Featured Cat:
GC Cedar Valley's Truffles

This is the story of a little black Persian kitten who battled her way into the world, fought her way past setback after setback, and eventually fulfilled her Grand destiny at five and a half years of age.

This is also the story of the kitten's owner... a woman who believed in her kitten, and kept her faith despite all the factors that seemed against her.

The Persian's name is GC Cedar Valley's Truffles. Her owner is Lillian Tokarek of Mission, British Columbia, Canada.

This is their story...

On July 15, 1995, "Truffles" came into the world via an emergency C-section along with her 2 black sisters. Right from the start, Truffles was an impressive kitten - and definitely the pick of the litter.

The kittens seems to be doing well until about 3 weeks when Lillian noticed her "pick" wasn't growing and gaining weight like her litter-sisters. Momma cat was running a temperature! Her milk was bad. Before anything could be done, the kittens had pneumonia!

The largest kitten would feed from a bottle but Truffles and her smaller sister would have nothing to do with hand-feeding. Truffle's little sister died quickly... and Truffle's seemed about to face the same fate.

After a frantic call, Lillian left Truffles with her vet and prepared herself for the fact that Truffles would probably not make it through the night.

Now, as fate would have it, several weeks earlier a Balinese-style cat named Tootsie had been left at the vet for euthanization for chronic constipation. However, the good vet discovered that "Tootsie" was pregnant. She took Tootsie home with her to have her babies. And so Tootsie gave birth to 3 kittens just a few days before Lillian brought Truffles in on her last breath. Imagine Lillian's, surprise when she returned to the vet the following day prepared for sad news, only to be shown Tootsie nursing her three day old kittens... and little Truffles too! Truffles took to Tootsie's milk and Tootsie took to fostering Truffles.

Snuggled up against her "new mom's" tummy, Truffle's big Persian eyes seemed to be saying "thank you"... so the good doctor and her staff started calling her "Buggy Boo" in honor of her great big eyes... and Buggy she would be from then on.

The next few weeks Buggy thrived. She may have been half the size of her litter-sister, but she was alive! And soon she was well enough to come home. The crisis was past. All was well.

Then, just two weeks later, Buggy started having trouble breathing. Rushed back to the vet, x-rays revealed an enlarged heart and liver. Diagnosis - congenital heart disease. The news was devastating. Lillian was told Buggy would not likely live past 4 months of age.

Buggy was placed on a diuretic and digoxin and Lillian prayed to God to just let her have Buggy for two years. She couldn't stand losing the little kitten after all they had both been through. Miraculously, Buggy seemed to improve. Eventually, Buggy would be taken off all her medications and pronounced healthy. A few months later, Lillian was off to her first show in a long while, taking Buggy's real mother for winner's ribbons. The 100 mile journey took almost 5 hours when the road became a sheet of ice from freezing rain. It was a nightmare.

Eventually the show began late, finished on time, and it seemed like there were a lot of sneezing going on by both cats and people.

Of course, after returning from the show, Buggy's mom developed a spot on her eye and her show companion came down with an upper respiratory infection. Gentocin Durafilm for the eye and antibiotics seemed to fix the problem. Everyone improved and Buggy now made her show debut at 6 months - and finalled in 7 put of 8 rings including 3 Best Kittens!! The judges seemed to think Buggy was pretty good!

Then a week later, Buggy also had a spot on her eye, so Lillian medicated with Gentocin Durafilm. Big mistake! A full blown corneal ulcer meant another trip to the vet. Eventually an eye specialist diagnosed Corneal Herpes Virus Infection. Though it responded well to treatment, Buggy was left with a permanent cloudy patch on her left eye.

Barely 8 months old, Buggy had certainly faced a lot of challenges. Yet she was an outstanding Persian and deserving of the title of a Grand Champion.

But would the judges final a cat with a cloudy patch on her eye, no matter how beautiful?

Lillian made a vow to try to grand her plucky black kitty as long as Buggy enjoyed showing.

