The End of Season Wrap Up

I just knew I was asking for trouble when I named this the Daily Meow. I guess I was being overly ambitious at the time and truly thought I would have time or daily content. Oh well.......you can also catch us on Facebook for more up to the minute Kokopellie happenings.

Since the last post we've been to two more shows including the last show of the season in Tucson. We ended the season on a high note. Polar was Best Alter in Show, Nicky was Second Best Cat in show and I believe PJ was 8th Best Cat in Show. Between the three of them they brought home 42 finals. Woohoo!! 16 out of 18 for both Nicky and Polar and 10 for PJ. Not too shabby. We are mighty proud of the boys.

The kittens are growing fast and furious. Lots of cute little furballs in the group. There is some show potential in there. Our favorite, a brown classic torbie Siberian, Nicolette, will be going to live in CT and start her show career with Linda Levine. Nicolette is Nicky's daughter. She is the spitting image of him. Linda should do very well with her as a show kitty and later as a breeder. Keep watch here all summer. We'll be posting Nicolette updates.

We're still on kitten watch for PJ and Chocolat. Turns out she wasn't pregnant and we didn't have chocolate Easter kittens. :-( We're hoping that PJ hit his mark the second go around and that we will have early June chocolate kittens. Keep your fingers crossed.

Now....for the end of season wrap up........way to go Team Kokopellie!! We had 14 Team Kokopellie cats/kittens/alters showing this past season. In 25 shows they managed to bring home 399 finals and 37,846 points. Woohoo!!!! Not too shabby.

We have some great plans for this season. In our first show of the season we're bringing out a couple of our ladies. Kokopellies Sasha and Cooncreole Stalina. Sasha is Frosty's daughter and mother to Nicky. We have our eye on a little Siberian that we're currently calling Peter the Great and maybe a Bobtail or two. We have some very anxious people in England and France hoping for Kokopellie babies this season. Who knows.......we may go international this year. We will also have Bob showing. Bob is a seal lynx point Bobtail. He will be showing with Anthony Hutcherson for part of the season as Anthony is in the process of meeting his judging program requirements and wanted to show a Kokopellie baby. We'll also have Miss Nicolette showing in the MA region. And who knows where else.

I will do my best to keep a more up to date daily Daily Meow. We'll see!!!!

meow for now,
melissa

Denver, Phoenix, birthdays, kittens.....oh my!!

Well.....things have been pretty busy here in Kokopellie land. Nicky and Polar went to Denver and Phoenix. My Sean Thornton and Mary Kate Danaher celebrated their 12th birthdays, we have kittens everywhere and..........well.....there is more but I can't quite comment on it right now.

We'll start with Nicky and Polar in Denver. Nicky finaled in all but one ring and was 2nd Best Cat in show. Polar finaled in all but one ring and was Best Alter in show. Woohoo!! The show was great. The Colorado Cats Club did a fantastic job hosting. We ate at an incredible restaurant called Emil-Lenes....or something close to that. We can't wait for the regional in July/Aug.

Nicky, Polar and I went to Phoenix without Jon. More on the reason why at a later date. We did have kittens due, which is a good enough reason for Jon not to go, but we have even better reason coming.....:-) The show was a 16 ring show. Nicky finaled in 15 out of 16 and Polar finaled in 13 out of 16. Nicky was 2nd Best Cat in show and Polar was 2nd Best Alter in show. Woohoo again!! They did fantastic. Nicky showed/slept well the whole time. Yes...he slept through most of his judging and finals. LOL. Also got to go to my favorite restaurant, Bobby Qs. If you're ever in Phoenix try to go to Bobby Qs. It's quite possibly the best brisket I've ever eaten.

Kittens, kittens, kittens. We have kittens. Bobtails and now Siberians. All colors and sizes. We've had so many requests for kittens and they all came into heat at the same time......well....springtime!! Hopefully we'll be able to deliver some beautiful babies to their new homes in the upcoming months. There may even be a show baby or two in the litters. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

We have some interesting things happening here at Kokopellie that I should hopefully be able to brag about soon. Don't want to go jinxing anything.......

Two more shows for the season, Arcadia and Tucson. Love the Tucson show.

News and pictures of the babies has been posted on the Facebook page. I'm having trouble uploading pictures to FB today for some reason. Once they let me the newest pics will be posted.

meow for now...
melissa

Bobtail Love

I can't believe how much my life has changed in just 4 years. Four years ago on March 3rd, I was promised an exquisite bundle of fur. All I had to do was to promise to show him in at least 10 shows. The rest is history.

So Polar Express and I just celebrated the 4th anniversary of the day we met. I guess that means that Jon and I just celebrated the 4th anniversary of the day we met as well. This was also the beginning of Bobtail love.

