December 2015
In This Issue
Quick Links
Featured Cat
Our banner cat for the November 2015 Newsletter is CFA's Tenth Best Kitten, GC, NW Chelsea Rose Piper, a blue-cream British Shorthair female.
(Photo by Chanan)




 







CFA Social Media
The holidays ALWAYS bring great cat photos and I'd love to have them for CFA-related media. Please send them to

thanks! Jodell
DEADLINES
Breed Council Ballots

Breed Council ballots are due into CFA Central Office by midnight tonight (December 15). 
You should have received an email with instructions detailing the options for voting and your Code for online voting. You may still cast your ballot online via Classmarker



CFA White Pages Deadline 
Extended to January 1

The CFA White Pages will be included in the Online Almanac and a printed version mailed with the February Cat Talk issue. This is your chance to BE INCLUDED! Even if you filled out a form for the 2015 White Pages, you must still fill out this form to be included in the 2016 White Pages.
Submit your listing here.

Listings are not automatically carried over from the previous year. You will be listed automatically ONLY if you are a Breed Council Member, CFA Clerk, CFA Judge or Club Secretary (if your information has changed, fill out this form to guarantee that we have your most current address, phone number, email address, etc.)




Winter is coming...
For our readers in cooler climes, now is a good time to begin thinking of winterizing for your pets so that they stay safe on travels. For those readers who remain warm or for who summer is approaching - remember to always have fresh water available, especially when traveling.

Joyful holidays and best wishes for the New Year!
Teresa 


It's been a busy month.  The CFA/Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Litter International Cat Show was held in suburban Philadelphia the weekend prior to Thanksgiving and it was a success.  This was our second year using this facility and we kept last year's suggestions in mind when preparing this year's layout.  We received many positive comments about having vendors in both halls and moving the judging rings to the center of the room.  We learned from last year's show and did a better job advertising the show to the public.  The result was a 75% increase in gate even though we spent the same amount on advertising.  We had fewer vendors this year but hopefully it will be better next year thanks to this year's increase in gate which translated into customers for our vendors.  The CFA Treasurer expects to have a financial report ready by the end of January which will tell us whether or not the show turned a profit.  Many thanks to everyone who helped with sponsorships, manual labor, or both.  Now let's focus on next year's show.  The facility offered us financial incentive to return to the same venue for a third year and your Board voted to remain in Oaks PA for 2016.  A contract has been signed and we are committed to Oaks for next year. We are interested in your feedback.  What worked well and what needs some tweaking?  At the Board meeting last week we discussed returning to the format used for many years with this show:  rather than continue with two shows (Red & Purple) what about one show with half the judges handling kittens and half the judges handling adults?  This format continues the ability to accept up to 1,000 entries.  Take a minute to share your thoughts with a Board member about this concept as well as any other comments on the show you may have.

The Board also discussed a change in scoring for our national awards.  As Rich Mastin pointed out, our current awards system was created when CFA was a North American registry.  In the years since then we have expanded across the globe without reflecting that change in our awards.   Your Board voted unanimously that " there needs to be a change in the national awards."  A number of different proposals were presented to the Board for discussion.  There is an article elsewhere in this newsletter regarding suggested changes.  Please read it and provide your comments.  We would like to implement changes effective with the new show season that starts May 1, 2016.  It is anticipated that final decisions will be made at the February, 2016, Board meeting so changes can be printed in the Show Rules for the new season.  Show Rules go to print in early March.

Just as a point of information, last week CFA staff registered nearly 1,200 individual cats.  In addition to those registrations, registration staff processes litter registrations, adding/deleting/changing cattery suffixes on cats, changing ownerships, changing color, registering new cattery names, providing certified pedigrees, responding to inquires, and more.  As of Friday, 12/11/15, staff had processed registrations submitted via Ecats from 12/10.   Registrations submitted some other way, such as snail mail, were processed for registrations received on 11/24/15.   Not every cat can be registered via Ecats.  Cats being registered via pedigree is an example.  For those cats which are eligible for Ecat registration, the above data should make it clear that CFA is able to process them much faster.  Why?  For Ecat registrations, the customer does the data entry rather than needing CFA staff to provide the data entry.  Staff reviews the Ecat data to check for errors and, finding none, are quickly able to complete the registration.  If a cat was not registered as quickly as noted above, it is likely because there was an error on the submission or staff had to do additional research before completing the registration.   In an attempt to process work faster, we have just hired an additional staff member who will help in the registration area.  Customers can also help by reviewing their work for errors prior to submission. 

Each year CFA publishes the White Pages which lists the names and contact information for many of those actively involved in the cat fancy such as breed council members, judges, clerks, club secretaries, etc.  If you were not included in the past and would like to be, or if your information needs to be updated, this is your last chance to be included in the 2016 issue which comes out shortly.  We have extended the deadline to December 31, 2015.  Here is the form which needs to be submitted:  http://cfa.org/Publications/CFAWhitePages.aspx 

Don't forget that club dues and membership lists are due in January.  Notices have already been mailed by the Central Office to all club secretaries.  We don't want to lose any of our clubs so be sure yours complies with this annual requirement to remain in good standing.
 
