Friday 9th November 2007

For a while now I've been trying to build up a breeding programme for a relatively new breed that hasn't yet caught on in pet circles - the Selkirk Rex. I have spent hours emailing and telephoning various Selkirk Rex breeders only to have my time wasted.

Although I have come across some very helpful people, I have also hit one brick wall after another. I was even told today (about a possible stud) "I asked the breeder of the mother of my male and she said no". What?!!!!! Do you people not have contracts that tell you specifically what you can and cannot do with the progeny of the offspring of the cat that you are buying for breeding?! Is that not a bit of an over-sight?

I even had to listen to the speech about how buying a stud is a serious undertaking. Great the first time I heard it when I first started breeding, but patronising as an already established breeder with a couple of studs.

The breed cannot be advanced without new lines and new breeders becoming involved. These bitchy little cliques get on my nerves.

Thursday 8th November 2007

Don't think that because I haven't updated this site that nothing has happened. But the thing is - where do I draw the line? If the cats and kittens are doing pretty well and what's going on in our lives that's taking up the time is of a more personal nature do I publish it here?

Apparently I do - I don't want to lose visitors because I'm failing to update the site, so you may as well have all the gory details.

We're trying to move house and this has dragged on more and more as many of you out there would know. It's totally stressful. The reason we're moving is to accommodate our growing cat family. We have a few queens outside. And I mean a few. It is very cold here - not yet bitter - but cold enough that I don't want our babies outside in uninsulated housing, and that is currently what they have (our brown bengal stud is nicely set up in an insulated house with a heated bed though). We finished erecting the queen's quarters, and as the nights were drawing in (before we insulated the housing) we decided that we absolutely had to move. This was aided by our decision to import a rare (in the UK) cat - the Savannah. And we're importing an entire breeding programme's worth - ten. Looking round our rather small garden we decided we had to move somewhere with land where we could comfortably accommodate all of our cats, and give them a cat proof run, or a cat proof garden, that they could roam free in. So we found the property and have had one problem after the other. Our purchaser is on a 'go slow' and this is currently adding to the stress because each day that goes by gets colder, and my poor cats do too. Mind you - this is looking at it from a totally human point of view. They do have food, shelter and a big thick fur coat to keep them warm so I'm probably worrying for nothing.

We were supposed to be going to London today to meet with our Savannah exporter who is spending some time over in Europe, publicising the Savannah cat, and meeing up with his clients. However he only had two days and because we have all of this going on with the house we've cancelled. Probably just as well as he was stuck in the middle of nowhere, having had to find his way to another of his customers who lives miles from civilisation and when I spoke to him he sounded dog tired.

I was woken this morning at an unearthly hour by my big silver Bengal lady answering nature's call, and as usual not covering.

Not an altogether pleasant way to start the day. I certainly couldn't get back to sleep after that, despite trying very hard for ten minutes.

Sunday 4th November 2007

1am: My snow queen spent most of the evening growling at my silver girl (cats have very short term memories- they were only apart for a little while) and clobbering her on the head with her paw. I finally had enough at 1am and took her back outside to a pen set apart from the others so that we could all get some sleep.

Saturday 3rd November 2007