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CFA’s 6th Best Kitten GC BW NW EMAU’S DIAMONDS R FOREVER OF EMAUGE AKA “Dreamy” Singletons are hard though and her mother was less than dedicated. At three weeks, little Dreamy made her way out of the birthing box and there was nothing more heartbreaking than to wake up in the morning to find her mother snug under the covers with me and that little self-confident beauty toddling around amusing herself. Grandmother Minuet, who was enjoying her first litter with her new owners, Jim and Marie, had a singleton kitten as well and he was only a little older than the precocious Dreamy. Hard as it was to think about giving her up so early, I made the tough decision that the best thing was to let her go. Both kittens needed the socialization that comes from having another kitten and Minuet, the perfect mother, was the right choice. So, at three weeks and two days, Dreamy left my house to continue her heart stealing ways. I stopped at Susan Henry’s house on the way to pick up reinforcements and Dreamy visited the Persians and Jack Cook. We have a priceless picture of that moment. I must admit, it was with a great deal of trepidation that I took Dreamy to Minuet. I knew already that this little one was a treasure, and letting go was incredibly difficult. I wanted her for ME and I was very concerned about moving a three week old baby. No worries though, it took Dreamy less than ten seconds to win over her new mommy. Minuet heard her squeak, put out a paw and pulled the little one to her. From that moment on, she joined a family full of love and doting attention. No one could have asked for a better home or a better upbringing. Marie and Jim were enjoying their first litter and they did an incredible job raising a well-adjusted well-loved kitten who was well prepared to take on the world. The two kittens had doting parents in both Minuet and their uncle Zane (GP Emau’s Might As Well Dance). Dreamy grew up spoiled and entitled and totally convinced the world revolved around her. This little lady was a spitfire with a mind of her own. Like Merlin visiting Arthur I waited and watched from afar and I fretted. She was every bit as beautiful as I had hoped, but I worried… Would she show? Kittens like this do not come around that often, she had a legacy to fulfill, but I was not so sure that she was up to the challenge. She was willful and busy and totally independent. The day finally came when she was ready to leave and I told Marie that I really doubted that she would even make it into the showring. I promised that if she did not, that I would bring her back and they could have her, but we all knew that if she did show, she was destined for Pat and Tim of Emauge, that had been arranged since the day that Hope decided that she chose me over them… I brought the three and a half month old Dreamy home. I had her a mere eight hours, and she stole my heart all over again. It is funny, there are very few cats out there that can make my heart turn with yearning… Dreamy is one of them, I had to laugh at myself for being jealous of Pat and Tim for having a cat that I had bred, but I was. I called them that night and told them that they had to come get her right away, that if I kept her any longer I would never let her go. She was THAT kind of kitten. They did and she stole their hearts too… So her journey continued, and the dilemma of her name became an issue. Bad enough that her father’s name was too long to add the much deserved cattery suffix, we simply could not have that happen again. So using the Bond theme from her mother we renamed her Emau’s Diamonds R Forever OF Emauge, another name I had been saving for a special cat. Unbeknownst to me this name was doubly special in that her foster humans, Marie and Jim, are called the Diamonds… Like many things in life, it was meant to be. Of course all of this was mute if she chose to exert her right as an Egyptian Mau to be difficult… We still were not sure how this diva felt about a career as a star. The question of whether she would show or not was answered unequivocally at her first show… No question, this little silver girl was born for the showring. She was a tiny thing with barely any coat, but she made three finals all the same. I called Marie with the good news/bad news… Dreamy had some history to make before she made her way back to them and she was on the way. She was still just four months old at the GEMS breed show where there was a huge class of Egyptian Mau kittens. She was a runaway for best Egyptian Mau kitten at the show and one of the highest scoring kittens there under a slate of judges known for their knowledge of the breed. She made ten out of twelve finals and shone like a star. Interestingly the next weekend she went to a show where she competed against many of the same kittens (all older) under different judges and made only one out of six finals – a Best Kitten (her first!). She was still four months old. As she matured she started to grow coat and the contrast came with it. By the end of September she had hit her stride. She did well at Freestate, but Cotton States was a break out show for her. By the time she hit the World Show she was ready to rock. She was highest scoring Shorthair kitten at the Red Show and went to the Best of The Best. An interesting anomaly for a minority breed, she was the kind of kitten that appealed to a wide variety of judges and she knew how to command attention. Her confidence was amazing and she had that show presence that only the greats really have. She and Tim made the perfect pair. He showed her to perfection and she doted on him. Happily she liked Pat too! In fact, Dreamy pretty much liked everybody. In becoming CFA’s 6th Best Kitten she made Egyptian Mau history by becoming the first third generation Egyptian Mau National Winner. She is also the first fourth generation Best of Breed winner. She is a heart thief extraordinaire and to know her is to love her.
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