Not having grown up with pets, I was very surprised when I became involved with the raising and showing of cats. Around 1990, I became active with the breeding and exhibiting of Birmans. After just a few years, I decided to become more active in the cat fancy, so I began to ring clerk which progressed to master clerking and then show production. This evolved into my interest in the judging program with TICA, The International Cat Association. In 1996, I entered the judging program with TICA and I received my Specialty License in 1998. I received my Allbreed License in 2001 and my Ring and Instructors License in 2003.
In addition to being involved with the Birman breed for 20 years, my career in the cat fancy has also allowed me the opportunity of being involved with the following breeds: Manx/Cymric, Oriental Shorthair, Persian, Himalayan, Exotic Shorthair, American Wirehair, American Shorthair, Japanese Bobtail and also, Household Pets.
I have been fortunate that my judging assignments have taken me to many beautiful places such as Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. My travels have allowed me to judge some fantastic cats and meet many wonderful people over the years.
I currently live in Brandon, Mississippi, where my fiancée and I plan to be married in April. We will celebrate our honeymoon while visiting New Zealand and Australia.
Purssynian Abyssinians
In 1984 my wife Beth and I decided to explore the world of purebred cats. We had no idea of cost or standards, but we looked in the paper and bought a "show quality" seal tortie point Himalayan. We named her Peaches Premonition and prepared to set the world on fire with our new love. However, fate would intervene, for our perfect "Nisha" was not quite perfect. She had the dreaded tail fault and a nose like a fox terrier! Happily, we figured this out before ever entering her in a show and next set our sights on obtaining a silver Persian. As we visited a local cat show in late 1984, we saw our very first Abyssinian and the rest has become “our history.” We fell in love with a blue male Abyssinian, Dearabi Hillstreet, who was bred and owned by Halsey and Cornelia Tichenor of Dearabi Cattery. But our first purchased Abyssinian was Van Dyke’s Abi Alexis of Purssynian, a ruddy female, bred by Lila Rippy.
We have continued to breed Abyssinians since those early years of our venture into the Cat Fancy. We exhibited our cats in ACFA and CFA in the beginning. Since 1994 we have exhibited and registered our cats only in CFA. We have achieved 5 DMs (distinguished merit awards), including 2 fawn males: GC Purssynian Sunhawke, DM and GC Purssynian Jambe Finete, DM, “Jammer.” We have shown over 35 Abyssinians and other breeds to Grand Champion status and produced a number of National color winners and Regional winners.
When I decided to become a judge, we knew we had to bring several more breeds into our home. We worked with Cornish Rex approximately four years. Other breeds who have shared our home briefly include Scottish Folds, Maine Coons, Birmans, Somalis and of course, Persians.
I entered the ACFA judging program in 1990, advancing to Allbreed Training Judge and remained there until April 1995. I was accepted into the CFA judging program at the June 1995 CFA annual meeting. I was licensed as a Shorthair apprentice judge in February 1996. I entered the Longhair training program in October 1996. I was advanced to approved Allbreed judge in June 1999.
Becoming a CFA judge has allowed me to view much of the world I would otherwise not have known. I have had the pleasure to be invited and have judged in Australia, Japan, Russia, the Ukraine and Europe on several occasions over the past 16 years. It is a wonderful experience to travel to other parts of the world to share with other breeders and exhibitors our common goal - the advancement, improvement and preservation of our beautiful purebred cats.
On April 25, 2011 I said goodbye to my best friend and wife of almost 32 years. Beth became sick in February and in March was diagnosed with an aggressive type of brain tumor. She passed on her 58th birthday.
I have been involved in the cat fancy for many years, breeding Persians in most colours, and Himalayans in Seal, Blue, Chocolate and Lilac. I have enjoyed showing and breeding and have often received Best in Show.
My judges training started with Group 1 Persian and this was completed in 1983 followed by Group 3 (Other Shorthair) in 1988 and Group 2 (Siamese and Oriental) in 1991.
I have served as a member of the FCCV committee since 2003. I have had the pleasure of judging in most States in Australia and in New Zealand, South Africa and also in the U.S.A.
