Felis Historica - August 2022 - Volume 3 Number 2 by purrcasso

HWC

HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION

PUBLISHED BY A-CAT-EMY CONCEPTS for THE HARRISON WEIR COLLECTION

AUGUST 2022 VOLUME 3 NUMBER 2

EDITOR

John G. Smithson editor@felishistorica.com HISTORY PARTNERS The CFA Foundation COLUMNISTS/CONTRIBUTORS

Karen Lawrence (St. Catharines, Canada)

Lorraine Shelton (California, USA)

Dr. Leslie Lyons (Missouri, USA)

Chloe Chung (Hong Kong)

Laura Vocelle (Muscat, Oman)

Florent Fissot (Monsegur, France)

Dr. Victor Zaalov (Acre, Israel)

Valerie Sheldrake Feline Historian (Suffolk, UK)

Jamie Christian (Ohio, USA)

PHOTOGRAPHY / GRAPHICS

Helmi & Ken Flick (Florida, USA)

Jack Terry (Florida, USA)

EDITORIAL – An outline of the contents of Volume 3 No.2

CONTRIBUTING TEAM MEMBERS Gallery of our Team of Columnists, Contributors & Correspondents

Contents

THE NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT – by Lorraine Shelton An Introduction to the Norwegian Forest Cat Breed

CHAMPION BALLOCHMYLE PERFECTION - by John Smithson The story of Champion ‘Perfection’ a Red Tabby English Shorthair

GARDENING WITH CATS etc… – Cartoons by Graham Harrop A Cats Guide to the Flower Bed!

FELINE HISTORY MEMORABILIA – by John Smithson Old and New items in The Harrison Weir Collection

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GENETICS YOU CAN LEARN FROM YOUR CAT! - by Dr. Leslie Lyons Precision Medicine and State of the Art healthcare for cats!

INTERNATIONAL GALLERY – THE NORWEGIAN FOREST CAT

MEOW – WHAT CATS TEACH US ABOUT JUDGING – New Book release

THE AMERICAN SHORTHAIR – New Book Release information.

CHAMPION BLUE JACKET – by John Smithson The story of one of the very earliest Blue Persian Champions

THE CAT THAT LOOKED AT A KING – Future Book release information

THE POET OF NATURE – Future Book release information…

THE DESCENDANTS OF BASTET – by Karen Lawrence. New Book release information…

A PERSIAN RHAPSODY IN BLUE – by John Smithson. New Book release information…

CELEBRATING MODERN DAY LEADING CATS – Our Feature Cats: Norwegian Forest Cats CFA GC, BWR, NW RUSSMANIA APOLLO THE ARCHER CFA GC, BWI, NW RUSSMANIA DESTOROYAH OF KEY LIME

90 108

FELIS HISTORICA

Editorial Editorial ’FELIS HISTORICA’ JOHN G. SMITHSON EDITOR with Supreme Exhibit Norwegian Forest Cat NZCF GC Jaymlynkatz White Christmas

OUR COVER PHOTO GIC S*Myselisia’s Campari DVM Brown Patched McTabby & White Norwegian Forest Cat Female Born: January 14, 2019 Bred by Cecelia/Annie/Thomas Gylling Owned by: Niina Kokki

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 any 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 www.harrisonweir.com

Yes – believe it or not, this is our last issue of FELIS HISTORICA for the immediate future. Several factors have combined to mean that despite as much as I enjoy editing and producing this unique magazine, begun during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic; the time it takes to produce it, now outweighs its sustainability. I have other duties and obligations that must be met. That being said, and acknowledged, I have to say that it has been an incredible journey, and I have learned a great deal about electronic publishing – skills which I have already put to good use in the production of books and which I will continue so to do. Many of you will not realise that I also work full time in a regular job, so all of this magazine work, has been done in my socalled spare time; and has easily run into around another 100 plus hours a month. However, I do owe alot of thanks to a very large group of people, not the least among them our many correspondents from around the world, in registries all over the globe. Their contributions and experience has been of immense help. The magazine has also been loyally supported by many well-known feline photographers, not least among them being the Helmi Flick Cat Photography duo of Helmi and Ken, whose work has been featured on many of our covers! But also the likes of Chanan, Larry Johnson, Marika Lahti, Amy Works, SpyZoo, Russmania, and many more… There is simply not room to mention all the columnists, but special mention must be made of the remarkable series of 26 articles on feline genetics by Dr. Leslie Lyons, which have been an integral part of all 26 issues! So, a big thank you Leslie!

Norwegian Forest Cat litter Photo: Marika Lahti.

AUGUST 2022

IN CELEBRATION OF

NORWEGIAN BRITISH SHs FOREST & LHs CATS

Additionally, we have had some truly intriguing articles on historic breeders and the contents of the Feline Historical Museum in Ohio, written by fellow writer Karen Lawrence, who as administrator of the Museum has been a loyal supporter of this venture from day one, right up to its conclusion. I could simply not have produced it for as long as I have without her constancy, dedication, or assistance. Acknowledgement is also due to our Canadian resident cartoonist, Graham Harrop, whose feline masterpieces have been featured in all issues since he so kindly consented to allow us to publish his work. He has an advertisement in this issue, and I encourage you all to take note! I would also like to extend a grateful thanks to our advertisers, without whom, the magazine would simply have not even got off the ground, and our subscribers, especially those who renewed their annual subscriptions year on year, and month on month. We have now dutifully refunded any unfulfilled subscriptions dating after August 2022. Even though we are not creating new magazines from this point forward, our website will continue to be hosted and back issues will still be available for purchase online for only $4 USD an issue, at least for the time being. Thank you to all who have been part of this journey with me, in celebration of what we love the most – our cats!