In closing, let me wish each of you a happy holiday and a great New Year!
Terri Barry
CFA Executive Director
 
Can you believe it it's time to start wishing everyone Happy Holidays?  I sure can't!  I'm not sure what happened to the year, it just flew by.  I have been with CFA now a little over a year now, and attended my first CFA Annual and two International Shows.
 
Speaking of the International Show...... to all the winners, Congratulations!  There was a lot of stiff competition, so in my book you were all winners for entering.  The show was very nice and even the weather cooperated.  The number of changes and improvements made by the Show Committee were visible.  Attendees made a number of comments to me; the key comments were the change to the ring layout and the improved sound system.  We are aware that we still have a few areas that it's hard to hear the announcements; the Show Committee has already noted that for next year.  I can't thank the Show Committee enough! A big thank you needs to be extended to all of the volunteers!  The number of you who volunteered your time at your own expense is to be commended!  As the saying goes, "It takes a village." For the C.I.S., it takes a large village to be able to pull it off.  Without all the "behind the scenes" volunteers there isn't any way a show of this magnitude would happen.  Again, one last thank you to the Committee, Volunteers, Sponsors, Vendors and all of you that did exhibit, for a very successful 2015 C.I.S. 

 C.O. is quickly shifting to all necessary preparations for the 2016 Annual Meeting.  The 2016 Annual will be held at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, June 30th to July 3, 2016 Preliminary information should be available on the C.F.A. web page in January. 

Registrations remain a key focus with eCat registrations continuing on the increase.  Registration via eCats is much quicker for you the customer so keep that in mind when needing to process one.  Clubs should be receiving their renewal notices which were sent out December 1, 2015.  Keep an eye out for them and please note the deadline.  Please note the I.T. update as we continue to have modules developed and enhancements made.

Throughout the holiday season, many C.O. associates will be taking some much needed vacation time to spend with their families.  This is a slower time of the year here at C.O. so many want to take advantage of their remaining vacation time.  C.O. will be closed on December 25th and January 1st.

Happy Holidays and Have a Safe and Happy New Year! 
IT Report
Tim Shreck
IT Committee Chair 

Enhancements of the current system are being quoted and programing has started on enabling cattery name to be added to users Ecats accounts. This will enable online processing of cattery account renewal and an on screen notification when renewal date is within 90 days. This enhancement will also allow access to the offspring report for online payment processing and file download.

Distinguished Merit programming is to be completed by end of December.

Testing of year end processes began on December 14 th   This allows Central Office to confirm that all corrects made last year are working properly and time to make any additional corrections needed before it is time for the actual year end runs.

Kathy Durdick has been working on redesigning our web pages to move from a fixed width site to a newer industry standard called responsive design.  See Kathy's CFA Website report for details.

Work will continue on addition applications and enhancements to current processes.  Please feel free to communicate any problems or errors directly to The Central Office staff so they can be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

CFA 888 Line - Volunteers Needed

 Paws UP - the group that monitors CFA's 888 number (where folks call to get information about CFA resources, shows, and other information) - really needs several volunteers to help with this important outreach effort. Shifts only last one week at a time, and calls and emails are returned on your schedule.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Sande Willen at sande@comcast.net

NW Awards Changes - Discussion
by Mary Kolencik

The board is drafting plans to alter the distribution of National Wins starting with the 2016-2017 season. During their teleconference on December 8th, they discussed creating multiple geographic areas each with their own set of NW awards. Each area would have a set of NWs based on a formula comparing the number of present cats competing at shows in that area during the prior season to the number of present cats competing in shows in North America during the prior season. 

A complete overview and comparison of the current proposal, the proposal from the Toronto annual, questions to consider, and feedback request is available here.
CFA Website
Kathy Durdick
CFA Webmaster


Changes are coming to the CFA Website!!

Just as a heads-up, the CFA website will be getting a "facelift" over the next couple of weeks - during that period, you may see a mixture of designs on the site, as some pages will still have the old look, while other pages will have the new look. The complete site should be fully converted by the end of the year.
 
The new design will incorporate a cleaner, more modern design, and will load much more quickly.  On a desktop computer, the site will still look very similar, but you will find some enhancements like a menu bar that will stay accessible at the top of the screen and a couple of other more user-friendly features.
New design - desktop browser
Mobile version



 












However, the BIG news is that the site will now be fully accessible on your mobile devices!! No more scrolling from side to side to view the information or enlarging/reducing each page - images will automatically resize, the text will adjust to your screen size, and the menu will expand and collapse at a single tap.

CFA Judging Program
by Annette Wilson, CFA JP Chair

The following judges were advanced at the CFA Board of Directors' Teleconference meeting December 5

Advanced to Approval Pending Shorthair (2nd specialty):
Doreann Nasin

Advanced to Approval Pending Longhair (2nd specialty):
Neil Quigley

Advanced to Approval Pending Allbreed:
John Hiemstra

Advanced to Approved Allbreed:
Karen Godwin
Etsuko Hamayasu


In addition, Guy Pantigny was advanced posthumously to Approved Allbreed with the respect and honor of the CFA Board for his accomplishments.


Teresa Keiger
Editor


Remember to check your subscription status with the December issue. Many subscriptions will be ending with this issue (as the publication originated with the February issue way back when). We don't want you to miss a single issue of Cat Talk because your subscription lapsed.

Last issues should have an insert card noting that this is the last issue. But you can also check the mailing label on the envelope to see how many issues remain on your subscription. The last two digits will be the number of issues you currently have on your subscription.

