News - 2007                        

Click here to see current news and links to other years 

19 December 2007

ViVi is just back from the vets after being spayed.  As is typical with my cats, she shrugged off the anaesthetic in double-quick time, and was totally unbothered by the whole process - bless her.  The vet nurses had a great time playing with her all afternoon, and I think she was almost sorry to come home!

15 December 2007 - West of Scotland Cat Club show

Congratulations to my brother-and-sister duo on their successes today:

●    Champion Dushenka Sophia Bella on winning 1st open female adult, Challenge Certificate, Best of Breed Russian Blue adult, reserve Grand Champion and a further two 1st prizes

●    Grand Premier Dushenka Oliver, who wasn't in competition today, but won the Best decorated pen competition with his Christmas-themed pen.   The West of Scotland Cat Club show is obviously a lucky occasion for the Boo as this is the third consecutive year he has had a notable win - in 2005 he was made up to Premier and the 2006 show saw him win his Grand title.

Especial thanks are due to Lorraine and Lenny Pontello for their calm resolution of my early-morning crisis, and my cats' Auntie Ellen for looking after Sophie and Boo in the afternoon - they love their new toys!

19 November 2007 - the Supreme Show

Although ViVi was entered I decided that she wasn't quite ready for this show, being a bit young and shy still.  However, she was represented by a rather good life-size photograph, which fooled a few people on first glance!

It was a great show for quite a few friends of mine - congratulations to Lorraine, Lenny and Maureen on One Shot and Berry's wins, Louise and David for Simon and Twiggy's wins, Christine and Red, Heather and Jasper, Ian and Caroline and Gypsy, and Jennifer and Ian with Minkus, Lensky, Chesney and Nina! Eight certificates, five Best of Breed wins and one Best of Variety - wow!

Maybe next year we will have someone to take along...

 

ViVi not at the Supreme - honest!

 

6 October 2007 - Russian Blue Breeders Association

No cats entered today, but the Dushenka household was well-represented in the photographical competition, winning two categories ('cat in a garden' and 'a click of cats') plus overall best photograph.

It was a lovely show with lots of lovely cats as well!

Best photo - 'A click of cats'

 

8 September 2007 - Northern Counties Cat Club

Just one cat in competition today - little ViVi, who is now 7 months old. 

Well done to my baby girl on winning another 1st, 2 x 2nd and 2 x 3rd prizes today!

 

 

 

 

11 August 2007 - Chester & North Wales Cat Club

A beautiful, sunny day in Chester with Sophie's daughters Tasha and ViVi.  Many congratulations to both of them on another successful day!

●    Dushenka Tashabella, won 1st in her open class, her second Challenge Certificate and Best of Breed Russian Blue adult, beating the boys and some very strong competition

 

●    Dushenka Vivabella, Now six months old,  ViVi won first prize in her open class, plus a total of one 1st, two 2nds and one 3rd prize in her four side classes

 

 

 

 

Home time mum?!

 

Thanks too to Lenny and Lorraine Pontello of Pontaby Abyssinians for taking us all to and from the show, and special congratulations to their gorgeous Sorrel Abyssinian, Imperial Grand Champion One Shot from A'far, on winning Best of Breed, another grand, and his sixth Imperial certificate.  What a star!  Belated congratulations also to their usual Abyssinian girl Viva (for whom my baby Vivabella is named) on winning her title last month to become Champion Pontaby Viviana.

 

 

Russian Blue Breeders Association trophy winners

 

Last year my winning mother-and-daughter duo was Bella and Sophie.  This year it was Sophie and her daughter Tasha who won Russian Blue Breeders Association trophies:

 

●    Top-scoring Russian Blue adolescent of 2006 (inheriting the title from her mum) - Dushenka Tashabella

●    Top-scoring (equal) Russian Blue female kitten of 2006 - Dushenka Tashabella

●    Astahazy Petra trophy for Best of Breed Russian at the Durham County Show - Champion Dushenka Sophia Bella

 

Well done again to my pretty girls!

 

16 June 2007 - Lakeland & District Cat Club

Congratulations to my girls on their winning ways!

●    Champion Dushenka Sophia Bella, who on her return from maternity leave won the reserve Grand Challenge certificate in the Champion of Champions class; and her daughter

●    Dushenka Vivabella, my clever little baby who was still only 20 weeks old on the day, who won first in her open class and Best of Breed Russian Blue kitten again

26 May 2007 - Durham County Cat Club show

Many congratulations to our winning cats:

●    Grand Premier Dushenka Oliver, who exceeded all expectations by winning four 1st prizes, his sixth Premier certificate, Best of Breed Russian Blue neuter, and his first Imperial Grand certificate, making him the first ever Scottish-bred Russian Blue to win an Imperial certificate.  I'm still smiling!!

 

●    Dushenka Vivabella, who will only be four months old tomorrow.  She also won a total of four 1st prizes, including  Best of Breed Russian Blue kitten, and best foreign kitten bred by exhibitor - and she had a whale of a time getting lots of cuddles from people. 

