Roadtrippin'

I love roadtrips and I have two coming very soon :)

This weekend is the dollshouse show in Arnhem which I will be attending with my mom. I'm very very excited as some amazing artists will be there and some great friends from the dutch dollhouse forum to meet. I've been saving up some money, so I hope to do a little shopping too. I have made a list of stuff for the Willowcrest house. I really want to get on with the outside of the house, because it's just screaming for a little color. Now if only I could make up my mind on which colors lol!

One of the miniature artisans that will show his work is Ronan-Jim Sévellec. There's a little preview of his roomboxes on the show's website. Click the button below and you will be in awe ;)

Then the weekend after that is an international cat show (also in Arnhem, what is it with that city?). I go to a cat show every once in a while, usually once a year. This one is a two day show and it has a Maine Coon special! When I read those three words I did a little dance through the room! I adore Maine Coons as you might know and our white menace Saphira is also a Maine Coon. However, as much as I love the breed, I wouldn't get another one. The coat needs quite a lot of work (unlike some internet stories that claim Coons don't need brushing!) and that's just not my hobby lol. Saphira is an absolute angel, but she hasn't grown up with the brush. Her breeder had two babies, a serious backproblem and lack of husband or any other form of help when she had the kittens. So Saphira wasn't properly socialized when I got her. It took me 2.5 years of patience just to get her to come to me for a little cuddling! She's 4 now and we are working on getting her familiar with brushing. Each time it goes a little better, but she's still scared of the comb and tries to escape. Even though I know not all breeders are like Saphira's, I wouldn't get another Coon. The time that her coat takes, could be spent on 4 shorthairs and I'm a busy girl ;)

However, I'll be sure to take on any chance to see 162 Maine Coons in 1 day!! I'm taking my camera with me, so I'll try and make some decent pics for you to enjoy with me.

Here's one of Saphira. Check out those whiskers and eyebrows!

If I ever get a playmate for Saphira, it will be a shorthaired breed. And yes a breed. All cats are wonderful, but I have developed a taste for the world of purebred cats. Yuck, that is such a nasty word, 'purebred'. Makes me think of Harry Potter and the Deatheaters that only want 'purebred wizards'. It's not like that for me! I just think that if you ARE going to put more cats on the planet, you might as well think it over thoroughly. Cats-with-papers have been tested and selected to be healthy parents even before the mating ever takes place. They are tested mostly for feline AIDS, feline leukemia and other infectuous diseases. Per breed, more tests might be necessary. Big breeds such as the Maine Coon or British Shorthair have a tendency to develop weak hips and knees. So decent breeders also test for genetical disorders such as hip dysplasia or patellar luxation.

One of my biggest dreams for the future is to have a small cattery (that means you own one or more purebred cats and are registered as a breeder). I would love to raise a litter or two and show my cats. But there's no hurry and feline safety and happiness ALWAYS goes first, so for now I'm dreaming at home and enjoying myself at some shows. I keep reading and learning about all types of cats, something that will probably never stop. Currently I'm trying to get to know the Bengal breed. They are half feral, gorgeous cats with an active, but sweet personality. They're very bright and learn easily, but remember: cats don't just learn the good stuff. Opening doors that are meant to be shut and playing in the toilet (these cats are attracted to running water) are common hobbies for the bengal :) At the show in Arnhem there will be three Bengals and I'm hoping to chat a little with their owners and possibly see them in the hands of a good judge.

If you don't know what a Bengal looks like... click the picture below and you'll be sent off to a dutch Bengal cattery with a load of information and you'll get a good impression of the breed's looks and likes :) The one in the photo is their stud, isn't he dreamy?

By the way, this was meant to be a post about my upcoming roadtrips, but it's kind of catty now! See what happens when the word 'cat' is mentioned in my presence? I'm glad you guys can't see the enormous amount of text I had to delete in order to keep this post interesting lol.

Normally I'm a nice person to chat with: I share and listen. But once the C-word is in the air, people might think things like "Why won't this girl shut up?" or "How do I close that mouth ever again?"

Promiss, this is the last time today I will type the word cat! Here's one last picture of Saphira, playing in her tent, which she prefers upside down lol!