Sunday, May 31, 2009
Cat Show
No word from the Reno cat club if they are not having HHP so I got AmunRa ready to show. I tried something new in the line up. I brushed him out and clipped chin hairs and the lynx tips on his ears. Then took an oatmeal bath and just rubbed that deep into the undercoat and brushed him out again. Then rinsed him off and shampoo'ed him with Garnier moisturizing shampoo. Let him sit five minutes. Then did a white vingar rinse. Last but not least we put some texturizer on him and let him sit for five minutes and then rinsed. It a quick towel off and then I let him air dry. Later I'll add some rehydrater and see how that looks. So far his coat looks fluffy and soft but I haven't touched him yet. I'm hoping this is the great and final grooming test. These cats have such different fur that I am having to find my way through grooming for show. I tried all the different rex cat grooming tips and truely have to use a bit from each but I've also had to take tips from the OSH and Persian people. So again we will see. Here is to hoping the competition falls flat compared to Ra's amazing type, and pattern!
Friday, May 22, 2009
Web Site Updated
To get in tune with the new blog I updated the website. I still have to organize and upload more images to the gallery but overall the site and blog are updated! ^_^
Next Step - SOP
So the next step is determining a Standard of Points. I want to at least have a template that can be tweeked if needed. Because this breed has come from ferals and domestics I have a wide range of body types. For the most part the Helki is a small cat some individuals being close to the size of the Singapura with a stockier build. So far I've had a wide range in patterns just from the small group of cats that I've bred. So far no Chocolates/Lilacs/Cinnamon/Fawn but possibly do have Burmese brown... Some kittens are born with light colors that later develop into dark rich colors that are difficult to identify. Anyway thats what I have for now. I'll post more under this label at a later time ^_~
Whats in a Name
Its been a battle trying to figure out if I should try and develop a new breed of cat or not. Its a hard decision that I don't take lightly and I question daily. In breed development and experimentation there are kittens I keep and kittens & cats that need good forever homes. One of my trusted mentors advised me its time to think of a good breed name.
We sat down and had a instant message brain storm but while some of the names we came up with were nice nothing really had that feeling. You know that "Thats the One!" feeling.
After that I would sit for hours thinking about cat breed names. Many breeds like to honor the area that the breed came from. None of the things in my area really sounded like a viable breed name. So then I got to thinking about the native people of Northern California. This cat breed was established from cats that came from San Joaquin County as well as Sacramento County the tribe that stuck out in my mind was the Miwok tribe. I then researched Miwok language and came across the name Helki meaning "touch". I thought Helki sounded very Scandinavian so I did more research and came across the German translation of the word Helki meaning "The Sun". The Sun is a major link in cat mythology around the globe and I felt like all the connections were being met. A connection to the land by using a Miwok word, the connection to the finder(Me) by a Germanic word being connected, and the word Helki itself translating into to very relevant words that describe this breed.
Why Touch? - This is a rare rex mutation as a dominant mutation and also because the gaurd hairs on the cat are mostly straight but there are not as many gaurd hairs on the Helki as you will find on the standard domestic cat. When you run your fingers through this fur you have a soft silky top coat and a plush luxurious undercoat. When the cats are viewed by the public many can not stop petting the cats as the texture is inviting and comforting. You really have to touch a Helki to appreciate them.
We sat down and had a instant message brain storm but while some of the names we came up with were nice nothing really had that feeling. You know that "Thats the One!" feeling.
After that I would sit for hours thinking about cat breed names. Many breeds like to honor the area that the breed came from. None of the things in my area really sounded like a viable breed name. So then I got to thinking about the native people of Northern California. This cat breed was established from cats that came from San Joaquin County as well as Sacramento County the tribe that stuck out in my mind was the Miwok tribe. I then researched Miwok language and came across the name Helki meaning "touch". I thought Helki sounded very Scandinavian so I did more research and came across the German translation of the word Helki meaning "The Sun". The Sun is a major link in cat mythology around the globe and I felt like all the connections were being met. A connection to the land by using a Miwok word, the connection to the finder(Me) by a Germanic word being connected, and the word Helki itself translating into to very relevant words that describe this breed.
Why Touch? - This is a rare rex mutation as a dominant mutation and also because the gaurd hairs on the cat are mostly straight but there are not as many gaurd hairs on the Helki as you will find on the standard domestic cat. When you run your fingers through this fur you have a soft silky top coat and a plush luxurious undercoat. When the cats are viewed by the public many can not stop petting the cats as the texture is inviting and comforting. You really have to touch a Helki to appreciate them.
Getting Started - Current Updates
Hello all. I am currently working on getting this blog together. I plan on putting my thoughts feeling and milestones on this blog. My last blog was all hand coded and got pretty time consuming so I am looking forward to the ease of Blogger.
Ok so as for updates I wasn't able to take AmunRa to the CFA show in Fresno. As many of you know because this breed is so new I can only show my cats under the Household Pet(HHP) status. I was the only one to apply for HHP at the show, to help save time I withdrew Ra and my daughter Arie and I got the chance to steward. Basically its cleaning cages in between cats. It was fun, but as I've been ill I got so worn out that I had to stop several times on the way home and just slept.
As for other shows Arie and I would like to make it to the Reno NV show, but we are still trying to decide if we want to show a cat or go just for fun.
Ok so as for updates I wasn't able to take AmunRa to the CFA show in Fresno. As many of you know because this breed is so new I can only show my cats under the Household Pet(HHP) status. I was the only one to apply for HHP at the show, to help save time I withdrew Ra and my daughter Arie and I got the chance to steward. Basically its cleaning cages in between cats. It was fun, but as I've been ill I got so worn out that I had to stop several times on the way home and just slept.
As for other shows Arie and I would like to make it to the Reno NV show, but we are still trying to decide if we want to show a cat or go just for fun.
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