John

EDITOR

Above: GC, BWR, NW RUSSMANIA APOLLO THE ARCHER Brown Classic Tabby & White NFC Below: GC, BWI, NW RUSSMANIA DESTOROYAH OF KEY LIME Brown Mackerel Tabby & White NFC Photos: Russmania

OUR TEAM OF COLUMNISTS & CONTRIBUTORS

KAREN LAWRENCE

LORRAINE SHELTON

LESLIE A. LYONS Ph. D

ADVERTISING MANAGER advertising@felis-historica.com Director: CFA Foundation, Inc Manager: Feline Historical Museum Co-Editor: The History Project

AUTHOR/LECTURER ‘Robinson’s Genetics for Cat Breeders & Veterinarians’ Director: CFA Foundation, Inc www.wegies.net www.featherland.net

RESEARCHER/COLUMNIST FELINE GENETICS SPECIALIST Prof. of Comparative Medicine Dept. of Vet. Medicine & Surgery University of Missouri

JAMIE CHRISTIAN

CHLOE CHUNG

LAURA A. VOCELLE

WRITER/COLUMNIST TICA INTERNATIONAL JUDGE OF THE YEAR 2016

COLUMNIST/PRESENTER CAT BEHAVIOURALIST/LECTURER CFA ALL BREEDS JUDGE Based in China & Hong Kong

COLUMNIST/AUTHOR FELINE HISTORY & ART HISTORIAN Creator and Founder The Great Cat www.thegreatcat.org

DR. VICTOR ZAALOV

HELMI & KEN FLICK

JACK TERRY

CEO – WORLD GOLDEN CAT

HELMI FLICK CAT PHOTOGRAPHY www.helmiflick.com

‘THE RESTORIAN’ Photo & Graphics Specialist Photo Humourist

President of World Organisation of Cats

OUR TEAM OF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS

DARRELL NEWKIRK

PAM DELABAR

GAVIN CAO

(CFA, USA)

(CFA, EUROPE)

(CFA, CHINA)

NEVADA, UNITED STATES PAST PRESIDENT CFA

TAMPERE, FINLAND

CFA DIRECTOR, REGION 9

CHENGDU, CHINA CFA CHINA BUSINESS ADVISOR

JOHN HANSSON

CHERYLE U’REN

ANNELIESE HACKMANN

(GCCF, UK)

(CCC of A, AUSTRALIA)

(WCF, EUROPE)

LONDON, ENGLAND PAST CHAIRMAN GCCF

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA PRESIDENT CCC of A VICE-PRESIDENT WCC

ESSEN, GERMANY PRESIDENT WCF

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

BOB GLEASON

JANE WEBSTER

(SOUTH AFRICA)

(CCA, CANADA)

(NZCF, NEW ZEALAND)

DURBANVILLE, SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT, C.A.S.A. (WCF)

LONDON, CANADA CHAIR - CANADIAN CAT ASSOC. LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

PALMERSTON NORTH, NZ NZCF HISTORIAN

OUR TEAM OF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS

JUN KOHNO

RUSSELL LAW

CHATE RUENGRUGLIKIT

(CFA, JAPAN)

(CFA, HONG KONG)

(CFA, THAILAND)

TOKYO, JAPAN SEC: MICINA CAT FANCIERS

HONG KONG SEC: UNITED FELINE ODYSSEY

CHAYAPON PUCHAROENYOS

ROBBIE WALKER

BANGKOK, THAILAND SEC: SIAM BLE-EYED CAT FANCIERS

SANDRA ALSUMAIT

(WCF, ASIA)

(ACF, AUSTRALIA)

(CFA, KUWAIT)

BANGKOK, THAILAND CHAIR: WCF DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION

GOLD COAST, QLD, AUSTRALIA PRESIDENT, FCCQ. QLD

KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT PRESIDENT, K-CATS CLUB

IZADDIN SYAH YUSOF

FARAH DIANA

BAMBI J. EDWARDS (ANCATS, AUSTRALIA)

(CFA, MALAYSIA)

(CFA, INDONESIA)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA NAT.SEC: ANCATS AUSTRALIA

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA CFA INT.DIV. CLERK OF THE YEAR 2016

JAKARTA, INDONESIA RICIMACKA CATTERY

OUR TEAM OF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS

ELLEN CROCKETT

STEVEN MESERVE

LUIZ PAULO FACCIOLI

(TICA, UNITED STATES)

(TICA, EUROPE SOUTH)

(TICA, SOUTH AMERICA)

PORT TOWNSEND, WA, USA TICA DISTINGUISED JUDGE

VILA DE CUCUJAES, PORTUGAL TICA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

PORT ALEGRE, SOUTH BRAZIL TICA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

LIESBETH VAN MULLEM

EVA PORAT

DONATELLA MASTRANGELO

(TICA, EUROPE NORTH)

(FIFe, SWEDEN)

(FIFe, BELGIUM)

UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS TICA REGIONAL DIRECTOR

OREBRO, SWEDEN PRESIDENT SVERAK, (FIFe)

ROME, ITALY CHAIR: JUDGES & STANDARDS COMM.

STEVEN JONES

JINSON CHOI

LISBETH FALLING

(FIFe, NORWAY)

(CFA, SOUTH KOREA)

(NRR, NORWAY)

STAVANGER, NORWAY SEC: JUDGES & STANDARDS COMM

PAJU-SI, SOUTH KOREA PRES. CAT FANCIERS OF KOREA

OSLO, NORWAY PHOTOGRAPHER/EDITOR - ARISTOKATT

GIC DELICJA ADSUM*PL DVM (5.9.20) – Blue Tortie Mackerel Tabby & White NFC. Bred by Magdalena Chmielewska. Owners: Satu Hamalainen & Pamela DelaBar Photo Marika Lahti. Article Backgrounds © www.gograph.com All content © 2022 Felis Historica, The Harrison Weir Collection & The CFA Foundation, Inc.

Norwegian Forest Cats From the Land of Ice and Snow By LORRAINE SHELTON

Michael Shelton of Featherland Cattery in California describes his beginnings in the Norwegian Forest Cat as follows: ”Like many men, when I was first introduced to the pedigreed cat fancy, I thought I wanted a Maine Coon; big, imposing cat... until I saw Nancy Eckert’s magnificent brown classic tabby and while male, GC, BW, RW Fig Toggle, CFA’s 2000/2001 Best of Breed Norwegian Forest Cat. Stil a big, muscular cat, but with a somewhat more refined, elegant look. And those eyes. A Forest Cat’s eyes are just mesmerising, and they reflect their calm demeanor. They still make me just melt.” In October of 2004, I flew to Ohio and brought back Michael’s birthday present; an adorable brown classic tabby and white, four month old neuter who would become GP, NW Fig Kollibri of Featherland. We were so taken with his loving demeanor, that we begged Nancy for a breeding female. She obliged, sending Fig Kattugle to us with three