Now remember, before Polar and PJ and Pony came into my life I did already have an American Bobtail. I just didn't know it at the time. Pierre came into my life in 1996, when he was just 3 weeks old. What a little cutie he was. Of course at the time we didn't know much about the breeds so we just kind of assumed he was some kind of Japanese Bobtail. He did look exactly like a J-Bob that was showing at the time, JB. So we just kind of assumed.

Pierre was a little different from other cats. He didn't meow. He made these cute little chirpy, chattery noises. Nothing Pierre did seemed accidental. Everything had a reason. He was like a little dog. He is very social, even when biting his cat sitters. :-) (that last part isn't very Am Bob like) LOL. I always knew Pierre was a little different. Even once I became aware of the American Bobtails, I didn't put two and two together. I thought Am Bobs only came in brown tabby. Little did I know!!

Once I moved to the SW Region my eyes were opened to something a little different. There was a gorgeous American Bobtail owned by a guy named Jon. This Am Bob was Snow Hawk. (Polar's uncle). What a gorgeous hunk of cat. But I was happily showing my Maine Coon, Finney.

Well.......around March of 2001, Finney's show career was coming to an end. I was desperately trying to Supreme him. He was enjoying it very much and I was getting frustrated. I had nothing else to show. Then came the Cabazon show.

On Saturday Jon went walking by with two of the cutest kittens I had ever seen. Polar and his brother Bear. I proclaimed how cute they were and Jon offered me Polar. I was left speechless and confused. Did people really offer cats for free? I figured I had misunderstood and that Jon would soon be telling me how much I would have to pay to own Polar. I didn't misunderstand. The deal was that I had to promise to show him in at least 10 shows. I promised. We made the deal that Jon was going to finish showing him in kitten class and that I would get Polar the next month to start showing as an Alter.

From the minute he put Polar into my arms I was hooked. This amazing little creature absolutely captivated me with those blue eyes of his. And....he was so well behaved. When I brought him home I put the carrier down, opened the door and said welcome. He walked out and head butted the first cat he saw, walked around and instantly moved in.

The first thing he did at bedtime was to crawl under the blanket and cuddle. I have since found out that his Mom, JJ, does the same thing. JJ kittens are undercover kitties.

I now had a second cat in the house that didn't meow. He just made these cute chirpy and chattering noises. Hmmm.....similarities? Yep.....it was decided that Pierre was an American Bobtail as well.

Then Painted Pony came to live with us. She was a Bobtail that didn't bob. She had a full tail. We showed her as a Household Pet. Painted Pony was our first International winner. She was 9th Best HHPK. Pony acted the same way as Polar and Pierre. Once Pony came into the house the real fun began. Now with three Bobtails we could have the Bobtail Olympics. They had lots of fun. They had climbing events, running events and jumping events.

Bobtails love company. They're social cats. Whether it be people or other cats. They love to be a part of a community. The more Bobtails the better. They run in a little pack.

After losing my Sundance, Jon sent PJ home to live with me. What joy and fun a pack of Bobtails bring to a home. They're clever, fun-loving little clowns. They have so much fun creating mischief that it's hard to be angry with them for knocking over a lamp. :-)

I have a pack of Bobtails that range in age from 2 years to 14 years. I wouldn't trade anything for this experience. Of course things are about to change just a bit. PJ now has a bride, Chocolat. Chocolat is expecting a litter of Easter babies. The pack is about to get bigger. At least temporarily..........

So four years ago is when Bobtail love truly hit me. I can't get enough of this wonderful breed. There will be more to come about these incredible balls of fluff....

meow for now,
melissa

February recap

Since I haven't posted since Feb 1st, looks like I should recap how our month has been going. To start off the month, PJ was still trying to figure out what to do with Chocolat. Ah...the ongoing breeding saga. Around Feb 3rd Chocolat went into heat. For the next week, she wouldn't leave PJ alone. Well.......as of last night, it looks like her persistence paid off. Looks like the Easter Bunny could be bringing us a chocolate litter. Cadbury anyone??

We also had a couple of shows this month. Nicky and Polar headed off to the bright lights of Las Vegas to compete at the Cats in Sin City show. They did great. Nicholas finaled in 10 out of 14 rings and Polar finaled in 8 out of 14. We're very proud of the boys. The hotel was very nice and we did get to experience a bit of the strip on Saturday night with great friends. Would highly recommend the restaurant Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris. Yum!!

This past weekend we stayed close to home and went to a show in Arcadia. Nicky finaled in all 10 rings, Polar finaled in 9 rings and PJ finaled in 3 rings. The boys did great. We are very, very proud of them.