Winn Logo

WINN FELINE FOUNDATION
by Vicki Thayer DVM , Winn Executive Director


A list of our donors contributing $100 or more in November is available here.

  
Winn recently announced the 2015 Miller Trust Grant recommendations funding four grants totaling $118,137. The projects are:
 
Targeting additional surface antigens for treatment of
Tritrichomonas foetus in cats
 (MT15-005) Principal Investigator: M. Katherine Tolbert DVM, PhD, DACVIM; University of Tennessee-Knoxville; $21,775
 
Evaluating a safer combination of pre-anesthetic sedation and general anesthesia in cats (MT15-006) Principal Investigator: Bruno Pypendop, DVM, DACVA; University of California-Davis; $27,378
 
Differentiating feline alimentary lymphoma and inflammatory bowel disease with a blood test    (MT15-012) Principal Investigator: Kurt Zimmerman, DVM, PhD, DACVP; Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine; $34,990
 
A multicentric study using mesenchymal stem cell therapy for chronic gingivostomatitis (MT15-016) Principal Investigator: Boaz Arzi, DVM, AVDC, Dori Borgesson, DVM, PhD, ACVP; University of California-Davis; $33,994
 
Download a pdf of the Press Release


 

Winn at the CFA International Show
 

Winn accepted the gracious offer of The Cat Fanciers' Association for exhibit space at the recent International Cat Show near King of Prussia, PA. Board Member Janet Wolf staffed the booth and answered questions about Winn programs.  This was an opportunity to tell cat owners about Winn's new Honor Your Technician  or Veterinarian  programs.  With the holidays around the corner, these programs are a great way to say Thank You for those special people who have helped your cat over the years. Winn luggage tags were also available and breeders took advantage of these for a small donation.
Planned giving (tax) tip for December - It's not too late to make a charitable contribution which can be deducted on your 2015 income taxes.  Charitable contributions made by December 31 may be deducted this year.  You may deduct charitable donations made by credit card before year-end as a 2015 contribution, even if it you don't pay your credit card bill until next year.  Donations made by check may be deducted if mailed by December 31 even though your bank account may not be debited until next year. For any questions, please contact info@winnfelinefoundation.org .
Three new videos about current topics on cat health are now available on Winn's video library page
The topics include feline asthma, degenerative joint disease & pain in cats, and stem cell therapy for chronic kidney disease.
 
In addition, three new cat health articles can be downloaded from our educational library  : Chronic Kidney Disease, Feline Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Feline Asthma. More to come shortly!


nullby Karen Lawrence

The Feline Historical Museum has added a new medal to its collection ... a gold medal, commemorating the centennial of Cosey winning Best Cat at the Madison Square Garden Show in 1895. The medal was awarded to Richard H. Gebhardt in 1995 and is engraved on the back "R.H. Gebhardt, Best in Show, 1945-1995".

The medal was purchased with funds donated by the Atlantic Himalayan Club.

Boston Cat Club ribbons, from 1907, 1912 and 1916, have been donated by John Smithson of The Harrison Weir Collection in New Zealand. According to the 1961 CFA Yearbook, the Boston Cat Club was formed in 1904, and held their first cat show in 1905 under ACA rules. There were 185 cats entered and the show lasted 5 days! The 1907 Show Catalogue listed, besides the Long Hairs and Domestic Short Hairs, 1 Siamese, 2 Abyssinians, 5 Manx, 2 Russian Blues and 6 Australians. In 1920, the club changed affiliation to CFF, and eventually affiliated with CFA in 1934.

Occasionally, artifacts such as the medal and the ribbons become available and the CFA Foundation is most appreciative of donations received from clubs and individuals that allow us to purchase these items, rather than have them lost to the cat fancy. Please consider a donation to our "acquisition fund" to ensure that future purchases of cat fancy history are possible.

We are also excited to have recently purchased a painting of a Persian, dated between 1909 and 1914, and with ties to an artist and CFA breeder in the New York City area. The painting is enroute to the museum and we will tell you more about it in the next newsletter.

 
Hobby Breeders being dragged into pet store bans in Sarasota County, Florida
 
 
For three years Sarasota in Defense of Animals (SDA) has politicked County Commissioners for a pet store ban to prohibit the retail sale of dogs or cats in pet stores or other commercial establishments in the unincorporated parts of the County. Commercial Establishments could only provide sales space for animals owned by an Animal Welfare Organization or Animal Shelter. The ordinance also includes a restrictive hobby breeder exemption that would make it difficult for show breeders to continue their hobby. Sarasota County plans to have a public hearing on the proposed ordinance on January 27, 2016.
 
As currently defined, a Hobby Breeder means a person who does not mass produce animals, carefully selects the buyer of their Dogs and Cats, and is ordinarily dedicated to the preservation of a particular breed of Dog or Cat, as evidenced by all of the following:
 
(1)  Cats and Dogs are bred and reared on the person's property.
(2)  Cats or Dogs are sold or transferred directly to buyers.
(3)  No more than three litters are auctioned bartered, sold, displayed for sale, or offered for sale during the preceding twelve months.
(4)  No more than three intact males, and/or three intact females live on the property.
(5)  Proper veterinarian care, nutrition, adequate socialization through physical contact with humans, adequate space, and exercise are provided to Dogs and/or Cats.
 
