GC, GP, RW Prancenpaws Glamor Shot, DM

March 26, 1995 was a very important day for the future of Ristokat Cattery, although we didn't know it at the time! On that fateful day, a Himalayan kitten was born in California – a little girl who would fulfill our greatest hopes... Nicknamed "Gigi", this stunning little lady would grow up to become GC, RW Prancenpaws Glamor Shot of Ristokat, DM.

On the path to her titles,Gigi would present Ristokat Cattery with many firsts. She would be our first Best Kitten Winner, our first Best Cat Winner, Our first Regional Winner, and in April 2000, she became our first cat to earn the award of Distinguished Merit. And she has always been first in out hearts.

This is Gigi's Story...

In April 1995, my husband Jon and I contacted Virginia King of Prancenpaw Himalayans. We were searching for our first really nice show cat to become the foundation of Ristokat Himalayans, but we had experienced little success in our quest.

When Virginia told us about a three week old kitten she had, we thought the little blue-cream point girl would be a perfect start for us. We made immediate plans to fly fromWashington State to California to pick her up when she turned three months old.

We were mesmerized when we saw her – those wonderful huge eyes just jumped out at us, and melted our hearts… We started showing Gigi as soon as she turned 4 months old. She loved the shows, but was still fairly small, and not particularly competitive. However, we were having fun enjoying all the attention she got!

As she grew up, her last 2 months as a kitten were very successful. We attended only local shows, with no idea of show "strategy", yet she ended the season as 22nd Best Kitten in the region – almost a RW! Her very last kitten show was in November, at the Chicago International.

We had never ventured so far from home, but everyone kept telling us how much fun it was, so we finally gave in and decided to go.

Accustomed to our local shows with 3 or 4 Himalayan kittens entered, imagine our surprise (shock?) when we opened the International catalogue and found 42 Himalayan kittens present! And 8 of them blue-cream points!!

We certainly had no expectations of Gigi doing anything against that competition. So we just planned on having fun for the weekend… However, by the 5th ring of the show, our Gigi was in a tie for best Himalayan kitten in show, and after all was said and done, ended up as 2nd best Himalayan kitten in show!

G igi began her adult career in December, becoming a two-show Grand as our early Christmas present. With no thought of anything other than having fun, we began showing her as a Grand in January.

Still attending only regional shows, but starting to look for good judging lineups (we were learning), she was shown in 104 rings by the end of April – and in the process, became the 21st Best Cat in CFA Region 2 !

Gigi at one year

Later that year, we bred Gigi for the first time – to a wonderful brown tabby CPC boy we were showing that year – GC, RW Oakheaven's Time Line of Ristokat. Gigi had three kittens, two of whom went on to grand; GC Ristokat's Femme Fatale, blue lynx point female, and GC Ristokat Truly Tabu of Old Castle, blue patched tabby female.

Grand # 1 "Femme Fatale"	Grand # 2 "Tabu"

With the success of that breeding, we couldn't resist trying it again. The repeat breeding again produced two grands including our first homebred Regional Winners, GC, RW Ristokat's Fleur de Lis, seal lynx point female, and GP, RW Ristokat's Masquerade of Tamarakatz, seal point female.

#3 "Fleur de Lis"	#4 "Masquerade"	#5 "Toy"

For her third litter, Gigi was bred to a wonderful seal point boy loaned to us by Marj Tadich – GC, RW Whisperwood's Tonka Toy. This time she produced only two kittens – but also produced grand #5 for Gigi, CH, GP Ristokat's Whimsical Toy, a tortie point female.

...and so it was that our first "baby" had produced 5 Grands, all girls, and became our first DM! Gigi is now spayed and rules the household with an iron paw. But her show carrer was not over. In July 2000, Gigi added GP to her other titles.

Gigi was our "once in a lifetime kitty". She will never be forgotten.

GC, GP, RW Prancenpaws Glamor Shot of Ristokat, DM

22nd Best Kitten, CFA Northwest Region, 1995-96
12th Best Himalayan Kitten, Atlantic Himalayan club, 1995-96
2nd Best Himalayan Kitten, CFA International Show, November 1995
Best of Color, Best of Breed, CFA Northwest Region, 1995-96
21st Best Cat, CFA Northwest Region, 1995-96
9th Best Himalayan Cat, Atlantic Himalayan Club, 1995-96

GC earned December 1995, at 8 months old (2 show grand)
Distinguished Merit, earned April 2000
GP earned July 2000

Pedigree

Jon & Kathy Durdick
Ristokat Himalayans
e-mail: durdick@ristokat.com
website: http://www.ristokat.com
Washington State, USA

Photos in this article are by Richard Katris, Carl Widmer and Jim Brown