The show season is winding down. A couple of shows in March, a couple of shows in April and lots of litters due in those two months as well. We needed a couple of new show cats. Kittens coming soon!!

Hope everyone is staying warm and happy. Cuddle those kitties, they deserve it.

meow for now,
melissa

Catching up on recent events

Well.....here we already into February. Time is flying already. Since my last meow we've had two shows that the cats competed in and one show that Mom and I were just vendors.

The January 16th Arcadia show went very well for Team Kokopellie. Kokopellies Polar Express was Best Alter in Show!! Kokopellies Czar Nicholas was 4th Best Cat in Show. Woohoo!! Way to go boys!!

The Arcadia show this past weekend was also great fun. Nicky got 8 out of 10 finals, including a Best Cat. Polar got 6 out of 10 finals, including 2 Best Alters. Painted Feather got 2 finals and Nicky's Mom, Sasha got a final in the Female Congress.

We also got some amazing photos the last two shows from Diana Starr of Starrlight Photography. Once we settle on the images we want we'll be posting new photos of everyone. She has pretty much photographed all of our Siberian girls and a few of our Bobtail ladies and most of our Siberian boys. One of our favorite photos is the one she took of Feather two weeks ago. It can be viewed on our Facebook page....

The show this past weekend was a blast. We had so much fun. We celebrated Nicky's supreme with a few appetizers, caught up with old friends and just in general had a great time.

The video and stills from this weekend can be viewed on my personal Facebook page. I'll also post links on the Kokopellie page soon as well. Our friend Emmons celebrated his birthday this weekend. Some friends sent him a singing telegram. That's what is on the video and still photos. Hope you all enjoy the silliness that goes on at the cat shows.

We have a bunch more shows for the season. We have a few girls due soon so we're hoping for a new show baby.

An update on PJ and Chocolat. They're still dating, but things seem to have shifted into high gear this past weekend. When I got home, PJ ignored me all last night and this morning. Pretty much like he did the day I brought Chocolat home. She seems a bit more responsive to his advances.......We could have some breeding action soon. I can't wait for all those chocolate babies to come our way.......Keep your fingers crossed.

meow for now,
melissa

I finally got one!!

Well....if you do something long enough you're bound to run into all things possible. I guess the same applies to owning cats as well. If you have a large number of cats over your lifetime you're going to run into the whole spectrum of cat problems, both behavioral and health.

I have been quite lucky in my cat ownership. I have had my trials and tribulations with them but I was able to avoid one cat owner headache. The toilet paper cat. You all know what I'm talking about.

The toilet paper cat is the reason for the empty toilet paper holders in most cat owning households. There is one cat who, for some reason, likes to unroll it. They claw it, they chew on it, they unroll it.

PJ's new girlfriend likes paper. She chews on boxes, she mows down my kleenex, now she's going after the toilet paper. I guess I can't really complain. She is after my one and only in all these years. I'm just going to have to figure out something clever to do so I have something to use.

Since we are the subject of PJ and his girlfriend, Chocolat I'll use this time to give an update. They are still dating. They haven't moved up to consummating the relationship yet. My poor little man just can't quite figure it all out. However......this morning he did come a lot closer to his target than all during the week.

They will be honeymooning in Arcadia this weekend. I entered PJ and Polar and decided to bring her along to keep him company. We shall see what happens.

meow for now,
melissa

Team Kokopellie

Well....let's hear it for Team Kokopellie. Last year we had the Fab Four. This year we have Team Kokopellie.

This past weekend was a fun one for Team Kokopellie. I went to the Lodi show with Czar Nicholas and Polar Express. We had a blast and brought home 18 finals. Also in attendance was Kokopellies Arctic Chill aka Chilly. He is owned by a junior exhibitor in the Mid Pacific region, Jorie Shepherd. Chilly is a handsome young man who just turned 8 months old and graduated from the kitten to cat class. Judge Fate Mays sees some potential in him as he awarded Chilly Best of Breed in his ring on Sunday out of 4 adult Siberians. Way to go Chilly!!

On the other side of the country, Kokopellies Anasazi Spirit, a black and white American Bobtail longhair, was competing in the TICA show in Milwaukee, WI. Annie brought home two finals at her show bringing the Team Kokopellie total to 20 for the weekend.

We love to see those Kokopellie cats all over the country showing.

The show was so much fun. Our friend Emmons will be celebrating a milestone birthday at the end of the month. He was a pretty good sport about all the extra cage decorations that made it on to his cage Friday night. And although I missed it, I hear that he had quite some trouble eating the special cake that was made for him.

I took lots of pictures and even some video this weekend. Once we figure out how to add videos to the website you'll see some of those popping up. Also once I edit the pictures down in size I'll be posting some of those as well.

