|
CFA’s 24th Best Cat GC NW Emau’s Dancin Inthe Dark Of Mautrix, AKA “Dell” smoke Egyptian Mau bred and owned by Laurie Coughlan and Melanie Morgan Dell was not supposed to be “THE ONE”, but great cats don’t ask permission. They just are. A legend in his own mind, Dell is everything he should not be - smoke, a male and smart as a whip... He is his mother's son in that he knows no strangers and he has a mind of his own... Just ask him - he knows how to do everything... Confident, loving, busy, and possessed of that special extra something that only the great's have, he has the ability to connect to total strangers and stop them in their tracks... He was most definitely NOT supposed to be mine, but Dell does not take no for an answer and Dell is one stubborn, opinionated little superstar… Needless to say, he gave me the thrill of showing him as an adult and what a wild ride that was. Showing a cat like him is truly a once in a lifetime experience... an honor and a privilege... So… despite the fact that he was the wrong sex and the wrong color, he wormed his way into my heart and my life and in so doing taught me about a whole new world. Capable of colossal temper trantrums, he could be the sweetest child imaginable as long as things went his way… He mastered the innocent “who me?” look early on and used it to his advantage on many an occasion… He loved coming out of the ring upside down making cookies on my chin and he hated it when judges or his human chauffeurs tried to tell him how to do things… He knew his job and enjoyed it and he heartily resented anyone telling him what to do… He called the shots and we were just along for the ride. As long as we understood that, we were gifted with that rarest of wonders – a natural show cat. One of the biggest mistakes I made was letting him out of the carrier when Karen Bishop came up to drive me to a show shortly after my surgery… He thought that riding in my arms and flirting with the truck drivers was far better than being stuck in that blankety blank carrier and from that point on I was gifted with hysterical serenades for most of our trips… Sigh… Other than that, he loved everything about his weekend trips and misses them mightily now… The most amazing part of showing a cat like him was watching his impact on the spectators. True beauty transcends standards and he gave me that valuable lesson as a gift to take forward. The general public did not know the Egyptian Mau standard. They did not care if he met it or not. They just knew that there was something so beautiful about him that they could not help themselves and that they ached to touch him. They followed him from ring to ring liked he was the Pied Piper… And Dell? He ate up the adulation as his just due. Thankfully he was that special cat who always had something to give every child; a head bump, a purr, a cuddle… No fear was his motto… toys were his game and he loved his fans… The son of GC BW RW Emau’s Mau Pounce For The Ounce, DM, a diva in her own right, Dell was supremely confident that the world was made to adore him – and for the most part he was right! Dell secured a place in Egyptian Mau history when he earned kitten of the year and became the first smoke Egyptian Mau to earn an NW title.. The story of that wonderful fairy tale kitten career is not mine, but Laurie’s to tell – she did it all and so did Dell… I just sat back in wonder… What was even MORE amazing is that he improved as he matured and took our standard to a whole new level.. So after he became the first one show smoke Egyptian Mau Grand Champion, we started to wonder…what if… (always a dangerous proposition!).. The problem was of course that his lovely housemate GC BW NW Emau’s Touch The Sun AKA “Lark” was in the process of finishing up her career and there was NO way, NO how that we were going to put those two in the ring against each other… NO contest on that one… Lark had to be the priority… so Dell sat home and rested… In mid-January, Lark seemed safe and Dell was maturing into something that was truly incredible, so we thought we’d see how he would do… He had three and a half months, what would be would be and in the meantime, as long as he was enjoying himself, we could imagine no better ambassador for the breed… Wild ride indeed… None of the trials and tribulations that plagued his half sister Sunny or his first true love, Minuet… Dell actually did go for several walks through the showhall, but unlike the girls… he thought they were fun and played his way back on the table… In fact… Dell thought the entire world was his playground. Absolutely fearless, he loved to show and knew exactly when to turn on the charm… Two weeks before the end of the season he hit 100 rings, became the highest scoring smoke Egyptian Mau adult ever, moved into the top 25 and made a little more Egyptian Mau history… So, once again, in her last litter, Pounce worked her magic, this time with the handsome GC RW Mautrix Nighthawk... CFA's first one show smoke Egyptian Mau GC, CFA's Kitten of the Year, 2nd Bob, and 24th Best Cat all rolled up into one sweet boy who loves with the intensity that can only come from the Pouncess. As a postscript, Dell had so many wonderful supporters throughout the year, but none more special to him or to me than his godparents. Many thanks to all who were part of team Dell…
F |
|
|