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I purchased my first Ragdoll in 1989 a seal mitted called Bramble, sadly she was unable to have kittens, the same year a beautiful girl Mewcats Buttons also came to live with me. Buttons had a few litters of kittens, she loved shows and Buttons and gained 17 merits from 18 shows. My main breeding girl arrived in 1991 Pandapaws Demelza like many of the Ragdolls to live at the Happytyme Cattery she arrived as a adult. Demelza’s parents were from the Patriarca and Petil lu Catteries, the founding breeders of Ragdolls in the UK. Over the years I have bred Ragdolls from many different lines, which has given my breeding program a good diverse genetic base. I have been able to breed with the Trendipuss Cattery and we mainly specialise in Ragdolls that trace back to the Blossom Time Cattery in all lines of their pedigree’s. Breeding these cats with Ragdolls we have imported including the first Red and Tabby series Ragdoll in the UK. All our imported cats were registered with TICA and show no other breeds of cat in their pedigrees.
Due to my love of the Raggedy Ann cats, I was in regular connect with Ann Baker and have many letters detailing the history, breeding lines, genetics and her thoughts on how she wanted the breed to develop. As Ann Baker would not export her Ragdolls, the only way I felt I could develop my lines was to use Blossom Time cats as Laura and Denny Dayton purchased their foundation Ragdolls from the Raggedy Ann Cattery the prefix used at that time by Ann Baker.
Within a breed certain lines develop, to enable breeders to differentiate between these bloodlines they become categorised. Although Ragdolls originated in America we have ‘Pure English’,’American’, ‘Traditional’,’Tabby’ and ‘Red Series’ lines. I am not saying that any one line is better than another, each has something to offer the breed. I feel it is sad that many of the lines are not used to their best to enable genetic diversity, the rumours that surround some of the cats have no genetic base. Some I have heard are Tabby Ragdolls have pale eye colour due to the Tabby gene. Tabby and Red Ragdolls have bad temperaments. Tabby and Red lines are not to be used in ‘Traditional’ breeding, why? a seal boy from a tortie mum will not give red kittens. Another one I have heard is breeders who will not sell ‘English’ or ‘English Related’ Ragdolls if you breed Red or Tabby lines.
All the Ragdolls used in my breeding program I felt had something to enhance the breed and were carefully chosen for their genotype and phenotype. The most important line in any breeding program is the dam line. This in the bottom line of a pedigree, and the bottom line of the sire’s side of the pedigree, Happytyme Ragdolls have been able to use the bloodlines of Trendipuss Cattery and vice versa. Many of my original Ragdolls were cats overlooked by other breeders due to their age or because they had difficulty in breeding. This year many of my kittens born have been 5 and 6 generations of my breeding. In the 20 years I have owned Ragdolls I have been lucky enough to have over twenty female foundation Ragdolls to breed from, all these foundation lines still appear in my breeding lines today. These lines combined with the Ragdolls of the Trendipuss Cattery have given both catteries a good diverse genetic base, although we breed together each mating is carefully planned. This enables us to always have cats to complements each other, and not back ourselves into a inbreeding corner.
Foundation Female lines ‘English’
Pandapaws Demelza a lilac mitted who was pale blue, had lovely type and size. Her first litter for me (by General Ghostbusta) included Reddi Teddigo and Blue Lacemittens. Teddi was used at stud in my breeding program. Mittens has three offspring in the breeding program today. Twinkle (by Ragucci Blue) and Astra (by Joshua). Another daughter of Demelza that I kept was Azalea (by Cocomero). Demelza was a credit to both foundation catteries that bred her parents Patriarca Raglarrmotto and Petil lu Lucy.
Demelza and daughter (photo from Happytyme archieves)
Trendipuss Special Edition a seal bi-colour was very correct in type but her markings were not good. Special has a very important place as a foundation female in Happytyme breeding her offspring live around the world. Special’s main offspring are Addiction (by Obsession), Purrfection (by Lanfranco) and her grand daughter Chantilly (by Lucinda Lad). Special now has sons, daughters and great grandchildren in my breeding program. Special inherited the best from her parents Petil lu Timothy and Ezmirelda.