So much fun!! I just love this hobby sometimes. :-)

On to Arcadia this weekend. Should be lots of fun.

meow for now,
melissa

my little man grows up

I knew the day would eventually come. Jon and I had been discussing since PJ was 7 months old. Now he's almost two years old. The time has come. It's time for PJ to become a man.

So....off I went to Jon's last weekend to pick out a bride for PJ. We decided on sweet little Chocolat, Kokopellies Painted Cave. She's a chocolate classic and together with PJ we should get some beautiful American Bobtails. The whole litter should be chocolate in some degree or another. I'm already thinking of names, Nestle, Hershey, Godiva, etc....LOL.

Our biggest fear with breeding PJ was wondering if it would change him. Up until now he has been the perfect gentleman at my house. No spraying, no inappropriate behavior with the other cats. Of course, he hasn't had any undue influence. No other whole males, no intact females. Would introducing a girl change things? Well....I was going to find out. And....it definitely changed him. How? My little PJ is no longer Momma's baby boy. :-(

Before Chocolat arrived, according to PJ, the sun rose and set on his Mom. He tucked me in bed every night with an eskimo kiss and cuddle. He woke me up every morning with an eskimo kiss and cuddle. On Sunday, after I got home, things changed. I housed Chocolat in the bathroom so she could get acquainted with the house. I was in my chair in the living room, PJ was stationed outside the bathroom door. He positioned himself so he could keep an eye on both his girls. I called him to come over for a hug. Just as he was on his way, Chocolat called from under the bathroom door. There poor PJ stood, looking at the bathroom door and then looking at me. Back and forth his little head went trying to decide which direction to go in. The pretty little chocolate paw that came out from under the door won. Momma was no longer number one in PJs heart.

When it came time for bed there was no tuck in. PJ stayed outside the bathroom door all night. I finally gave in at 2am and put them together. They stayed together all Monday while I was at work as well. And no.....anyone who is waiting for a cute little chocolate American Bobtail will still have to wait. We are starting the kitten clock countdown yet. You see.......PJ is still a virgin. He knows what his "special purpose" is for. He's not quite sure what to do with it. He's trying, just not accomplishing. I'm sure once she goes into heat things will change. :-)

On Monday when I came home from work I went to the bathroom and opened the door. PJ came running out. He was happy to see his Mom. I also decided to release Chocolat into the rest of the house.

I am always amazed at how easily Jon's cats transition into a household. Every cat I have brought home has just moved in without very little fan fare. I really didn't see a potential problem with Chocolat as she is about the sweetest little thing. Any cat who lets her receives a head butt. PJ is her new best friend. They hang out together. He follows her around like a little puppy. It's been pretty entertaining.

By Tuesday PJ remembered who his Mom was. I got the biggest hug and cuddle from him after dinner. Things have been back to normal ever since. PJ loves me. PJ loves Chocolat. Chocolat loves me. Chocolat likes PJ. Someday she'll love him and I'll be able to do a kitten announcement. Until then I have one more sweet American Bobtail roaming the halls of the house. Life can't get much better.........

meow for now,
melissa

Happy New Year

Now that the holidays are over just wanted to take a few minutes and wish everyone a Happy New Year from the Kokopellie cats. And from us as well. :-)

2009 was quite the year for the Kokopellie American Bobtails & Siberians. We saw our dreams come true with 6 international wins, two Lifetime Achievement awards, multiple regional wins, including Frosty being named Best Cat in the Southwest Region. And the list goes on.

We consider ourselves very blessed to have these accomplishments. We realized, after some conversations with people in the showhall, that not everyone who shows is as lucky as we have been. There are some who have waited 15 years for a Supreme. We've been lucky to average at least one a season. Some haven't even won regional awards. Yet they keep on showing. Why? For the love of it. They love their cats and love to show them off to people. They love the camaraderie in the show hall and the friends that they have made over the years.

This is what showing should be about. The fun, the friendships, the cats. That's why we do it. Of course, the awards and wins are always welcome and greatly appreciated. They are the icing on the cake.

2010 will find the Kokopellie cats starting off the new year in Lodi, CA. January 8-10th Nicky and Polar will venture north to take on the best that TICA has to offer. Check back to see how they did and to see what kind of fun and mischief we got into in Lodi.

So here is wishing you a wonderful 2010. We hope that all your dreams come true.

meow for now,
melissa

The night before, the night before Christmas

Twas the night before, the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for the Bobtails. While all the other cats were nestled in their beds with visions of catnip toys dancing in their heads, the Bobtails were all through the house, climbing cat trees, opening cabinets and opening boxes.

One by one they each did their best to see what kind of mischief they could get into. From Pierre, the oldest to PJ the youngest, Bobtail mischief making at its very best.