Began breeding Abyssinians in 1976 and although no longer breeding Abys they still share her home.
Joined Siamese and Shorthair Cat Club of Queensland in 1976 and is now a life member. Became a Group Three Judge in 1983; Group Two in 1987; and All-breeds in 1997.
Has judged extensively in Queensland and interstate as well as in New Zealand.
In addition to being a long serving senior judge, has held positions over the years as a Tutor Judge, as well as Chairperson of Judge's Associations, and been a delegate to, and on, committees of various cat organisations.
I have always had cats, firstly moggies then my father bred Seal Point Siamese. I met a pair of Burmese in the early 1970’s and fell in total love with them, specially the Blue Burmese. When I settled down in Sydney I went in search of a Blue Burmese and ended up with a Lilac and Chocolate – they converted my partner Don to cats and in particular Burmese. He in turn converted me to Labrador Retrievers. We moved out of the city to Moss Vale - we had space and time so I commenced breeding and showing in 1987 under the prefix Bima. I breed all colours of Burmese and love them all - my favourites are blue, red and blue tortie.
This led to stewarding which gave me a love of many other breeds and in 1994 I commenced a judging course. I completed Group 2 in 1996, Group 3 in 1998 and in 2009 completed Group 1. I have judged in most states of Australia as well as in New Zealand. I have been involved in clubs – club secretary, committee member and am currently President of the Burmese Cat Society of Australasia. I have experience as show manager as well as working in card rooms and trophies, also lots of experience setting up and pulling down shows.
In my other life I am a registered nurse and midwife and currently work in a neonatal nursery. I have experience in management, aged care, education, women’s health, aboriginal health, community health and paediatrics. My other interests are gardening, patchwork and quilting.
Upon migrating to New Zealand in 1991 from the UK, I became actively involved in the show world with the NZCF breeding and showing Birmans under the Coojabal and Cottonsox prefixes.
This seemed to be a natural progression in a lifelong love affair with cats, as far back as I can remember, cats have been a part of my life, and they have never ceased to hold a fascination for me. So becoming involved with others who share the love of cats through the shows and the local clubs was a perfect counterpoint to a busy professional life in the IT world.
Today I am still breeding Birmans in a small way, working towards re-establishing a line of Birmans which retain some of the original New Zealand, UK and Australian lines and type, and which have only blue and seal in their genetic makeup.
I thoroughly enjoy and am always honoured by the opportunity to judge, and strongly believe that the cats are always the stars of the show, and making the experience as enjoyable for them is paramount. My judging philosophy is to honour and respect every cat, every exhibitor, every worker and every fellow judge, for without all of these there would be no show to enjoy.
I have been actively interested in purebred dogs, poultry and cats since my early school days.
I enjoyed a great deal of success with my afghan hound dogs owning and breeding both Specialty and All Breeds Best in Show winning dogs. I maintain my canine interests to this day through regular judging.
In 1992, Birman cats literally 'came with the house'! It was at that time I met Margaret MacDougall and Janice Davey, two excellent mentors. The initial breeding was done under Val Richards’ Tajomeer prefix when in 2006 I registered Chalfont, after Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire, England, the village where generations of my 'Payne predecessors' had lived.
I have a strong interest in all breeds of cats and all aspects of owning, rearing, and exhibiting my Birmans and in recent years combined this with my passion for judging and interpreting standards ‘hands on’.
I have been breeding Birmans under the prefix Belzicatz for the last 10 years and I have enjoyed consistency in wins at many shows during that time.
I am Treasurer and Show Secretary of the Taranaki Cat Club and Treasurer of The Sacred Temple Cat Club.
I obtained my judging licence in 2010 and am thoroughly enjoying my experiences as a judge. I am looking forward to judging at Palmerston North Cat Show and I thank them for this opportunity.
As I grew up we seemed to always have a pet cat at home and I have always had a real interest in cats.