The two or three female limitation may work for a novice cat breeder but not for a well-established hobby breeding program requiring more females to maintain genetic diversity. Even with just 2-3 female cats the litter limitation may jeopardize the health of the females especially in a closed cattery system. According to Dr. Susan Little, most queens will have two litters per year under optimum conditions. ("Feline Reproduction and Breeding Management", Susan Little, DVM, Diplomate, American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, Certified in Feline Practice, June 2005.)
 
There is no relationship between commercial and hobby breeding, so why is this provision included? For many pet shop ban proponents this is a weapon in their arsenal to end all breeding. The "targeting" of substandard facilities is a pretext. All breeders are substandard to them. For more information on pet store bans see "What's Hot....The problem with pet store bans" in the July 2015 CFA enewsletter here . There is no real need for the Hobby Breeder definition and exclusion in the proposed ordinance.
 
Activists have been busy in Florida. Legislation to restrict pet sales have cropped up in Deerfield Beach, West Melbourne, Manatee and Casselberry to name just a few locations. Neptune Beach is also considering legislation that mirrors the ordinance restricting pet sales that passed in Jacksonville Beach.
 
If you can help in Sarasota County, Neptune Beach or anywhere there is legislation detrimental to the hobby of showing cats, please let us know. The CFA Legislative group is here to help you fight legislation detrimental to your chosen hobby.



Please report legislation happening in your area to
the Legislative Group -   
legislation@cfa.org
CFA Ambassador Cats
Karen Lane
CFA Ambassador Cats Chair

News from Hawaii
This past month we got a letter from Ken Cribbs, in Hawaii.  He and Mr . Peabody are going to retire from the Ambassador Cat Program due to medical reasons.  Ken and Mr. Peabody have represented CFA in Hawaii for many years and have devoted much time and great effort into promoting CFA and our pedigreed cats.  Ken has promised to help us find a replacement A-Cat for Hawaii.
We wish Ken and Mr. Peabody the very best in their future together.



 
 
Everyone needs some Hope in their lives,
and we had the best.
We were all saddened with the passing of our, and CFA's, "poster cat"  Hope.  Hope, and Shirley, were one of the original six A-Cats who appeared at the Javits Center in New York in 2010.  They have been constant in their commitment to the CFA A-Cat Program.  It did not take very long, after putting Hope into the spotlight, to see that a "Star" was born.  Hope has represented us and CFA in very way possible.  This past year she appeared on the cover of our CFA yearbook and was highlighted in the same book.  She was the very first cat to receive a CFA Silver Star, at this past Annual Meeting in Toronto. She was special to all of us, and to all of the spectators who visited her, and were charmed by her.    
 
Please meet "Betty"
 
Hope passing left a huge hole in everyone's heart and is will take another special cat to come close to filling it.  Betty will have her work cut out for her.  She, and Shirley, attended the International Show and they were greeted with great admiration and applause.   Betty's journey has just started and Shirley's journey continues.
 
 
International Show News
I was unable to attended the International Show as I was with my sister in Illinois after her surgery, however, a great program is measured by the "self-direction" of it's members.  The A-Cats were "Front and Center" like always.  A special thank you to all of the A-Cats who attended and helped make our show enjoyable and fun for all of our spectators.   In attendance, with theirs cats, were Cheryl Coleman, Shelly Ducharme, Donna Ensor, Jim Flanik, Laura Gregory, Kathi Hoos, Chris Makl, Rebecca Mullins, Joy Yoders-Day and Eve Russell.  

 
Coming Soon
Within the next few months, please look for breed banners for our A-Cats.  They will be a table top display showing the A-Cat.  They can be used at the cat show entrance table showing the A-cat attending your club's show.  And they can be used in the A-Cat display area to further attract spectators to the A-Cat display area.  The new breed banners will be ordered in January and hopefully everyone will start to see them in February.
 
The entire A-Cat group wishes everyone a joyful Holiday Season.  For some of us, we celebrate Hanukah and for others we celebrate the Christmas.  Whichever celebration is in your home, make it a happy one.  
  And we wish you, and your family, a wonderful New Year.  Happy 2016!!



by Candilee Jackson, Chair

Ambassador Update
The Ambassadors had a lovely presence at the recent International Show in Oaks, Pennsylvania.  Many thanks go to Alene Shafnisky and Diane Coppola who hosted the Ambassador booth, and to Pam Delabar and Diane who led tours on both days.  You ALL totally ROCK!  Alene and Diane reported in following the show with some wonderful ideas, and it's wonderful to have friends who think outside the box.
GC, GP, RW BirKist French Vanilla Fudge Swirl a.k.a. Fudgie hanging out with Diane Coppola at the Ambassador booth at the CFA International show in Oaks, PA. Fudgie was also the official Birman pet me cat and she represented the Birmans in the education ring. She had a very busy weekend.







At this ti me, the Ambassadors bid a very fond farewell to regional coordinator, Ken Cribbs and his wonderful ambassador, Mr Peabody, from the Hawai'i Division.  After many years of pounding the pavement for CFA in paradise, Ken has resigned due to health reasons.  We wish Ken the very best and thoroughly appreciate his wisdom,  presence and support of the ambassador role within CFA. 