You simply can't do anything in a house with Bobtails without them offering to help or at least supervise. They are social creatures. When they want to be. When you want a Bobtail, they're nowhere to be found.

I was working in the garage yesterday for a few hours and every time I came back into the house, there they sat, waiting for me. When I finally sat down, do did they; one on top of me, presumably to hold me down, the others stationed within arms length.

Gotta love that Bobtail love.

Bells on Bobtails ring!! Yeah right, bells on Bobtails, will get quickly removed and dropped into the bathtub for some noisy nighttime action. :-)

meow for now,
melissa

I miss my tree......

I miss my Christmas tree. I have a beautiful 4 ft Christmas tree with little bits of snow on it. I also have these cute little white lights that look like pinecones. To go with the tree are ornaments from my childhood, from my grandparents, and from past clients.

So....why do I miss this tree? Where has it gone? It is in boxes in my garage. The reason.....I have cats. I did try for awhile. Two years I think. The first was Sean. I had the tree sitting on a coffee table in front of the sliding door. The area in front of the door was tiled. This is important. On the tree I had these little glass ornaments that someone had given me. HAD is a key word here. Sean, experiencing his first Christmas thought the little glass ornaments were pretty. And proceeded to spike them off of the tree like little volleyballs. Now he had two choices. He could have stood on the tile and spiked the ornaments towards the carpet. Or.....he could have stood on the carpet and spiked them towards the tile. Bingo.....he spiked towards the tile.

Needless to say, no more glass ornaments. We then got Elsa. Or....Elsa No as she became known as. Elsa, no. Elsa, no. Elsa, no. I kept finding her looking at me from the tree, about two branches up. That was the last year I put up my pretty little tree.

I did try a cheap, cute, two foot tree once. They managed to take off many of the decorations and then break the trunk.

Now please keep in mind that I'm talking about the regular cats. Not the Bobtails. God only knows what my Bobtails would do with a Christmas tree. Part of me wants to find out, the other part really doesn't want to know. This crew of mine.......let's just say I love them dearly and want to keep on loving them dearly.

Although everyone is older now. This will be the first Christmas in about 10 years that I don't have a kitten running about. The youngest is 1 1/2 years, the oldest is 13 years old. I might just try it........next year.

Of course, if I put up the tree on Sunday, that should give me plenty to write about for the next few days..........for a few hours on Sunday..........maybe for a few minutes. :-)

I'll have to think about it.........

meow for now,
melissa

Let's hear it for the boys!!!

So.....let's hear it for the Kokopellie boys. Polar and PJ went to Tucson. Nicky couldn't make the trip to Arizona with us. Poor Jon just wasn't up to driving 3 hours to drop Czar Nicholas off in Escondido. The good news is that his right wing is mending nicely. He even made an appearance in Arcadia last weekend.

So, the Bobtail boys who went to Tucson did quite nicely. Both of them managed to bring home 11 finals each. Woohoo!! They both behaved wonderfully as well. The show was fun. Not as much fun as when my partner in crime is there but Mom and I did manage to enjoy ourselves.

I took over Jon's roll of orchid provider. Jon always donates orchids for the raffle. They adorn the judges' tables all weekend and then on Sunday we raffle them off. In addition to 6 beautiful orchids we had a gorgeous Christmas cactus available as well. There was a fight over that one with Mom coming out the winner. :-)

The show after Tucson was Arcadia. It was the annual Kat Knappers Christmas show. We had a great time. The count was low, but the quality was exceptional.

Czar Nicholas came home with 9 out of 10 finals, including Best Cat in show. Polar followed along with 7 out of 10 finals and 3rd Best Alter in show. PJ brought home 4 finals, Boris got 1 final and a new forever home and Silver Tiger, an alter being shown by his new parents, Richard and Janet Martinez also got a final. Nicky, Polar and PJ each also got at least one Best as well. This officially Supremes Nicky. We thought he had done it last month, but our calculations were wrong. Oops!! So you know what that means. There's a party in our future. Stay tuned for details.

Now the boys are on Christmas break. We have a show coming up in Lodi. We're hoping to be there. We'll have to wait and see. Otherwise we'll be showing twice in Arcadia in January. Looks like some of the ladies of Kokopellies might be joining us for some of those Arcadia shows. Stay tuned.......

meow for now,
melissa

Where has the time gone?

I can't believe it's been a little over two months since I last posted. Where does time go? I guess it could be because this season hasn't been quite as exciting as last season. Remember.....this is the place for me to brag about the Kokopellie cats.

For the last three years we have been actively campaigning Polar and Frosty for International wins. Joining them this past season were PJ and Nicky as well. Campaigning can take a lot out of you physically, emotionally and financially. Plus it's tough on the cats as well. But through it all the boys all did fantastic. Not a grump in the bunch.

