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Answers to some of your comments and questions
by Catriona
(Rocky Ford, Colorado)
Traditional Siamese Male, 2006
I am just starting as a small hobby breeder of Traditional and Traditional/Classic Siamese. I don't have a web site yet, but my cattery is Xi-Gua Siamese of Rocky Ford.
With regard to CFA not recognizing Traditional Siamese -- it's true they don't recognize them as meeting their modern breed standard, but there are quite a few pedigreed Traditional Siamese out there who are registered with CFA, with pedigrees of many generations of Traditional CFA-registered Siamese. I own one of these cats, Shoobox Kubla Khan of Xi-Gua, (call name Conn). Conn was bred by Shirley Miller of Shoobox Cattery (one of your links below), and he is an extreme Traditional type -- cobby and muscular, with wide, round face, and springy fur. I've attached a photo of him taken by someone else -- not very good, but it shows his shape and beautiful eyes.
The existence of the long pedigrees, full of champions, for these types of cats in CFA's records rather undermines the claim of some modern Siamese breeders that the Traditional is an outcross or just a badly-bred Siamese.
Addressing your comments on the traditional breeder sites below:
Traditional Siamese in San Diego is owned by Diane Dunaway. Shoobox Cattery, also in San Diego, is owned by Shirley Miller. They are not affiliated, but have done a lot of breeding to each other's cats.
Shadows Cattery has redone their site since you visited it. It is much easier to find one's way around. They are located in Aguanga, California.
Comments for
Answers to some of your comments and questions
Thanks for pointing out that there are indeed Siamese of the older style who are registered with the CFA. CFA registrations are based on ancestry, requiring at least 8 documented generations of purebred Siamese ancestors. So it is not really the most accurate wording to say they "do not recognize" traditional / old style Siamese.
It would be more accurate to say that, although they "recognize" them in the sense of registering them as Siamese (if they meet that requirement) , these cats do not conform closely enough to the modern CFA Siamese breed standard (and influential breeders and judges' interpretation of the standard) to be competitive in CFA show halls today.