At the time of this writing, Grand Champion Gentlepurrs Solo Purrsuit of iCandy is four days overdue to have her kittens. I know this is OK. I’m trying to convince myself that what I know is correct. I can’t help but have seeds of doubt and worry. RagaMuffin Solo seems fine. She is
As a long time breeder of Labrador Retrievers, I have been utilizing health clearances for breeding animals for many years. It is an important part of breeding. To be a conscientious breeder, one must be aware of possible health issues in any breed and work to avoid issues. The DNA tests available today are
iCandy GC BWR RW iCandy Fudge Ripple My heart ached last weekend. GC BWR RW iCandy Fudge Ripple, aka Fudgie, went to his retirement home. He has been with me from birth. He is my first home grown Grand Champion, Regional Winner and National Breed Winner RagaMuffin. I thought he would be with
During this time of self isolation, I am doing on line shopping like a lot of other people. Unlike many people, I am buying litter boxes. For some reason, there are good deals with free shipping available. I am focusing on litter boxes with high sides. I am tired of sweeping up what seems
As a breeder, I have a great responsibility, no matter what life I am producing. I have bred Quarter Horses, Labrador Retrievers and RagaMuffin cats. I believe my skills have improved over the years. It’s a learning curve for sure. The most important attribute a breeder can have is a clear goal.
photo by Carolyn Jimenez ICandy Fanny Farmer turned eight months old on February 4. This means she graduated to championship class in CFA cat shows. She was so much fun as a kitten to show, bringing the party with her every time. I was really looking forward to the next step
My first homegrown breeding male, Fudgie You have your precious queen and now you are ready for that special breeding. Whether you are looking to bring a foundation stud in to your cattery, adding new blood lines with an additional male in the cattery, or planning on taking your queen to an
The excitement grows as the queen’s belly expands. Normal pregnancy in cats averages 65 days. Larger litters tend to have a bit shorter gestations, while extremes can be from 54 to 74 days. As the kittens grow in the uterus, fetal cortisol increases to a threshold which triggers a cascade of events including
Recently, I took Grand Champion Felisophic Sugar Daddy for a trip in his carrier. This time, it was not to a cat show. This time it was for an echocardiogram. You see, an echocardiogram is the definitive way to ensure a cat does not have Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). While RagaMuffin Sugar Daddy
iCandy Fanny Farmer at 4 months RagaMuffin kitten iCandy Fanny Farmer is six months old now. As a small kitten she had “the look”. As she grew, I became more convinced that she would have what it takes to be a show cat. At her first show, she was relaxed in the