Lorraine Shelton with CFA GC NW Featherland Brennan

us with three kittens growing inside, following a dalliance with Fig Floppy Joe of Nordictale, owned by Brook Cole, another recent recruit she was mentoring to carry on with her breeding program. Our lives were changed forever. For our 25th wedding anniversary in 2008, at the CFA Annual in Louisville Kentucky where we accepted Kollibri’s National Win, I presented Michael with a commissioned coloured pencil drawing of our wegie boy by Jamie Perry which captures Kollibri’s mesmerising eyes as he perches on Michael’s favorite baseball glove (clutching a ball from the Los Angeles Dodgers, of course) entitled ”Hometown Hero.” Kollibri obtained enough points for his National Win without counting a single ring outside the Southwest Region, a feat rare for a region known to have lower show counts. The origins of this natural breed of Scandinavia is/are assumed to be the accomp

accompaniment of cats from the Mediterranean area with the original migrants to this part of the world in prehistoric times. Migration into Norway from Russia also suggests a genealogical relationship between the Norwegian Forest Cat and Russian Longhairs (now known as Siberians) that were cherished from the very beginnings of the cat fancy and used in the development of the early Persian cat. Ever since the development of agriculture, humans have brought cats with them, during both immigration and transitory travel, in order to protect valuable grain from rodents. The harsh climate would naturally favor the survival of a dense coated, large bodied cat that would be insulated against the cold. Since domestic cats were not originally native to the Americas, the longhaired cats of the eastern seaboard (now known as Maine Coons) are undoubtedly the descendants of cats brought by early American settlers from Europe, possibly even from the Norse explorations of Newfoundland, although there are no records of the domestication of cats in Norway, prior to the 13th century. Ancient legends and mythologies of Norway have been interpreted to refer to cats, including the role of two grey cats, gifted by the God Thor, in pulling the chariot of the fertility goddess Freya as she collected fallen warriors after battle. More recently, folk tales refer to Troll Cats, Fairy Cats, and Huldrekats, cats with bushy tails. In 1912 children’s author

author Gabriel Scott immortalized a longhaired white cat named Solyfaks (”Snowflake”). In the 1930’s breeders started work to preserve the Forest Cat as a purposefully reproduced breed, however their efforts were interrupted by the war. In 1957, King Olav V made an official pronouncement declaring the Skoggkatt the National Cat of Norway. The popularity of the breed slowly increased throughout the next decade or so. In 1973, Pan’s Truls was born, and he was the basis for the originsl breed standard. Trul’s breeder Else Nylund, is revered among breeder’s as the ”mother” of the breed. In 1984, Pan’s Polaris was born, a black & white male with a distinct white tail tip. He is one of the most successful and profilic Forest Cats, having sired at least 50 litters, during his 12-year breeding career. His characteristic tail tip is still known as a ”Polaris Tip”. Beginning in the 1970’s the foundation cats for the earlly breed were tightly contolled by the Breed club, Norskogkattring. Members of the breed committee were tasked with approving all foundation cats, with an examination as a kitten, and again upon maturity before being authorised for entrance into the studbook. The exportation of registered Nowegian Forest Cats was limited to Sweden and Finland. Only cats with three generations of registered ancestors were allowed to be exported for breeding purposes. By 1976, 100 Forest Cats were registered and FIFe accepted the breed in preliminary status. The following year the breed was accepted for full recognition. The first exports were to Sweden in 1977. Sheila Gira imported the first Norwegians into the US in 1979 and the first litter was born

GIC S*MYSELISIA’S CAMPARI DVM – Brown Patched McTabby & White NFC Female Photo: Marika Lahti.

born in the US in 1981. The breed was recognised for Championship status by TICA in 1984 and CFA in 1993. In 1992, two unusually colored kittens were born in a litter bred by Wildwood cattery in Sweden, followed by a reappearance of the trait in Germany in Takeskog cattery in 1994 and many more catteries thereafter. A common ancestor was found, Klofterhagens Babuschka, a direct descendant of Truls. The cats were initially incorrectly theorised to be the result of the cinnamon/fawn gene, but test breedings to cinnamon and chocolate cats disproved this hypothesis. The trait was named ‘Amber’ and identified to be a mutation of the melanocortin receptor (“extension”) gene by Dr. Marc Peterschmitt of Lyon, France, in 2009. The most successful show cat of this color in the US is IW BW Bluedryad Jackpot of Bewitched, TICA’s 11th highest scoring cat for the 2019-2020 season bred by Wonsun Jang of Korea and shown by the late Gloria Mahan of California. The first Supreme Grand Champion in TICA was Nissekatt Biarki in 1985, followed shortly by Maineline Skadikatt of Norskau and Maineline Bjorn of Wegiekatt. Other early influential cats in the US were TGC Pans Targa of Nordmarka, SGC Kaus Fenris of Purr-N-Luv, SGC Nano Ur Skogi, SGC Maineline Tord, SGC Nosewood Kai, SGC Jedidiah Asaph, and SGC Norskau Tess of Naturskat. The first grand champion in CFA was GC, BW, RW Walkuren’s Oskar-Olaf. The first National Winner was GC, BW, NW Norsestar’s

Norsestar’s Loki. There have been only 17 other Championship National/Divisional Winners in CFA: GC, BW, NW Redzone Gwendolynne Roisin of Irlu; GC, BW, NW Kitzn’s Archeopteryx; GC, BW, NW Diamond Dust’s Odin of Moon Shadows; GC, DW Sakurasaku Amelia Mary Earhart; GC, BW, NW Russmania Apollo The Archer; GC, BWI, DW Russmania Waimea Canyon; GC, DW Diamond Dust’s Silver Sunshine; GC, BWI, NW Russmania Destoroyah of Key Lime; GC, BW, NW Diamond Dust’s Eye-Of-Nature; GC, BWI, DW Finience Bonnie; GC, DW Futurperfect Canaanite Khopesh; GC, DW Lynx Manual Katana of Delz; GC, DW Ohyes Prince; GC, BW, NW Featherland Kingfish; GC, NW Featherland Brennan; GC, BWI, DW Russmania John Coltrane of Key Lime (the only non-tabby); and GC, BWI, DW Russmania Emperor Emmanuel. The first Outstanding Sire or Dam in TICA was Ch. Nissekatt’s Verdandi of Maineline. The first DM in CFA was Ch. Koojekatt Tressa Skogpus of Koryn. The first male DM was GC, RW Fig Piper of Aqua Dolagon. There have only been a total of seven male DM’s, including: GC, BW, RW Kitzn’s Dagwood; Ch. Kashi Saga Harrigan Thatsme of Irlu; GC, RW Kwill’s Brandy Alexander; GC, DW Sakurasaku Pepelintino of Russmania; Ch. Wegiekatt Cardinal of Diamond Dust; and GC, DW Russmania Dresden Green of Idaman. The only non-tabby DM’s are a black smoke and white Naturskat Mimi of Kitzn and

MICHAEL SHELTON WITH GC, NW FEATHERLAND KINGFISH - ON ‘TAKE YOUR CAT TO WORK DAY’

