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Interview with Heather Sabine Silkiestar is a well known cattery with beautiful cats. The owner of the cattery is Heather Sabine and she tells us here about her Silkiestar cattery and wonderful Siberians. She has also another breed, Ragdoll. It all started when she read a cat magazine and saw a picture of a huge cat. It was a Siberian, and at that time there were none in the UK. This was in 2001. In January 2002, at London Heathrow, the first Siberian cat arrived to the UK. Windrifter Borealis of Silkiestar, a stunning black smoke male. Sent by Judith Miller, the Windrifter Siberians, Minnesota, USA. Windrifter Borealis has the sweetest nature and is the sire of several well merited cats. It has received merits like Best of Breed and Best in Show. Show system in the UK There are shows under several cat organisations, see Links. With GCCF Siberians are still under Merit level and therefore can not gain Champion status. The application for Champion status to GCCF will go ahead very soon. Silkiestar and shows Many of the Silkiestar cats have gone to show/breed homes and Heather is very proud of their success. Since the Siberian is a new breed in UK, she thinks it’s important that the public can see how special the Siberian cat is. Its unique character is best shown than trying to describe it. Silkiestar Luidmilla, daughter of Windrifter Borealis, is the first Siberian in the UK to gain four merits at GCCF shows. She is multiple Best in Show (BIS) and Best of Breed (BOB). Silkiestar Zolotaya has had Red Card days at many shows and is an eminent ambassador for the breed. This cat just loves people!
Breeding Heather Sabine is very proud of her Siberians, especially when she sees the excellent type her kittens and cats have. What is she looking for before choosing a couple? - I look for type first, character is important, colour is not. I do check my pedigrees before doing a mating, and keep the inbreeding coherence to a minimum percentage. We try not to put too much emphasis on colour at this stage, as we feel the type, health and nature of the cats is the most important at this early stage. Silkiestars have a wide gene pool with imports from Russia, Poland, Italy and USA. In this way they hope to continue to breed these enchanting cats for a long time. Allergy issues The allergy aspect of the Siberian has become an important issue in the UK. Many families are able to have a kitten for the first time in their lives. Heather has been successful in placing her kittens in families with an allergic person. However, she insists that all family members must visit and sit with the kitten they are hoping to take home. Show grooming She finds the Siberians coat very easy to prepare for showing. The male cats are bathed entirely, one or two days prior to the show. Females are just groomed gently each day for about week before the show. She finds their coats very easy to keep in good condition.
Nutrition tips
* Royal Canin Siberian Cat Club The Siberian Cat Club is a friendly club for people who are interested in the Siberian Cat. Heather is the Chairperson. They assist pet-, breeder- and show cat owners as well as those who are just interested in the breed. A happy Siberian cat Heather's cats are lucky. They can watch birds, trees, the family’s dogs running and playing and can see many visitors. - Siberians need a lot of mental stimulus; they are very inquisitive, very intelligent and great problem solvers. They do not like many changes in their routine. Outwardly they look calm, but they are not. They are very complex and quite easily suffer from stress. Siberians like company all the time, it can be human or cat company. - A happy cat is one that is relaxed in the company of its own family (people). One that has both accesses too indoors and safe contained outdoor area.
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