Icebreaker's cattery
I'm Maria Hautala breeder of Icebreaker's cattery in Finland. My breeds are exotic shorthair and persian cats. I started breeding with sacred birman cat year 2002 with litters A-E, then year 2024 first exotic shorthair litter was born.
I like to attend cat shows, where I can connect with other crazy catladies and -boys and talk about my cats freely without judging (normally people doesn't want to hear anything about my cats or catshow hobby) and let also other people to enjoy and get familiar with my cats and cat breeds.
As a veterenarian I truly understand the brachycephalic breeds healt issues concerning these breeds also, but I don't buy that pure breed racism and rage persian and exotic cats are facing nowadays. Not every one of them have breathing problems, it's quite wrong to believe so only, because you are told so, please get to know the breeds better in their home facilities, before you judge them all being sick just by hearing someone told so. I have surgically operated stenotic nares and too long soft palates of dog breeds French bulldogs, pugs or English bulldogs, but I have never operated a persian or exotic cat for that. And of course we are on the wrong pathway to go in breeding, if such operations is needed to correct nature made alignments of breathing system.
The problem of too long soft palate or stenotic nares still exists in some individuals, in many cat breeds actually, especially in the elder age of life, but I don't think it's common to cats to faint because of breathing problems or suffer horribly in every breathe they take, in my opinion the problem isn't that bad in cats at all, but people who really don't know believe so. Also I have different individuals concerning anatomy and openess of nares, and every breeder must think very closely which individuals are suitable for breeding. In a breeding cat breathing should never be loud or laboured!
Every breeder can work their lines for the better health status and choose individuals with no breathing problems and open nares.
My choice for these breeds is because of their character; so kind and good family cat breeds like exotic and persian cats is difficult to find. I don't choose these breeds because I'm a sick person who wants to buy sick product of animal breeding. Most of the human made breeds no matter the animal species or also even mixed breeds or housecats might be somehow sick, but there are no compleately healthy human beings either.
I have met more and more people who come to judge me for my choice of breeds, and they do it very unpolitely and rude, like they were Jesus themselves, but are breeding themself for example dogbreeds as sick as hell. Please look at in the mirror and think how could I make my statement about the wrong breed choice nicely to another person, who's darling babies you are talking about, because fanatism and idiotism are a very close isms.
In the future I hope some day I can study to become a judge in catshows, that's my dream, let's hope it'll come true. Then I could do my part of guiding breeders for healthier choices in giving the judgement of a cat and also assess possible health issues. I have met a judge who says I recommend this cat not for breeding, and I know breeders, who believe in that judges evaluation. So respectful courage to mention also negative matters!
Now I study trimming of cats (something you can only learn by doing or from professionals and little by little you learn some more every day). I have washed cats for shows for 24 years, but I think there's still much more to learn. I'm showing my cats in catshows mainly in Finland, but sometimes in Sweden and Estonia also.
I own three exotics and one pure line persian. My breeding is very small scale, and I don't want to have more cats than I'm capable of taking good care of. I have only two exotic females and two stud males exotic and persian, both to use in only my own breeding, and in case of giving out only with the permission of studs original breeders for other breeders females. Because every mating is a risk for cattery's health situation and for the male itself, I don't want to take risks for vain.
Breeding is not my number one priority in life, I enjoy much more attending a good cat show than just being a kitten producing unit. My every cat is a precious diamond for me, I'll do my absolutely everything for their well-being.
See you in cat shows!
Greetings from us all,
Maria, "Pippa" SC Mogi's Violet (EXO a 24), "Paavo" SC AzuLejo’s Red Dragon (EXO d 24), "Kukka" CH Icebreaker's Fleur de Lis (EXO f 24) and "Jups" KCH, JCH Jupiter Heinroos JW (PER e 01 62)
