really seemed to sparkle at this big event. Sherry and John got to show her in one show, also, and did a great job with the support and help of their enthusiastic cat fancy friends in Phoenix.

4 At the end of Alyona s kitten show career, she decided she preferred the life of a stay-at-home mom. She is now living in Phoenix, AZ with Sherry and John, raising her three kittens. What could be better than that? Our thanks to all the judges who supported her this season, and to the Great Lakes Region for a truly memorable regional awards banquet. 4 th Best Kitten: GC, NW PinUpCats Over The Rainbow Calico Sphynx Female Breeder: Cyndee Gause GC, NW PinUpCats Over The Rainbow was CFA s 4th Best Kitten and Best Sphynx kitten. She was a calico Sphynx female kitten; her breeder was Cyndee Gause, and her owners were Gause, Marshall, Randazzo and Wight of Peachtree, GA. It often takes a village to raise a child, and the same can sometimes be said of our beloved cats. Rainy, often called Dainy because she s so ditzy, truly was from my miracle litter and my very first PinUpCats to PinUpCats breeding, which had been years in the making. Her mother, GC, GP, BW, NW PinUpCats Vision In Black & White, DM, had fertility complications of which we did not know if she d ever bear children again. She surprised me and became pregnant despite the odds. My wonderful vet, our very own Karen Thomas, DVM of Panthat Cattery, had a game plan. So I marked my calendar and started counting the days. Poopsie had an uncomplicated pregnancy and seemed to glow with the prospect of having another litter and started making her nests all over the house. As it became clear that she was not going to progress into labor, Karen performed a C-section on the date we had chosen. She delivered three beautiful kittens: Rainy, Elmo and Shadow. Alas, after a few days of tending to her kittens in traditional overbearing Poopsie fashion, she came down with mastitis, and I had to make the choice of having another momma raise her kittens. I chose to move her kittens to her daughter Nexie (GC PinUpCats Next Top Model), who took over the task with great glee. Nexie had just delivered a singleton, and I swear, when I put the three kittens with her, she looked at me as though saying, I knew I had more in there, I just knew it! Let s just say that Nexie had always been a little zaftig, and upon looking at her big fat belly, I could see why she thought she should have had more! Things went well and the kittens thrived, but as my bad luck would have it, Nexie also Submitted by Cyndee Gause came down with mastitis. Now I had never experienced this in my cattery before, and to have two cases in such a short time, I will admit that I did panic a bit over the situation. Now I had 4 kittens that needed another mother to take them in and raise them. For once, my oops litter turned out to be a good thing. I had not planned on breeding Poopsie s other daughter, Bright (GC, RW PinUpCats Bright New Day); however, Bright had ideas of her own and sneaked in to see her favorite beau without my knowing Owner: Gause, Marshall, Randazzo & Wight until the following morning, when they were discovered canoodling together in their favorite bed! I was glad of that outing now, as she had just delivered 4 kittens the day before. Whether she would be able to handle all 8 kittens was forefront in my mind, and all I could do was ask her and see. I should never have doubted it. Bright took on the task and succeeded in raising three litters of kittens, loving them all as if they were her own. Poopsie and Nexie went on to fully recover from their mastitis. The kittens thrived,

5 and eventually they all came together to help raise and love their children, one happy village of naked Sphynx cats. As the kittens grew, I couldn t help but be drawn to Rainy s huge copper eyes and soulful expression. She showed a lot of promise, and as she continued to grow and mature, I was hoping she d keep that sweet temper she had at home and bring her loving attitude to the judge s tables. Her mother, after all, was famous for being a brat! I should never have worried. Rainy loved to show and had no problem letting the judges see that. She took to her show career like a pro, winning over hearts with her head butts and nose kisses, which only accentuated her wonderful type. She did quite well at the first National Show, even earning a Best Kitten in one of the rings. With the help of several special people (Daedra Marshall, Dawn Randazzo, Virginia Wight), she was able to take her journey all the way and become CFA s 4th Best Kitten and Best Kitten in the Southern Region. I wish I could share the picture Karen took of Rainy and her brothers right after they were born. All wrapped up, looking like little baby birds. It s a reminder of the precious gift we are given every time a litter is born, and no matter the obstacles we face, we have family and friends our own cat fancy village that will always be there to help and support us in our times of need. 5 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Topeng I vegotnews4you of Purrmatix Ebony Mackerel Tabby & White Oriental Longhair Male Breeder: Marcie Siconolfi & Terrie & Bruce Smith Owner: Terrie & Bruce Smith Submitted by Terrie Smith in love with a tabby and white male. From the tender age of three weeks, Terrie could tell a star had been born. Terrie usually names the show cats sired by Buddy news names, so after much deliberation this beautiful kitten was named Topeng I vegotnews4you of Purrmatix, aka Huey. The rest of the kittens were also lovely. Marcie would keep the blue lynx point female AOV to start her Bali/Javi program, the bi-color girl went to the Wellman s in Massachusetts, a seal lynx and white girl was placed as a pet due to being too low white to show, and Huey s handsome ebony tabby brother Victor would go to Nina-Maria Tigerstedt in Finland more about Victor later. GC, NW Topeng I vegotnews4you of Purrmatix is CFA s Fifth Best Kitten and Best Oriental Longhair Kitten. He is an ebony mackerel tabby and white male. He was bred by Marcie Siconolfi and Terrie and Bruce Smith, and owned by Terrie and Bruce Smith of Northport, NY. Huey is the very first Oriental Longhair kitten to make a National Win! How did this amazing boy come to be? The story goes like this Terrie Smith met Marcie Siconolfi which Marcie was showing her Siamese neuter a few years back, and they became friends. Marcie expressed an interest in getting a Balinese or Javanese one day, but none were available. One day, Terrie called Marcie to tell her, I don t have any Balis right now, but I have a really cute litter of Oriental Longhairs, so Marcie came over to check them out. She fell in love with a darling chestnut ticked tabby and white girl, and Marcie named her Bubbles. Purrmatix Tiny Bubbles of Topeng was really a fitting name because of her bubbly personality and also because Marcie and her husband Mike own two laundromats on Long Island. Someday, this adorable girl would be bred to Terrie and Bruce s Javanese National Winning male Buddy GC, BW, NW Purrmatix Headline News, DM, a breeding Terrie felt very strongly would produce lovely kittens. Fast forward ten months or so, and on June 9, 2011, Marcie called Terrie to tell her five beautiful kittens had been born. A few weeks later, Terrie went to see the litter, and they were gorgeous all five of them. This time it was Terrie who fell Terrie was in the process of showing another lovely Oriental Longhair in Championship, so Huey and Chrissie became fast friends and were off on the campaign trail together. At his first kitten show, he made a Best Allbreed Kitten and several other finals, and the very next weekend in Groton, CT, Huey blacklined the show. This was unheard of for a 4-month-old Oriental Longhair; in fact, it had never happened before! Terrie and Marcie were both elated, and plans began to really make a run with this boy! Weekend after weekend, the shows kept getting bigger, and Huey kept doing well. At 5 months of age, Huey competed at the CFA National Show, with 215 kittens present. Huey made many of the finals, including a Best Allbreed Kitten! In fact, he did so well he was once of the 18 finalists in the Best of the Best and finished as 3rd Best Shorthair Kitten in Show with over 800 points! At this