Region 2:  Meghan Noeker
Region 2 had its Christmas show in Portland, Oregon, and there were at least 10 cats with Pet Me flags up; all but one were competition cats. Regulus also took rides in a stroller and met spectators along the way. There were also had many more people wearing the Ask Me stickers. There were a LOT of spectators at this show, many in their 20s. Additionally there was a household pet display and spectator guides with information for how to show a cat.

Region 4:  Mariane Toth
Thankfully everyone arrived safely to the Ohio State/Great Lakes-Great Maines on Saturday morning despite the fog. What a well-run show!  Hats off to both clubs and their members who worked hard to putting on the show, from setting up the show hall Friday night till 1 am,  and turning around and being back at 6:30.  Spectators seemed to enjoy themselves.  The spectators that my fellow exhibitors talked with were asking questions and taking pictures of their favorite cats.

Region 5:  Shari Millar
Regional coordinator Shari Millar has been very busy ... getting candy cane goo out of her cat's coat!  Dinky enjoyed the Glendale Thanksgiving show by greeting all the spectators as they entered the showhall. She flew up to Lewis & Clark show with two Ambassador Manx and was very busy. This show gets a very steady younger aged gate there, which kept us busy doing photos and lots of candy cane hand shakes, always a very fun show! 

Region 6:  Candilee Jackson
Midwesties are taking a short breather after a very active fall .... 6 shows in 7 weeks!  Their most recent show was hosted by the Frontier Feline Cat Club in Gardner, Kansas, and had a nice turnout of both exhibitors and spectators.  Lots of questions were asked, and pictures taken of favorite cat breeds.  Several ambassadors noticed that the questions they are getting concern the CFA stand against de-clawing:  this was a wonderful education opportunity!

The staff at CFA Central Office gets into the spirit of the season! (Above) Shirley Dent, Verna Dobbins, Kristi Wollom, and Linda Scharver's doors displayed some holiday bling.
The staff also had an "Ugly Christmas Sweater" contest. We don't know who the "winner" was, but Santa is sure to leave a little something for everyone at Central Office! 

April Regis
 
Verna Dobbins
James Simbro
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Region 1
by Geri Fellerman, Regional Director 

We here in Region 1 were once again happy to have the CFA International Show back in our region. While much has been already written and posted about this show, I have to say that this year gate was way up and things seemed to run seamlessly. Due to a nasty bout with bronchitis, I spent much of the weekend sitting in my benching area but had lots and lots of spectators to chat with all weekend. The show committee did a spectacular job from configuration of the showhall to sparkly decorations. Looking forward to next year.

While the weather doesn't show it, winter is upon us and we are gearing up for one of our favorite shows in the NAR - Straight & Curl CC (partnering this year with Bombay Enthusiasts) is having their annual holiday happening next weekend in Lebanon, PA. So many fun activities - and please come hungry, aside from the really good food vendor, exhibitors pile several tables high with every sort of goody imaginable!

After that, we get to enjoy our holidays for a bit, then on to Vermont! How I wish the mild weather would hold, but I know we will be treated to the usual glittery snowscape. Not to worry - the show is held in a beautiful hotel so once we check in on Friday, there's no need to venture out until Sunday (or, for some of us "in the know," Monday morning). The Saturday night charity auction is an event not to be missed. Last year was actually the first time I made it to the auction and can't believe I hadn't made it there before. Truly an event not to be missed.
Region 2
by Terri Zittel, Regional Secretary

The Northwest Region has had two wonderful two day shows: one in November and one in December. The first of which is Utah Cat Fanciers presenting Snocats - Frozen . . . Not! on November 14 & 15 in Salt Lake City, UT. The club puts on a terrific warm and friendly show regardless of the weather which was just fine.
One of Linda Osburn's decorated cages    

The second is the annual Lewis and Clark Longhair Specialty Cat Club show held on December 5 & 6 at the Double Tree Lloyd Center in Portland, OR. This is the club's 44th show and it was spectacular as usual. The club goes all out on decorating for the Christmas Holiday.


Wendy Heidt

We had  two very special events. It was Wendy Heidt's first show as a Longhair Specialty judge. Her poise and knowledge of the breed of cats was just fantastic. We really need new judges in our region and Wendy certainly didn't let us down.
Wain, Deana Zittel, and Bonnie James with Kimo's Lucky    








The second event was the earning of the Grand Premier of Distinction by Kimo's Lucky, a white Cornish Rex bred by Bonnie James and owned by Kendall Mar and Terri Zittel. He finished the required ring finals in Wain Harding's ring. To top it off Wain made Lucky his best cat in Premiership. We believe that Lucky may be the first Cornish Rex Grand Premier of Distinction. It was also very nice having Wain back behind the judging table. 

Region 3
by Steve McCullough, Regional Director  

Toni Huff, Jeff Janzen,  Sheryl Zink (holding her champagne point Tonkinese), and Diane Bourgeois
What happened to Fall?  We have had unseasonably warm weather, flooding, and great attendance at our shows. We started out December with a bang in Rosenberg, TX  as Gail Bercher, Chris Willingham with Donna Hinton and the Brazos Valley Cat Club members put on a great show!!!! We were in a new show hall that allowed for everyone to be cozy and friendly.  Congratulations to Sheryl Zink, Harold and Diane Bourgeois, and Toni Huff.  As you can see from the picture, they are VERY PROUD to have Granded QT-Tonks Arrow of Sazikatz, a male.  Granding Arrow DM'd his father; GC Gulfcats Bluperrsuasion of QT-Tonks which then granded his father; so two generation male DM's.