And a black and white female, GC, DW Purple Rain Blue Tanis of Russmania. However, it must be emphasized that the Norwegian Forest Cat is a minority Breed in CFA and TICA with less than 500 cats registered each year in each association. More than ten times that number are registered in FIFe each year. In contrast to the two or three wegies seen at most shows in the United States, huge classes of dozens of these beautiful cats are often seem

seen in Europe, something I was delighted to personally experience in Sweden. Recent world winners include: Ch. Wario Tingoskattens, JW; SP Louis Z Krainy Asgardu, JW, DSM; SP BR* Miadore Mingus DSM; Ch. SW Rockringen’s Underdog, JW; SC S*Pysida’s Zim-Zalabim JW: N*Migoto’s Albert; GIC S* Just Catnap’s Charles Fifty Nine, JW; SW NW SP Ingrid Vendellek*PL; and BW IT*Nimue Diamonds, JW.

and a black and white female, GC, DW

The style of the breed has divurged between continental Europe and the United States. An examination of the standards of the three major associations reflects some of the differences. When the breed was presented for acceptance in the United States, the Maine Coon breeders wanted to ensure that distinct characteristics of the Maine Coon were not incorporated into the new breed, in particular a long, rectangular body. An overall sweeter expression is also prevalent in the American and Japanese cats; more extreme head length, ear size, and feral expression are often seen in European cats. On a personal note, I bred Persians for almost twenty years. It is easy to develop tun

tunnel vision about your primary breed, but I always knew that I wanted to experience other types of cats, long before I ever dreamed of becoming a judge. We have shared our lives with many wonderful breeds: Selkirks, Turkish Angoras, Somalis, Bengals, a Japanese Bobtail and an Oriental Shorthair. But in the words of my husband, “It took a while, but we finally found the right breed for us.” I’m so thankful that our paths crossed so that we could fall in love with this majestic breed, and grateful to the late Nancy Eckert, for being a wonderful, patient mentor. Lorraine Shelton

CHAMPION BALLOCHMYLE PERFECTION Champion Red Classic Tabby English Shorthair, born August 22 nd,1894. Bred by Mr. R.Betts Photo: J. Russell & Sons, Windsor. ‘Tatler’, November 9, 1904. Image: The Harrison Weir Collection. Article backgrounds: www.gograph.com

AN HISTORICAL PORTRAIT OF

CHAMPION

PERFECTION A Red Classic Tabby English (British) Shorthair (1894) BY

JOHN G. SMITHSON

Adapted from the author’s text for ‘The History Project’ www.cat-o-pedia.org

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In the Tabby Shorthair classes, which were dominated by Silver and Brown Classic Tabbies, the Red Tabbies often had a hard time of it. And even when successful, they also had to compete for Best Shorthair, against the classic Blues and Solid Whites (often Blue-eyed), which were often seen as the ‘glamour cats’. But one or two did stand out and during the period from 1895 through to 1905, ‘Ch.Ballochmyle Perfection’ was one such cat. Like his great grandfather, the celebrated brown tabby ‘Ch.Xenophon’, he lived long, and had a successful show career within his own colour class, running up an impressive record of two Gold Medals, over 100 firsts, numerous championships,(as of 1903) and still winning First and Specials for Best of Colour at the Crystal Palace at 11 plus years of age! Frances Simpson, in ‘The Book of The Cat’

Cat (1903) had the following to say about Red Tabbies and of Ch.Ballochmyle Perfection in particular: “Red Tabbies again, are one of the difficult varieties to obtain. The dense, dark red tabby markings against the light red ground is only the result of judicious mating and breeding. Among the many notable males ‘Ballochmyle Perfection’, the property of Lady Alexander, winner of some 100 first prizes, championships, and specials, the sire of Champion Ballochmyle Goldfinder and Ballochmyle No Fool, (the mother of Ballochmyle Red Prince), stands out very prominently. Despite his ten years, has still the grand dense colour and markings of old. In ‘Ballochmyle Perfection’, we have a chip off the old block.” By her reference to the ‘chip off the old block,’ we can only surmise that she may have

CH. BALLOCHMYLE PERFECTION Red Classic Tabby Shorthair Male, owned by Lady Alexander Photo: from Page 290, ‘The Book of The Cat’,(1903), by Frances Simpson ¹

have been referring to his paternal great grandsire - ‘Ch. Fulmer Xenophon’, quite possibly the most celebrated classic tabby shorthair of all time. Likewise, Charles Lane in his book ‘Rabbits, Cats & Cavies’ published the same year (1903) remarks as follows: “A really well-marked Red Tabby, in good form, is a very handsome animal, and worthy of admiration. The illustrations to this text are Ch. Ballochmyle Perfection, the property of Lady Alexander, and probably one of the best ever exhibited; the other, Lord Rufus, a great winner, was first exhibited at a small show in Wiltshire, where

where he was claimed by the Rev. D.G. Truss and sometime afterwards came into the possession of the writer, who had him for some years.” PARENTAGE & OWNERSHIP ‘Perfection’ was born on August 22nd, 1894, bred by Mr. R. Betts, from Mr. Down’s Red Tabby male ‘Orange Boy’ and Mr. Betts ‘Tortoiseshll,’ a dam of whom we know little, except that she was a daughter of a Red Tabby female, called ‘Red Poppy.’ He appears then to have become the property of Mr. George Towlerton, during which time he sired a female named ‘Goldfinder,’ bred by Mr. R. Kuhnel, (famous

Clearly based upon the photograph opposite, this painting of Ch.Ballochmyle Perfection is by Rosa Bebb, as one of over 100 such illustrations for Charles Lane’s book, ‘Rabbits, Cats & Cavies’ (1903).² Image courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

(famous for his line of Red Tabbies), before he was finally on-sold to Lady Alexander. Prior to then, he had been affectionately referred to as ‘Champion Perfection’. His transfer to Lady Alecander appears to have taken place in 1898, as from early 1899, she starts to register ‘Ballochmyle’ progeny sired by him. SIBLINGS & SHOWS At this point in time, we are yet to find evidence of any siblings for ‘Champion Perfection.’ In the National Cat Club Register, his wins, as of 1899 were recorded as: - Thirty-three firsts, including 1st Crystal Palace, 1896; 1st Crystal Palace, 1897; 3rd Crystal Palace, 1898;

1898; 2nd, Botanic, 1899; 1st, Cup and Championship, Westminster, 1899.⁵ However, by the time Charles Lane’s book had arrived on the scene in 1903, that tally had climbed to two Gold Medals, 100 prizes etc… BREEDING & PROGENY Of the progeny of Ballochmyle Perfection we can find the following cats notated in the Registers: Bred by Mr. & Mrs, Kuhnel: and born on March 2nd, 1897 (possibly from a Grand-dam to Grandson mating) – ‘Goldfinder’ – Shorthair Red Tabby female out of ‘Red Poppy’, (NCC:3328) ‘Princess Pearl’ – Shorthair female Cream, probablyu

News clipping from ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, December 17th, 1904. Image © The Harrison Weir Collection.

