Why Breed?

Why Breed?  Someone asked me quite some time ago.  I gave the person some really poetic answer about the joy of seeing the new owner with their precious bundle etc etc.  I mean, isn't that what we always say when people ask?

Lately, I have been really thinking about it though... Why Breed?  The over thinking could be due to the fact that I have been on heavy pain killers due to a minor surgery.  Orrr... it could be my natural inclination to totally overthink.  Either way...

Why?  Why do it?  I mean, I can't even pretend it's for the  money.  The last time I looked at my books I was literally In the Hole.  I looked because I was in a great debate with myself over weather or not to get another cat tree.  I got the cat tree.  I haven't looked since.  I know I am deeper in the hole.  It's not even a real business, I am pretty sure a real business is supposed to make a profit.  I do not.  Okay, so it's certainly not the money ~ that is non -existent.  In fact, any GOOD breeder is always "animal poor" we just pour any dollars we get, right back into the animals.  They need things... like cat trees for mental stimulation.  They need fluffy beds for comfort and warmth... if one cat has a comfy bed, the others need one, it's not fair if they don't all have one!  They need shots, and de-worming, and vet exams, and food!  Oh my gosh the food, the stress over the food.  The food is ridiculous.

I am convinced that there is no perfect food for cats unless they are feral and hunt in the woods. The cat litter is another thing!  It's not only expensive, but it's a decision process, seriously, it's every bit as stressful as the darn food.  You want a litter that you cats like (obviously) but you want it to be cost effective (HA!) you also want it to be healthy for your cat.. so not a lot of silica, you want it to be as green as it can be, but it can't be clay, that's too hard to clean. The paper pellets are very green (yay) the cats like them (yay) but they smell, and they don't last long enough.  Back to square one on the  litter.

Lets not forget supplements, we get liver treats, because it's good for the eyes.  It's important for our kitties to have good eyes right?  We get kitten milk replacer, and calcium, and colostrum (just in case) We get canned food because the mama cats need extra moisture and nutrients.  But it can't be just ANY canned cat food, it has to be the "good " kind.  What is the good kind?  I mean really...is there a good kind?  We have to have special kitten food ~ they need taurine.  What is taurine? What does it do? Why do the kittens need it?  Can they get  it anywhere else?

We need syringes, and nipples and iodine and scissors, and tape and wraps and puppy pads, and mini litter boxes for the babies.  The list doesn't end.  Have I mentioned cat toys yet? We need those too, it's important.  They need fresh air and sunshine, that means and outdoor cattio on nice days.

But why?  I mean, it's really just stress after stress! What is so great about this and why on earth keep doing it?  Do I need to even mention the furniture?  Or lack thereof?  We can't have nice things...  unless by "nice" you mean "smells like cat piss in July " then we have that covered.  The fur, the fur is everywhere.

and the PEOPLE!!  Do people  not read anymore? Did they EVER?  I post an ad with the PRICE, the BREED, the AGE, the GENDER , the LOCATION ... and what happens?

People call/ text/email... How old are your kittens (date is on the ad) can you count?  How much is it?  "It" is a kitten and you can't have "IT"  Where are you located?  You are in Wisconsin right?  Is Wisconsin in Indiana? How far are you from me?  (They don't have google maps ~ but clearly  I do, because I can always answer this question)  My computer is special, and when you type things in the search engine... like "google maps" it can tell me how far away things are.  It's complex, I know... don't try it at home.  Leave it to the experts.

These same people ~ after figuring everything out, by chatting with me for hours on the phone and via email, and 2 am texts, take the kitten home.  Meanwhile... I stress over weather or not I made the right decision.  I mean Mary Jane couldn't read the ad, should I have let little fluffy go home with her?  Did fluffy like the drive there?  What if fluffy misses her brothers and sisters?  What if they should have taken two kittens to keep each other company?  What if their dog actually hates cats.  What if someone steps on fluffy?!  OMG!  WHY BREED?!

Back to the narrative, these people take fluffy home.  I calm down, and reassure myself that fluffy is just fine and happy.  Then they call/ text/ email... "Fluffy sure does poop a lot, is there something you can recommend to make him poop less?"   What?  I mean.. how much is a  lot?  "Well, I have to change this litter box once a week at least"  A week? SIGH... I need to put that in my information papers, what goes in, must come out.  Kittens poop, it's a fact.  The box should be cleaned daily.  Once a week?!! GAG!  Yes, that was a real conversation, with a real person.