Beryl and I always had a cat or two around since we got married but it was when we moved to Wellington and bought our first Cornish Rex that our interest in the Cat Fancy really took off and we began showing our first Cornish Rex this was the 1998 Show season.
Since 1999 we have bred Cornish Rex, Russian Blues and now we have just started breeding Devon Rexes and have taken an active interest in the NZCFA having shown many cats, been on Cat Club committees and helped manage shows. Since this time we have enjoyed seeing the new kittens go to good homes and the enjoyment that the new owners get from their new kittens.
I have been judging shorthaired cats since 2005 which I really enjoy. It really is a great privilege to assess and judge other breeders top cats and to be involved in such a special way. The other benefit is the contact with like-minded people and the friendships that you develop over the years.
Again this season I look forward to being at Cat shows and judging the Palmerston North Cat Club Show.
Right: Burmese Python – These animals are a little harder to judge, especially due to their size and the “fear factor”.
Roy Griffiths has been involved with animals all of his life with his first dog being a rough coated Collie at an early age. Later bred and exhibited Weimaraners in the Gundog ring to a level of National Champion.
Oriental and Siamese were next to steal his heart and although never exhibited these, owned one of each to a very elderly age of 16yrs+.
Of recent years has bred and exhibited Devon Rex after falling in love with a cat of Marie Stevens that he saw during a visit to his first cat show. After a long wait he was delighted to own a Makinwaves cat who became his first breeding queen.
Sharon Wilson, Pam Dowling, Trudi Kappler, Mary Grant and Maureen Elder have all helped me along the way and been informative and supportive. Imported cats from Nevaska and Kyapark Catteries in Australia to help widen the Devon gene pool here in New Zealand.
Presently focusing on an outcross program with Abyssinian/Somali to expand gene diversity and also bring the cinnamon colour into the Devon Rex gene pool.
He is looking forward to seeing some of the wonderful cats bred here in the lower North Island.
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Domestic & Companion Judges Profiles
Miranda Stevens grew up on a farm in Aokautere and was always lending a hand to stray and injured animals. She has never been without a cat around the house and her first was a beautiful tortie named Julia. Biggy and Louis, a couple of lovable moggies followed, but it was Christine Yeung who introduced Miranda to the Burmese breed. Rico her current chocolate Burmese is a typical charming trouble-maker and would often join Miranda at work, thriving on the attention and stimulation of a busy pet store.
Miranda is currently employed by Nestlé Purina PetCare as a Territory Manager, representing PRO PLAN® products and providing product and nutrition information to staff in vet clinics, pet stores and agricultural supply stores. She has been with Purina for five years and was recently fortunate to have the opportunity to visit the Purina Product Technology Centre in St Louis, Missouri where the science and technology behind the PRO PLAN® range of dog and cat food originates from. Miranda was thrilled to see that the passion, respect and dedication she has for pets, was shared by the Purina veterinarians, nutritionists, behaviourists and scientists she met during her time in the U.S.
Registered Specialist Veterinary Ophthalmologist
After Craig graduated with Distinction from Massey University in 1970 he took up an internship at Melbourne University followed by a further two years in private practice in South Australia.
Since 1973 Craig has operated his companion animal practice in Palmerston North, Craig is a Registered Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology and he conducts Eye Referral Clinics throughout New Zealand.
He currently serves on the Companion Animal Society Editorial Board and the New Zealand Kennel Club Hereditary Disorders Committee.
Receptionist at Central City Vets
Hi, I’m Donna and I am a receptionist and part-time groomer here at Central City Vets.
I have 9 years work experience in the pet retail industry. I have 2 cats, one dog, 1 very spoilt horse and a family that keep me busy.
I really enjoy the day to day and continuing interaction with pets and their owners.
I'm Miranda Duthie.
Just a little about myself, I have recently left Cahill Animal Hospital after nearly four years as receptionist, which was not an easy decision.
I'm a trained veterinary nurse but decided to step back and do the reception side of things. I thoroughly enjoy working with the cats and dogs, as some you get to know very well, as well as the owners.
Looking forward to meeting everyone at the show and meeting all the lovely cats/kittens.
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