DECEMBER 2021
Volume 2 No.6
FEATURES: FEATURE BREED – THE BENGAL IDOLS OF THE CAT FANCY – NIKKI HORNER LONGHAIR – THE BLUE-EYED WANDERER (BEW) SHORTHAIR – CHAMPION BONHAKI (MANX) …and much more! INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE FOR CAT LOVERS, LINECHASERS & FANCIERS OF FELINE HISTORY
“Today’s achievements are part of tomorrow’s history”
FELIS HISTORICA HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION SUBSCRIPTIONS Published Monthly Single Issue $4.00 USD ANNUALLY $48.00 USD EDITOR
John G. Smithson editor@felishistorica.com HISTORY PARTNERS The CFA Foundation COLUMNISTS
Karen Lawrence (St. Catharines, Canada)
Lorraine Shelton (California, USA)
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Dr. Leslie Lyons (Missouri, USA)
DECEMBER 2021 - VOLUME 2 NUMBER 6 PUBLISHED BY A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS FOR THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION Content: All Rights Reserved. © A-Cat-Emy Concepts
IN THIS ISSUE!
DECEMBER 2021 - Volume 2 No.6
EDITORIAL The Editor outlines issues covered in Felis Historia December 2021!
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CONTRIBUTING TEAM MEMBERS Gallery of our Team of Columnists, Contributors & Correspondents
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SHORTHAIR HISTORY FEATURE – ‘Champion Bonhaki’ (Silv. Tabby Manx – (b. 1897) – by John Smithson 12
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Chloe Chung (Hong Kong)
Laura Vocelle (Muscat, Oman)
Dr. Victor Zaalov (Acre, Israel)
ICONS OF THE CAT FANCY A tribute to the talented Nikki Horner – by Karen Lawrence EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! PART 18 - by Dr. Leslie Lyons Genetics of the Bengal Cat Breed
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OUR BREED FEATURE - THE BENGAL – by Melody Boyd. Showing Bengals in CFA
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GALLERY - ‘It’s Beginning To Look A lot Like Christmas!’
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(Ohio, USA)
A TEN CATS CHRISTMAS! A year on! – Graham Harrop – Cartoonist
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Forent Fissot
LONGHAIR HISTORY FEATURE – ‘The Blue-Eyed Wanderer’ (BE White Persian) - by John Smithson
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THE DESCENDANTS OF BASTET – by Karen Lawrence. New Book release information…
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A PERSIAN RHAPSODY IN BLUE – by John Smithson. New Book release information…
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CELEBRATING MODERN CATS - OUR FEATURED CAT BREED SH Breed – BOYDSBENGALS BREAKING BAD DM – (B. 2014) CFA’s very first Bengal Distinguished Merit Sire…
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WE WISH YOU A MEOWY CHRISTMAS – Seasonal Greetings from Cat Fanciers around the world…
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Valerie Sheldrake Feline Historian (Suffolk, UK)
Jamie Christian
(Monsegur, France)
PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAPHICS
Helmi & Ken Flick (Florida, USA)
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Jack Terry (Florida, USA)
Editorial ‘FELIS HISTORICA’ JOHN G. SMITHSON EDITOR editor@felis-historica.com
COPYRIGHT ISSN: 2744-4430 National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa © A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS / FELIS HISTORICA THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, screen capture or otherwise, without prior written permission. No responsibility is accepted for accuracy of advertisements or information. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
www.felis-historica.com
It seems almost inconceivable to me, that we are now sending out our second Christmas issue of an e-magazine that was born just months into the stark reality of the Covid19 pandemic. Our first edition dealt with that issue and strived to take the temperature of the effects that the pandemic was already having on the cat fancy as a whole. One by one, registries around the globe closed shows and ended scoring for their show seasons. Supplies of cat food, and medical needs were scarce and in some cases almost impossible to obtain. It really was, and to some extent still is for some, reminiscent of war times. Despite that, the cat fancy is emerging again, and shows are for some countries at least making a come-backback, albeit with mask wearing and an element of social distancing. Vaccinations have been the priority for many, I personally received both shots in July 2021 and I will now be eligible for a booster shot in January 2022, which does not now seem very far away. It has been a delight to see reports from Shows around the world again on social media, and while many of us could not show, many could and were still producing exquisite kittens, and for some at least, they are spoiled for choice on what to place on the show bench. For clubs, exhibitors and judges the main issue is still the ability to travel with safety and to dig through the mandatory mire of quarantine and testing required to even make that possible. Countries that are far flung from the largest geographic populations are still largely dependent on their local judging fraternity.
IN CELEBRATION OF BENGALS Photo: Helmi Flick Cat Photography
DECEMBER 2021 With our featured breed we celebrate the Bengal, often admired, sometime the subject of contention, and one of newest breeds to be accepted into Championship by the Cat Fancier’s Association. We also peek into that journey and celebrate the first bengal sire to gain his DM, in BoydsBengals Breaking Bad. Karen Lawrence provides us with another article in her ‘Idols of the Cat Fancy’ series, this time taking a look at the wide interests and largely unmatched successes of the multi-talented Nikki Horner. Dr Lyons also provides us with a sage view on the genetics spectrum of Bengals, in her eighteenth lesson on ‘Everything you need to know about Genetics you can learn from your cat!’ Our history articles include a look into Ch. Bonhaki, a silver classic Tabby Manx born in November 1897, and owned by Mrs. H.C. Brooke. Another provides details on the early blue-eyed white Persian, The Blue-Eyed Wanderer, owned by Mrs. Ellen Harper.
OUR COVER PHOTO Photo courtesy of
Helmi Flick Cat Photography. RW, SGCA Norcat Lewis of the Silent Planet. A brown mackerel tabby with white Maine Coon Alter. Breeder Noreene Rollins; Owner: Winter Fleur Wiorkowski
accuracy of advertisements or information. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
In this Christmas edition, we have collated a gallery of feline-related Christmas photographs, in ‘It’s beginning to look alike like Christmas!’ and Seasonal greetings from the President of CFA, and feline-related organisations from around the world, in ‘We wish you a Meowy Christmas!’ We cannot thank enough, all the capable and talented photographers, both amateur and professional, who have willingly contributed photographs for this specific issue. We wish all our readers a safe and happy Christmas, spent with family and friends and most importantly, with beloved pets that continue to bring light and love into our lives!
John EDITOR FELIS HISTORICA
Backgrounds: www.gograph.com
A VERY WELL-BEHAVED NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT GETS TO TELL SANTA WHAT HE WOULD LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS… ‘FEATHERLAND DICKIE’ – Bred by Michael & Lorraine Shelton. Owned by Janet Nunn. Photo by Kris Shelton.
WELCOME! to our celebratory Christmas 2021 Gallery! We have brought together for your enjoyment, a collection of Christmas-themed images of cats from all over the world; both pedigreed and non-pedigreed, of many different colours and patterns. We sincerely thank all the photographers and cat fanciers, who gave their permission for use of these amazing images and hope that you will enjoy this ‘parade of felines’ some of them carefully posed, and some caught unexpectedly or in the act of expressing natural feline curiosity!
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…
Ch.Fl*Dirlandan Ruby My Love – Maija Mavrakis (Finland) Photo: Marika Lahti All content © 2021 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.