The next call / text/ email is inevitably,ALWAYS  "What do you feed her at home?"  I stupidly forgot that people do not read anymore.  I sent an entire information packet  with Fluffy that tells the new adopter alll about Fluffy's likes/ dislikes, favorite toy, favorite color, favorite brother and sister, best habits and what time of day is the best for sunning in a sunspot in June, so they will open the damn curtains.  But people don't read.  Fluffy was eating Royal Canin last week.  This week I was debating over canned food vs kibble and ended up mixing the two together with pedialite in case Fluffy needed extra electrolytes.  I tell them Royal Canin.

Why BREED?  This is a night mare.

The truth?  The truth about breeding... after many hydrocodone and lots of Diet Pepsi (because we all know you can't have one without the other)

I breed because I LIKE it.  I DO love the soft, snuggly, little purrs.  I THRIVE on the damn 3 am phone calls about "what food should I give Fluffy" and the 15th request for new photos in three days.  I am THRILLED about the incessant questions, and the need to explain for the 12th time how much Fluffy costs, and why cats need to poop.  I LIKE it.  I like interacting with the people, they are asking because they care.  They have read 300 ads, and they have no idea who they  have talked to, and who they haven't. They don't even remember which kittens I have.  I like talking about my kittens, and what kind of food they need to have (even if I haven't quite decided what is actually best for them yet.)  I like feeling like I have made a difference in the life of a family by having the privilege of providing them with the perfect little paws to fill their hearts and race through the house at 2 in the morning chasing invisible mice.

I am so lucky to have been Blessed with the knowledge to keep these babies going, and keep the mama's healthy and the Daddy's happy.  I adore that I can share this with others.  I get to play with fuzzy, sweet, gentle, babies every. single. day!  Then, I get to share these beautiful breeds with others.

The truth is... I like breeding. That is Why I Breed.

Christmas Kittens!! - Classified Ad

Christmas Kittens!! - Classified Ad



I can't believe these babies are still here!  My big boy "Wolfie" is huge and he has a huge personality to match!  He wants a home with kids!

Napoleon Cat Mythology

Ever wonder why God created the Napoleon cats for Angels, and why those Angels no longer have Napoleon Cats?

I’m here to tell you the story…of how the Napoleon Cats came to Earth…

Napoleon Kittens of Forever Kittens Cattery

   

When God made the Angels, caring for them was such a beautiful task that he wanted to share the glowing feeling of being a protector and provider with his wards.

Credit: Mark Ivan Cole 

 First, he gazed out upon all of the good in His creation for an inspiration: two things caught His eye: Napoleon Ice Cream, and the lowly dandelion. Napoleon Ice Cream was God's favorite indulgence (humans erroneously call it Neapolitan Ice Cream) because even though each color represented a different flavor all still had the same inner essence of sweetness.  As for the dandelion, even then, most adult humans viewed dandelions as weeds; however, it was to the innocent children that God directed his gaze, and he saw that they recognized the beauty of a flower that represented the Day and Night He had created.  In the dawn of a dandelion's life it is the color of the sun, but as a dandelion dries it turns to fluff the same color as the moon. God has heard many wishes of children who count to three and blow dandelion fluffs to the wind with their heart on their lips.  So God made Napoleon Cats as light as a dandelion fluff, as light as a child's wish, so that the cats could float beside their masters the Angels. God made the Napoleons all different,  just as His ice cream but no matter how they varied, always they had a sweet and tender spirit.

credit: dandilion

"Napoleon" Ice Cream

The Angels and Napoleons lived in harmony as eras passed, each working along side one another. The Angels guarding the humans: the Napoleons waiting patiently by their masters; to comfort and love them.  But as time passed the world grew to be a cold and loveless place full of wars and lies, murder and darkness.  A child whose name has long since been forgotten was born into this world and because of this young girl ~ other humans also have been gifted with Napoleons.

Angel with Napoleon Cat

 Wandering the streets of a desolate town, tears running down her face into knotted hair unbrushed by a mother lost to cancer and a father to the war: the girl child simply started to break apart inside.  Her feet took her to a playground that had been dismantled years before, but still had enough space for a patch of grass and a smattering of weeds. She crumbled to the ground in despair; her face cushioned on her hands she opened her eyes to see a dandelion.  As a final hope she plucked it and whispered her wish with the sincerity of any prayer and blew on the count of three- her only desire: to be loved.

