Featherchase History

In April 2002 I decided I wanted to expand my household and get a cat. So I started doing research on different breeds, mainly looking for one that was tolerant of dogs and children, since I have one of each. When I came across the description of the Scottish Fold I was in love, and after seeing the picture I knew this is what I had to have.

So I started 'surfing' the internet looking for breeders. I emailed over a dozen different breeders, and learned from most that they would not ship, or they were out of business and had no kittens. By speaking with several of them though I got a quick education in what was involved if you were a cat breeder. Undeterred I kept searching, and somehow hooked up with Kathy Nielsen in Grants Pass, Oregon. She emailed me pictures of two female kittens with folded ears, and I knew I would get one of them.

Then I started looking into transportation. Air was the cheapest choice, but it was going to be mid-July before the kitten was ready to transport, and by then the temperature was a consideration and the airlines would not ship for fear the kitten would die of heat exhaustion. Of course I didn't want to wait until Fall to get my kitten, so I started surfing the internet once again. I found a company called Feathers and Furs Van Lines which was based in Oregon. All they do is transport animals across the country to their new owners, in a temperature controlled environment. So I checked the prices, and found that it was the same price to get two kittens shipped at once. So what did I do? I told Kathy I would take both fold eared girls!

The girls were picked up from Kathy, and I spoke to the van driver several times during transit. They finally arrived five days later. I was thrilled to have them with me finally. My son Shawn, who was 2 at the time was very excited and wanted to pet them, but they were needing to settle in, so we left them alone. By the time they arrived I had customized the master bedroom closet to be their room, put a toddler gate up in the doorway, bought an automatic litter box, an electric water fountain, three cat trees with sisal rope scratchers, and enough treats for at least a year. The girls settled in really quickly, and by the second night 'came out of the closet' to join the family. I also had a dog, a Miniature American Eskimo named Fang, who was an indoor pet. The girls had no problems with him, or Shawn, once they were all introduced.

I immediately started looking for a straight eared male to go with my girls. I decided that if he had a chance to grow up with them maybe they would be better friends when mating time came around. So I started surfing the internet once again. I found several possibilities, and was in touch with a lot of breeders of both Scottish Folds and British Shorthair cats. Then I took the girls to the vet to have them checked out. The first thing the vet said, after exclaiming about what gorgeous cats I had, was to ask if I had bought them from a lady here locally. I told him no, that they came all the way from Oregon. He then mentioned that there was a lady advertising in the newspaper with folds for sale. So on the way home from the vet I bought a paper, and called the lady that afternoon. It turned out she was Amish, and lived about 45 minutes away. She had a straight eared male available, and welcomed me to come and visit.

So the next weekend I packed the car with the cat carrier (in hopes of needing it) and Shawn and lots of snacks, and headed out in the woods. I eventually found my way to her house, where she showed me the parents of the kitten, and then the kitten himself. He was so tiny, and only 10 weeks old. I was concerned that he was so little, but his parents were very nice looking and I thought I would give him a try. So I bought him, and home he came. As soon as I put the carrier down the girls were right there to see what I had, and when I opened the door and let him out they both hissed and growled and ran away to hide. My mother said they must know what he is going to do to them next year!

By the next weekend they were all best friends, and I occasionally find the cats and dog sleeping in a pile. All of them have to be in bed with me at night, and if I so much as roll over there is at least one in my face to make sure everything is okay, purring away.

If someone had told me that I would have cats and start a breeding/showing program I would have told them they were crazy! But I couldn't be happier than I am now with my cats. I will never be without 4 or 5 cats in the household again!

Owners Tracy Vaughn & Shawn Archer