Nudedudes Sphynx and Kohana Cats

The truthful story of Nudedudes Tenhke (aka Pearl) co-owned by Nudedudes and the Buffnaked Sphynx Cattery

Almost four years ago now I was contacted by Mrs Shaw who wanted to start off in sphynx breeding. I advised her that as with all my cats I would have to know someone very well before a breeding cat left this cattery. I explained to Mrs Shaw that it was most unusual for us to place a breeding cat and that if we did I would have to get to know her exceptionally well, and I advised her as with all potential new sphynx breeders that it may be better for her to start with a show neuter. Mrs Shaw came to see kittens that we had and decided she would like two of the kittens. If you check the records of felis Britannica’s show results you will see that the show neuters she purchased actually had quite a successful show career. Mrs Shaw’s and my friendship grew and as we attended each show I helped Mrs Shaw learn more about the breed. Many hours of my time were given freely as I wanted to help her in the best way I could.

My then cattery partner was extremely sceptical over Mrs Shaw and did not like her and did not want her to own a breeding cat, however, I believe that everyone should be given a chance and when a litter of kittens was born I started to discuss the possibility after three years of Mrs Shaw having show neuters, co-owning a breeding queen with me. Eventually I asked my then cattery partner and friend to agree, and everything about the queen that was to be co-owned with Mrs Shaw and myself was fully discussed between the two of us and Nicola Loughran agreed that the kitten in question be co-owned as a potential breeding cat between the two of us, with all decisions made jointly on the cat. Joint co-ownership means that each one of you must decide on the cats future, so as to whether they develop into a suitable show cat and are shown, and also if they are an asset to the breed to be used in a breeding programme. There had been some problems with the litter that Mrs Shaw’s first co-owned breeding queen came from, one of the kittens had had pneumonia and was very poorly, and because of this I chose to get Mrs Shaw’s kitten called Nudedudes Oompahpah tested before she went to Mrs Shaw, the kitten that had had pneumonia was given to a very good friend of mine, at no charge, insurance could not be provided for this kitten and I fully explained this to my friend who was adopting her her name was Nudedudes Mrs Thingumy. At no point did I ever have any health issues with Mrs Shaw’s kitten, and her photographs can be seen on Mrs Shaw’s gallery a happy, healthy, playful kitten that was seen by many vets at vetting in time prior to her being shown by Mrs Shaw. Mrs Shaw did express concern at one point that her kitten had a runny eye, when she showed me her at the shows I honestly can say that I saw no problem. On the first night I dropped her off at Mrs Shaw’s I did think that I had caught the kittens eye with my hand, I had been eating very salty finger dips and I thought I had transferred salt into Norah’s eye and it was weeping slightly. Mrs Shaw informed me on the occasion that I advised her to take her to the vet that Norah had a blocked tear duct. Something that I have heard of other sphynx breeders having problems with on each occasion when an operation has been performed to clear the tear duct it has exacerbated the problem so I advised Mrs Shaw on this and told her if it were my decision I would give it time and see how it went, Mrs Shaw and I made this decision together about the CO-OWNED cat. As I have said on many occasions this cat was seen by a vet at a show for vetting in and never once did anyone other than Mrs Shaw mention a problem with Norah’s eye and I myself could see no problem, neither in person or on the many photographs Mrs Shaw sent me. Photographs that were both taken by Mrs Shaw, myself or a professional photographer. Photographs that can be seen on her site, judge for yourself does Norah look ill on any of them? Was every vet that saw her and every judge wrong?

In July of last year, my ex-cattery partner and mine’s relationship had broken down. By then I had agreed to another cat being co-owned by myself and Mrs Shaw as a potential breeding queen. Mrs Shaw viewed the kittens and despite me advising her the best kitten for her she wanted a balder cat, and chose another one. The lines were good, parents were tested cats and clear of hcm, so I saw no reason to deny her request. This had to be agreed to by the breeder of the stud cat Bastetsphynx Kaalgat as Banjo as he is known is a contracted cat and I cannot allow breeding cats from first generation from him. The breeder was consulted and gave her permission only if the cat was co-owned and certain stipulations were met, at some point in time the breeder will do a write up for this website stating what stipulations were given to Mrs Shaw by her, they spoke about it via email at great length and Mrs Shaw was fully aware of all the conditions required by the Bastetsphynx cattery and she also agreed to all terms of the co-ownership, she did although express concerns that she would rather have a sole owned cat. I explained to her if this was the case and that is what she really wanted that she must get a breeding queen from someone else because I could only provide a cat that was co-owned due to the agreement that I had with the breeder who wanted to protect the lines that she had been entrusted with from others in the past.

Mrs Shaw did not want to follow that option and so the kitten from my queen Nudedudes Charity and Bastetsphynx Kaalgat went to her with strict stipulations to be followed from the breeder of the stud cat in the USA. I was having some personal problems in my life and delayed registering the litter, but did not see it as a problem as the kitten was co-owned and the paperwork would have stayed with me anyway. There were no decisions to be made on the suitability of Pearl for breeding for many months ahead, so there was no rush.

Very sadly Mrs Shaw’s first co-owned cat with myself had to be spayed because of pyometra. The first thing I heard about his happening was a text message from Mrs Shaw advising me of the fact. Mrs Shaw said that Norah’s life had been in question and the operation had to be performed very quickly, it was fully understandable that Mrs Shaw made the decision to operate without having had the time to discuss it with myself and I in this position would have done exactly the same thing. The cats welfare always comes above anything else and Mrs Shaw made 100% the correct decision for Norah.