Karen Godwin was announced at the Board meeting to have advanced to ALL BREED judge!!! The region is so happy for her and us!! Congratulation's Karen!!
Last years' line at the Potluck dinner in Cleburne

It wouldn't be December in Region 3 without Jan Rogers' Show and Tell extravaganza.  For those that haven't attended, you have missed out on the HUGE potluck lunch that she puts on every year.  And this year is no exception.  Only two shows this weekend in the USA, one in Texas and one in Pennsylvania. We invite you to Cleburne, TX for Show and Tell and enjoy our great hospitality. You can see from the picture how much fun it is and how long the line goes!!!

Get your entries in early, as Tuesday is the cutoff date for this energetic show and great raffle.
Big Houston will be kicking of January 9-10, 2016.  Becky Galloway, with all of the Houston Cat Club members will be hosting another exciting show at the Humble Convention Center.

Then off to Colorado for Cowboy Country Cat Club and Colorado Cat Fanciers show in a very nice show hall in Loveland, CO. Set the date for Feline Fun At The Ranch, January 16-17, 2016.  As usual, these two clubs have a really great time at the Ranch!!
Looking forward to seeing ya'll in show hall!!!!
Region 4
 by John Colilla, Regional Director
 
We have a Facebook page and are a member of Pinterest, both which provide information about our region. The links are https://www.facebook.com/cfagreatlakes  and https://www.pinterest.com/carmencitamarie/great-lakes-region-cfa/
 
Congratulation to John Heimestra for advance to Approval Pending Allbreed
 
Welcome to the newest exhibitor in the GLR: Jen Wolfe of Merikha Cattery.
 
Show Reports:
Dayton Cat Fanciers held their annual show on Nov 14-15 th. Along with the exhibitors and their beautiful cats, we had three lovely ladies who visited with us on Saturday:  Lois Jensen, Jo Ann Cummings and Nancy Brown. They were looking great and shared a lot of memories.
Ohio State Persian Club and Great Lakes Great Maines joined together the weekend of December 5-6 to hold a ten-ring show. The clubs worked diligently together to bring exhibitors a holiday celebration show. Club members contributed to the cookie reception table which was overflowing with goodies that everyone enjoyed and the spirit in the show hall was friendly and warm. 
We did have a few challenges with the new show hall and we are looking for a new venue for our 2016 show. It was thrilling to fill with 225 entries, which made our show one of only four shows this year to break 100 kittens entered. Everyone was gracious and the clubs want to extend our thanks to everyone that entered and for being so understanding.
The top five Maine Coons were ranked in all ten rings and the results are:
Kittens
Best           Highlander My Julia of La Familia
2nd            Nekoland O'Temperence of Dewisplear
3rd             Believers All That JAzz
4th             Dewisplear Cherie Mayfair
5th             5800 Dreams Street Sense 2007
Championship
Best          Classicool Lestat De Lioncort
2nd            Jaspurrcats Easter Bonnet of Abizaq
3rd             Furkats Prada Luna Rossa
4th             Maine Lvrs King of Hearts
5th              Rondeelu Lilli's Angel
Premiership
Best           Rondeelu's Benjamin Busby
2nd            Furkats Alberta
3rd             B Street John Henry
4th             Waggscoons Savannah
5th             Dulcimer Can You Hear Me Now?
 
Be sure to mark your calendar with our upcoming shows:
 
  • January 16-17 Cleveland Persian Society at Parma, Ohio 7AB and 3 SP
Cleveland Persian Society has a great show hall . . . easy in, easy out.  Great lightening, big and airy with food that is not typical cat show food . . . it is extra special. The show is 10 minutes from the Cleveland airport. There are many hotels close that are inexpensive. 
  • January 23-24 Midwest Persian Tabby Fanciers at Monroe, Michigan 7 AB and 3 SP
  • February 13 Steel City Kitties at Monroeville, Pennsylvania 4 AB and 2 SPFebruary 14 Great Lakes Regional Benefit at Monroeville, Pennsylvania 4 AB and 2 SP
Steel City Kitties is excited to host the Great Lakes Region fund raiser this year. This show will be a 6 x 6, with SCK Saturday & GLR Sunday.  There will be a 225 entry limit each day and we expect to fill.  Marilyn McBane is doing the advertising, so we will have thousands of people come through over the course of the weekend.  Make your plans now, as we already have clerks begging for a position, I suspect the hype to be fulfilling!
  • February 20 Kittyhawk Felines at Dayton, Ohio 5AB and 1 SP
Kittyhawk Felines will be holding their 6-ring one-day show on Feb.20, 2016. Our format will be SUPER SPECIALITY for Championship, AB Kittens and Premiership and one All Specialty ring.
Region 5
by Lisa Marie Kuta, Regional Director 
 
The Poinsettia City Cat Club hosted a fun show on the Saturday after
Thanksgiving. The Cats in Hats contest is a spectator favorite! The
Phoenix Feline Fanciers spread holiday cheer this past weekend with their
fabulous annual show.