And thus began a 5 year, 30 show odyssey.

- The Life & Times of "Buggy" -
1995	July 15, Buggy is born by emergency Caesarian Section Pneumonia at 3 weeks August, adopted by a foster mother September, diagnosed with a heart problem
1996	January, first show included 7 finals and 3 Best Kittens eye ulcer, permanent cloudy patch on left eye May, 8th Best AB Cat as an Open/101 cats present July, Buggy turns 1 Year Old Aug, first 7 grand points Dec, 8 came off heart meds attended 3 shows, 2 as a Champion, gained 15 grand points in 1996
1997	Jan 18, 29 points Jan 25, 33 points Feb, shown but no points March 20, 2 points total of 97 grand points - Almost HALF WAY!! holistic eye treatments began July, Buggy's 2nd birthday July, 7 points Oct, 12 points Nov, zip DEC, 5 more for a total of 121 points at the end of 1997... 11 shows
1998	the dry spell begins...Jan, no points February, no points cycling and bred May, 3 kittens born, including GC RW Cedar Valley's Masquerade July, Buggy is 3 years old Aug, no points DEC, 37 points total of 158 points gained in 15 shows
1999	Feb, 6 points Mar, blanco April, 13 points June, 3 kittens born including, GC Cedar Valley's Charismatic July, Buggy turns 4 years old Oct, nadda Nov, 6 points DEC, zippo total of 183 points ... in 21 shows
2000	Buggy begins 2000 with 183 Grand points New Year's "To Do List" - Grand Buggy! Beginning of the year attended 4 shows, no points, arrrrgh :-( cycling and bred again twice, did not conceive Buggy is 5 years old!ill for 4 months, Buggy is looking poorly September, Buggy starts to bloom! October, 3 points! Saturday, December 3, 13 points for a total of 199 POINTS!!! Sunday, December 4, no points, they are torturing us! Saturday, December 9, 9th Best Cat in Specialty, 11 points, Buggy was a Grand with 210 points ... 10 points to spare!! Sunday, December 10, After a show career extending over 5 years and 30 shows, new GC Cedar Valley's Truffles, "Buggy", officially retired from the show ring. The birds sang, people rejoiced, chocolate truffles were served, and all was well in heaven and on earth. :-)))

Five years earlier, Lillian had promised Buggy that she would never have to be shown again once she granded... so Lillian kept her promise and pulled her from the four rings on Sunday. Buggy got to rest the whole day as well wishers came buy to enjoy a chocolate Truffle and congratulate her.

Now that it's over and she looks at her beautiful "Bug", Lillian thanks God for letting her accomplish their goal. Buggy has gained more weight. Her coat has grown even longer and darker. She looks better today than she ever has.

And Buggy seems to know what she has done. She walks around the house as if to say "I'm a Grand Champion because I'm worth it".

So what lies ahead for Buggy besides a life full of love? Lillian hopes that Buggy will bless her with one more litter of kittens. Lillian would love a grand quality black daughter to go with the tortie and blue female grands Buggy has already produced.

So, if one day you see Lillian at a show with a big smile, doing very well with a black female Persian kitten, ask her what her kitten's name is. Chances are, she will be showing Cedar Valley's Baby Buggy.

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Editor's Note: When ever a cat grands, there is a celebration. It is a wonderful accomplishment. Seldom had a cat overcome so many obstacles as Buggy did. Seldom has an owner demonstrated such faith in her kitty and determination to see her cat's quality rewarded as Lillian did.

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GC Cedar Valley's Truffles

Black Persian Female born July 15, 1995
Sire: GC Balladier Bolero of Cedar Valley
Dam: CH Cedar Valley's Altaira
Breeder: Jennifer Tokarek
Owner: Jennifer & Lillian Tokarek
Cedar Valley Persians
Mission, BC, Canada
email: CedarValley@Persians.com
website: www.cedarvalley.persians.com