Special Edition son (photo by Alan Robinson)
Trendipuss Sequinsnlace her sire Reddi Teddigo was bred at the Happytyme Cattery her dam was Fawpawz Lacymitts. Sequins has good bone, eye colour and markings. We have daughter’s of Sequins, one was hand reared hence her name Alittleprecious (by Obsession). Sequins also has a sons Buddy (by Levi) and Dance express (by Joshua). Sequins was of Petil lu heritage, her sire being Petil lu Henry her dam Petil lu Valentina Tryst.
Mynamis Hot Gossip arrived as a adult she was a blue colourpointed girl had had a very pale coat she was a very long tall girl with good bone. Her daughter’s Immogenn and Chardonnay have been used to forward my breeding program, another daughter Izabell has been used to promote these lines with another breeder to extend their gene pool. Cocomero was the sire of all Hot Gossip’s kittens, he was chosen as her mate as he was bred by Pandapaws, who bred Hot Gossip’s parents Amos and Flossie.
Trendipuss Magic Moment a seal mitted, is all a Ragdoll should be and her babies seem to inherit this. Magic has three daughter’s Panache,Mystic and Minx. Mystic has returned back to the Cattery who bred her parents, as Magic and Levi were both bred at the Trendipuss Cattery. I have kept a daughter of Panache who is yet to be named she is a blue version of her dam. Magic has a unusual pedigree in ‘English’ breeding her sire being bred under the Evara prefix and her dam bred at Dellas Ragdolls.
Emerisle Blue Lagoon was the litter sister to two Ragdoll cats that did extremely well on the show bench. Blue is half sister to Sequins they both have the Happytyme bred sire Reddi Teddigo. Blue like many others came to live at the Happytyme Cattery as a adult, she has not had many kittens. She brings the line of Pandapaws Annika into ‘English’ Happytyme breeding. I had to be very patient and waited for Blue to produce 2 litters of kittens for Happytyme.
Suchfun Chantilly Girl a seal bi-colour had wonderful size and eye colour. Her pedigree traces back to Blossom Time lines, her sire being Debussy her dam Kelly. Chantilly only had 3 litter’s of kittens bred under my prefix. Time will tell her sons and daughters she will be able to create this dam line’s dynasty.
Trendipuss Caprilli a seal colourpointed female her dam Arianna is a daughter of Blosom Time Romeo and Juliet, who are probably the most influential pair of Ragdoll cats in Europe. Caprilli is a large correct type Ragdoll, whose sire is Evara Quicklover Henry. Up until 2006 Caprilli had no offspring in my breeding program.
Catricat Ragaminty was a blue colourpointed female whose grandfathers in my opinion were two of the best Ragdoll cats I have seen Patriarca Ragcowboyjoe and Pandapaws Crunchie. Minty was bred to Cocomero to produce Obsession a important stud boy in Happytyme breeding, as he produces sons and daughters that cross well with most lines. Minty has only one daughter in Happytyme breeding Ellwood (by Figaro), she has two daughters who will carry on this line Della and Dior (by Cocomero), Minty’s sire was Ragamuffin who was line bred to Blossom Time Bananas as he is sire to both Ragamuffin’s parents.
Doromas Synphony is a blue colourpointed female she was not big but has nice type, her kittens were all of good size and look very much like their grandmother Fawpawz Monet. Synphony’s sire was Figaro. Synphony has beautiful daughter Lavender Lace (by Lanfranco) and Lucy (by Levi). We were blessed by 6 litters of kittens from Synphony.
Doromas Synphony (photo by Steve Hiner)
Petil lu Gismo was a seal mitted daughter of two Blossom Time parents Romeo and Juliet, Gismo appears on GCCF pedigrees under their prefix. Gismo had many offspring before she came to live with me, she is the dam to Blue Sparkle (by Crunchie). Gismo is the dam to Scelebration and Sanaya (by Obsession). Sanaya has a daughter Sabaya (by Lucindalad) a blue colourpointed. Scelebration will be bred to Caprilli this pedigree will be line bred to Romeo and Juliet as they will be grandparents on both sides of the pedigree.
Gismo ( photo by Steve Hiner)
Carassacat Stardust was a blue mitted she only had one litter for me, the daughters Starryeyes and Wishuponastar (by Jake) were kept to carry on this line. Stardust has a unusual ‘English’pedigree being sired by Carassacat Hey Jinks her mum being Ursella Delias Delight. This makes her a good cross for other ‘English’lines. I was able to intensify the blood of Ursella Ragdolls by breeding Stardom to Ursella Lucinda Lad and Stardusts grandaughter Mylittlestar to Ursella Jasper.