6 point, a National Kitten Win looked like it was really possible! By the middle of his 6th month, Huey had enough points for a National Win, and the rest was icing on the cake! Many judges told Terrie he was the best Oriental Longhair they had ever handled, and one judge even said that Huey was one of the best cats she had ever handled in any breed! In early February, Huey went to Steel City Kitties first show as an open and left that Saturday as a one-show Grand! He was also his sire s 14th Grand! Shortly after that, Terrie decided to retire Chrissie, as her National Win in Championship (also a breed first) seemed to be locked up. In early April, Nina from Finland texted Terrie from a show in Sweden to tell her Victor had just granded to become Buddy s 15th Grand! Now it was time to see if Huey had enough time to earn enough points to be 2nd Best of Breed. He did! In only 6 weeks of shows as an adult, Huey made 2nd Best of Breed and 15th Best Cat in the NAR! He also ended up as Best Kitten in the North Atlantic Region! Not bad for Terrie, Bruce and Marcie s first National Kitten Win! Also of note is that this was only Marcie s second litter and first litter of Oriental Longhairs! Terrie says that as a breeder of 23 years, this past season was the most fulfilling she had ever had. The elusive goal of getting a national winning Oriental Longhair was obtained, with not one but two National Winners. Terrie was also the co-breeder of Betty Powell s beautiful boy Chase in Premiership with Betty Powell and Lynne Von Egidy (congrats Chase!) and had 6 Regional Winners and a male DM! The moral of this story is that starting off a new breeder with quality cats is the right thing to do. Huey has been an absolute joy to Terrie and Bruce, and he s not done yet! Marcie and Terrie hope to continue working on Balis, Javis and Oriental Longhairs together and would like to thank the judges who saw that special something in Huey. Also, many thanks to their friends and fellow exhibitors for their support and encouragement! It s been a blast! 6 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Kiomichi s Margo of Briar-Mar Odd-Eyed White Manx Shorthair Female Breeder: Mark Davis Owner: Omar F. Gonzalez & Gary L. Veach GC, NW Kiomichi s Margo of Briar- Mar was CFA s Sixth Best Kitten and Best Manx Kitten. She is an odd-eyed white Manx female and was bred by Mark Davis of Luther, OK and owned by Omar Gonzalez and Gary Veach of Maywood, NJ. Submitted by Omar F. Gonzalez Margo s story is pretty short; we were approached by her breeder knowing that Omar wanted another Manx, but it had to be white, his favorite color. After seeing photos of Margo, we were sure she was the right kitten for us. Margo has incredible eye color, a wonderful short body and beautiful overall balance. She came to us in the beginning of December and went to her first show at the end of the month to make her debut. She was shown in a total of 54 rings from the last weekend in December through the second weekend in February. By her fifth show, she was ranked in the Top Ten. By her seventh show, she was sixth nationally, where she stayed for the rest of the season. She attended a total of eight shows, in six of which she was Highest Scoring, and only missed three finals. She went on to become a one-show Grand by the middle of March. Although it was a quick run, both Gary and Omar enjoyed going out and showing again and being amongst friends. 7 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Cinema s Poetry of Wishes Copper-Eyed White Persian Female Breeder: Blake Mayes & Dennis Adler Owner: Connie Stewart, Dennis Adler & Blake Mayes GC, NW Cinema s Poetry of Wishes was CFA s 7th Best Kitten and is a copper eyed white female Persian kitten. She was bred by Blake Mayes and Dennis Adler and owned by Connie Stewart, Submitted by Blake Mayes & Dennis Adler Dennis Adler and Blake Mayes of Temple City, CA. Although we have been involved in the cat fancy since the 1980 s, we had taken a break from showing for a few years but still bred the occasional litter of kittens. Then last June we had a litter, and there was a little white female that was a stand-out from day one. By the time she was two months old

7 and ready to be weaned, I knew we had something extra special. I took some photos, sent them to some friends and very quickly received an from Connie Stewart that simply said, Call me. We have been friends with Connie for over 20 years but had not talked in a while, and I was thrilled to find out she liked our kitten. Plans were made to take the kitten to Connie to see in person, and before we knew it, Poetry was in the show halls. We waited anxiously every week for an update on how Connie and Poetry did at the shows. We were showing another white female kitten ourselves at the same time, when another exhibitor that we had just met came up and told us to watch where we went because Connie Stewart was showing a beautiful white female that was doing very well. I simply smiled and told them I had seen the kitten and thought she was beautiful as well. When we were not showing, we went to shows that were close to where Connie and Poetry were to hang out with them. There was a show in Phoenix we went to where Poetry completed her 40th ring with over 2700 points, and we all celebrated, feeling she was probably safe. Poetry had major competition at every show in her own class, but she always did well and raised her placing every week. She granded in one show, and her show career was then retired. I cannot express my gratitude to Connie Stewart. I watched first hand every week her major dedication to the cats, their presentation and care. She devoted her entire life to the campaign and care of Poetry. For me, it was pretty amazing to watch. It was sometime during the campaign I started calling her the hardest working woman in CFA. Since we had been out of the loop for a few years, it was great to see old friends and make new ones. Showing cats gets into your blood. You can get in, but you never really get out. The thrill of the season sparked all the old excitement again, and since then we have been back at it with a force, but the best part of the year was becoming close again with Connie and seeing Poetry, that little stand-out white female kitten, out there competing, winning and looking beautiful. The CFA show season will be one I ll never forget. Thank you Connie for your friendship, hard work and everything you did for Poetry. 8 th Best Kitten: GC, NW D Eden Lover Gypsy of Parti Wai Ex Brown Patched Spotted Tabby & White Exotic Female Breeder: Stewart, Gaspard & Carnevaletti Owner: Richter, Gaspard & Leclerc Submitted by Penni Richter GC, NW D Eden Lover Gypsy of Parti Wai Ex was CFA s Eighth Best Kitten and Best Exotic Kitten. Hi! I am a brown patched spotty tabby and white Exotic female kitten. I was bred by Stewart, Gaspard and Carnevaletti. I am owned by Richter, Gaspard and Leclerc of Riverside, CA. I have a long name and can t remember it, so I just go by the name Gypsy! I am supposed to tell you my story of how I became CFA s 8th Best Kitten nationally! Chanan Well, it all started when I was a young baby living in France, and my caretaker thought I was PERFECT!! Her name was Annie Leclerc, and she told my other caretaker, Frederic Gaspard, You must see this baby! Frederic saw me and said, Oh you ARE perfect! Frederic and Annie went to the

8 United States for a big party and told my new mommy, We have the perfect kitten! My new mommy, Penni Richter, said, Oh, please send her to me! And they did! So that was the beginning of my National Win! I came to the United States when I was just a 4-month-old baby. My new mommy thought I was perfect and loved me! I was so happy! I went on several trips and got to play on little tables with lots of different people that picked me up, felt my coat, felt my head and tail, looked into my big eyes, played with me and put me in a cage. Very strange, but I really enjoyed it! My mom said we get to keep doing these fun things until you are 8 months old! We traveled to several different places; one special place was Indianapolis, Indiana, where I competed in a very big show with lots of other beautiful kitties, and I was in the Best of the Best competition! I tied for Best Exotic in the show with my big brother GC, BW, NW D Eden Lover Pepito of Wishes YEAH Pepito!!! I went to my last show as a new adult in January of At the San Diego Cat Club show, I became a Grand Champion in 5 rings. Today, I am a mommy! I have four beautiful babies, and my human mom says I do a very good job with them! My human mom is very proud and would like to thank everybody for their support and encouragement, and for joining in all of the fun we had during our show times! 9 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Kikapoo s Belle-Of-The Bald Calico Sphynx Female Breeder: E. & C. Wang & Dee Dee & Bryan Cantley Owner: Dee Dee & Bryan Cantley & Vickie Gray GC, NW Kikapoo s Belle-Of-The Bald was CFA s Ninth Best Kitten and is a calico Sphynx. She was bred by E. and C. Wang and D. and B. Cantley and is owned by Dee Dee and Bryan Cantley and Vickie Gray of La Habra, CA. From the moment that my husband Bryan saw her peek over the edge of the birthing box, we knew she was special. This kitten with the big eyes and ears and ohhh what an incredible personality!!! We named this little calico kitten Kikapoo s Belle-Of-The Submitted by Dee Dee Cantley Bald, and the rest was to be history. I had decided to take off the year from much showing, as I had scheduled major surgery, a hip replacement, later in the year. When she was just 3 months old, we took her on a trip in the motor-home to a show in Reno, and I offered her to a friend who liked to show. I said, This is a National quality kitten, but alas, the friend had plans for the year and declined. I also offered her to a newbie who was waiting for another kitten in another breed, and again this did not work out. So finally my friend Vickie saw Bella (as she came to be known) and breathed, Wow, this kitten is spectacular. Vickie took her home, then to a few shows in which Bella did stupendous, and then life got in the way of her keeping Bella! Vickie was heartbroken but handed her back to me, and at that very point I made the decision to keep Vickie on as co-owner and continue Bella s career because it was just the right thing to do. As Vickie was unable to take her to any more shows and I was to get Bella back the week before the National Capital Show, I decided to enter her. This show had its usual caliber of fierce competition, and our little 5-monthold kitten proceeded to be Second Highest Scoring Kitten in Show. It was sealed Her type was the best I have ever produced; we knew she was going for a National Win, AND we knew her song, this baby Belle of the Ball! The last cat I had that enjoyed travel so much was Silly, and she was CFA s COTY in Bella not only enjoyed travel, she demanded it, often jumping in my suitcase on a Friday and looking at me as if to say, Well, where are we going this time? We traveled to Europe and all over the country, and she always looked forward to a new adventure and a new hotel room. She was always such a dream to travel with! Chanan There has never been as magnificent a kitten (and later an adult) on the judging table as Bella! Practically every judge that handled her can tell you; she would turn around and give them a loving look and crawl up to kiss and hug right there in front of everyone! There were some judges that she especially loved: Vicki Nye s hair, Doug Myers chin, Wain Harding s well everything about Wain,