It was then that an Angel boy no older than her own eight years appeared before her and said, "I caught your wish as it floated up to Heaven. Even though I'm not your Guardian Angel, God said I could help you." With a smile, he whistled softly and his own Napoleon Cat trotted into the girl child's out stretched arms. Before she could thank the young Angel for such a precious gift, he vanished. The bond between Angel and Napoleon is strong; therefore, the boy angel often followed the human girl to see his friend the Napoleon   The Angel enjoying watching the love and warmth that the Napoleon Cat and the human girl shared.

Akina of Forever Kittens Cattery, Napoleon Female

 The girl grew, passed from home to home as the foster system will do, but always with the Napoleon Cat by her side, as a talisman of gentleness of spirit and the tenderness of innocence. Though the human girl still cried, her tears were washed away by the warm tongue of her friend and her arms never went without another being to hold.

After that, more Angels followed the boy Angel's example and shared their own Napoleon Cat friends to humans in need of love and comfort. So now, not only do those humans with a Napoleon have a friend who loves them heart and soul but they also have an extra Angel watching out for them.

Author: Courtney Hoskins ~ watched over by Angels and befriended by a Napoleon Cat.

Napoleon Kittens

A Brief Mention:

The first deliberately bred Napoleon Cat was bred by Joe Smith.  A Napoleon Cat is bred to be Long a Low.  Short legs, and cobby body.   They come in both long hair and short haired variety's and can be most any color.  

The First Napoleon Cat, Bred by Joe Smith

The history of the Napoleon Cat can be found here:

 Thank you Joe for producing such a lovely breed!

Elsa's trip to the vet!

 Elsa, Queen of Windy Hill here:

You know, when the traveling box comes out, I know something I don't like is sure to follow...but humom knows that I can not resist the allure of the dark miniature cave... beckoning me inside.


  What if she has hidden noms in there?  What if it's a secret passageway to Catopia?  Well, either way...this is how my trip to the vet started!

Then there was the car ride.  To show my displeasure at humoms fraudulent behavior and trickery I hid under the towel she put in there.   I considered going potty too.  I didn't do that because I knew I'd have to sit there until she pulled over and fixed it.  That would be way to much effort on my part.  I did make a horrible wretching sound that I know makes humom very nervous when driving.  tee hee hee...but then everything makes humom nervous when driving.

dang it!  She did it again.

We went to a new vet this time, a vet that specializes in cats!  It's about time that humom recognized my Queenliness and took me to a place with no idiot dogs.
The vet was very nice to me and they even have a cat tree to climb up while you wait.  I left with a clean bill of health annnnnd, I am also pregnant.  I told you Divinci was nice to me:)  I guess all the warm milk and flowers from him paid off.

My Mom Moonie

My own mom Moonie (may she rest in peace) was very much the teenage mother....she carried all of my brothers and sisters to different corners of the house after she had us.   My humom found me beside the couch, my brother under the coffee table, my other sister beside the bedroom door...well it just goes on and on.  In the end humom had to put Moonie in a much smaller room and put her in a large cave with us to keep her from planting us around the house.  After a week of that, my Mom decided we were safe in the one spot.      Sometimes "Uncle" Mooshi would watch us too.  Anyways,  humom is slightly nervous that I may act the same way and has plans of putting me in a small room right from the start.

McKenna's fat tummy from the top

Elsa and her svelte figure

I for one, haven't decided how I feel about this.  I do know that I love all the extra food I am getting.  I look at McKenna though and her figure is just ruined!  I know, I know, she says she is just fluffy, but trust me, a lot of that is baby! I can't have my svelte figure ruined!  I will look  like a swallowed a basket ball!  When we got back home, I got more food ~ special extra yummy food that the nice vet lady gave to us.  Then I napped.  Today we are going back to the house with all the other cats and I'll have to reestablish my Queenship there, I suppose that Mooshi has taken over while I've been gone.

Some quick Gossip, I heard through the cat-vine that Mooshi hid under the boys bed before school and he was in there allll day long...if I know Mooshi he placed little "presents" all over the bed.  Humom will clean that up when we get home.  I bet she will sware about it too, and then she will have to put money in the sware jar.  When the sware jar is full, we get extra noms!  I like it when Mooshi  makes her sware.  giggle.  I never make her sware, even when I hop into the shower with her and knock all the shampoo bottles down.  Humom laughs at me then.  I think I will teach my babies to like water also....
I also heard through the cat-vine that McKenna will be having her babies anytime now.  The whole house is going to be full of babies all over the place!  McKenna will have little puff balls that look like her and Mooshi.  I wonder what mine will look like.  Humom wants a black kitten with a short tail and curled ears.  I told her I would see what I could do about that.

