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So far drstt80835 has created 93 blog entries.

Pet Cat or Show Cat?

  Very often people wonder what the difference between a show cat and pet cat is. It’s a simple answer. Every iCandy RagaMuffin born is a pet; not every kitty is a show cat. A pet is a family member. It spends time with the family, playing, cuddling and just hanging out. A successful show

Pet Cat or Show Cat?2024-03-01T21:32:04+00:00

What is a Responsible Breeder?

  There is a lot of talk on the Internet about buying a pet from a responsible breeder, in this case a responsible RagaMuffin breeder.  So what IS a responsible breeder? A responsible breeder chooses cats that are excellent representatives of the breed. Lots of pretty RagaMuffins exist, but most are not breeding material. A

What is a Responsible Breeder?2024-01-14T21:59:01+00:00

Merry Christmas from Charlie Bucket!

  author Verena Joerger , RagaMuffin lover Charlie continues to be the brightest light in my life. He's been growing a lot and while I don't currently have a scale at home, I'd suspect he's somewhere around 12-13 lbs. (at 8 months) Santa brought some new toys for Charlie a little early this year and

Merry Christmas from Charlie Bucket!2023-12-25T02:57:44+00:00

Cattery of Distinction

    A while back, I learned of the title that the Cat Fanciers’ Association awards to breeders that successfully show the cats they have bred. It is called Cattery of Distinction. There is a gradation of tiers that the award has. The first level is when a cattery has breed ten Grands ( Premier

Cattery of Distinction2023-12-22T20:19:35+00:00

Fun Times at Santa Paws

  Every year at this time, I look forward to the Santa Paws cat show in the Baltimore area. My cat show friends do too. It’s a competitive show that brings in some of the best cats in CFA. It’s also, for us, the start of the holiday season. This year was no different. Last

Fun Times at Santa Paws2023-12-10T02:09:58+00:00

Bringing Home a New Kitty

  Bringing home a new kitten is an exciting event. As exciting as it is for the family or individual, high levels of activity and noise need to be moderated for kittens as it is a stressful event to leave their cat family. Some kittens may hide initially; others may be immediately comfortable. Either way,

Bringing Home a New Kitty2023-11-18T02:12:47+00:00

2023 CFA International Show

Last weekend was a big deal in the cat world. It was the return of the Cat Fanciers’ Association International show. It was the first one since 2019, prior to COVID. I looked forward to it for months. It was held in Cleveland this year. I’d been to the venue in years past. It is

2023 CFA International Show2023-10-21T23:30:51+00:00

What Do I Feed My Cats?

I am a science based person. My education includes degrees in Animal and Poultry Science, and Biology. In addition, I am a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Did I have classes in nutrition? This comes up as I often read on the Internet that vets do not have nutritional training. Well, it's a simple answer- yes,

What Do I Feed My Cats?2023-09-22T18:10:26+00:00

Planning Ahead

  One of the tricky things about being a breeder is planning in advance for cat shows or other events that lead me out of town.  It’s not convenient to have to plan, but it is necessary. If I see a show post within an easy driving distance with at least some judges that  generally

Planning Ahead2023-09-22T18:07:08+00:00

Appropriate Vaccinations to Prevent Panleukopenia in Cats

Recently there was an outbreak of panleukopenia after a cat show. A small number of cats got sick. This is frightening, as this is a deadly virus. It is in the same class of viruses as canine parvo virus. Yes, there is a vaccine. And, while no vaccine is perfect, there are critical factors that

Appropriate Vaccinations to Prevent Panleukopenia in Cats2023-10-25T23:25:55+00:00

Friends in the Cat Fancy  

In previous blogs, I have written about hanging out all day at cat shows with friends. We make it a point to “bench” together- which means we request the person designating where we are to set up our tents and grooming spaces that we wish to be near each other. Cat shows are an all

Friends in the Cat Fancy  2023-08-01T22:30:39+00:00

Mentoring

  What does it mean to mentor someone? It means training a person to learn how to proceed in their occupation or avocation and become successful in that endeavor.  In my profession, I mentored a number of veterinarians over the years, teaching them a spectrum of skills, some that I learned the hard way and

Mentoring2023-06-25T23:54:03+00:00

She’s BACK!

Pixi Stix debuts in her first ring after a long break from shows,     Anybody who is familiar with me and my RagaMuffins knows that I get teary eyed and weak in the knees when the name Pixi Stix comes up. Pixi Stix knows this as well. GC RW BWR PR iCandy

She’s BACK!2023-06-10T01:34:08+00:00

Too Smart Smartie

Smartie shows off for the judge. Last weekend was a fun show in Maryland. It was the first time Smartie was in championship class, having paid her dues in kitten class. It was also the first time out for Pixi Stix in premiership. It’s her  fourth career after kitten class, championship class and

Too Smart Smartie2023-06-07T02:15:31+00:00

Jolly Rancher’s Great Adventure

  Last week, I got up as usual in the morning, started my rounds of feeding and cleaning litter boxes throughout the house. I finished up and realized I had not seen Jolly Rancher. That happens sometimes if a kitty is sleeping in. My usual action is to look around at all the

Jolly Rancher’s Great Adventure2023-05-25T20:52:21+00:00

The Fabulous Feline Festival 2023

  RagaMuffin Cat Fanciers joined with two other cat clubs the fourth weekend in April to produce the Fabulous Feline Festival at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. To say it was a lot of work is an understatement. The preparation and planning took months. It required a team of people putting forth an effort to

The Fabulous Feline Festival 20232023-05-03T23:21:49+00:00

The Next Generation

Late winter and early spring this year turned into a time of goodbyes. You see, it is retirement time for a number of RagaMuffins. I hate this more than anything else about breeding. I love these cats. But, when they are done showing/ breeding, I want what is best for them. And for most of

The Next Generation2023-03-29T01:50:46+00:00

Veterinarian/Breeder

  I am both a veterinarian and a breeder. I have been both a long time. I have been a licensed veterinarian for almost forty years. I bred a few horses many years ago, then bred Labrador Retrievers for almost 25 years. Now, I have been breeding RagaMuffins for more than eight years. Sometimes the

Veterinarian/Breeder2023-03-29T01:54:48+00:00

RagaMuffin Coats

GC BWR RW iCandy Fudge Ripple- an excellent example of length, texture, and density of coat.   The CFA RagaMuffin breed standard calls for a coat that is medium to medium long in length with the texture being soft, dense and silky.  Sounds great doesn’t it? The truth is there is a spectrum

RagaMuffin Coats2023-03-29T01:58:43+00:00

Developing Consistency

When I got my first RagaMuffin, one of the things I noticed on RagaMuffin breeder websites is that none of the cats looked alike. Coming from a background of pedigreed dogs, I found that odd. But, after consideration, I realized that this breed was still in development.  When I made the decision to throw my

Developing Consistency2023-03-29T02:00:32+00:00