Cheham Baby Blues is a blue mitted girl she was introduced into our breeding program to strengthen the Catricat Ragaminty dam line. BB has the added bonus of having Reddi Teddigo as a grandsire, this makes BB ¾ Happytyme breeding due to her dam and grandsire being bred here. The sire of BB is Doromas Dusty Dallas her dam being Happytyme Blissfullbebe.
Trendipuss Regatta a blue mitted is the daughter of Ragucci Blue and Mirabella. We are hoping to use Regatta in our breeding program, As we have her half brothers Levi and Darcy.
Lamour Jewel has yet to have babies for the Happytyme Cattery her sire was bred by us Scelebration who was a son of Petil lu Gismo, the dam’s side of Jewel’s pedigree brings new lines to the Happytyme Cattery. Jewel’s dam was Purrfurus Juliet a Pandapaws Chico, Adraylo Chica daughter.
These are the main ‘English’ foundation lines at the Happytyme Cattery I have tried to breed carefully from these lines to ensure they can carry on for the future. They have also been used to enhance other breeding lines, as I have found they cross well with my American, Red and especially my Tabby Ragdolls.
Other dam lines in Happytyme breeding are Ragdolls that I have imported with the Trendipuss cattery.
Marisha’s Blaze of Glory a Canadian Import, she is a large blue mitted girl with a nose blaze. She has been crossed with many different lines both ‘English’ and ‘American’. Blaze has a older daughter Pepe (by Jourdann) a blue colourpointed, and a daughter and son (by Levi) Baby Blu and Buster. Blaze was also used in my red series Ragdolls she has a blue cream daughter Cremdelacrem (by Hot Shot).
Blaze of Glory (photo by Steve Hiner)
Meadowpurrs Melody a American import had extremely good bone and was a very large, solid girl of good type, she was imported to increase my gene pool. Melody was bred to Jourdann and produced Poppee and Matida. Melody now has grand daughters in my breeding program through daughters that have now been retired.
Meadowpurrs Tigerlilly was first tabby in the UK has her own dynasty here at Happytyme, in her first litter of kittens I kept two seal tabby mitted babies.Tigerrose and Starsnstripes (by Cocomero) they both now have son’s and daughters enhancing my breeding program.
Daughter of Tigerlilly (photo by Steve Hiner)
I have also included Trendipuss Honeybun into the Happytyme gene pool both her parents being from the Ragnarok Cattery in America. Honey has crossed well with my ‘English’ males especially Darcy, this mating has produced some lovely type kittens.
Pochontas Blue Angel a blue mitted has been imported by the Happytyme cattery to increase our gene pool, we are hoping to continue this line with her son and daughter.
Other Ragdolls used have had a mixture of breeding lines these girls were Emerisle Clonea Cinderella who is from ‘english’ lines sadly she has no full ‘english’ line Ragdolls in our breeding program bur still appears in our pedigrees through her great grand-daughter Whisper. EvaraJasmine a seal colourpointed her sire being Rimminielace Boston Blues her dam Evara Love Affair Carina and her half sister through their sire Trendipuss Miss Pepperpot her dam being DreamcatsRazzmajazz. Lamor Secret in Blue, Lamor Seal of Approval and Adatelo Del’s Delight have also been recently been added to our breeding program, they are mainly from the breeding lines of Del Anderson. As these ladies have some ancestors already found in Happytyme Ragdolls and other lines that were imported we hope to blend these Ragdolls into our gene pool. Taking advantage of the different pedigree lines, whilst not loosing any of the qualities we like in our cats. Secret and Seal are Purrfurus Blue Sunshine daughters out of Cheham Secretliasion and Purrfurus Mona Lisa. Adatelo Wotsinadam is a blue cream colourpointed kitten female she has recently come to live with us she is a very big girl. Her sire was bred under the Happytyme prefix, her dam does trace back to Happytyme and Trendipuss Ragdolls, the red gene in her pedigree comes from Hot Shot a red series Ragdoll imported by both catteries. Monique and Melody are two sisters are the final dam lines found in our pedigrees. All 29 foundation females still appear in my pedigrees today. We hope this will eventually enable us to reduce the amount of in breeding in the Ragdolls we breed, some of the kittens we have bred have had their co-efficient of in breeding as 0% on 5 generations, and this must be to the good of the breed.
Updated 2009 |
