Perhaps the most coveted title a cat can be awarded in CFA is that of Distinguished Merit or DM.
To be awarded the Distinguished Merit title in CFA, a male cat must sire a minimum of 15 cats who have earned at least one of three titles: Grand Champion, Grand Premier or Distinguished Merit.
A Female DM must have produced 5 or more offspring who earn at least one of these titles.
Regardless of how many titles it earns, an individual cat can count only once towards the DM title of each of its parents.
Often called the "Breeder's" title, the DM represents how well a cat has contributed to the next generation of its breed... and it is the recognition of this impact on future generations that makes this award such a special accomplishment.
In 1984, the first Distinguished Merit title earned by a Somali was Foxtail's Shoshone of Purrpots, DM, a ruddy female. Nine years later, in 1993, the first male Somali to earn the Distinguished Merit title was a red named GC, GP Seguin's Golden Eagle of Hibou, DM.
Somali Distinguished Merit Cats in CFA
Year |
Name |
Sex |
Color |
|
1984-85 |
Foxtail's Shoshone of Purrpots, DM First Somali DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
1986-87 |
CH Foxtail's Annie Get Your Gun, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
1988-89 |
GC Foxtail's Skyhawk of Roadrace, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
1989-90 |
CH, PR Nephrani's Bel Mira of Mickalas, DM |
F |
Red |
|
1990-91 |
CH Lynn-Lee Strawberry Shortcake, DM |
F |
Red |
|
CH Zarpa's Sarita of Mabuhay, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
1991-92 |
CH Roadrace's Goldfinger, DM |
F |
Red |
|
1992-93 |
Lynn-Lee's Donna Lee, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
GC, GP Seguin's Golden Eagle of Hibou, DM First Male Somali DM |
M |
Red |
||
1993-94 |
CH Carquinez Penelope, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
1994-95 |
GC Pysabs Sierra Leone, DM |
F |
Red |
|
1995-96 |
GC Lynn-Lee's Summer of Foxykats, DM |
F |
Red |
|
CH Tadofa's Nwo'ke Nakou, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
1996-97 |
CH Fuhrbelli Countach of Thecatgarden, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
1997-98 |
GC, GP Lynn-Lee's Bangles of Meowsnwuf, DM |
F |
Red |
|
1998-99 |
CH Foxykats Twix of Brunrouge, DM |
F |
Red |
|
CH Lynn-Lee's Dances With Wolves, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
GC Carquinez Vulcan, DM |
M |
Red |
||
1999-00 |
CH Thecatgarden's Pita, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
GC, RW Thecatgardens Prophet, DM |
M |
Ruddy |
||
CH Reoroko Honeysuckle of Thecatgarden, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
CH Ms Amber's Bit O'Honey-Of-Alpine, DM |
F |
Fawn |
||
2000-01 |
CH Mittsnpaws Peach Blossom, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
CH Zodiacal Hayleys Comet, DM |
F |
Red |
||
CH, PR Scrachinpost Lady Hayley, DM |
F |
Red |
||
CH Mabuhay Seduction of Foxykats, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
GC, RW Foxykats Ashli of Nekobayashi, DM |
F |
Red |
||
GC, RW Mittsnpaws Zolton Lukas, DM |
M |
Red |
||
2001-02 |
GC Ciderhouse Meghan of Tamarakatz, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
CH Foxykats Piper Maru of Pypurz, DM |
F |
Red |
||
2002-03 |
GC, BW, RW Foxykats Rigel Kentaurus, DM |
M |
Ruddy |
|
GC Karactorz Princez Fergi, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
GC Rampageous Rhapsody In Blue, DM |
F |
Blue |
||
CH Rampageous Tequila Sunrise, DM |
F |
Red |
||
CH Thecatgarden's Cassiopeia, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
2003-04 |
CH Front Range Bianca, DM |
F |
Blue |
|
CH Libemiauen Juno of Bas-Brrau, DM |
F |
Red |
||
2004-05 |
CH Mittsnpaws Amazing Grace, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
GC Zodiacal Pizzaz, DM |
F |
Red |
||
2005-06 |
Foxcroft's Little Red Fox, DM |
F |
Red |
|
CH Mittsnpaws Sinful Sundae, DM |
F |
Red |
||
2006-07 |
24kt-Kats Samantha of Yum, DM |
F |
Red |
|
2007-08 |
Foxtrot's Photon, DM |
M |
Ruddy |
|
CH Gunsmoke's Little Pistol, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
Gunsmoke's Thelma of Tajhara, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
2008-09 |
GC Mittsnpaws Maxazria, DM |
F |
Red |
|
GC, RW Front Range Tatonka, DM |
M |
Ruddy |
||
2009-10 |
CH Tamarakatz Sneak Preview, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
GC Tamarakatz You Had Me At Hello, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
GC Yum Bayeux, France, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
2010-11 |
GC, RW Sunfox Mineuet, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
GC Mittsnpaws Xiomara of Wyldephyre, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
2011-12 |
GC, RW Rampageous Forever Blue, DM |
M |
Blue |
|
2013-14 |
CH Sunfox Misty Blue, DM |
F |
Blue |
|
2014-15 |
GC, RW Front Range Queen Yuna, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
CH Bas-Brrau Vina Calina, DM |
F |
Red |
||
2016-17 |
Front Range Panthalassa, DM |
F |
Blue |
|
GC Thecatgarden's H.Sparkle Plenty, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
||
** GC Yum Zhouzhuang, DM |
M |
Fawn |
||
2017-18 |
GC Kimbelot's Kayla of Ameusin, DM |
F |
Ruddy |
|
** NOTE: Effective April 30, 2021, the number of qualifying offspring needed for a male cat to earn his DM title was reduced from 15 to 10. See our DM History article for more details. The cats receiving a retroactive DM award have been added to this list in the show season they would have been awarded their DM title. The cat's name appears on a light gray background. |
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