9 and the other exhibitors and competitors always expected her to steal the show. They would exclaim, There she goes, and she would delight the crowd as she sucked up and practically demanded that she be used in their finals! Bella danced and pranced and showed herself off to perfection. No matter what was thrown at her, she continued to rack up incredible points. She aged out two weeks before the National Show, and up till then practically every show she attended was Best or 2nd Best in Show, gaining 900+ points virtually every weekend. This was truly special for both Bryan and I, and Bella, and no one but time could stop her! When she turned 8 months and became an even more beautiful adult, I had never been as proud. Dancing so lightly, she really was the most beautiful National Winning Kitten, this little Belle of the Ball! 10 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Lox-Nott Louboutin Red Persian Male Breeder: Yoonai & Sophia Staples Owner: Yoonai & Sophia Staples Submitted by Yoonai & Sophia Staples GC, NW Lox-Nott Louboutin was CFA s Tenth Best Kitten. He is a red Persian male kitten and was bred and owned by Yoonai and Sophia Staples of Toms River, NJ. Louie just stood out right from the beginning with his spotlight eyes and vibrant color. Red is not our favorite color to show, as we had been through the red campaign, and it is fraught with many challenges and opinions. However, there isn t anything quite like a red personality. Louie is full of personality; whether it was prancing away on the judge s table or lounging out in the benching area, he always attracted a crowd. Even when we frequented Kat Brady s house in Florida, his inquisitive nature kept him well entertained with the new, strange, alien-like kitties that inhabited that home, whether they wanted to be entertainment or not. Louboutin was 4 months old when we brought him to his first show, Garden State. We knew it was going to be a tough show, especially for a kitten just barely eligible for Kitten Class. 8 rings and two days later, we would leave that show was Highest Scoring Kitten, including a Best Kitten from guest judge Joan Henderson of Australia. I knew I was in for it when my mother looked at me in the car and said, Better check for good airline tickets. My dear friend Claudia Hasay was also showing her stunning Devon Rex kitten, Joy Ride, at the time, so we decided to travel together. Keep the competition close, as she would say, jokingly of course I think. Show after show, we would battle it out with Joy Ride but still remain very supportive of each other, no matter what the outcome. That s truly a sign of a great friend, one that is there for you in the best of times and there to rattle your cage when you need it. Louie and I would meet our fair share of hardships through his campaign, with him falling ill and recovering for the good part of August and September, to questions about his color and blowing his eye at the last show of his kitten career. Through it all, he showed what a true show cat is made of and came back stronger than ever to finish up his campaign as a one-show Grand at the Vermont Feline Fanciers show. He would finish the season as 3rd Best Kitten in the North Atlantic Region, too! I would like to thank all of the judges that supported The Cat with the Red Soul Louboutin, as well as my friends and fellow exhibitors for their love and support. Thank you, Claudia, for all the road trips, good music and great company Oh yeah, and for keeping me sane for the most part. Thank you Kat Brady again for turning down your AC, lending me your tub and your friendship! Last but not least, thank you to both Mark and David for again giving us the opportunity to work with your wonderful lines, as well as your advice and wisdom! 11 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Astral Charm Absolutely Precious Calico Persian Female Breeder: Robert & Debbie Rosas GC, NW Astral Charm Absolutely Precious was CFA s Eleventh Best Kitten and Best Bicolor Persian Kitten. Submitted by Debbie Rosas She is a calico Persian female and was bred and owned by Robert and Debbie Rosas of Basehor, KS. Owner: Robert & Debbie Rosas From the day Abby was born, we felt that she was absolutely precious. As she developed, we were even more excited. When she was

10 four months old, we took her to her first show to see how she would do. She loved it and did pretty well for a baby. We had friends (cheerleaders) who wanted us to try for a National Win, so off I went to test the waters. It knew it takes more than having a NW quality kitten/cat. They have to be able to travel, eat well and have a good personality. She is not only beautiful, but she was fun. She was very easy to show, and she had it all! When you are from the Midwest Region, you must fly to almost all of the big count shows. We have experienced flight cancellations and delays many times. One particular flight was delayed going into San Diego, and we were stuck in Phoenix for the night, where the temperature was 117 degrees. I felt really bad for Abby, as she couldn t take off her winter coat. That trip was a nightmare in many ways, but we did make it to the show on time. Thanks to wonderful friends, I was set up and ready before we were called up to her first ring. I even had a flat tire on that trip, go figure! I enjoyed spending the evenings with wonderful friends, great dinners, and I even had time to go to Old Town in San Diego, which I loved. On one of our travels, I took Abby to Malibu Beach to enjoy the sunset, beach and seagulls. She enjoyed traveling so much that she would get to talking at the airport. In order to keep her quiet, I would make a trip to the ladies room, just to flush the toilet. Yes, that did it; it would work every time! If you ever go to a show in New Jersey, you must go to Harold s Deli. It is absolutely wonderful. I bet my eyes bulged when I noticed all the waiters serving all of the tables. When I say huge, I mean I made six meals out of one sandwich. Now that is a big sandwich. Thanks to some wonderful friends out east for introducing me to Harold s Deli. I had a great time! Abby is still a wild child. Her batteries never wear out LOL! She loves to watch movies and eat popcorn! She is such a joy; I love that girl! Thank you to all of the judges who supported us, to the clubs, clerks and stewards, to all my old and new friends. It was so wonderful to see all my old friends and to make new ones. Thanks to my wonderful husband for holding down the fort, booking my flights, motel rooms and car rentals. I could not have done it without you. 12 th Best Kitten: GC, BW, NW Kinross Ears 2 Howie Brown Mackerel Tabby & White Longhair Scottish Fold Male Breeder: Bruce & Ev Russell Owner: T. & J. Patrone & B. & E. Russell GC, BW, NW Kinross Ears 2 Howie, a brown mackerel tabby and white Longhair Scottish Fold, was the Twelfth Best Kitten in CFA and best Longhair Scottish Fold. He was bred by Bruce and EVv Russell and owned by T. and J. Patrone and B. and E. Russell of Ontario, Canada. I have to start my story by saying that GC, BW, NW Kinross Ears 2 Howie, 12th Best Kitten in CFA, was not a planned campaign kitten for mom and I. Fate and a big disappointment led Howie to us. The first part of the story relates to the disappointment. In April of 2011, our great friends Cyndy and Andrea from Chelsea Rose British Shorthairs had a promising litter of kittens. If there was one that was good enough, we would try to repeat our success from the previous year with our National Winning kitten Submitted by T. & J. Patrone CH, NW Chelsea Rose Thank You For The Music. There were two blue-cream girls to choose from, and plans were made to meet them at the National Capital Show to choose one. We showed both and, at the end of the show, RW Chelsea Rose Majogoria Sun (aka Sunny) came home with us. For a month and a half, Sunny did well and we thought we were on our way to a National Win, but Sunny had other plans. We painfully decided to stop showing her at the end of October. While we were waiting for Sunny to grow up, Bruce and Ev Russell of Kinross Scottish Folds had a litter of seven kittens in June. This was a repeat breeding of our second National Winning kitten from last year, GC, NW Kinross Sapheara. Mom and I wanted to concentrate on one kitten this year, but we couldn t help watching the progress of the kittens through the summer. It turned out that the four girls were all straight ears, but the three boys all folded. As the kittens matured, one of the boys, a brown mackerel tabby and white longhair, just stood out to us. What a little package he was. Bruce had been waiting for a boy like this to name him Kinross Ears 2 Howie in memory of his friend Howard Lieberman from Pittsburgh, who had passed away suddenly in The first week in November, mom and I made plans to go to the Butler show to visit with Bruce and my brother-in-law Edwin. Bruce was showing Howie and his brother at their first show. We were still reeling from the hurt that Sunny had not worked out for us. I asked mom, Do you think we should bring a carrier just in case? Her response was a quick, No way. Are you crazy? We got to