However, after this event things changed, Mrs Shaw constantly questioned me about the registration of Pearl, and in November of this year I received an extremely strange and puzzling text message from Mrs Shaw stating she had health issues with Norah. On speaking to her she informed me that “someone” had told her, she would not say who, that Norah had been ill when I had let her go to Mrs Shaw and that I knowingly sold her an ill kitten. I was absolutely amazed that after two years only now was she voicing concerns to me, that the vets thought there was something more serious wrong with Norah that had been there for some time. WHY was this not discussed with me before hand on a cat that was co-owned as a potential breeding queen? A cat that had been seen by vets many times for vetting in at shows, and a cat that I presume if had not contracted pyometra Mrs Shaw would have been happy to breed! In fact I know she would have been happy to breed her, as we had discussed the mating and Mrs Shaw was to have Norah HCM scanned at my cardiologist over in the Netherlands only the week after she had to be spayed. Surely someone so concerned about the breed would have never wanted to breed a cat with health issues. Mrs Shaw informed me that she would get Norah tested to which I queried her on some weeks later, she told me that all the tests had come back negative but she would be retesting. I have never heard from her since.Only yesterday I tried to text her assuring her that I was there for the cats and offering her a full refund. I know since the text she has contacted other breeders however nothing to me, and she says I am the one that ceased contact what complete and utter rubbish Mrs Shaw publish the test results on your website if there are any health issues with Nudedudes Oompahpah or is this just another lie!

I informed Mrs Shaw that there was no way we could continue to work together without trust and now all trust had gone, that I would not be allowing my stud boys to be used free of charge, and I would not as co-owner of Pearl be allowing any mating to take place because we now could not work in a partnership together, we had never even agreed on whether she was a suitable show cat let alone a suitable breeding cat, and the breeder in the USA would not agree to it if there was no working relationship and trust in place. Mrs Shaw was shocked in what I was telling her, but I could not believe that she chose to take the word of someone she would not disclose as opposed to me, the same person that had helped her for hours and hours on end with the breed, the same person that had sold her both co-owned breeding queens for only the same price as pet sphynx and the person that had offered the use of stud cats free of charge, simply to help her. I also told Mrs Shaw that when kittens were born she would have all the sale money of those kittens. I did this for her as I have done for others, because I thought I could help them and help the breed at the same time. I had homes that would have gladly purchased Norah and Pearl as pets for exactly the same price as Mrs Shaw paid which was a £1,000 for each cat, that is pet prices not breeding prices which can run into thousands and thousands. Of course if they had gone as neutered pets there would have been no help needed show mentoring or indeed non of the work that comes with breeding cats or mentoring for breeding, which option would have been the easy option for me? But I wanted to help Mrs Shaw so I was the idiot that gave her everything rather easy. I will never be so stupid and so naïve again. Most breeders charge double for breeding cats this is the added attraction for many breeders to sell breeding cats from their lines, I prefer to place a few really high quality individuals that can be of great help furthering the sphynx breed. Most breeders charge for stud fees, in fact most breeders big amounts for just about everything, but one soon learns who ones friends are. I gave stud fees for free I still cannot believe that I did that, one does live and learn though and never again.

So Mrs Shaw writes on her website that Pearl’s future lies in the balance, it does not, Pearl’s future is sound she has a lovely home with Mrs Shaw otherwise I would never have let her go there. I presume that there is nothing bogus wrong with her health wise although I am never told how my baby is, of course Mrs Shaw is more than welcome to return her for a full refund of £1,000. Mrs Shaw has her pet cat which is exactly what she paid for, but if she does not want her then I will take her back as I will do with all my babies in fact my contract states they cannot be rehomed but must come back to me. Mrs Shaw’s site seems to read that she paid £4,000 for this cat she did not. Mrs Shaw paid £4,000 for four sphynx kittens for show, just one breeding cat alone can cost £4,000 no way could you buy a breeding sphynx for a £1,000 and certainly not for a cat of Pearl’s standard.

Mrs Shaw fails to tell the authorities when trying to force them to give her paperwork, that Pearl is co-owned with myself. Nowhere on her website does she state that we both own Pearl not just her, both of us have to make decisions on her.

Mrs Shaw states I have offered her no support. When she mentioned that she no longer wanted one of her original show neuters the first sphynx she ever got, I offered to help with rehoming. When the problems with Pearl arose I offered to give her a full refund despite being at that point concerned about the health issues Mrs Shaw was speaking about. Mrs Shaw also owned two Bengal cats at the time of the sphynx going to her which to my knowledge were not tested, and Mrs Shaw has since REHOMED!

I notice that Mrs Shaw has now another breeding cat the one I mentioned above, I wonder if she paid pet money for this one, something tells me she did not.

So I will state publicly any help Mrs Shaw needs with any sphynx bred by myself she only has to ask and I will give, I am there 100% for her. Mrs Shaw can return Spitfire, Buffy, Norah or Pearl to myself for a refund. They cannot be rehomed anyway and must be returned to me otherwise she breaks her contract, I do not know what more I can do for her. I will not agree to her breeding Pearl as I cannot the breeder in the States will not agree to it either because she does not trust Mrs Shaw in light of recent events she has lied so much, but I have never turned my back on Pearl and never will, she is after all still half my cat and will “always be my baby”!

Coming soon.... the truth behind Nudedudes Tenhke's name and contracts.