The plans for this season and next are to relax a bit and try for a regional win on whoever we show. So you won't be seeing us all over the country. Time to stay home and recoup.

Nicky and PJ, kittens at this time last year, have come along quite nicely. Check out the website and the Show Cats page to see their big boy photos. Grrrr..........very, very grrrrr........

Let's see......I've been trying to put together a cookbook to aid research in HCM and FIP. It has been completely overwhelming. I expected to get 200 recipes max. I received over 600!! Now I have to pick and choose and edit. And....not all the recipes came via email. Some need to typed into the computer from handwritten notes as well. Ah.......it's a labor of love. I had been hoping to get it out by Christmas. That's not going to happen. Unfortunately. I'm also thinking that it's going to be multiple volumes as well. Just to keep the size down. Otherwise it could rival the yellow pages.

What else has been keeping us busy? Hmm.......lots of local Arcadia shows. And of course I'm the vendor coordinator for those shows. Never a dull moment here that's for sure.

Jon just had surgery on his shoulder. Ouch!! He's recovering and doing well. Unfortunately he'll miss one of his favorite shows this coming weekend in Tucson.

Other than that........the rest remains the same for now. The Bobtails are up to their usual antics. Last night was quite an event. I didn't have to look outside to confirm that there was a full moon. I was ready to put the whole herd up for adoption. LOL. It is really quite amazing how the Bobs all stick together. They run in a little pack.

So now we're gearing up for Christmas. Lots to do in the next 25 days. Two cat shows, a trip to Disneyland, guests for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas breakfast. Fun, fun, fun.

meow for now,
melissa

TICA Annual-post weekend wrap up

I almost forgot to post about the TICA Annual held over Labor Day weekend in Orlando, FL. We had an absolute grand time. The trip out was uneventful. The hotel was nice. Mom and I met up with Jon and Jan on Thursday for dinner after they came back from an airboat ride. Sounded like a lot of fun.

The whole weekend was a whirlwind. Arrive on Thursday. Dinner out on Thursday. Epcot on Friday. Welcome reception Friday night. Dinner with friends Friday night. Show on Saturday. Meet and greet our new kittens that we picked up on Saturday. Banquet on Saturday evening. Collect all the awards. Show on Sunday. Dinner on Sunday after the show. Monday fly home. Monday evening come down with bad cold. :-(

I was really happy that we were able to do some sightseeing. The hotel was really nice and tropical. We ate at some great restaurants. The banquet on Saturday evening was nice. We went home with some great memories. Got to see Cindy, Claire and Debbie again. Haven't seen Cindy in 5 years. It was like old home week. Put in an order for a Maine Coon with Cindy. Took lots of pictures, etc, etc, etc.

Now it's back to business. There's a show in Vegas this weekend. Alas.....we won't be there. Eventhough the counts are phenomenal just kind of decided that we needed a break. We have Arcadia next weekend and Lodi the weekend after that.

I'm going up to Jon's this weekend to check up on our future show babies. We have two little fluffballs from Mufasa and Sasha that are showing a lot of promise. If they shape up accordingly they'll debut at the November Arcadia show. The only problem will be which one to show? They are both really nice. Time will tell.

JJ, Polar's Mom, is due any minute. We bred her to Snow Fox, PJ's Dad. Hopefully we'll get a whole litter of show babies. I told Jon to rub her belly and wish for 4 show babies. I know someone in England who has been waiting forever!!

Sometime in all of the preparation for the Annual I decided to put together a cookbook to aid FIP and HCM research. Why? I have no bloody idea. Like I don't have enough going on right now. It seemed like a good idea at the time. :-) So now I'm collecting and organizing recipes. So please share your recipes with me. You can email them to me, megncats@cox.net Be sure to include your city and state or country on your submissions. I'll meow more about the cookbook another day.

Cuddling babies this weekend!! Can't wait. I think we'll be naming the little fluffballs this weekend. They are so incredibly adorable. Can't wait to hold them again!

Have a great weekend. Stay cool if you're in a hot area.

meow for now,
melissa

The day that changed our lives.....

I can remember that moment as if it was yesterday instead of 8 years ago. It was 7:36am and I was reading my TICAMEMBERS emails. I had WGN news on in the background. I had just finished reading an email from JP Demers when I heard something in the background about a plane hitting a building in New York. I stopped emails and went and watched the news for awhile. I changed channels to Good Morning America. I admit it. I changed channels because it looked like an interesting news story and I knew that the network morning news shows would be covering it because it was local.

Then I heard Diane Sawyer's voice talking about the second plane. I saw it on live TV, but it didn't register in my mind what I had seen until I saw it again. Just unbelieveable.

