At Shortncurly Cattery, our cats are not just breeders, they are also our pets and beloved companions.
 Not a day goes by that I don't feel the joy that these wonderful animals bring into my life.  

My love of animals began when I was a small child.  I did not have the most ideal of childhoods, but
no matter where I lived or who I lived with, there was always a pet in the home that would give me
unconditional love in return for my attention.   As an adult, I've always had pets and my children
always grew up with them.  They have always enriched the lives of my family and I hope they
always will.

Our cattery began in Pennsylvania in 1988 with a single himalayan which we found a stud for in
order to begin our breeding experience.  We slowly added a few cats over the years and expanded to
include persians in 1998.  In 2000 I met my first selkirk rex and fell in love with their sweet
temperments and unique appearance.  I decided that this was a breed that I wanted to work with
and began to educate myself on it.  Thanks to my friend, Karon, I was able to learn more about the
breed and begin showing and breeding them.  

It was also at about this same time that I received my first Sphynx from a dear friend in Texas.  
Adamson was my first hairless cat and not your typical sphynx.  While most Sphynx are very outgoing
and good with strangers, Adam was a one woman cat.   He was the love of my life and the beginning
of my great appreciation for this other unique and special breed of cat.  Adam was later joined by
Dusti Rose, (aka: my fat pink cat), a female sphynx that we spayed and have kept as a special pet
through the years.  Dusti Rose does not know a stranger and is content to occupy any lap.  These are
the most wonderful and affectionate bed warmers you will ever encounter.  Anyone who has never
experienced a sphynx, should at least take the time to visit the closest cat show to at least have
the opportunity to see one and ask the owner if they might pet it.  Although I've loved this breed
for quite some time now, April 15, 2007 was the birth of our first litter of sphynx kittens.  These
wonderful babies are as close as you can get to a human child in the cat world.  It's a very special
feeling when they look up at you from those tiny naked bodies and you feel their great warmth and
see the love in their eyes after you have nurtured and loved on them.

As the years have passed, we have gone through many changes and have had several other breeds
while trying to find what we felt were just the perfect cats.  I was aware of the Munchkin when
they were first introduced into TICA and had met several and thought that they were quite
interesting.  They are very kitten-like in their behavior, even after reaching adult hood, which I
liked, but they are also much sturdier than they appear, which I found especially appealing.  These
cats are surprisingly agile and active and are very entertaining to watch while they play.  I'd had
several conversations with munchkin breeders over the years in regards to creating a new breed
which would use the munchkin crossed to the selkirk rex to give that wonderful kitten-like
personality to the sweet nature of the selkirk rex, but the timing just wasn't right until  in 2005, I
made a life changing move from Pennsylvania to Texas.  Through the assistance of my friends, Nina
Adkins and Terri Harris, I was able to begin my lambkin and napoleon programs.  Not long after, I met
my friend Tammy Higginbotham, who is now my partner in both these programs.  We share of love of
these short legged kids and are working towards getting them accepted in TICA as championship
breeds in the future.

What will the future hold for us in the cattery world?  Only time will tell, but for now it holds a lot of
curls, short legs and lots of purring, snuggling kittens.  In general, I guess you could say there isn't a
breed I don't like.  That does not mean that I'd choose to have every breed there is, of course.  I
appreciate the beauty of the Maine Coon with it's great size and wonderful coat.  I love the look of
the Abyssinian and the gracefulness of the oriental.  What I love most of all though is the
personality of these short hybrid munchkins.  Their playful personalities, their desire to snuggle up
and cuddle with you, their little quirky love nips on the chin, the way they sit up like a ferret and
ask to be petted or played with.  Whether they are naked like the bambino, curly coated like the
selkirk rex or have lovely flowing coats like the napoleon, they are wonderful companions and add a
special joy to each day.

Sandi