I would like to take Wolfie's birthday - he's 10 years old on December 1995 - as an opportunity to write a special about him. He is a special cat and he produced special cats for me. But let me start it all from the beginning.I guess I was more than lucky when I got Marti Sterner's address together with a note she'd have a red GC Aby male for sale. Well, I decided to call her exactly 5 years ago to get more details about this male. Hearing about his qualities (outstanding temper and wonderful pedigree) I knew right away I would love to own this cat. But Marti was very concerned about sending Wolfie to a cattery. But after different phone calls and a letter I could "convince" her that Wolfie would be offered a real loving home and he'd be used carefully in my breeding program.
Due to weather conditions it took some more weeks until Marti was finally able to send him to Europe. I almost couldn't wait to meet him at the Zurich Airport! But then, on March 7, 1991 I was driving anxiously to the airport. After some paper formalities I could finally get this important carrier and yes it was love at first sight! When we arrived back home Wolfie was walking out of his carrier complaining loudly about his long trip and that he certainly would need some fresh food now! I was hooked about the beauty and personality of this red boy! Marti wasn't exaggerating at all!
Wolfie was born - together with 3 littermates - on December 28, 1985 at Garner's home in Slidell, Louisiana. His sire is GC Raelich Mission Redd of Darling, DM, a beautiful red male. Famous mother is GC Tulane's Duchess of Lemeaux, DM. She was best red Aby ACCA in 1985 and was known for her magical charm and charisma. Wolfie's littermates are: GC Lemeaux's Apollo, GC Lemeaux's Marie Antoinette of Shalaron and GC Lemaux's Alouetta. You see, Duchess was almost a DM with her first litter!
Whereas Apollo stayed in Garner's home, Marie Antoinette was going to Bob and Sharon Libott of Shalaron cattery, where she produced some very nice offsprings for them. Unfortunately, she never woke up after a dental surgery some years ago. Apollo passed on his genes for different catteries including Amasis, Abelan, Karraway, Qitta, Sanshal, Shalaron, Sunnidays, Zehnder and for Garner's themselves. I couldn't find out where Alouetta was going to and if she ever was producing any litter.
Marti Sterner saw this famous litter of 4 the first time at a show and as she says "magic was sprinkled all over them". She defenitely got to have one of them and so Wolfie was coming to her home when he was about 6 months old and became Lemeaux's Amadeus of Marway . Marti decided to look for a new home for Wolfie when her husband passed away and she wanted to give up breeding. And there's where the story of Wolfie begins in Switzerland.
Wolfie felt home immediately in my cattery. Even though he was a US Grand Champion already I decided to show him in our organization. He looked very strikingly at the age of 5 still having wonderful muscular body shape and intense color with distinctive ticking. He loved shows and did never miss to attract visitors by calling them to his cage.
The first litter he produced for me was very magic too: Ch. Baton Rouge's Voodoo, a red male, made several Best in Shows as a kitten and went finally to live in Denmark. Baton Rouge's Witch-Queen, a ruddy female, was placed as a pet because some people felt completely in love with her when I brought her to a show and I thought this would be a perfect home. Int. Ch. Baton Rouge's Wakonda, a red female, was staying in my home. Beside's several Best of colors and Best in Shows she went Best of Best at a Show in Italy in 1992. I kept a red male from her, Ch. Baton Rouge's Abandonado, a carbon copy of Wolfie! Wolfie also produced some very nice kittens for breeder friends and a red daughter of him, EC Tschambran of Gondar's Venena, is actually residing in Baltimore, MD to be - hopefully - bred to a striking ruddy male owned by Stephanie Hale.
But Wolfie's impact on my Silver Abyssinian breeding program is probably the most remarkable one. When he was bred to a black-silver Aby female I got from Paris, France, a superb sorrel-silver girl was born on August 19, 1991:
Europe Ch. Baton Rouge's V. Pipi L. She was one of the most exquisit Silver Aby typewise I have ever seen in my life! Huge ears perfectly set, wonderful expression with deep copper colored eyes, high on legs with elegant, muscular body shape and excellent coat quality with distinctive ticking rarely seen in silvers of that time. Pipi got Wolfie's sweet temper, too. My feelings about her quality was confirmed by the many judges who have seen her during her exceptional show career and remarks like "fantastic texture, ticking and color, just perfect", "very decorative girl", "outstanding shape of head with wonderful Aby expression", "a lady of high quality", etc. became the rule. On her way to get the title of Europe Champion (21 shows) she was nominated l4 times and made Best in Show 5 times out of it. A show career for a silver Aby which has never been repeated so far!
Wolfie produced another silver I kept, Int. Pr. Baton Rouge's War-Games, a black-silver male, who in turn produced
Ch. Baton Rouge's Yankee, a very elegant black-silver boy featured also in the - unfortunately controversial - CFA Cat Encyclopedia. When War-Games was bred to Pipi, Wolfie was doubled up in this pedigree and Pr. Baton Rouge's Aimée was born.
Yes, Wolfie has really done a great deal on my silver program but his progeny will also live on in my traditional breeding program of ruddies and reds. Ch. Tschambran of Gondars Kerry, a double up red granddaugther of Wolfie will soon be bred to Ch. Baton Rouge's Big Easy, and I kept Baton Rouge's Cover Girl, a ruddy female, in breeding rights. She's a great granddaughter of Wolfie.
Wolfie was neutered last summer. Seeing what quality he was producing for Baton Rouge cattery this decision was not made easy. But personal circumstances, a separation, forced me about two years ago to move from a big house with plenty of space to a relatively small apartment. The males had their own rooms, which were easy to clean and big walk-in cages in the garden. I could no longer provide that when I moved into the apartment. And I didn't wanna put Wolfie in a cage. Wolfie needs to be around people and - as I found - also to sleep on somebody's pillow at night. As he was a sprayer - not a big one but he was - I decided with a heavy heart to neuter him. And the perfect home was also found for him. A charming old lady, who has acquired an Aby from me and unfortunately lost her due to constipation, fell head over heels with Wolfie when she was visiting me. And I guess I couldn't have found a better place for him. Wolfie lives now in a huge Villa with an elevator and surrounded by a beautiful big garden which looks like Eden. Wolfie is allowed to go everywhere in the house and normally sleeps on Mrs. Herzogs pillow at night. In the summertime he enjoys chasing butterflys in the garden and I think he is one of the most pampered pet in the world! I can go and visit him whenever I feel to, he lives only an hour away from me. Wolfie has brought so much sunshine into my home as he's now bringing to the new owner's home so I will be thankful for ever and especially to Marti, who was willing to let him go to Switzerland. A big cheers to Wolfie's 10th birthday and hopefully he will live on for another decade, healthy, happy and pampered as he is right now!