(probably a tabby) dilute litter-mate (NCC:3362) ‘No Fool’ – Shorthair Red Tabby female, (no date of birth) but likely litter-mate (NCC:3330) Goldfinder appears to have gone to Mr. T. Wilkerson, who bred her back to ‘Perfection’, and then she and her progeny both became the property of Lady Alexander. Then bred by Mr. George Towlerton: and born March 29th, 1899: from the same parentage: ‘Perfection Junior’ – Shorthair Red Tabby male

parentage; a male by ‘Perfection’ out of ‘Red Poppy’ (CCR). ‘Red Eagle’ – Shorthair Red Tabby Neuter litter-brother. (CCR) Then born July 5th, 1899; by ‘Perfection’ out of Towlerton’s ‘Floss’. ‘Golden Poppy’ – Shorthair Red Tabby female retained by Mr. Towlerton. ‘Perfection Junior’ seems to have been retained as a stud by Mr. Towlerton, while ‘Red Eagle’ was neuetered and transferred

CHAMPION BALLOCHMYLE PERFECTION AS A WINNER AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE AT 10 YEARS OLD. Photo: J. Russell & Sons, Crystal Palace. ‘The Tatler’ November 9th, 1904. Image: Courtesy of The Harrison Weir Collection

to Lady Alexander as ‘Ballochmyle Red Eagle.’ Lastly, in a litter bred by Mr. T. Wilkerson: born December 14th, 1899: ‘Ballochmyle Perfect Still’ – Shorthair Red Tabby female, by ‘Perfection’ and out of ‘Goldfinder’ – the result of this father to daughter breeding returning to the stud owner, Lady Alexander. ‘No Fool’ listed in the aforementioned first litter, is later found as ‘Ballochmyle No Fool’ and appears in time as the dam of the next generai

generation, namely ‘Ballochmyle Red Prince,’ a grandson of ‘Perfection,’ sired by Mr. Kuhnel’s ‘Wharfdale Sam’. ‘Red Prince’ is alluded to in Frances Simpson’s references to progeny and grand-progeny of ‘Perfection’ in ‘The Book of The Cat’ (1903). Thus ends, our journey into the story of a key early Red Tabby English Shorthair, the common forebears of the British Shorthair and the American Shorthair breeds.

Our grateful thanks to Graham Harrop for his amazing cartoon contributions to

FELIS HISTORICA

The Harrison Weir Collection

FELINE SOCIAL HISTORY PRESERVED IN REAL PERIOD PHOTOGRAPHS ARE JUST ONE ELEMENT. Photos such as this form a significant portion of the Social History cats in The Harrison Weir Collection. Article backgrounds © www.gograph.com

The Harrison Weir Collection

Feline History Memorabilia by John G. Smithson

In truth, the arena of Feline History and its associated memorabilia is not as narrow a subject as it may at first seem. There are many categories in Feline history, all of which need to be addressed, often as very separate and disparate topics, and all needing attention/preservation for future generations.

So what else do we try to preserve apart from pedigree data?

Both the archives of CFA Foundation’s Feline Historical Museum, and that of the Harrison Weir Collection, constitute very important repositories of feline historical records.

The social history of the relationship between man and cats is also terribly important, so that may mean, feline based literature, art, both graphic and in the form of a statues, and as we all know art alone is a huge topic – and if we are serious about preserving this social history, then we need to collect and preserve documents and period art and period prints, plus poems, letters, certificates and more.

So, what you may fairly ask, do you collect and what information is important? There are many online repositories for pedigree cat line-chasing, which is often the first thing that comes to mind for breeders, and many of those databases, often collated by very dedicated individuals are extremely valuable for preserving and adding to our knowledge database. Having these available online, is important; but equally, real copies of written and printed history is also necessary to be retained in a library or museum archive, in physical form.

The facets are almost without limitation. From a purely ‘cat show’ perspective, there are awards, medals, trophies, ribbons, annual awards, posters, show catalogues, show photos (real photos) and now also digital photos, all of which constitute important elements of feline related history.

Association records are also critical and already there appear to be serious limitations on European records that predate both of the world wars. When we think of key cat fanciers of the past, how often have registries considered their own history and made an effort to preserve records of key people in their past? For myself, when I began the Harrison Weir Collection for example, and was able to find examples

The Harrison Weir Collection

Portion of a Press photo from 1932, when the Blue Persian, Ch. Benjamin of Westfield won Best Cat at the Crystal Palace. This is a rare peek at the National Cat Club’s Supreme Trophy, now hidden away in a Bank safety deposit box. The cat at the top of the trophy is recorded as styled on an image of the iconic ‘Ch. Silver Lambkin’ the father of the Chinchilla longhair breed variety. An original copy of this photo is now one of hundreds of similar photos held in The Harrison Weir Collection. Image: © The Harrison Weir Collection.

Examples of both is art, and his letters: I did wonder why folk in the 100 or so years before I began collecting, had not already done so?

‘Those who do not take note of their history, are bound to repeat the mistakes of the past!’.

In truth, cat fanciers have generally been far too insular in the attitude towards feline history, showing only an interest in the here and now, and only very little in the attention to their breed paid in blood sweat and tears by breeders and exhibitors of the past. As Winston Churchill once stated: -

The above photograph of the blue Persian Champion, Benjamin of Westfield, shows him with the National Cat Club trophy he won in 1932 for winning Best Cat at the National Cat Show. The cat featured at the top of the trophy is known to have been styled on

The Harrison Weir Collection

In the above cropped original Press photo, we see an exhibitor holding two famous Blue Persian cats, Champion Memory of Culloden (male) and Champion Banie of Branston (female) at the Blue Persian Cat Society show held at Holy Trinity Hall, in October 1931. Press photos, some of which require restoration and digital enhancement are valuable historical collectables. Another photo from an extensive archive held in the Harrison Weir Collection. Image: © The Harrison Weir Collection.

is recorded to have been styled on a true likeness of ‘Champion Silver Lambkin,’ who is known as the Father of the Chinchilla (or Silver Longhair) breed variety. Also above, from another Press photo in the archive, an exhibitor holds the Blue Persian Champions ‘Memory of Culloden’ and ‘Banie of Branston’ who had attended the Blue Persian Cat Society’s show held at

The Holy Trinity Hall, Portland, London in October 1931. These are just two examples of breed history press photos both archived and restored digitally in the Harrison Weir Collection. Both will feature in Volume 2 of ‘A Persian Rhapsody In Blue’ which will cover the period between 1920 and 2020, due out late in 2024.