11 the show and made our way over to Bruce s cage. As soon as I saw Howie, in my mind there was no way that he was not coming home with us. I just had to convince mom of that. He had everything that a Longhair Scottish Fold should have, not to mention a major cuteness factor. I don t know exactly how it happened, but as the day wore on, the decision was made to bring Howie home with us. I think I surprised both mom and Bruce. Now we had a problem because we hadn t brought a carrier. This is where Edwin saved the day, as he had brought an extra carrier for his Maine Coon kitten Fancy. That s how fate stepped in, and Howie was soon riding home in the back of our car in his pink Maine Coon carrier courtesy of Teresa, Edwin and Fancy. Our first show with Howie was in Dayton, and it seemed like the majority of kittens there were campaigning for National Wins. Howie looked so small compared to everyone else, but he made three finals. One judge commented that he had just hatched. As Howie matured, he started doing very well, and our unforeseen kitten campaign started to take off. The highlight for December was being the Highest Scoring Kitten in Show at the Lebanon, PA show on Saturday. January began with a show in Columbus where Howie was Second Highest Scoring Kitten in Show. We decided to go to the St. Louis show the following weekend. It was shaping up to be a tough show with over 100 kittens entered. Howie made 7 out of 8 finals with one Best Kitten and gained almost 600 points from the show. That made the long 10-hour drive worth it for us. Howie continued to do well in his remaining shows. We even stayed home the final two weeks of his kitten career, as the counts did not warrant us going out. There were still two months left in the show season when Howie aged out in the Kitten class. His Open show in Championship was the first week in March in Indianapolis. To our surprise, Howie granded in four rings the first day. If that wasn t exciting enough, his grand DM s both his dam and his grand dam. We showed Howie in 4 more shows to finish the season, and Howie was also able to capture the Breed Win for the Longhair Scottish Folds in CFA. What a great testament to Bruce and Ev s breeding program and an exciting year for us. Thank you to all of the judges that selected Howie for their finals. What a year! Mom and I would like to thank Bruce and Ev for allowing us to show another great kitten, as Howie marks our third National Winning kitten with a Kinross Scottish Fold. We would also like to thank Bruce for looking after the show entry duties and all his support in our weekly phone calls throughout Howie s campaign. A huge thank you also goes out to my sister, Teresa Sweeney, for all her love and support on our win. It was bittersweet for us, as Teresa s kitten GC, RW Highlander Peterbuilt missed a National Win by a narrow margin. To mirror our story, disappointment comes with great highs, as Teresa was approved as one of CFA s newest judges in March. Mom and I are so proud of your hard work and dedication. We know that you will go far. 13 th Best Kitten: GC, BW, NW Whitesox Illini Blue Lynx Point Birman Female Breeder: K. Lane & S. Carey Owner: Karen & Joe Lane & Yvonne Griffin GC, BW, NW Whitesox Illini is CFA s Eleventh Best Kitten and Best Birman Kitten. She is a blue lynx point Birman female bred by K. Lane and S. Carey and owned by Karen and Joe Lane and Yvonne Griffin of Florida. This kitten s name has probably been the most mispronounced name in CFA this past year. Illini is pronounced IL - LI - NI - I; that s right, four syllables. An Illini is a member of the Illinois Indian Tribe. I am originally from Illinois. Also, the University of Illinois football team is called the Fighting Illini, at least that is when I went to school. Actually, Submitted by Karen Lane we call her Weapon, thanks to my friend Stephanie Boulter, who called her a Secret Weapon when she was still in the kitten box. One of the neat things about Weapon is she was born at just the right time of the show season, in March, and had the ability to attend most of the larger shows during her kitten time. Her last kitten show was the National Show, and she got her winners ribbons and granded in December. Most people that know me understand that the friendships I have made in CFA have kept me in CFA. This kitten, and her winning season, is a great example of my friendships in CFA. Right after Weapon s mom s and dad s great genes, Yvonne Griffin gets all of the credit for making this girl a winner. She was out with our girl week after week at the shows. Yvonne is a good friend, and she handled Weapon beautifully, both in the ring at at her home. Our goal was to get a National Kitten Win with Weapon. We were elated with her kitten career. She was a large girl and had the perfect nature to handle the shows and travel week after week. At the end of her kitten career, we never had any idea of looking for the Birman Breed

12 Win. When we talked about the maybes and the what-ifs and about keeping her out, we thought we had little chance. Yvonne then said she was game for the challenge if Weapon stayed together. We all know that showing a female in Championship has its special challenges with keeping weight and coat on her as her hormones developed. Like many breeds, the Birman breed standard is written for the male, so weight and coat are essential to compete against the males that have been out for most of the year. It has been sixteen years since a Birman captured a National Kitten Win and the Breed Win in the same season. A Birman female has never done this before. What started out as a goal for a National Kitten Win ended up being so much more. L. Johnson Yvonne and I want thank our great CFA judges for supporting this once-in-a-lifetime experience for Weapon and the Whitesox breeding program. Weapon s next job is being a CFA IAMSCat. We are now looking forward to letting the public learn about the joys of owning a Birman and being part of the CFA family. 14 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Jobara s Renesmee of Nu Moon Blue-Eyed White Devon Rex Female Breeder: Barbara Irie (Lessee) Owner: B. Irie, T. Orfanos & J. Kleider Submitted by Barbara Irie dad and one tiny white girl that was well, tiny. Nessie was sort of cute, but would she be cute enough for our friend, Tina Orfanos, who breeds silver Persians and was being mentored fore Devons? Could Nessie possibly be a replacement kitty for a Regional Winner that didn t have babies? We took the first kitten pictures asking for critiques from some of our fellow breeders, and the overall consensus was that the kittens were cute but the ears were a little disappointing, especially since mom had huge ears. We adopted a waitand-see outlook, and in about three weeks, the surprises began to pleasantly unfold. GC, NW Jobara s Renesmee of Nu Moon was CFA s Fourteenth Best Kitten and Best Devon Rex Kitten. She is a blue-eyed white Devon Rex female kitten. She was bred by Barbara Irie (lessee) and is owned by B. Irie, T. Orfanos and J. Kleider of Salt Lake City, UT. When Renesmee (Nessie) was born, she was the littlest one of four in an outcross breeding made possible by Robin Robertson, who graciously offered to let me lease CH Devinedevons Angel Baby for a litter. Nessie s sire is GC, RW Jobara s Ka-Boom, who was the first male Devon Rex in CFA to become a one-show Grand. One never knows what to expect from outcrossing, so my daughter Jade and I said our prayers and crossed our fingers. Our first thought was yay healthy, vigorous babies! Then came the change-your-mind-everydayfor-the-next-eight-weeks evaluating time. We had two really cute blue-patched and whites like mom, a very nice white boy like The white boy surprised us when one of his eyes reflected light strangely, and he ended up being odd-eyed. He continued to develop handsomely and now has an International home. The dilute sisters became the in-yourface girls and are on their way to becoming Grand Champions but may take maternity leave from their show careers. As for little Nessie, big things truly do come in small packages, and she was the best surprise of all. Not only did she develop ears, coat, body type, personality and beautiful baby-blue eyes, but she exceeded our expectations on the show bench and continues to bring joy and happines wherever she goes. She is currently a doting stay-at-home mom with three adorable

