News from our members around the globe 2013-1

Australian Cat Federation Inc

Over the past three months, many Member Bodies of ACF (Inc.) have been celebrating their Annual Awards with banquets and presentations for the winners.

In the Northern Territory, Sandi Gemmell won Breeder of the Year with her “Taiendi” Russian Blues. Sandi is the ACF (Inc.) Judges’ Guild Secretary and a great deal of her time is spent updating the ACF (Inc.) Standard of Points book for her fellow judges.

In Victoria, CVI celebrated their Cat of the Year Awards at their March Show. A magnificent array of Royal Canin product was presented to the winners of these prestigious awards. Winner of Cat of the Year was a lovely Maine Coon girl, ACF AoE Bronze CH CVI Triple Nat PN & Sapphire PN Luckycoon Krystal Satin (Hons) owned by ACF (Inc.) Executive Member Trish Neman.

A sub committee of the ACF (Inc.) researched a standard for the Australian Bombay given full recognition at the 2011 Annual General Meeting. Their deliberations took a number of months and the Executive approved the final document recently. The Australian Bombay is similar to the Bombay seen overseas but was achieved using Australian stock that differs from the original breeds used in America. The standard reflects those differences.

Julian R. Schüller

International Liaison Officer,
Australian Cat Federation Inc

Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia

The Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia in 2012 finalised the judging standards and breeding protocols of three additional breeds for full Championship status. These breeds are the American Shorthair, Peterbald and the Snowshoe.

Judges courses will now be conducted as All Longhair and All Shorthair, we will no longer have the Groups one, two and three, however the three groups will remain for showing purposes.

Complete current judging standards books will now be issued annually to the national judging panel. CCCA decided to no longer just circulate addition pages for new, additional or changed breeding standards and regulations. Previously any new information was added to existing books.

DNA protocol: In order for cats to have the DNA results added to official certified pedigrees the correct accepted protocol must be followed. The protocol states that a vet, vet assistant or an official from a member body may take the swab in conjunction with the microchip reading of the cat.

Great planing is well on track for our National show to be held on 13th and 14th July this year in Melbourne. The six ring event is being jointly hosted for CCCA by the Feline Control Council Victoria and Capital Cats Canberra. Six international judges and Thirteen National judges will officiate. Please visit the National show web site for progress and show results.

Cheryle U’Ren

ILO CCCA

Governing Council Of The Cat Fancy

GCCF Goes Interactive Online

At the GCCF Council meeting at the end of February Chairman, Helen Marriott-Power, announced that online services were now available to members. Initially those who wished to would be able to make all transfer of ownership via their computer, which would test out the system, and if all went well registrations would follow within a matter of weeks.

Once breeders have logged on and identity is established, not only can services be used, but free access is given to all their breeding records. The details of every cat owned at any time can be seen with its registration data and pedigree, and there is a record of each kitten born to a female or sired by a male. This feature has proved so popular that less than a month later over one thousand breeders are already logged in to the system, awaiting the further technical innovations promised.

Burmese Import Ban Lifted

In 1995 the GCCF register was closed to Burmese from outside UK. This was at the request of the Burmese Breed Advisory Committee as it was only the effective way then to prevent the recessive gene responsible for the craniofacial defect entering the UK Burmese population. It proved successful, but is no longer necessary with a DNA test to ensure carriers do not arrive inadvertently. BBAC recently revised its registration policy so that GCCF Burmese breeders may import new bloodlines once again.

Breeder Scheme

March brought the launch of the Breeder Scheme, a new initiative with welfare and responsible at its core. It’s entirely voluntary, and has been breeder lead for those who want to commit positively to best practice.

Siberians In from the Cold

The Siberian breed gained Championship status in GCCF in February after quite a lengthy qualifying period. Their representative received a round of applause in Council as approval was given.

New Zealand Cat Fancy

Russet Burmese & Mandalay - this new colour was first seen in 2007, there are clear similarities to the amber colour in Norwegian Forest Cats, particularly in the recessive inheritance and the progression to reddish adult colouring, but subsequent genetic testing by Lesley Lyons has shown that russet is genetically unrelated to amber. The gene causing this new colour is still to be found. A draft format for the colour/pattern standard is being formatted for consultation with the breed sections.

Show Package – new programme has been trialled successfully during 2012 show season and Affiliate Clubs are being given the opportunity to work with the programme for 2013 at no cost. A Show Registrar has been appointed, to work with Club personnel to produce all the administrative paperwork to run a show. It is hoped that all clubs will take up the opportunity to work with this NZCF initiative.

Judges Training School – six students are to commence training in 2013.

Protocols for DNA testing – more research is to be done on just how world wide registries deal with protocols for testing. A request will be made to have this placed on the agenda for the World Cat Congress meeting being held in the UK in May.

National Annual Award Winners:

Chris M Lowe

NZCF International Liasion

World Cat Federation

New Recognized Breeds in WCF “Aphrodite’s Giants” and others

At the WCF’s GA on 28 of April 2012 a few interesting new breeds and changes in breed groups were recognized by the delegates.

The Arabian Mau, a shorthair cat coming, as the name implies, from the Arab countries; a slender, semi-oriental breed received recognition after third try in GA. Congratulations to our member Mecats and the president Mrs. Müller.

On second attempt the delegates voted positively for the new colours in the Burmese breed. Of positive help was the seminar held by Dr. Leslie Lyons at the last WCC pointing out, that the Burmese breed needs a blood refreshing.

Successful at the first attempt was the request for the recognition of the Aphrodite’s Giants, a breed from the island of Cyprus, where a stone-age grave was found, containing a cat buried with a necklace – the oldest witness of domestication of cats in the world- dated 7500 B.C. Genetic research by Dr. Lyons has proven that the gene-marker shown in a spectrum of colours is very different from other breeds and unique. On that basis, the Aphrodite’s Giants were the first breed in WCF that was not only recognized by following the rules of recognition and phenotype, but also verified by a genetic research program. Great work, thank you Dr. Lyons and Mr. and Mrs. Litherland President of Cyprus Cats National Breeds Association (CYCNBA).

The breed British Longhair was voted by the delegates and changed from the semi-longhair section to the longhair section.