The Harrison Weir Collection

Image preserved from a Period Postcard, probably from a private collection once owned by Mrs. Palmer who was one of the key figures in the breeding of Chinchilla’s during the late 19 th and early 20th century. This one shows one of her Stud males ‘Sweet Love’ probably descended from her better known early key males ‘Otto’. The archive of both privatel and publicly produced postcards runs into several hundreds. Image: © The Harrison Weir Collection.

Another separate archive which is regularly populated with any new finds of ‘Postcards’, some of them produced privately by breeders marketing their lines and others produced commercially, usually the work of professional animal photographers, among them being Mr. E. Landor, Mr. J. Russell and Sons, Mr. T. Everitt, and Mr. V. Forbin, and later Mr. T. Fall, of whom were active in photography of cats. The Postcard archive runs into many hundreds of items, and these pop up from time to time and are immediately acquired for insight they provide for ongoing the feline history

The ongoing research into pedigreed cats and their bloodlines. These are key to the creation of an accurate visual record of the phenotypical development within a breed variety. In the collection currently we hold images of Persians in all solid and broken colours, tabbies, silvers etc, but also of Siamese, Burmese, Egyptian Maus, Abyssinians, Birmans, and much more. Another aspect requiring preservation, is original art, some of cat breeds and some more generic images of domestic cats. The ones shown opposite and following are examples of both, the first being a original by the A

The Harrison Weir Collection

‘Mother cat and three kittens’, an original watercolour by Gottfried Mind (1768-1814). Circa 1795. Provenance: Formerly owned by the Von Ernst banking family of Berne, the birthplace of Gottfried Mind, Latterly from the Library of the late Marianne C. Gourary, the painting was acquired by the Galerie Grand-Rue in Geneva, by a well-known gallery in Central London. Purchased for The Harrison Weir Collection in 2018.

a rare finely detailed original watercolour by 18th century Swiss born artist and savant, Gottfried Mind; renowned for his sympathetic depiction of cats, and famously referred to as the ‘Raphael of Cats’. This piece was purchased for the Harrison Weir Collection from a central London Gallery and comes with an impressive provenance, formerly coming from a Swiss gallery in Geneva from the Library of the late Marianne C. Gourary, and before that, owned by the Von Ernst banking family of Berne,

Berne, the city in which Gottfried Mind was born in 1768. Such opportunities are rare indeed, but to date we have acquired two originals by Gottfried Mind, and others by the likes of Harrison Weir himself, (over 60 original paintings, drawings, sketches) in various mediums, both originals and period prints by Louis Wain, as well early 20th century paintings of cat breeds, usually of named or known pedigree cats. In addition to originals and prints, the Collection has acquired photographs of original works by

The Harrison Weir Collection

An original miniature painting executed on porcelain by well-known English artist, Mrs. Ellen Sylvia Shaw, of the renown Blue Persian male, Champion Raleigh, owned by Lady Eardley Wilmot. Sired by ‘Son of Flick’ and out of ‘Elizabeth of Boreham’. This male represents a triple linebreeding on the post first world war blue male, ‘Milord O’Mendip’. Image: © The Harrison Weir Collection

W. Luker Jnr, who produced the original rendition of the cat, based upon a black Images © The Harrison Weir Collection paintings of famous turn of the century and white photograph from the period. cats featured in Frances Simpson’s ‘Book of As such it has historical significance. This the Cat’ and other works by him, not male was also a key sire and grandsire of published but privately owned. other well-known blues, and was himself the result of a triple linebreeding based The above painting of the Blue Champion upon the key post first world war male, male owned by Lady Eardley Wilmot, was Milord O’ Mendip. produced as a miniature on porcelain, by the renown miniaturist Mrs. Ellen Sylvia Shaw, as an example of her work for an exhibition. It is framed in a hand-beaten pewter frame and if an exquisite example of this art form, as well as a colour rendition

This leads us to examples of cat show trophies, the first being one created in memory of the same famous post-war male, Milord O’Mendip, shown above opposite. Trophies can also be key items, mostly

The Harrison Weir Collection

Sterling silver ‘Memorial Trophy’ to a Non-Champion icon of the Blue Persian variety, 1935. For Best Blue Persian Kitten, bred by Exhibitor. Donated by the owner of Milord O’Mendip, Mrs. Stevens. Photo: David Copland. Trophy in the Archives of The Harrison Weir Collection.

and historically significant, due mainly to the former habit of clubs and individuals to have the winner’s names engraved on them each year. For this reason alone, they are of immense historical value, but sadly, over the last 30 years or so, many clubs have chosen not to continue this tradition; mainly due to the time and effort it takes to manage both dispersing and return of trophies to the club, and the cost of engraving. As a result, many clubs have either archived their awards, bringing them out only for display, or worse, have disposed of them altogether, and thereby discarding a huge amount of unrecorded history

cat show history! A few have taken the time to record the data on them, but they are by far in the minority. The writer has on numerous occasions rescued old trophies from second hand shops, and from online sales, and or rubbish bins or skips! Club memorabilia is also important, and this can include badges, period posters, club medallions, ribbons, certificates, and old show catalogues, which are full of detailed data about cats, their owners and the sires and dams. Consequently, we have worked hard to collect many examples of items in each of these categories.

The Harrison Weir Collection

A selection of Cat Show Catalogues dating from the pre first World War period in England. These were purchased as part and parcel of numerous items from the Gladys Cheetham Estate. These are just a few examples of period catalogues preserved in the The Harrison Weir Collection.

The Harrison Weir Collection

An example of Cat Club memorabilia, The Atlantic Cat Club badge, and Ribbon Specials. This club was founded in 1902, and the show wins date from circa 1910. Images: © The Harrison Weir Collection

On these pages, samples of Cat Club Show catalogues that date from 1907 to 1914. We also hold full GCCF Stud book copies from when they began in 1910 through to the last produced in 2006. Also in the archives are original and digitised copies of ACA, CFA, NZCF, and numerous Australasian stud books. Shown above, are just one example of a Club badge and the same club’s Show ribbons/specials. Opposite, a large Silver plated trophy from the Pacific Cat Club, the Challenge Cup for Best Cat in Show, dating from 1914, with names of Best in Show winners for 1914 and 1915. All of these are just the tip of a very large iceberg of Clubs and their Show memorabilia.

The Pacific Cat Club’s Challenge Cup for BEST CAT in Show – dating from 1914. Large 11 inch x 11 inch trophy. Photo: Helmi Flick Cat Photography. In the Harrison Weir Collection.

The Harrison Weir Collection

SAMPLING OF 19TH CENTURY AWARD MEDALS from top left: 1871 Crystal Palace, 1878 Boston USA, 1883 Boston USA, 1888 UK, 1891 UK, 1892 Crystal Palace, 1893 Crystal Palace, 1894 Crufts Cat Show UK, 1894 Scottish Cat Club, 1895 Crufts Cat Show UK, 1895 Madison Square Garden NY.