The flood of information that kept coming at you minute by minute, second by second. I still can't believe what I was seeing. Sometime during all this I called and made a reservation for a hotel for an upcoming cat show. Then the Pentagon got hit. Then there was another missing plane. Then the first Tower came down. Then the second Tower came down.

Was this really happening? What was next? Then all the planes were grounded. Grounded for days. It was eerie. We lived close to O'Hare Airport so the sound of airplanes was common place. The day we heard the first plane over head was creepy. We were in Franklin Park when that plane went over head. It sounded so loud, so close.

Our lives turned upside down that day. I remember keeping my TV on for days afterwards. It never went off. I slept with it on for the first few days, just in case they found a survivor in the rumble. I didn't want to miss it. Instead we saw the flag draped stretchers that carried out the firemen that went in and never came out.

I will forever remember that day, that minute, that second. Hopefully this country will never forget what happened. In spite what over inflated Hollywood egos seem to think. The US government did not orchestrate this tragedy. Religious zealots did this.

In my opinion, this day and December 7th should be national holidays. A day to remember a tremendous loss for our country.

I hope everyone will remember this day and what happened and how it changed our lives forever........

meow for now,
melissa

All is well once again

I know my last post was a bit ominous. It was a bad week. To hear my best friend sound so down on something that he absolutely loves. It was heartbreaking. Luckily.......it was a bad week and things and feelings have passed and all seems right with the world again.

We are so looking forward to the TICA Annual sneeking up on us in just over a week. Very exciting. Plans are being made. Restaurants are being sought for some good old fashioned fun. Theme parks are being investigated for which will provide the best time. Mental lists are being made for what needs to be packed. A great time is being planned.

Plans for the future are also being made. We have several Siberian kittens that are showing great promise. We anxiously watching the two from Sasha and Mufasa. They're little butterballs with the thickest, fluffiest coats I have ever seen on 5 week old kittens. They look better than some adults. And the heads!! Round with perfect profiles. We can't wait to see these little ones get bigger. It's always exciting to see something with so much promise at such a young age. I'll post pictures soon of these little shaggy bears.

So.....luckily our little dark cloud that was hanging over us has passed. Sometimes it helps to take a breath and think things through and to realize how lucky and fortunate we really are. It also didn't hurt to receive TICA's newest brochure in the mail on Saturday. It has a picture of Jon holding Frosty and receiving a Best Cat rosette from Hisako Yamada. He was truly touched and honored that TICA would choose to use that photo on the 30th Anniversary brochure.

On to Orlando and tons of fun!!!

meow for now,
melissa

What do you do?

What do you do when something you love, something that is a part of you is no longer fun? When you feel like you're being passed by and left behind? Unfortunately a dear friend of mine is facing that right now. He said that the cat fancy isn't fun anymore. There are cliques and hierarchy that nobody can get into.

In some ways I very much agree with him. Let's face it. The cat fancy is a bit like high school. You have the in crowd and everyone else. Sometimes the in crowd will let you in briefly, to give you a taste of what you're missing, and then send you back. No matter how hard you work to achieve your goals, nothing you do matters, unless you know the right people.

We have tried very hard to achieve that level. Never in a million years did I think I would be going to an Annual show to collect four awards. When I entered my first show over 14 years ago, I didn't even know if I would get a regional award. Now.......with lots of hard work, I've achieved a certain level. Definitely not the in crowd, but a higher level. If you think of it in high school standards, perhaps a junior. My dear friend is the same way. He has struggled and fought for every win, every point, every award. When you work with minority breeds, it isn't easy.

He finally thought that he had reached the senior level. Only to be basically told to go back to the sophomore level. It's made him rethink being in the cat fancy. It's given him a new perspective on things. It's making him consider leaving the fancy.

It does make one wonder. Why are some people told that they have to put in their time, to pay their dues, so to speak, before they're rewarded with the higher wins, while others are welcomed with open arms and lavished with finals and praise? It's discouraging. You hear stories from people who just celebrated their first supreme. After 16 years they just received their first supreme. Then you hear others who brag about 3 show supremes.

Is it all really about the cat? Or is it about who owns the cat? We do need to be honest. Everyone knows it's not just about the cat. Anyone who thinks otherwise should take off their rose colored glasses. Showing cats is political. A friend, who is also a judge, has told me time after time, the Best Cat, Kitten, Alter, etc isn't necessarily the best. They just happen to have more money and opportunity than others.

