Breeders Profile

Leirum Ragdolls

Name:

Photos courtesy of Shirley Watkinson (right)

Tell us a bit about you:
My name is Shirley Watkinson, I am married with two sons and live in Ferndown Dorset. As a child I grew up in a house which was a mile from the nearest neighbour, deep in the Dorset countryside, with my parents and brother and surrounded by all kinds of animals.  Our family bred goats, poodles and dachshunds; reared chicken, ducks and geese; kept a pony and a donkey and had numerous cats, all colours and of no particular breed, often producing a litter of kittens. This is where my great love of animals began.

In the 1980s I entered numerous dog shows with my keeshond Sam and during  the 1990s I kept giant rabbits and guinea-pigs, and more recently bantams, foreign finches, Koi carp and cats and we also have three little dogs.  I worked for the same company for 21 years up until 1999 when they finally closed down, which then gave me the time and freedom to once again get more involved with cats.

Why did you choose your breed(s)?
In 1998 I saw a photo of a Ragdoll in a magazine; from that day on I was hooked and tried to find out all I could about the breed, but it wasn't until December 2000, when I attended the Supreme Cat Show in London, that I actually got to see and touch a Ragdoll 'in the fur' - and that was it, I really fell in love with them and just had to have one of my own.

Why/how did you start breeding?
Breeding and keeping animals has always been a way of life for me but in 2000 I fostered my mums pedigree Siamese cat that was pregnant I reared these kittens for her and decided that when the time was right I would breed pedigree cats but this time with Ragdolls like the ones I had seen at the Supreme Cat Show .

Why did you choose your prefix?
Leirum, my prefix, is my dear mother Muriel's (left) name, who died in 2003 - spelt backwards.

When were your most memorable occasions as a breeder?
When my cream mitted Ragdoll Peaches gave birth to nine kittens in April 2008, it was a very memorable occasion - I thought they were never going to stop popping out!  One later died but the other eight needed my constant attention throughout the day and night - they were always crying as they all wanted to feed from the same four teats. Gradually over the next ten days I managed to persuade them to take from any teat. An experience I would rather not have to repeat.

However, this litter produced Leirum Morganite (left) my beautiful cream colourpoint boy who gave me the most memorable occasion of all by being the first Ragdoll to ever win the Top Award of Overall Best Cat within FB for 2009! I will never forget being presented in February 2010 with such a prestigious award (above right).

Who were/are the most memorable cats you've had?
I have had many memorable cats during my lifetime - too many to mention here! - but since being involved with Ragdolls I have had two cats that will always be special to me.

Leirum Wilfred was a very special kitten that was chosen to go and live in a Residential Care Home - his story was in Cat World in 2009 and can be seen on my website “other news" page.

Leirum Morganite (left) is his litter brother who is and will always be my most special cat of all, winning five Best in Show awards in one year and, of course, Overall Best Cat 2009.

What are your hopes for the future of your breed/your breeding programme?
It is stated that the Ragdoll is a very large imposing cat so my plans are to try and bring that size back into the Ragdoll by only using the larger cats for breeding.  I'm also introducing the rare colours of Chocolate and Lilac (right) into the Ragdoll from Europe, which has opened up new and exciting breeding plans for me in the future.

Is there anything else you'd like to mention?
Being a breeder enabled me to get to know Patricia Brownsell, who is now living (and breeding Ragdolls) in Spain. Pat encouraged me to introduce Chocolate and Lilac ragdolls into my breeding plans by helping me to import Patriarca Red Barron (left), a big cream mitted boy who carries chocolate and who has since gone on to win a Best in Show award (Tidworth, June 2010).

Attending cat shows within FB (FIFe UK) has given me an interesting hobby and some good friends, and also enabled me to meet many other really nice people!

Shirley Watkinson
www.leirumragdolls.webs.com

January 2011