13 babies. We are so proud that she was able to represent the Devon breed so beautifully this season. We are also grateful to all our dear breeder friends that worked together and helped make it possible to produce and show Nessie. Many thanks to all the special exhibitors and wonderful judges who supported her success, and congratulations to all the winners of the season! 15 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Timberbend Patchwork And Powderhorn Brown Patched Mackerel Tabby & White Siberian Female Breeder: Kim McDaniel Owner: Kim McDaniel Submitted by Kim McDaniel tutorials of new friends, a different plan took shape. With two sons in college, Kim vowed to keep a campaign realistically tailored for the family who helped out at home in her absence and without breaking the bank. No flying. No marathon drives. The limit was 5 hours by car. Two months into her fourmonth window, Tutti had reached the next milestone, and it dawned on Kim that the heretofore unspeakable might no longer be the unreachable and a National Win was a realistic goal! The coming months flew by. Neither Tutti s reception by the judges and fellow exhibitors nor her enchanting show demeanor ever waivered. She finished her kitten career at a new high Best Kitten in Show during her final outing in Kitten class at home in Indianapolis, finishing as #2 Kitten in the Midwest Region and moving into #15 in the CFA Kitten standings! GC, NW Timberbend Patchwork And Powderhorn is CFA s 15th Best Kitten and Best Siberian Kitten. She is a brown patched mackerel tabby and white female kitten. She is bred and owned by Kim McDaniel of Indianapolis, IN. She is the first National Winner Siberian in breed history! Tuttie, named when she popped out looking much like her mother, whose nickname is Turtle, was proclaimed Turtle TOO! Being an early July baby, Tutti is named for the group of saucy Revolutionary War Women Patriots. She herself showed off her own endearing and spunky personality in Midwest and Great Lakes showhalls. The CFA National was headed to Indy. Having successfully campaigned her Siberians elsewhere, Kim knew the odds for success as such a large, competitive show. Couple that with the fact she was well aware of the obstacles in showing a minority breed and her kitten was a female just a minute over 4 months old well, Kim was well aware of her prospects. Still, it was an opportunity to be a part of something new, see just what kind of show girl Tutti would be, and see if the move from showing exclusively in one registry to dabbling in another was a more permanent move, all while sleeping in her own bed. What started as a lark on Saturday morning set Kim s head spinning at what hit her by Sunday afternoon. Her little princess showed like a pro purring, clowning, loving and showing just how much fun showing could be with her. By the end of the National Show, Tutti had earned 5 of 10 finals in her very first show, including a Best Allbreed Kitten! The seed was planted, so Tutti and Kim traveled to another show a couple of weeks later for a reality check. That s not what happened there, nor did it happen at subsequent shows. Tutti took to showing with ease and grace, and judges, spectators and fellow exhibitors adored her charming personality. The original goal was quickly surpassed, and with the encouragement and Another milestone loomed ahead adding that final jewel to her crown and earning her Grand Champion title while finishing the fairytale season that had gone well beyond Kim s wildest imagination. At the end of that first weekend in Championship competition, Tutti had earned 196 Grand Points! The elusive one-show Grand was not to be for the little patched Siberian who entertained so many people, and 4 points separated her from that perfect season. Disappointment was a fleeting thought as Kim realized just how far they d come together, and she counted her many blessings and those new friendships made during the journey. At her next show, Tutti granded immediately in fine style as Best Allbreed Champion. Tutti is at home taunting and tempting the boys while helping the other queens raise their kittens. She ll be a fabulous momcat herself when that time comes, and we ll be looking for Tutti TOO! This season was impacted by so many wonderful CFA exhibitors who patiently explained all manner of the CFA show intricacies. There was not one single show where we didn t meet new friends, greet older ones and enjoy the ride. Thank you so much for taking us under

14 your wings and into your group. Thank you to all those Siberian breeders who forged the trail ahead of us, enabling this opportunity for us and celebrating this achievement with us. May it be the first of many Siberian achievements to come! To all the judges who supported us during the season, and particularly Gary Powell and Larry Adkison, who liked her mother but adored Tutti, that feeling was so obviously mutual for her in your rings THANK YOU! Thank you all for one of the most enjoyable and memorable times of my life! 16 th Best Kitten: GC, BW, NW Coupari Nermal Blue Tabby & White Shorthair Scottish Fold Male Breeder: Melody Mathis & D.J. Roberts Owner: Melody Mathis & D.J. Roberts GC, BW, NW Coupari Nermal is CFA s Sixteenth Best Kitten and Best Scottish Fold Shorthair Kitten. He is a blue classic tabby and white shorthair male, bred and owned by Melody Mathis & D.J. Roberts of Nashville, TN. I named him Nermal because he reminded me of the Garfield series character, who proclaimed himself to be The World s Cutest Kitten. At 3 months old, I knew Nermal had something special! After all, he had the tightest ears ever, a great personality, beautiful expression, awesome tail, and lovely color and classic tabby pattern. The first show of his kitten career was Hidden Peak in Timonium, MD. Nermal made 5 or 6 finals, I believe. It was a great start, so on to the next show in Medina, OH. Our campaign consisted of 12 shows. It covered 4 different regions: Southern, Midwest, Gulf Shore and Great Lakes. Submitted by Melody Mathis My biggest challenge was the Gulf Shore Regional Benefit Show in Cleburne, TX on October 22, I drove to the show on Friday, then rested up. On Saturday morning after checking in, I got one of my horrible migraine headaches. I had not packed my prescription medicine, so my headache just got worse. Thank God, I was able to get Nermal to the rings and finish the show with help from my friends Pat Hall and Virginia Sabin. That was one of the worst weekends of my life! Nermal did end up being Highest Scoring Kitten in Show, so it was truly a miracle! Nermal and I attended the National Show in Indianapolis. It was a poor scoring show for us, but Nermal was Best Shorthair Scottish Fold Kitten. In short, the National Show did not impact Nermal s National Win. It was always a breeze showing Nermal! He loved to travel and stay at the Quest Inn (My closest friends know what this means. It s an inside joke). Nermal was always happy and ready to go when it came time to show. He gained a few nicknames as the campaign went on, such as The Nerminator, Nermie, L. Johnson and The Nerms. Each time Nermal and I walked to and from a ring, he always put his arm around my neck. It was so sweet and endearing. I ll never forget his incredible charm. Our sweet lover boy, our pride, our joy GC, BW, NW Coupari Nermal. Nermal is the third National Winning Kitten for Coupari Scottish Folds. Nermal was also this season s National Best Shorthair Scottish Fold and the Southern Region s 3rd Best Kitten & 16th Best Cat in Championship. 17 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Kelloggs Sweet Child-Of-Mine Silver Tabby American Shorthair Female Breeder: Heinrich & Carly Kellogg Submitted by Lorna Friemoth GC, NW Kelloggs Sweet Child-Of- Mine is CFA s 17th Best Kitten and Best American Shorthair Kitten nationally. She is a silver tabby female kitten bred by Owner: Heinrich & Carly Kellogg, John, Shelby, Lorna & Kelsey Friemoth & Seth Baugh Heinrich and Carly Kellogg and shown by Heinrich and Carly Kellogg, Shelby, John,