I've always known that the cat fancy is political. Let's face it. It's a competition. There is bound to be politics involved. Some of it is who you know and who knows you. I guess the biggest thing for us, is that it never really effected us until this past season. When we were briefly let in to run with the seniors. Now that we've been sent back to be with the underclassmen it's a bit of a hard pill to swallow. Makes you even wonder at times is this all worth it? Is it worth the heartache? You bring something to the show that you've worked on producing only to be told it's not any good. Eventhough you were told months ago that it was great. What's changed?

Are the only ones who do well in the cat fancy those who prey on others to get ahead? The ones who play the game dishonestly? The ones who are in the good graces of the judges? The ones who can afford to go somewhere every weekend? The ones who offer you their friendship and then stab you in the back?

We had an incredible show season last year. We showed some incredible cats. They are the epitome of the standard. So what changed? We're still showing the same cats.

I guess there comes a time in everyone's life when they need to step back, take time off and make decisions about their future. It's when you realize that life will go on without you. That your shoes will be filled by the next person in the door. That nobody will miss you or what you have to bring to the table. It makes you wonder if all the praise and good things that were said to you were to make you feel good so you keep coming back and bringing entries for shows. How does one know if what is being said to them is the honest truth or a slick way to get you to spend money at the shows?

It really makes me wonder if this is all worth it..........

meow for now,
melissa

The SW Regional

Well.......what could I possibly say. It was a great weekend. Starting on Friday we went to Porto Alegre for Brazilian food, followed by cheesecake and champagne in our room. This started the weekend off.

The show on Saturday was fun. The banquet........we had the best time. My dress was very well received. The champagne flowed at our table. It was just magical. Jon and I had to go up several times. That probably made it the most fun.

When you're so caught up in the moment, it's very hard to visualize the things going on around you. I'm fairly certain and Jon confirmed it that Polar was very much applauded when he was called out for 2nd Best Alter. It seemed pretty loud to me and I think I saw several people standing for him. I do remember it being loud because I was very touched and teared up a little on my way up. I do know that everyone liked the photo that I used of Polar for the Powerpoint. It was just an extreme closeup of his face. I'll have to see about posting it here. I'm also going to see about posting a picture of me, in the dress, with my partner in crime Jon.

With as wonderful as the weekend was and with how much we were looking forward to it, I am amazed at how little there is to say. It lived up to all our expectations to say the least. We had a big box of awards and rosettes to bring home. Our benching area was covered on Sunday. We had lots of people coming over and congratulating us all weekend long. It was almost like a wedding. Too funny.

Now we're concentrating on the upcoming Annual. Again, should be another fun filled evening. Can't wait.....

meow for now,
melissa

special offer from Regional vendor

I will chat more about the incredible time we had at the regional in a separate post. I wanted to highlight an offer that one of my vendors has for everyone.

I invited a Tastefully Simple representative to the show. Karalee Johnson is my rep from where I live. She trekked the two hours north to help out and vend at the show. Karalee loves cats.

So......she is holding an open book catalog show until Friday, Aug 7th. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to an animal shelter.

You can order online and use her representative # 1205, not sure if you have to mention cat show somewhere. Or if you have any questions you can call her at 760-735-5998 or email her at catshow@lovethatgarlic.com

Tastefully Simple has very easy to prepare mixes that taste incredible. They also have some great seasoning blends and sauces.

I'm encouraging anyone who can to order and help the kitties.

meow for now,
melissa

The SW Regional is upon us....

Well, tomorrow is the day. The SW Regional. We have been busily preparing for months. Planning party favors, choosing a dress, etc. We are set to go.

For now I just have to endure the pre-event stress stuff. Need to finish the party favors. Need to finish stuffing the cat beds to sell. Need to make my fur toys to sell. Need to paint my toe nails. Need to leave work early to do errands and then go home and pack and feed the cats and scoop litterboxes and hit the road. Ugh.....I'm tired just thinking about it.

But by 7:30 tonight it will all be worth it. That's when our weekend officially begins. We have reservations at a Brazilian restaurant across the street from the hotel with a group of our friends. Then back to our room for champagne and cheesecake. We are celebrating.

Tomorrow we will round up all the cats that we brought, herd them down to the show hall, kick back and relax with our friends. Tomorrow night is the banquet. This should be fun. A time to celebrate the great season that not only we had but the great season that our friends had as well. I know there are some who are getting their first Regional win ever. It's a very exciting time for everyone.

Of course there will be the special awards as well at the banquet. Can't wait to see who won the Piggy Award. I'm pretty sure we were edged out. Thank god......I don't want to wear the piggy snout. Then we'll see who wins the SW Judge of the Year, Member of the Year and who knows what other special awards await us.

It looks like we're in store for a fine weekend. I've been to many regional awards banquets. For some reason this one seems just a bit sweeter than the rest.........

I'll report back on Monday!!

meow for now,
melissa