My aim is to breed beautiful, healthy, friendly Somalis in the four recognized shades of silver. By studying blood lines and blood tests, I hope to avoid genetic health problems. I believe occasional outcrossing to Abyssinians is important to strengthen and diversify the Somali blood lines, especially in the case of the rare silver Somalis.
My cats live "underfoot" in our home as part of the family, and the babies are cuddled and loved from birth to encourage their innately playful, affectionate character. The kittens can move to new, loving homes when they are 3 months old and have been completely vaccinated. They have FiFé pedigrees and veterinary certificates of health.
How it all began...
Cici, our beloved little tiger cat, was the angel whose loving gaze and affectionate caresses helped us bear the horror of September 11, 2001. I grew up in New York State, and although I've lived as a violinist in the musical city of Salzburg since 1983, the attack on New York left me deeply traumatized. My husband, also an American musician, was so devastated when Cici succumbed to cancer on October 12, that he developed pneumonia. In November, despite his precarious health, he insisted that we travel to Vienna to visit a cat show. During frequent visits to the vet, he had seen pictures of Somali cats, and he confessed that only a cat of such exquisite beauty could even begin to follow in Cici's paw prints. Somalis make rare appearances at shows, but we were in luck, and a tiny ball of fluff named Szidi-Abu'l Onyx was waiting for us there. She quickly took charge of our home and renamed herself Zorro, or Fox.
Before long, we realized that Zorro was lonely. I had fallen in love with the blue Abyssinians at the show, and the fates quickly led us to Blue Nile Gerry Glitter, now called Loup, or Wolf. He grew into a stud much too spectacular to neuter, and he didn't mark. Since Abyssinians and Somalis are actually the same race, the only difference being the Aby's short hair versus the Somali's semi-long coat, Zorro and Loup could mate together and produce purebred kittens. And so I couldn't resist having just one adorable litter. However, the cats decided they wanted more, and after the second litter, I realized that kittens had become part of my life.
Zorro was a devoted mother and had beautiful children, but she developed infections after both births, so we decided not to risk a third litter. In the meantime, I had become friends with the Swiss breeders Andrea and Roger Frey. Their brilliant Silver-Somalis, and their loving and informed relationship with their cats inspired me to continue breeding Somalis. I longed for one of their highly-prized cats, until finally in May of 2004 the lovely fawn-silver Melissa, alias Dixie, arrived to steal all of our hearts, feline and human alike. She developed into a breathtaking queen and loving mother who has given us several adorable, prize-winning kittens.