The Harrison Weir Collection

Award Medals of the National Cat Club, NCC, (1894) and The Wilson’s Club (1912)

Club Badges of the Northern, Midland and Southern Counties Cat Clubs.

Club Awards, from the Sandy Cat Club Show, (1911) the Blue Persian Cat Society (1913) and the Siamese Cat Club (1926). Images: The Harrison Weir Collection.

The Harrison Weir Collection

Left: A recently discovered portrait (closely cropped) of Harrison Weir, ‘Father of the Cat Fancy’ which has remained unpublished except in this magazine, but which will be revealed in full, in his pending biography, due for release in 2024 to commorate his bi-centenary. Right: Just one of several of his rare original drawings of cats, held in the Harrison Weir Collection. Images © The Harrison Weir Collection.

Among some of the most prized items in the collection, due mainly to the fact that they are unique and irreplaceable, are all the original photos, drawings, paintings and letters of, by and written under the hand of Harrison Weir himself. To date, this includes no fewer that 60 letters in his writing dating from the mid 1860’s through to 1904. Of original works of art, these number around 65 items, and includes sketches and concept drawings in pencil, with some heighted with white, as well as drawings in pen and ink, pen and wash, watercolours and oils.

These have been executed as early as 1846, when the artist was only 22 years old, with the last dated 1902, when he was in his 78th year. Of course, this does not include a huge collection of period books containing his illustrations. He was simply prodigious in his working life, and over a career spanning more than 60 years, he literally created ten of thousands of images. At one point about half way through his career he is quoted as saying that there were already more than 5 million copies of his images in circulation around the world. In our collection we hold hundreds of his book plates and original period prints from

The Harrison Weir Collection

Above left: Original concept drawing in pencil, heightened with white drawn in 1862 that featured many times in various publications. Right: where it was adapted and re-used in colour, on the cover of the ‘Band of Hope Review, in 1865. Images © The Harrison Weir Collection.

Small segment of an original watercolour by Harrison Weir, signed and dated 1846, in which we find the earliest known rendition of a farm cat licking at spilt milk from the cobbles in a Sussex cowshed. Photo: by Helmi Flick Cat Photography, for the Harrison Weir Collection.

The Harrison Weir Collection

NINE LETTERS and a POSTCARD written by Harrison Weir, between 1877 and 1893. A sampling of well over sixty letters currently held in the HW Collection. Each reveals important facets from the life of the ‘Father of the Cat Fancy’. Images © The Harrison Weir Collection.

The Harrison Weir Collection

Some of the most valuable pedigreed cat books in the world at left, being six bound volumes of ‘Our Cats’ Magazine, beginning in November 1899 and running through to early 1905. Image: The Harrison Weir Collection.

from a plethora of Victorian periodicals. Many of the images they contain are extremely rare, and have not seen the light of day for between 120 and 170 years. Lastly, I wish to convey to our readers who are cat fanciers, breeders and exhibitors an important message. The work of the CFA Foundation’s Feline Historical Museum is important, but it receives very little support from cat fanciers save the few who donate items to the Museum. Though many claim share an interest in feline history, they fail to do something concrete to support the mission of the Foundation. The Foundation is often the recipient of items from former clubs and catteries, but of course, to store, sort, record and oft times refurbish/restore and display items of historical significance costs time and money. The Foundation pays rent for its premises and there is always an ongoing cost associated with both housing and maintaining

maintaining any collection. There are also costs to run it, computer technology and utilities to pay for, costs associated with mounting exhibitions, and costs associated with collecting and sorting through donations. At times I have literally seen a truckload of boxes of material arrive. Many of you may feel inclined to leave a legacy of items to the Foundation but will often fail to provide the financial support for the maintenance of those items. This can be in the form of either a small regular sum on either a monthly or annual basis; or perhaps by putting pen to paper and planning to include a lump sum in your will. Such gifts are tax deductable, and we need to be mindful of the fact that the Feline Historical Museum is unique, and there is simply no another like it. So, when the Foundation appeals to fanciers later this year to provide financial support for its projects, please remember to donate generously.

Everything you need to know about Genetics… You can learn from your Cat! BY

DR. LESLIE LYONS

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

PRECISION MEDICINE & state-of-the art health care for cats! Tale of the tails!

This article wraps up a two-year adventure of over two dozen short communications focusing on cat genetics. Most all the basic concepts of genetics, including Mendelian inheritance, X-linked inheritance, variable expression, penetrance, age-of-onset and many others, are recognized in the normal phenotypes of randomly bred cats and the cat breeds. Even more complicated concepts, such as Lyonization, epigenetics and cloning can be explained with feline examples. Some traits appear to be solely aesthetic, like many of the cat’s colors and patterns, while other traits, such as shortened faces and folded ears, have complicating health consequences. Overall, feline genetics has steadily improved and pounced forward, keeping cats at the path of new discoveries.

EDITOR: This is the Twenty-sixth article in a series based on feline genetics by Dr Leslie Lyons published in FELIS HISTORICA during the 2020/2022 period

Article Graphics ©www.gograph.com

To date, 99 Mendelian traits are caused by 165 variants in the domestic cat1. I have been fortunate to be involved with the discovery of 30 of these genes and ~ 48 variants. Nearly all the major coat color variants have been discovered in cats, including Orange, which is known but yet unpublished, and silver (Inhibitor), which is proving tricky. A few phenotypes are yet to be deciphered, such as some curly hair coats and curled ears, but as the annotation of the cat genome improves, these variants should be defined soon. Thus, what remains for cats is a far more challenging road – the genetics of common diseases, which tend to be more complex, i.e., multi-genic with environmental influences. Complex diseases affect random bred cats – 95% of cats in the world – and breeds alike, including, chronic diseases such as amyloidosis, diabetes, obesity, r

GC FREYA ONYE WITCH GLYNDA – Brown Patched Tabby & White NFC Breeder: Moira Mele. Owners: Pam DelaBar & Satu Hämäläinen. Photo: Marika Lahti

or late onset (old age) problems, such as hyperthyroidism, chronic renal disease and intestinal lymphoma or even early-onset diseases, such as feline infectious peritonitis and other infectious disease susceptibilities. College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

Each of these diseases and conditions will take very focused approaches for investigation, including large samples sizes in which each sample is well characterized, leading to many discoveries in which each only accounts for a small portion of the heritability of these multi-factorial traits.

