Breeders Profile

Puddha's Palace Orientals & Seychellois

Name:

Photos courtesy of Ash Molloy (right, with Odo and Myla)

Tell us a bit about you:
I’m a mum to two little girls, we live out in the country, walk our dog and bake scones. I’m also an amateur writer and film maker - my little film company is called Skinny and Pointy Productions after my beloved cats who I’ve always referred to as ‘skinny and pointy’.

Why did you choose your breed(s)?
I fell in love with Siamese cats as a child when I met some at the home of an acquaintance. They just seemed so exotic and mysterious to me. My mum refused to let me have one on the grounds that a pedigreed cat would be stolen. This just served to increase my fascination with them.  I later discovered Orientals and was completely smitten, I had to have one … two … three. To me they are simply exquisite with their svelte figures and long, regal heads. Added to their physical beauty, I find their personalities to be outstanding. I like other breeds of cat but I could never imagine a total departure from the Oriental group.

Why/how did you start breeding?
I became so obsessed with the breed I couldn’t stop at just pets. It seemed the natural thing to do to produce my own.

Why did you choose your prefix?
We nicknamed Odo our first Oriental Puddha (the puddy cat version of Buddha). I thought it really suited him because he looked like he was sitting meditating a lot of the time and of course Buddha is an Oriental god. So when it came to choosing my cattery name, Puddha had to be part of it.

When were your most memorable occasions as a breeder?
Well, I lost 5 out of 7 kittens from my first litter to Strep B. That was pretty memorable for all the obvious, horrible reasons. But it has all been memorable because I haven’t been breeding for very long.

Who were/are the most memorable cats you've had?
Two of my current cats, Odo (an Apricot OSH) and Naib (a blue point Siamese) (above left), will be with me in my heart forever just because they are two awesome characters. They are incredibly different to each other. Naib is so sensitive, highly strung and desperate for attention. Everyone who enters the house falls for him. Even people who say they don’t like cats, like him. Odo, on the other hand, is very relaxed and easy going. He has so many quirky attributes, he’s just a real cool cat. But also Star (right), my little Havana girl, who died aged 2 from a liver sarcoma, she was divine. She produced a kitten called Precious (below left), a blue tabby, who I’ll never forget either. She was adorable and utterly devoted to me.

What are your hopes for the future of your breed/your breeding programme?
When I first starting breeding Orientals I longed to produce Seychellois cats like the ones I’d read about in books but for a few years it was just a dream. I’ve started to make it happen now though. I’ve had to go a bit of a long way round but I feel I’m getting there. My hope is to produce harlequin patterned Seychellois Longhairs in all colours and to be self sufficient, which means I’ll have to import a boy at some point as the gene pool is so tiny in the UK. I’ll most likely keep an Oriental Shorthair girl as well, a tabby as they are my favourite. I would also like to get out and show more at the FB shows. Being a mum to two small children means I don’t get much spare time, I’m so busy doing family stuff at weekends I miss all the shows. I really want that to change in the future.

Is there anything else you'd like to mention?
Yes, I’d to thank the two people in the cat world who have been most supportive to me. They are Jan Reed, who also breeds Seychellois Longhairs as well as Balinese, and Joann Hanmer, who breeds Oriental Shorthairs. Jan is special because she is so down to earth and not at all precious about her lines even though she has dedicated years to perfecting them. I’m lucky enough to have one of her cats, Adajan Teardrop (right), a seal tabby Seychellois.  Jo is just a great lady who really knows Siamese and Orientals. She has been there from the beginning for me, someone to bounce ideas off and get advice from. My little mission is to get these two great breeders over to Felis Britannica ;-))

Ash Molloy

www.puddhaspalacecats.co.uk

September 2008