January is the perfect time to visit the sunny southwest! Come enjoy the
nice weather and hospitality. Crown City's 10 ring, 225 show is on
1/9-1/10 in Ontario, California. Up next is the largest show in the
region, San Diego Cat Fanciers the weekend of January 23rd.
Region 6
by Candilee Jackson, Midwest Region Secretary

Kathy's Communique:  
Your planning committee currently has "all its ducks in a row" for the 2016 MWR Awards Show and Banquet:  all necessary footwork that can be accomplished this far out from the June 4-5, 2016 date has been accomplished. 
Things You Need To Know:
Kathy is leading a committee comprising of the Regional Directors 1 - 7, George Eigenhauser, and Dick Kallmyer to develop ideas that might help clubs!  From finding a reasonably priced show hall, conjunction show themes, and new formats!  Keep an eye out for a questionnaire asking for YOUR input!! 
Show Reports
Frontier Feline Fanciers held a terrific show Thanksgiving weekend in Gardner, Kansas.  The gate was good, but the cats shown and fellowship was even better!
"A carload of cats and friends from Minnesota zipped down to the FFF show. Vitrina Tonkinese was represented by a Tonk kitten Vitrina Loki JustiMag who took 5 out of 6 finals by utilizing his advanced schmoozing technique that he had perfected at the Philly World show.  He is our lovable relaxed gem.  GC Vitrina LilyAna picked up a few finals to keep her counts up for regional and breed contests. We avoided the bad ice storms by arriving Friday night at just the right time as roads were closed around us.  FFF has an enjoyable show that we all look forward to every year."  (Valori Trantanella)
 
The show also welcomed back two of its own, Kevin Weber and Mark Zimmerman, long time breeders of highly recognized American Wirehairs and American Shorthairs.  It was nice to see their smiling faces back in the MWR!
 
International Show Updates
DotDotDot's Sam I Am, a chocolate spotted Ocicat kitten, was Best Kitten and First Runner Up at the CFA International in Philly.

Sammy's sire, GC, NW DotDotDot's BornintheUSA was also Best Kitten in Show at the International a couple of years ago.

Sammy was bred and owned by Dr Roger and Nancy Brown.
"Thanks to all of the folks from the Midwest Region who attended the CFA International Cat Show in Oaks PA.  I hope you had a wonderful time.   I attended (exhibited OMG) and had a wonderful time. The show was well run and from early reports from Central Office - had a tremendous gate revenue!  
The judging rings were in the middle instead of along the walls of the hall.  It would be great to get your feedback on how that worked for everyone.   Benching was by breed so people had an opportunity to visit with fellow breeders across the world.  The entries were indeed global with great representation from Region 9, the International Division and all around the continental US.  I saw a huge number of folks from our region which was fantastic!
 I would really like to see this event return to either the Midwest Region in 2017!!  I am working toward that end!  Sight visits will happen sooner than later so let me know if you have venues that you would like me to present to the Board.
 HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE MIDWEST PARTICIPANTS AND WINNERS !!"                                 (Kathy Calhoun, MWR RD)
"I'd like to add to this, because Kathy is right on - this show was fantastic. The gate was incredible, on Saturday we surpassed last year's total gate, and people were very interested in learning how to show both HHP and pedigreed cats locally, which is really great! This show was incredibly international, it was SO great to see so many of my Midwest friends who I miss terribly, it was GREAT to see Allene Keating's Euro Burm who, it turns out, is quite appropriately named (WOW that cat!!) AND of the top 3 in show....well, someone official will post it with the names, but of the top 3 cats at Best in Show, two were owned by Midwest breeder/exhibitors, a calico kitten shown impeccably (as usual) by the Rosas, and another beautiful Ocicat from Roger and Nancy Brown. Go Midwest Region!!!   (Alene Shafnisky)
 
MWR Brags
Tippiana, a 8 month old Siberian female  open was Best LH Champion and 2nd Best AB Champion in Brian Moser's ring in the Red Show for breeder/owner Sherrie Phelps. 
 
GC, RW Slava Butterscotch Kiss, a 3-1/2 yr old Siberian male, was in 6 Championship finals
 
Charodey Joshua of Slava, a 6 month old Siberian, was in 6 kitten finals, both in the Red Show. Both owned by Sherrie Phelps.  
 
Slava Call Me Regal, a 5 month old blue tabby Siberian owned by Sherrie Phelps and Lucy Drury, was in 5 finals in the Purple Show.
DotDotDot's Sam I Am, a chocolate spotted Ocicat kitten, was Best Kitten and First Runner Up at the CFA International in Philly.    (Sammy's sire, GC, NW DotDotDot's BornintheUSA was also Best Kitten in Show at the International a couple of years ago)  Sammy was bred and owned by Dr Roger and Nancy Brown.

Mark and Sharon McKenzie are proud to announce INRxS Carmen, a cream mctabby Cornish Rex female, became a new Grand Champion at Frontier Feline Fanciers show!

Gena Garton is proud to announce that her HHP, Blake the Red, is now the  spokescat for Science Diet!  You can see him proudly on Science Diet dry  cat food!
 