FI*NIPSU-NAPPULAN GHOSTLIGHT Photo: Marika Lahti EDITOR: This is the Twenty-sixth article in a series based on feline genetics by Dr Leslie Lyons published in FELIS HISTORICA during the 2020/2022 period

For example, in dogs, several variants account for breed height, some variants are more influential than others and more-or-less specific to some breeds, but the full story of the control of height is not yet deciphered2. Large sample sizes may need to invoke the role of the Citizen Scientist. Projects such as Darwin’s Ark3, the Dog Aging Project4, and the Bristol Cat project5 are examples where survey information, as well as health records and sampling, can help elucidate the risks factors affecting the environmental and genetic components of complex diseases and traits. Combined with candidate gene studies, or genome-wide association studies using DNA arrays, whole genome and or whole exome sequencing,

FI*NIPSU-NAPPULAN G-LITTER Photo: Marika Lahti

candidate gene studies, or genome-wide association using DNA arrays, whole genome and or whole sequencing, focused Citizen Science approaches may important means to continue successful advances genetics.

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

studies exome be an in cat

The new cat genome assembly suggests great promise for cat genetic studies. The genome assembly of the Abyssinian, Cinnamon, has been retired and a new assembly, of a cat named Grumpy, a.k.a. Fca126, is the new standard for cat genetic and genome research. This new genome assembly was produced from an F1 Safari cat, which is a cross between a domestic cat and a South American small felid called a Geoffroy’s cat (Leopardus geoffroyi). Because the Geoffroy’s cat has one less chromosome (two small chromosomes (F1 and F2) fused to make one large chromosome (C3)), production of the second generation of hybrids has proven difficult, likely due to chromosomal imbalances in the oocytes (eggs). Thus, Safari cats have never advanced as a hybrid breed like the Bengals and others. However, due to the ~ 8 million years of evolutionary time between the two species, the genome of the F1 can be clearly parsed into a domestic cat component and a Geoffroy’s cat component. .

Thus, when the F1 cat was whole genome sequenced, the individual genomes could be clearly assembled more accurately. A new sequencing approached was also used, called long-read technology, and the resulting genomes are nearly complete in continuity, from one end of a chromosome to the other, i.e., telomere to telomere6! An example of the power of using hybrid cats and long-read technology has been published, using a Bengal F1 for the genomic work7. The cat currently boasts one of the most accurate and complete genome assemblies in genomics. This accurate genome assembly is complemented by the 99 Lives Cat Genome Sequencing Consortium8. The consortium has over 50 participants from over 35 institutions, worldwide, and is a collection of high-quality cat genome sequence data from nearly 500 cats! This cat genome sequence data helps to decipher which of the millions of DNA variants in the cat genome are good, neuter, or bad. Because of these two key resources, Precision Medicine can now be offered as part of the health care of all cats9. Precision medicine is "an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person / cat."

EDITOR: This is the Twenty-sixth article in a series based on feline genetics by Dr Leslie Lyons published in FELIS HISTORICA during the 2020/2022 period

This approach will allow veterinarians and researchers to predict more accurately which treatment and prevention strategies for a particular disease will work in which groups of cats or an individual cat. It is in contrast to a one-size-fits-all approach, in which disease treatment and prevention strategies are developed for the average cat, with less consideration for the differences between individuals. Thus, the goal would be to present a cat to a veterinary clinic. If the health concern has a significant genetic component, i.e., potentially heritable, a blood sample would be collected, DNA isolated, whole genome sequencing conducted, the data analyzed as part of the 99 Lives project, and a potential DNA variant causing the condition is discovered. The researcher and veterinarian then work together to determine if a more targeted treatment or therapy – one that focuses on the specific gene and or DNA variant, can be employed for the cat’s health care.

College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

COVER CAT: GIC S*MYSELISIA’S CAMPARI DVM Brown Patched McTabby & White NFC Born: January 14, 2019 Breeders: Cecila/Annie/Thomas Gylling. Owner: Niina Kokki Photo: Marika Lahti

Precision Medicine is the state-of-the-art health care for humans, often now used for discovery and treatment of maladies afflicting newborns where the speed to diagnosis and treatment are critical10.

To be affective, Precision Medicine – the genome sequencing and analyses – most be completed with a few weeks. Cats are nearly there, theoretically, Precision Medicine can be performed in cats.Genetics is doing its job for feline health care Cats now have many powerful genetic tools, excellent veterinary diagnostics and are in abundance around the world. State-of-the-art health care is available for cats – including Precision Medicine. Genetic testing panels with multiple assays should help eradicate the common diseases in cats breeds – any rare diseases could be removed within a five-year period! Heart diseases may be a bit more difficult to eradicate as quickly since it is more common. However, the studies ahead are more complex and will require even more interactions with the cat breeder and cat owner. Please continue to invest in genetic testing and genetic studies, none of the successes in the cat health could have been accomplished without the skills of the veterinarian and the dedication and love of cat owners. Please keep moving cat genetics forward (http://felinegenetics.missouri.edu/)!

EDITOR: This is the Twenty-sixth article in a series based on feline genetics by Dr Leslie Lyons published in FELIS HISTORICA during the 2020/2022 period

It has been my honor and privilege to provide these short articles on cat genetics for Felis Historica. I met John Smithson as part of my cat travels to New Zealand and have been pleased to become involved with such a dedicated and grand historian and curator for the cat fancy. I have strong reverence for those who have come before us and I have often found understanding the history of a breed or a health problem leads to better interpretations and more efficient approaches for discoveries. History has become an important facet to our studies on genetic diversity, mutations, cat origins and cat domestication. As no man stands alone, no science stands alone. Thank you, John, for being an important part of my science. Onward to new adventures in cats! References 1. Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals, OMIA; Sydney School of Veterinary Science, (Accessed 15 July 2022) https://www.omia.org/home/ 2. Bannasch et al., Trends Genet. 2020 Aug;36(8):598-609. 3. Morrill et al., Science. 2022 Apr 29;376(6592):eabk0639. 4. Creevy et al., Nature. 2022 Feb;602(7895):51-57. 5. Maniaki et al., J Feline Med Surg. 2021 Oct;23(10):965-975. 6. Lyons LA. Cats - telomere to telomere and nose to tail. Trends Genet. 2021 Oct;37(10):865-867. 7. Bredemeyer et al., J Hered. 2021 Mar 29;112(2):165-173. 8. Lyons et al., Anim Genet. 2021 Jun;52(3):321-332. 9. Mauler et al., J Vet Intern Med. 2017 Mar;31(2):539-544. 10. Petrikin et al., Semin Perinatol. 2015 Dec;39(8):623-31

SW 22 BW 22 SC FI*TAHTITASSUN HELLA LEMPI JW DVM DSM Breeder: Eila Tahti. Owners: Kirsi Ovaskainen & Eila Tahti Photo: Marika Lahti