I think I hear the can opener gotta go!

The CAT ~ okay CATS of Windy Hill

Elsa Highlander Female

I'm Elsa, and I will tell you that I am the head Cat here at Windy Hill.  Mostly, no one argues with me about that.

I'm a female Highlander cat.  I am pampered and babied and snuggled (when I feel like it) by my human mom ~ or my "Humom" as I like to call her. .   As you can clearly see, I am gorgeous.  I am a top mouse hunter and string attacker, and my favorite thing is to play in the water.  I am slender and sleek and I'm like a mongoose, quick and alert and ready for anything!

I have no idea why, but my humom doesn't appear to appreciate my love of water when she is taking a shower or brushing her teeth.  I mean, why turn it on if you don't want me to play in it? Duuuuh,

Being the head cat that I am, I get the run of the whole house, all the time.  Some of the other (read: lessor) cats only get certain levels of the house.  I even go on what the house slave terms the "tasting tour of the countries"  really, I am just making sure that the others don't have better nom noms than I do.  I won't tolerate that!

Divinci Highlander Male

Recently, I married Divinci, He's pretty handsome I must say.  But I'm just a shy little girl and I am not used to such advances.  Why, I even had to smack his face for getting fresh with me!  The nerve!  Divinci is the strong silent type towards my Humom.  He runs when she comes close and when he gets in a corner, she reaches down and pats him and he hisses.  He never bites or scratches though, it's just a bluff.  To tell the truth, he's really sweet to me, and the kittens around the house.  They climb all over him and he sits there quietly  ~ it's almost like he enjoys them! Whatever, kittens are fun to sniff, but they have no play value until they are bigger.  Then it's totally fun to race across the room and pounce on them and then we play chase all around the living room.  Shortly after that, they leave to go to their new human moms and dads.   I guess my Humom can't keep everyone, I'm glad she kept me.

Now that we have established that I am indeed the Queen of my Castle ~ and yeah, and the King Divinci (whatever, he is content to live my shadow) I'll introduce the others.

Lula Kinkalow Female

Lets see, there is Lulla, she is a Kinkalow, she has the same kind of awesome curled ears I do, but she also has a long tail and short legs ~ can you imagine?!  She doesn't even jump the counters or anything! She just lays around and purrs and loves and loves and purrs, and she adores everyones kittens.  They all call her "Aunt Lu"  Pfft, too much love for me.  When I first met Lulla I hissed at her, and she KISSED me right on the nose!  Kissing the Queen?!  I was so offended that I ran away from her growling the entire time...to think that she had the absolute nerve to put her short little self right in my bubble and then KISS me?!  BLECK ~ I'm still getting the hair off of my nose. Oh ~ ah yeah, anyway, Lulla is visiting another family right now.  A family with children.  Lulla loves children ~ she loves everything ....I think she is a hippie cat.  I wonder if they should have named her rainbow or river ...oh wait, her registered name has Cupcake in it...well there you have it...That explains it.  Right, back to what I was saying.  Lulla is something humom calls "Fixed" ~ it really means that Lulla can't have babies anymore.  Lulla used to have babies around here, but when her husband died she was too sad to be remarried so she was fixed.  That just made her fatter.

Akina Napoleon Female

Next there is Akina: Akina  is a Napoleon, she also has short legs ~ humom has a thing for "unique" Akina is a little precious princess baby and she stares at me with these soul searching eyes and it gives me the creeps. It's like she can read my mind...or she is trying to control my mind.  Either way, it's creepy.  Akina is so soft and plush that she feels like some kind of stuffed animal, and to be honest, she looks like one too.   When humom isn't looking I try to put Akina in a purse ~ I think Akina should be a purse cat.  She is too short and fluffy to be much else.  Her kittens look like Pillows with eyes ~ ridiculous!   Humom seems to like her though.  Akina ia married to Mooshi.