15 Lorna, and Kelsey Friemoth, and Seth Baugh of Ottawa, OH. The Friemoth/Baugh and Kellogg friendship has been strengthened beyond our expectations through this little cat. This all started when the Kelloggs were exhibiting Rosie at the National Show as a four-monthold. Four-month-old kittens are rarely as put together as Rosie was at this time. She certainly held her own. In the weeks following the show, the Kelloggs contacted Lorna Friemoth to see if she might be interested in showing Rosie as a kitten to help get her to some of the higher count shows that occur on a pretty regular basis in the area. Rosie could get to most shows within an 8-hour drive, and it wouldn t necessary for her to deal with the stress of travel by air every weekend. Shelby ended up bringing her home from the Phoenix show in December. Our first time out with her was the following weekend in Lebanon, PA. She made some waves at the show, and we were encouraged to keep going. Rosie, being the first silver American that Lorna had ever had, took a lot of getting used to. The grooming is quite different than that of the brown tabbies she had shown in the past. Rosie never minded Lorna s experiments with different bathing or blow drying techniques. What she did mind were the car rides. Not a week went by where she didn t get car sick at least once on the way to the hotel or show. We almost wondered if she wasn t doing it on purpose to get us to take her our of the carrier and dote over her. She was the embodiment of a princess in every way. Showing a late season kitten is difficult, and there really is no margin for error. Rosie had the perfect storm, and there s really no telling if we could pull this run off again with another kitten. She made her debut into the Top 25 after a stellar performance at the San Diego Cat Club show. After that, the only two goals that we had for her were possible. She did meet our goal of being Best American Shorthair Kitten nationally. She had started to get hormonal after San Diego and lost some of her gorgeous silver under color, and we weren t sure that she was going to continue to climb the standings, but due to some persistence from Lorna and Shelby, she went on to get the final few points she needed to be Best American Shorthair at her last show, Atlanta Phoenix, where she received her only Highest Scoring Kitten in Show. Despite being met with adversity, showing Rosie really was a lot of fun, in addition to being very educational as to learning how different colors are within a breed. Thank you Heinrich and Carly for allowing us the opportunity to show such a lovely girl and for your friendship, and thank you to all of the judges who supported her. 18 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Dovon Clark of Lynzkatz Brown Tabby American Shorthair Male Breeder: Doug & Kathie von Aswege Submitted by Linda Bartley GC, NW Dovon Clark of Lynzkatz was CFA s 18th Best Kitten and 2nd Best American Shorthair Kitten. He is a brown tabby American Shorthair male bred by Kathie and Doug von Aswege and owned by Linda and Jon Bartley, Doug and Kathie von Aswege and Edmond Tang of Altoona, PA. We were to get a blue tabby and white female kitten to show for Doug and Kathie, and the kitten didn t turn out to be as nice as they hoped. They asked if we would consider taking the brown tabby littermate to show instead. He was out of our female, Lynzkatz Truffles of Dovon, and GC, BW, NW Yatfung s Hulk In Brown!!! Kathie brought him to the Hidden Peak show for us to see. We thought he was a nice boy, with large boning and great warm color and pattern, and told them we would take him. We took him to the Sacred Cat of Burma show at 4 months, and he made 6 finals, including a Best Allbreed Kitten in a big kitten class. I took him to the National Siamese Cat Club show in NY, and he was Best Kitten in Show. The next weekend was National Capital, which we were going to with the Exotic in Premiership that we were showing. Clark made six finals as a fourmonth-old baby and was tenth in show out of 122 kittens! We began to think we should at least try for a Regional Win with him. We were showing GC, GP, NW Tigerboy Skip To Owner: Linda & Jon Bartley, Doug & Kathie von Aswege & Edmond Tang My Lou in Premiership and did not plan on another campaign because we were showing her. We went to the big shows with LuLu as planned, and Clark continued to do well. People started asking if we were running him for a NW. We didn t know what to do, as our first priority was to the Exotic in Premiership. We decided to go to the shows we planned on with LuLu and hope they both could do well. We did go to separate shows twice; Jon went one way with Clark, and I went to another show with LuLu and hoped for the best. The only show that we flew to with Clark was the TGIF show at Purina Farms, and he had a great show and made eight finals. During his last kitten show, the Ohio State Persian show,

16 he made four Best Allbreed Kittens and all six finals. He was Best Kitten in Show! What a way to end a kitten run! L. Johnson He went to the Straight and Curl show as an Open and made 5 finals on Saturday and picked up 191 points. He made many finals on Sunday and granded with over 315 points. He is his dam s 4th Grand Champion and his sire GC, BW, NW Yatfung s Hulk In Brown!!! s 4th Grand and second National Winner this season. He was also Great Lakes 3rd Best Kitten and GLR s 15th Best Cat in Championship. Clark is a crazy and very active cat that spent most of his time on the table hanging from the light bar and playing like a fool. We spent 4 months hoping he didn t fall off the table or light pole due to his antics and spent each ring holding our breath. He thought there was nothing better than a cat show and proved how much he enjoyed it in every ring. I think we both developed a few extra gray hairs by the time his kitten career was over, but he had a great time at every show. He is a large, proportioned cat with incredible color, pattern and boning, and we can t wait to see what he produces in our breeding program. What a great year we will never forget, with two National Wins! We would like to thank Clark s breeders and co-owners, Doug and Kathie, for allowing us to share our house with such a fun, gorgeous cat! We would also like to thank the others in our American Shorthair group, Edmond Tang (co-owner), Christine Shek and Ulrike Knueppel for all of their support during Clark s run! 19 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Moro Allure of Cuzzoe Blue Persian Female Breeder: Anne Nenin & Roberta Canal Owner: J. Pelletier, E. Valencia & A. Nenin GC, NW Moro Allure of Cuzzoe was CFA s Nineteenth Best Kitten. He is a blue Persian male kitten and was bred by Anne Nenin and Roberta Canal and owned by J. Pelletier, E. Valencia and A. Nenin of Smithfield, NC. You can imagine our excitement as Anne Nenin of Moro Cattery from Belgium showed us the photos of her newborn kittens at the 2011 Annual. We were there celebrating GC, NW Moro Little Boy Junior of Cuzzoe. He was Anne s first National Win and our first bicolor Persian. This litter was unlike the year before s, though. There was a very curious looking solid blue kitten among two bi-colors. This was something very different from the black and white kitten we expected out of a repeat breeding of Little Boy. It was even more surprising when Anne told us a few weeks later that the boys were really girls! Submitted by Justin Pelletier & Eric Valencia

17 Allure hit the table running at her first show. Well, not so much running She was more like a supermodel on a runway back and forth, side to side. Work it, girl! She made two Best Kitten finals that weekend at 4 months and a minute old. Underneath that cloud of blue hair was the short, compact body and the smooth, spherical head the judges want to feel. Soon, Allure had quite a following of judges that were looking for her and those that could not wait to meet her. Allure was shown in 7 states at only 9 shows in 3 of CFA s regions. We chose not to bring her to the National Show, as we focused on a few other kittens last season, too. Her only plane ride was the one we carried her back to the US from Belgium on. Allure recieved numerous Best Kitten finals and was Highest Scoring Kitten in Show multiple times. Once of the most memorable was when she won the Mona Cherrington Memorial Award at the Absolutely Abyssinians show. This was our third cat to win the cherished Waterford crystal trophy, after GC, BW, NW Kuorii Santos of Cuzzoe and GC, NW Kuorii Gorilla of Cuzzoe. Allure finished as successfully as she started. She went from Open to Grand Champion at the Crab & Mallet along with her Maine Coon brother, GC, NW Cuzzoe Timberland. We are so appreciative to all those that loved Allure during the time we showed her. We share this award with Anne Nenin, whose friendship means the world to us. Thank you for everything, Anne. We love you! 20 th Best Kitten: GC, NW KMWK Alex Brown Ticked Tabby & White American Wirehair Male Breeder: Maureen Kramanak & Kevin Weber Owner: Maureen Kramanak & Dawn Skupin GC, NW KMWK Alex is CFA S Twentieth Best Kitten. Alex is a brown ticked tabby and white American Wirehair bred by Maureen Kramanak and Kevin Weber and owned by Maureen Kramanak and Dawn Skupin of Leawood, KS. Submitted by Maureen Kramanak Alex was born on opening day of the 2011 baseball season and was named after Maureen s favorite player, Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals, where Maureen lives. Alex comes from a long line of American Wirehair royalty. His maternal granddam is GC, BW, NW Cameroncats Christina of KAW, who, to this day, is the highest finishing American Wirehair in CFA history. He is related to all of the KMWK National Winners, Noah, Zack, and Alyissa, but perhaps his most famous relative is his grandsire, GC, BW, RW Bangor Cab Calloway of Cameroncats, DM, who, ironically, posthumously received the DM title through Alex s dam, GC, RW KMWK Emmalane. Alex s win was truly a team effort, as he was shown during his very short (only 7 shows!) kitten career by Dawn and Mike Skupin, Lorna and Shelby Friemoth, and Mary Batterson. This was due to the fact that Maureen s fiance, Joe Ost, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, meaning that Maureen could not be available to show Alex during this time. Dawn writes: When I attended the Springfield, Illinois show in October, I saw that Maureen was showing the most beautiful American Wirehair that I had ever seen. Having competed at the National level for many years, I immediately saw the kitten s potential and asked Maureen where he had been, and was she planning to show him. Her response was, No, and she proceeded to tell me about Joe s illness and how he was not expected to live for more than a few months. Shortly thereafter, I was able to take Alex and show him. I was glad that the weekly show reports helped Maureen and Joe focus on something other than illness, even for that short time. Maureen writes: Alex is my ninth NW, but what made it truly special was how my friends banded together to achieve it. This win truly belongs to everyone who helped Alex obtain enough points to earn a NW in exactly 40 rings. Since we started so late, we couldn t make any mistakes, and everyone s experience and willingness to help was certainly welcome! Joe showed Cab Calloway to a National Breed Placement in 2002, and I m sure both of them are sitting on the Rainbow Bridge looking down proudly upon Alex. Alex is being shown in the Championship class, and when he isn t on the show bench, he is at Stedam American Shorthairs, making a new generation of wire babies who can trace their ancestry to some of the greatest American cats in CFA history.

