Some cats leave a lasting impression long after the ribbons have been awarded. For me, one of those cats is Sibano Karamel Kisses of Cartier Siberians.
In November 2009, Karamel Kisses earned 3rd Best Kitten at the TICA Great Lakes Friends of Felines Cat Show in St. Francis, Wisconsin. It was an exciting achievement early in her show career and a wonderful reflection of the quality she possessed.
Karamel Kisses was the daughter of RW SGC Sibano KitKat Snap, and I remain incredibly grateful to Kris Hirst of Sibano Siberians for allowing this beautiful girl to become part of my breeding program.
Although we originally planned to continue showing Karamel Kisses throughout the season, circumstances prevented us from attending several additional shows. Even so, with only a single kitten show completed, she finished the 2009 TICA show season ranked among the Top 30 Siberian Kittens, an accomplishment I have always been proud of.
Looking back today, however, ribbons and rankings are only a small part of her story.
Karamel Kisses became one of the foundation females of my breeding program. Her influence continues today through four and five generations of descendants, and many of the Siberian kittens I raise can still trace their pedigree back to this remarkable girl.
Every experienced breeder has a handful of cats that help shape the future of their breeding program. Karamel Kisses was one of those special cats for me. Her beauty, temperament, and genetic contribution continue to be reflected in the Siberians I breed today.
While I no longer actively campaign cats in the show hall as I once did, I treasure these early memories because they represent the foundation upon which Dainah Rico Siberians has been built.
Some cats win ribbons.
The truly exceptional ones leave a legacy.
This article was originally published in 2009 and has been updated to reflect the current Dainah Rico Siberians breeding program.