 

Many thanks again to Lenny and Lorraine Pontello of Pontaby Abyssinians for taking us to and from the show, and congratulations to their wonderful cats One Shot, who won his fourth Imperial, and Honey, who won her second Grand.  A good day was had by all!

 

12 May 2007 - Nor' East of Scotland Cat Club show

Another special day, with three of Sophie's kittens making their debut at the 'grand old' age of 15 weeks.  All three of them behaved as if they were old hands at this game, greatly enjoyed all the fuss and attention, taking home 15 rosettes from their 15 classes.  So congratulations to:

●    Dushenka Valentine on winning 1st open male kitten, Best of Breed Russian Blue kitten, and a further three 1st prizes and one 3rd in his side classes, capping it all by being nominated for Best in Show!

●    Dushenka Viktor who was 2nd open male kitten behind Valentine, also picking up a further 1st, 2nd and two 3rd prizes in his four side classes

●    Dushenka Vivabella who won 1st open female kitten and, like her brother Valentine, a further three 1st prizes and one 3rd in her side classes

Congratulations also to their handsome big brother:

●    Premier Dushenka Technetium Star, who won a 1st and two 2nd prizes - happy to be 2nd to his magnificent father, Imperial Grand Champion Shoelina Horowitz.  I am particularly proud of sweet Techs for winning his 'pedigree fireside' class, which is judged on temperament.

And congratulations to the Pontellos on their successful day, with their sorrel Abyssinian boy One Shot winning his third Imperial certificate and their Usual girl Viva (for whom my Vivabella is named) on winning her second challenge certificate.

Finally... many thanks to Derek and Ken for agreeing to bring Viktor and Valentine to the show (here's hoping it's the first of many!) and giving me a lift up the road; to Jules and Diane for letting me borrow their boy Techs for the day; and Ellen and Jim for baby-sitting the cats during the day, and giving us a lift home.

10 February 2007 - The Scottish Cat Club's Golden Jubilee Show

This was our first show of the year, and a very special occasion for us as it was the Scottish Cat Club's Golden Jubilee show and my Silver Jubilee show as an exhibitor and steward.  We were at the Scottish show 25 years ago, with Champion Saphiriken Beau Bellis and at the same show today with Beau's 9th and 10th generation descendants, Oliver and Techs.  And they did him proud....

Special congratulations to  

●    PREMIER DUSHENKA TECHNETIUM STAR on winning 1st open, Premier certificate and Best of Breed - living up to his name by winning his title in his first three adult shows.  Way to go boy!! He also won three spectacular 'special' rosettes, a Pontaby special, a Wizard special, and the Dushenka special for best Russian Blue neuter.  Techs is a tenth-generation descendant of Beau, and the tenth Dushenka cat to win a show title.

 

Congratulations also to Techs' uncle==>>

●    Grand Premier Dushenka Oliver, not in competition today, but he still managed to win in the best decorated pen competition! Here he is, being awarded his special rosette by the judge, local MSP Des McNulty.

 

Thanks again to the boys' Auntie Ellen for looking after them during the day.

27 January 2007 - Sophie is a mum again

Congratulations to my precious girl, Champion Dushenka Sophia Bella, on the safe arrival of her two sons and two daughters.  This is Sophie's second litter, and she was very much the old hand, producing all four within 3 hours, with minimal fuss.  She is now having great fun demanding all her favourite foods (best quality steak mince, fresh roasted chicken etc etc....) and is in glowing good humour.  You will find weekly updates on Sophie and her babies here.

 

2006 was another very good year for the Dushenka Russian Blue cats….

...with a new family member, two points winners and a new Grand-titled cat!

On the show front, 2006 started with Premier Dushenka Rurik winning his first Grand Premier certificate at the Scottish Cat Club show in February, and ended with Grand Premier Dushenka Oliver winning his third, and qualifying Grand Premier Certificate at the West of Scotland Cat Club show in December.

In between, Dushenka Tashabella (who stayed with me) and Dushenka Technetium Star also had successful show debuts, racking up 7 Best of Breed wins and 43 1st prizes between them,  Tasha also picking up one Challenge Certificate and Techs two Premier Certificates.  Their mother, my precious Champion Dushenka Sophia Bella won two Grand Challenge certificates before going back on maternity leave, as well as being confirmed as the highest-scoring female adolescent of 2005.  Their father, Jennifer Fleming's Imperial Grand Champion Shoelina Horowitz became the first ever Imperial Grand Champion Russian Blue.

Not forgetting (as if I could) my dear old Supermum Bella, Grand Champion Dushenka Mirabella, who was the highest-scoring Russian Blue female of 2005, as well as being the mother of my Grand Oliver, Rurik, and Sophie.

 

Many thanks again to my cats' Auntie Ellen, Lorraine and Lenny Pontello of Pontaby Abyssinians, and Ian and Caroline Thomson of Saladin Abyssinians for helping us to get to and from shows.