First Non Pedigreed cat - A Black Bicolour shorthair stray female fed secretly on the windowsill of my bedroom as a child. (I was not allowed to keep a cat or a dog, due to family allergies and dad's opinion that they did not produce anything and one could not breed them!)

Second Non Pedigreed cat - A Sealpoint Siamese female from a local pet shop. "Meraai" shared our commune flat during student days.

First Pedigreed cat - A Lilacpoint Siamese male, bought from an advert in the paper, he also shared our student digs.

Breeding - Started breeding Siamese in 1984. Cattery name: Les Beaux Chats (Registered SACC)

Current breeds - Siamese, Oriental, Balinese, Oriental Mediumhair, Cornish Rex, British Shorthair (Colourpoint), Manx, Munchkin, LaPerm, Japanese Bobtail and Sphynx. Some are breeding cats, some show cats and many merely pets. Bred several Champions/Premiers, Grand Champions/Premiers and Supreme Champions/Premiers as well as bred and owned some Regional and National "Top Twenty" contestants for South African Cat of the Year and Neuter of the Year. Breeder and owner of the SACC CAT OF THE YEAR - 2000 (Sup Ch Les Beaux Chats Rexotic - Cornish Rex).

Cat Club Involvement - Member of the All Breeds Cat club (Cape Town) since 1982, committee member since 1984 and chairman for more than 10 years.

Other positions on the committee: Newsletter editor, Governing Council Delegate, Show Manager, Membership Secretary, Vice Chairman.

Member of the Governing Council of SACC (formerly the GCC of ACC of SA) for more than 10 years. Positions on Council: All Breeds Cat Club delegate, Siamese/Oriental Breed Council Delegate, Vice Chairman, Genetics Advisor to the Registrar, International Liaison Officer.

Judging - First qualified as Siamese/Oriental Judge in 1990. Qualified as All Breeds Judge 4 years later (1994), having completed all the formal courses and examinations for the other breed groups.

Affiliation:

1. The Cape Panel of Cat Judges, affiliated to The South African Council of Cat Judges, in turn affiliated to the Southern African Cat Council (Formerly known as The Governing Council of the Associated Cat Clubs of South Africa) - the original cat registering body in South Africa with clubs existing since the 1940s.
2. The French/European Independent Cat Clubs, including SCFF, officially recognized by the French Government (L.O.O.F.), registered as an Independent All Breeds Judge.

Judging experience:

SACC Championship shows in Cape Town, (Western Cape Province), Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape Province), Johannesburg & Pretoria (Gauteng Province), Durban (Kwazulu-Natal Province), Kimberley (Northern Cape Province), Kroonstad (Orange Free State Province), including the South African Cat of the Year, Cape Top Cat and World of Cats and Dogs events.

Governing Council Championship Shows, including: Asian Cat club, Semi-Longhair Cat Club, Siamese Cat Association, Oriental Cat Association, National Cat Club (featured as an "International Judge" on the 1997 BBC production "The Cat Show"), Teesside Cat Club, Northern Counties Cat Club (taking over the classes of the late Ann Rickson), the British Ragdoll Cat Club and Shorthaired Cat Society. Also extensive stewarding experience with GCCF judges, including Ann Rickson, Alison Ashford, Helga Dessauer and many others.

Independent Club Championship Shows, including: SCFF & ANF (France), NRKV (Holland), NKF (Germany); TICA/Traditional Show Paris 1997 (handled the Pixie Bobs and Munchkins in TICA rings with American Judges); ALCDF (France); confirmed appointment for ALCDF (France), January 2002.

Championship Shows 2000 & 2001, including LABCC (Launceston, TAS), FASA (Melbourne, SA), Birman & Other Semi-Longhair Society (Perth, WA), ACF National show (Brisbane), Birman Cat Society show (Melbourne), FCC of WA (Perth)

New Zealand National Cat of the Year show hosted by the Hamilton Cat Club - June 2001.