The Midwest Region welcomed back two of its own t the Frontier Felines show - Kevin Weber and Mark Zimmerman


To my cat - I would if I could give you best cat - because you are.  I would if I could give you a cover story - you cover me.. I would if I could give you my whole day - you give me your whole life.  I will give you shelter from the world, keep your tummy full, hug you often, kiss you goodnight - I look in your eyes - you look in my soul ~ KC


Upcoming Shows:
January 9-10, 2016         Lucky Tom/Tiger's Lair                HOTEL SHOW!  Airport Hilton, St Louis, MO
January 23-24, 2016       Saintly City Cat Club                   St Paul, MN

Region 7
by Jean Dugger, Regional Director


Becky Mullen  and her Korat spay at the Greater Baltimore  CC Show
The Greater Baltimore Cat Club held their annual Christmas show the weekend of December 5-6; and I heard from many Southern Region friends that it was a great time! There were many festive decorations and Christmas was in the air! The Cotton States Cat Club also held their annual Christmas party, and it was a wonderful time to spend with friends and celebrate the giving of the season.



Raffle table
Best Decorated Cage














This weekend we were without the Dixieland Gold & Silver Show, which is a sad loss for the Southern Region. And though we understand that people retire, move away, and things in their lives change, it is always heartbreaking to lose another memory of the Southern Region. We diligently tried to find an affordable show hall to hold an alternate show in the region, but places were either too small, or too expensive, not available, etc. Our committee will continue to search for sites, and I encourage everyone and their clubs to help in search for show hall locations and possible shows. I welcome your input and feedback - we must do this together.

In the spirit of the season, I remind everyone to remember why we do this - love your cats; love your family and friends; and enjoy every minute of your time together!

Merry Christmas!

Jean
Region 8
by Edward Maeda, Regional Director
 
Today, I must announce some very sad news to all of you.
We lost a very important person in CFA's Japan Region two weeks ago. I have received the very sad news that Mr. Isamu Abe suddenly passed away. I was very surprised to hear about his death because I saw him at the Royal Allbreed Cat Club's show held this past 31 October 2015. We had not see him for a long time until then, but he looked in fine at the the show. He worked as a ring clerk at there. Of course he was a licensed master clerk.

He was a breeder of American Shorthairs, specializing in white ASHs, and was also a secretary of Happy Island Cat Club, He had lived in Fukushima prefecture where the big earthquake known as the East Japan Earthquake Disaster and Nuclear accident happened on 11 March 2011. He had lived at there after accident. After accident, he could not attend shows.
We lost him this time, we pray for repose from the bottom of our heart, and happiness in the next world.
His wife applied to disband Happy Island Cat Club to the CFA board and the board accepted it at last board meeting.

Again, I pray for repose from the bottom of my heart. Thank you very much to Mr Abe.....


Region 9

by Michael Hans Schleissner





Chelyabinsk is a Russian city after the Ural mountains, in Siberia. Chelyabinsk has over 1 million citizens and is an important place for transportation and trading. The city flag shows a camel, a symbol from the 18 th century to demonstrate the important travel routes to transport goods east to west and opposite direction. In current times the Trans-Siberian railway as well trucks carries now the goods. Chelyabinsk has multiple museums; in the zoological museum there is a real baby mammoth on display. The zoo has international conversation programs for Amur (Siberian) tiger, Far Eastern leopard as well Polar Bears with an area of 30 ha is located in Chelyabinsk central.
In February 2013 Chelyabinsk became known worldwide as the place where a meteor fall on earth. The biggest remaining part with a weight of 570kg = 1'200pounds is also placed in a museum in Chelyabinsk.
Karen Dallakyan is the local person who hosts his 2 nd CFA show in Chelyabinsk - with the CFA club Moscow Cat Fanciers and Alla Ipatova as the knowledge leader. With 94 cats entered Chelyabinsk really demonstrates to be competitive with other European show locations. The CFA judges in Chelyabinsk were Michael Schleissner, Pam Delabar, Irina Tokmakova and Donna Fuller with guest judge Nadjeda Rumantseva and Anna Nazarova. The judges were true impressed by the quality of the cats, as well the presentation skills of their owners. With the help of far-distance clerks from Moscow, Ekaterinaburg and Ukraine the CFA show run smooth and well.
Some critical remarks were made by the CFA judges about the safety & security of the cages - to truly compete with the best locations the show equipment has to meet certain levels as well CFA show rules (at least 12 cages per ring). Special thanks for all foreign judges, who had a real travel marathon the reach Chelyabinsk - and to reach home again - thanks to all Russian judges to join us in Chelyabinsk. We all look forward for more CFA news behind the Ural mountains - more CFA news from Siberia!

Last month's issue of Cat Talk contained a rememberance of Guy Pantigy along with a request for readers to submit their own memories of Guy as "cycles of life." A compilation of those cycles is available here
International Division
Dick Kallemyer, International Division Chair 
Show judges, winning cats and owners and special guest
The Cat Fashion Club held their show in Ramat Hasharon, Israel on November 7 th.  Besides the show, the club emphasized  a fun time for the exhibitors and their children.
One of CFA's newest exhibitors, fresh from the ring (and face painting)
How can it be a CFA cat show without the goodies_

Royal Canin sponsored the Johor Bahru Cat Club show in Johor, Malaysia on November 14. (below, left)

The Indonesian Royal Feline club held their first show in Bandung, Indonesia including a special grooming lesson taught by Moomera. (above, right)

Have a question or a comment about the CFA Newsletter? 
Feel free to contact me at  tkeiger@cfa.org
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Teresa Keiger
CFA Newsletter Editor