18 21 st Best Kitten: GP, NW Kelloggs Infinite Dreams Silver Tabby American Shorthair Spay Breeder: Heinrich & Carly Kellogg Owner: Heinrich & Carly Kellogg Submitted by Heinrich Kellogg Chanan GP, NW Kelloggs Infinite Dreams is CFA s Twenty First Best Kitten. She is a silver tabby American Shorthair spay bred and owned by Heinrich and Carly Kellogg of Maple Valley, WA. Hi everyone! My name is GP, NW Kelloggs Infinite Dreams; people call me Fina. My human parents enjoy attending CFA cat shows, where they get the opportunity to show the world how proud they are of us. Although they let us ultimately choose the path we will take in life, they encourage us to either try the cat showing world or take on the honor of being someone s lifetime pet. They give us all the support we need to succeed at either endeavor. My mother, GC, NW Kelloggs Iron Maiden, and my grandmother, GC, NW KingOfHearts Royalqueen of Kelloggs, both entered the cat showing world, so I hoped I had what it would take to do the same. I had a large, well-balanced body with better color and pattern than anyone in my family. So I was very happy when I was chosen to attend a show. Everything from the bath, airplanes, hotels and show seemed to come natural to me. I want to thank my cat parents for this fact. I was very happy when I received recognition from all the judges at my first show. I went on to make every final at every show I attended until my human dad mentioned (out loud in public) that I had accomplished just that. Well you all know what happened at the next show. My human dad said he wouldn t do that again. At 7 months of age, my parents predicted that I had accumulated enough points to earn my NW title. They also informed me that someone inquired about adopting me. It would mean that I would fly across the country and live on the east coast if Canada. I would also attend my last few kitten shows in CCA. It seemed like fun, and I was up to the challenge. I love my new human dad very much and did well at my last few kitten shows in CCA. My new dad brought me back to the CFA shows when I turned 8 months, and I was able to earn my Grand Premier title. I want to thank the Kelloggs for finding me such a wonderful forever home. They played a big part in who I am today. I love them dearly and look forward to seeing them again in the near future. I have been told that I have what it takes to be an ambassador cat, and it may be in my future. I know that would make them very proud. 22 nd Best Kitten: GC, NW Cuzzoe Timberland Brown Tabby Maine Coon Male Breeder: Justin Pelletier & Eric Valencia Owner: Justin Pelletier & Eric Valencia GC, NW Cuzzoe Timberland was CFA s Twenty Third Best Kitten and Best Maine Coon Kitten. He is a brown tabby Maine Coon male who was bred and owned by Justin Pelletier and Eric Valencia of Smithfield, NC. We almost missed the 2011 Annual waiting on this guy. He was not born until close to midnight the night before we were to be seated as delegates for the Annual Meeting. Luckily, Submitted by Justin Pelletier & Eric Valencia our very own Southern Region was hosting the event, and it was within driving distance. We made it to Reston, VA just in time to cast our votes. We were excited to get back home but had a great story to tell of how we almost missed it. Ironically, we are celebrating GC, NW Cuzzoe Timberland one year later. I tend to be a sucker for Maine Coon females, having shown Timberland s mother, GC, NW Cuzzoe Hearts-A-Fire, a few years before. There is nothing like a girl that can compete with the big boys. As Timberland developed, we knew we had a special boy that would hopefully shape the cats of the future in Cuzzoe cattery. We had not been in a position to keep a male kitten for some time, but we now had a boy to call our own. We lived vicariously through the campaign of Timberland s halfbrother, GC, DW Cuzzoe Go Diego Go of

19 Handelbandit, the year before, but this time the fun was all ours! Timberland got a lot of attention from day one. Even at his first show at four months old, he was taking second looks and breed ribbons from the older, larger kittens, which is not an easy feat in the Maine Coon breed. Timberland learned quickly where the judges kept their toys. When he came out on the judging table, he would crouch down and peer over the edge in anticipation of their teasers whipping through the air. As he matured and was consistently making finals, his biggest competition was another of our kittens, a little blue Persian named GC, NW Moro Allure of Cuzzoe. We showed Timberland for 13 weekends, visited 10 states and 5 regions, flying to 3 of those shows. Timberland was awarded Best Kitten numerous times, and he finished his kitten career as the Highest Scoring Kitten in Show. Timberland was one of our one-show Grands this season, not to be outdone by Allure one last time. We are very proud of GC, NW Cuzzoe Timberland, CFA s 22nd Best Kitten for We are thankful to everyone who loved and appreciated him, and especially to Elaine Magee of Coonalley, who generously shared his sire, GC, RW Coonalley s Tony Lama of Cabincoon. 23 rd Best Kitten: GC, NW D Eden Lover Narciso of Bhakti Copper-Eyed White Persian Male Breeder: Carnevaletti, Gaspard & Michel Owner: Giuseppe Barsalona, Cristiano Rossini & Submitted by Cristiano Rossini & Giuseppe Barsalona Frederic Gaspard GC, NW D Eden Lover Narciso of Bhakti was CFA s Twenty Third Best Kitten. He is a copper-eyed white Persian male, bred by Carnevaletti, Gaspard and Michel and owned by Giuseppe Barsalona, Cristiano Rossini, Frederic Gaspard, and Annie Leclerc of Italy. This is Narciso s story from the very beginning One cold and rainy morning in May, we received an from our friend Frederic Gaspard. It was an unusual and very cryptic message where Frederic said that he had a very big surprise for us. A fantastic cat had been born in his cattery, and he would be happy to give him to us for a present but upon one simple condition The cat is yours, but you must promise me one thing: that you will do all that is possible to make him Best Kitten in the Europe Division and try to make him (it was a dream at that time) a National Winner. Frederic also told us that we couldn t see any pictures of Narciso or ask any questions about him; we weren t even allowed to know the color of his coat, his gender, or anything else for that matter! This mystery made us too curious, and so we decided that we could do it! Later, Cristiano set off for Orange in France, finally going to get Narciso and take him into our home. The long wait had finally ended: we were the proud owners of a splendid white male with a sweet and seductive expression. So we began the campaign with him full of enthusiasm, though wary of the fact that only showing the cat in Europe, the count was often lower than in the States, so it would be harder to earn enough points to stay in the NW. Narciso was an immediate sensation. During his first show, we were very happy to discover the cat s loving temperament during the displays and that he was a kitten with very important characteristics. He had a very compact body, expressive eyes of an intense color, a beautiful head and thick coat. The judges were enthusiastic about him, and we were very proud. In the following months, Narciso took part in all European shows, winning Best Kitten every time. This result is achieved only with hard and constant work; to take a cat to a show is an exacting experience, and to take a white Persian even