Mooshi Persian Male

Mooshi is a typical Persian cat, a giant ball of fluff with eyeballs, sometimes you can even see his ears.  He is the goofball of our cat family.  He thinks the Wolf Hybrid dog is his Mommy.  I'm not kidding about this, whenever Bishop (Wolf Hybrid dog) comes inside the house, Mooshi will not leave him alone.  Mooshi rubs underneath Bishops chin, he walks over his paws he rubs his face on Bishops furr...and to top it off, Mooshi is a flopper.  A flopper is a cat that will wonder onto a humans lap and then FLOP down and roll on his back, put all four feet in the air and purr like a fool.  I would never be so undignified.  I'll get a photo of Mooshi in a Flop and post here if you like:)

Now ~ get this....I'm pretty sure it's illegal in several states...but Mooshi...he has ANOTHER wife!  I'm not kidding, he's also married to McKenna, she's another Persian.  She is pregnant by him right now!  When Humom brought McKenna home Mooshi ignored her completely.  She had to make them live together for a long time by themselves or he would just leave McKenna sitting around wondering what she had done wrong while Mooshi would go and have picnics with Akina.  Well, after McKenna and Mooshi lived together..alone...for a long time, McKenna walked out with a wedding bath and a smile.  Akina and McKenna get along okay, they both flick their tails up in the air and twitch the ends of them when they sniff noses, but that's the extent of it.  McKenna has long puffy fur, and you can tell that she is very dignified.  She would never EVER flop.  She does sit on the arm of the couch and watch t.v. with humom though.

McKenna Female Persian

We also have Creamy, Creamy is also a female Highlander, and she was married to Divinci before I grew up enough to be married.  Hmm, what to say about Creamy...well she and I are friends you know.  We will eat together, and sit together.  But she is very quiet and self contained, she meows a lot too..I think she is neurotic.  She is a very good Mommy though, she just had some of Divinci's babies about 4 weeks ago.  She lets me play Aunt to them since Lula is visiting a family right.  I don't play Aunt very often....like I said Kittens that age are for sniffing.

Creamy Highlander Female

As an honorable mention, I have to introduce Poka ~ Poka is the house slaves Poka dot cat.  He got her from a tree Fairy and he claims Poka brings good luck.  I say she brings poopie to the hallway carpet and makes Humom complain about shamooing and stuff.  She is also VERY brave.  Akina hates Poka, Poka doesn't back down from Akina.  I laugh at them and then Poka gets mad at me and chases me and then we play fight in a big ball on the floor and make a bunch of noise and race around in circle and then Poka runs up the curtains.  I've tried to run up the curtains too, but I can't quite do it, I stretch way way up there and pretend I'm climbing though.  Poka sits up on top and laughs at me.  Poka and Mooshi are good friends, it didn't start out that way.  It started out with Poka chasing the Poof on Mooshis tail: he gets shaved sometimes and Humom leave a poof at the end of his tail so he will feel like a Lion.

Poka the Poka Dot Cat

 Mooshi says it makes him feel like a cheerleader instead.  He's very in touch with his feminine side.   uhhh, anyways, Poka plays with Mooshi's poof and Mooshi being the true Persian that he is turns around and give her a slow motion swat.  Mooshi is very chill.  Poka would crack up laughing, leap in the air and pounce on Mooshis head, this gave way to more tail swishing...much to Poka's delight.  Poka would pounce again, fed up, Mooshi would leave...Poka would follow swatting all the while.  Mooshi gave up and now he just lets her play with  his tail.  In return he gets a massage from her once a week.  It's a nice friendship.


At some point I 'll introduce the idiots (read:dogs) and Mooshi's mom ~ you will have to see it to believe it.

The living Arrangements

As I said in the beginning, I get the run of the whole house, because I am that cool.  McKenna and Mooshi get the middle floor.

Akina has her own room downstairs and she also gets to run around in the "open area" if she gets too bored in the room.  Personally, I think this is stupid because it's just more rooms down stairs...what is the difference?  Either way,  Akina seems to think that is cool.   When humom thinks that Mooshi and Akina need to spend quality time together, she puts Mooshi in the downstairs room with Akina. 

Creamy and Divinci live in an outdoor cattery.  That's because Divinci BEGGED to go outside, finally humom let him have his way, within reason.  She gave him an outdoor cattery and Creamy to hang out with.  When humom thinks that Creamy has had enough babies already, humom brings Creamy into the other downstairs room.   I suppose when I have babies I'll have the top floor.  

When Lulla is home she gets the run of the house as well, since she is fixed.  

Humom won't let me play with Mooshi anymore now that I'm all grown up and married to Divinci, not that it would matter, Mooshi has enough to deal with in his own two wives.  He barely acknowledges my existence

So there you have it, the cats of Windy Hill:)  Look for lots of Updates!  Meanwhile ~ I think I hear a faucet on and I have to go...