20 more. We wanted him to be impeccably white, and our hearts filled with joy when we heard the praise from the judges and other breeders. One of the most exciting shows for us was the National Show of Indianapolis. Cristiano was very anxious when he got into the show hall. It was the first time we were showing a cat in the States, and we knew that the competition would be very tough, with 215 kittens in the running and all of them high quality. In fact, Narciso was voted Third Best Longhair Kitten in the show, and this gave us much pride and joy! But to make sure we would get into the National Winners and stay there, just two weeks later Cristiano decided to go back to the States. He took Narciso to Baltimore for the last Kitten class show, thus still aiming for a bigger show than any held in Europe. This proved to be a good move, leading Narciso to winning the Best Kitten award once again and taking a few points to add on the NW count. Halfway through the campaign, Narciso was the Best Kitten in the Europe Division. Narciso s campaign left us with indelible memories we will always carry with us. The long journeys, waiting, and phone calls coming in during the judgements from all over the world strengthened our relationship, as well as the beautiful complicity found with Frederic, who had encouraged and supported us at every step. In all, Narciso won 40 rings as Best Kitten. Not bad! Once the campaign in the Kitten class was over, it was time to get Narciso granded, and we decided to let him show for the first time in Championship class in Spain. They met tough competition in the solids ring, with 16 high-level Persians, but in the end Narciso triumphed over them. He was a one-show Grand in only 5 rings!!! It was finally over; we could finally relax and enjoy just being at home with our beloved Narciso. The points he had gained during the campaign allowed us to try to relax and hope that he stay a NW, having reached our highest goals and being really happy for the campaign and all the big work we do to keep him in condition. The promise to Frederic had been kept, and Narciso was Best Kitten in the International Division of Europe and a CFA National Winner. An important result for a kitten mostly displayed in European shows. We want to publicly thank our friend Frederic Gaspard for having given us such a wonderful present, for a his friendship and for having believed in us more than anyone else. Thanks also go to all the judges who supported and loved Narciso during the shows, to all our breeder friends who supported us and Narciso, and to all the friends we found during this year that always enjoy the shows with us. 24 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Skinzin Penny Lane of Mericat Blue & White Sphynx Female Breeder: J.W. Gunby, D. Andrews & V.J. Wight Owner: J. & C. Gunby, Marshall, Gause & Wight GC, NW Skinzin Penny Lane of Mericat was CFA s Twenty Fourth Best Kitten. She is a blue and white Sphynx female kitten bred by J.W. Gunby, D. Andrews and V.J. Wight and owned by J. and C. Gunby, Marshall, Gause and Wight of Sharpsburg, GA. It was a hard fought battle for Penny. This past show season was quite eventful. Virginia was sick. She hadn t felt like going to a cat show in a long while, but just because it had been a while does not mean she had forgotten about it. The picture was grim. Virginia almost died spent a week on a ventilator and was placed on dialysis. So what does any self-respecting, Submitted by Virginia Wight cat show aficionado (i.e. idiot) do in such a situation? She goes to a cat show with a kitten on dialysis. Virginia was on dialysis, that is not the kitten. And who else would perform her own dialysis in the sterile confines of a show hall (isn t there a show rule about that)? What does not kill, heals, so those kidneys gave it another shot and started working just enough to get her off dialysis. Judy, in the meantime, had a kitten she thought was God s gift. She went to a show to mentor someone along but had to have something of her own to show. So she took God s gift (oh, I mean Penny Lane) to a show as a 4-month-old kitten, where the allbreed kitten count was a huge total of about 11. When Penny Lane made all the finals, Judy was so excited she did not know what to do. So she asked Virginia (who will answer her cell phone from the hospital bed) how she was again because her kidneys had been barely working, but there was a problem with Virginia s heart, as well. Virginia got out of the hospital long enough to suggest that Judy enter another show. Virginia thought she would enter her own kittens and they would go together. Of course, Virginia ended up back in the

21 hospital for another week, so they decided the prudent thing to do was stay home. But Penny Lane was entered and they did have the hotel reservations, so when she got out of the hospital, she figured she felt good enough to go to the show. After all, Judy was driving. And whoops! Virginia did not get her kittens entered, as entering a cat show from the hospital bed was a stretch. Virginia met Penny Lane for the second time in the hotel room (the first time, she was just naked ears) and was immediately smitten. Maybe Judy was not cattery blind. Dare we say it? National Winner? Well Virginia said it, and Judy went along with it because she did not know what it meant, as she had not earned one in the past. So the stage was set. Virginia entered cat show rehab for 3 1/2 months until Penny Lane was 8 months old. She began flying around to shows every weekend or making long drives with Daedra, who always did most of the driving. There was a Sphynx kitten older than Penny Lane and one younger than her, both with owners who had their sights set on a NW, too. Dare we say it? Three National Winning Sphynx kittens? Was it possible? Could we all work together to make it happen? Cyndee and Virginia whispered to each other, Yes, so two of the kittens ended up owned by a small cooperation group. It worked! Cyndee and Virginia were strategizing all the way, with the show schedule and last year s counts memorized. Daedra jumped on board as a combination driver/nurse and other odd jobs. Judy just held on for the ride, blindly entering every show Virginia said to enter. Do you really want me to enter 3 shows this weekend? All the owners sacrificed something along the way but gained an appreciation of teamwork within the cat fancy. It is something we need more of. Even now, as Virginia writes this, Judy is still befuddled, having to be reminded to put a NW behind the GC, not a RW. Congratulations on your first NW, Judy Webb Gunby and Skinzin cattery. May you have many more. 25 th Best Kitten: GC, NW Injoi s Calypso of Perfection Ebony Spotted Patched Tabby & White Oriental Female Breeder: Beverly Frenzel Owner: Dick & Dotti Olsen GC, NW Injoi s Calypso of Perfection was CFA s Twenty Fifth Best Kitten and Best Oriental Kitten. She is an ebony spotted patched tabby and white female kitten bred by Beverly Frenzel and owned by Dick and Dotti Olsen of Tucson, AZ. In 1978, Dick and I got our first show cat, a ruddy Abyssinian. A few weeks later, we entered our first show, a local UCF show in Tucson, AZ. It was 4 Allbreed rings, and our kitten made 3 Best Kittens in finals and we were hooked. Quite by accident, we acquired an ebony OSH female from Cherylee DeYoung, and not long after, we acquired a red point CPSH male. Thus, our breeding program began. For 8 years, we bred both Abys and OSH and made many regional awards with both breeds. Our jobs and our teenagers were demanding more of our time, so we retired for 25 years. Fast forward to 2009, and our last Aby pet Submitted by Dick & Dotti Olsen had passed on and we wanted another, so we contacted our friend Carolyn Osier. She sold us a top show quality male to be shown in Premiership. We d had no intention of showing again, but she was hoping to get a DM on one of her males and knew that we could show him to his highest potential and asked that we try and grand him. That was all. Well, guess what? The bug bit again, and he ended up as CFA s 2nd Best Aby in Premiership and 3rd Best Cat in Premiership in the Southwest Region last year. So what does this have to do with our 25th Best Kitten, who happens to be an Oriental Shorthair? Everything! As we were showing the Aby, we kept drooling over the OSH we were seeing in the shows, so we contacted our good friends Dee Johnson and Connie Roberts from San-Toi. From them we got a gorgeous ebony spotted tabby OSH that has now made 2 consecutive Regional Top 10 awards in Premiership. Dee kept hounding us to breed again, and we finally relented. They didn t have anything at the time, but thanks to Nancy Jo Bueno, we had been corresponding with Bev Frenzel from Injoi. She had a female Grand Champion (GC, RW Injoi s Red-Y Or Not-Y), and would we like her? We said yes, and she came to us bred to GC Injoi s Small Town Dude. Not-Y s 5 babies were born and raised at our house. We took all 5 to their first show in August last year in San Diego. Cal-Y made her first final as 4th Best Kitten AB at exactly 4 months of age in a Kitten class of over 80 kittens. Four out of the five kittens made finals at that show. Boy, did we confuse the judges! We continued to show all of them for the next couple of shows, and Cal-Y was definitely emerging as the pick of the judges, so we stopped showing the others and concentrated on Cal-Y. She was by far the flashiest of the litter. She just took

22 off and hit the National Show at her peak just before 8 months. She made 5 of the 10 finals, including a Best Kitten, and ended up 10th Highest Scoring Kitten out of over 230 kittens competing at that show. She finished her kitten career in style as 3rd Highest Scoring Kitten in Portland two weeks later. A week after that in Phoenix, she became a one-show Open to Grand. At that point, she was 18th Best Kitten, and everyone assured us we were safe. We didn t believe it for a minute and had to sweat out the next 4 months to see if we would hang in there. We had come so close to making a National Win with our Abys and Orientals 3 times before, and we kept saying to everyone that we didn t care if we ended up 25th; we just wanted to get that first National Win. Little did we know that we were making a prophecy. But she will now forever carry that title of NW! We are so grateful to all the judges and exhibitors alike that loved and supported her and us, as well. And a very special thanks to Bev Frenzel of Injoi Orientals, who has become our mentor and friend. This concludes the stories of the Top Twenty-Five Kittens in CFA for There were many highs and lows for the breeders and owners of these top winning kittens, and many lasting memories were made. This was a wonderful year, and we hope the friendships that were made during the campaigns will continue to last a lifetime. The support and camaraderie were wonderful, and that is what makes the cat fancy and CFA such a wonderful extended family for all of us and our beloved cats! Congratulations to all of the National Winning Kittens and their breeders and owners!