Here is an interview l gave to the CAT FANCY magazine of HONG KONG, they will also include many photos of our beautiful babies in many rare colors, to be published Oct, 2011:

DREAMZ- HIMALAYANS
　
My name is Lynn Seguin of the DREAMZ cattery in CANADA we are known world wide for producing some of the world's rarest colored Himalayans and Persians. Many Himalayan breeders also breed Nonpointed Himalayans a nonpointed is a cat that has color over the entire body while a pointed cat has color only on the point areas of the cat. A cat that is a Nonpoint also has the gene for the point patteren so when bred to a pointed Himalayan will produce pointed kittens as well. My history in Himalayans goes back to the time the breed was first being developed as a breed.The Himalayan was a dream of many breeders around the world, a Persian looking cat with just the color pattern of the Siamese. This is how we picked DREAMZ as our cattery name. l was born the same year this breed got recognized as a breed, now wasn't that meant to be. l went to my first cat show at the age of 14 in Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA, and 2 years later bought my first Himalayan. At that time the top Himalayan breeder in our area was Virgina Lane of the Purring Lane cattery. l became very close to this breeder and l fell in love with the Himalayan breed through her. After being in the cat fancy for many years l left the fancy for about 10 years and came back to it with Ben my husband, and we developed our line of very rare colored Himalayans and Persians. We moved up into the fancy very fast since our return we've produced 4 Grand Champions, 2 Canadian National Winners, one of which received the Best Himalayan of the year award in Canada for being the highest scoring Himalayan of 2009-10. One of our Grands is a Chocolate Persian which is very rare to achieve such an honour on such a rare color. l went through school for genetics and have written 2 articles in Cat Tracks on genetics for breeders. The newest part of our cattery group is my lovely niece JADE. She started going to the shows at 14 and her love is growing. She can be seen at many shows along with us helping out and she is becoming a great addition to DREAMZ. Lets hope her love for the fancy will grow and blossom as mine did over the years. We are currently breeding some very rare Chocolate factored Lynxs and Tabbies. In some countries the Lynx point is sometimes called a Tabby point. We breed both the pointed and the nonpointed color of these cats. We have produced some very beautiful examples of these and are showing them to thier fullest.

The Himalayan is recoginized in most assosications as just another color of the Persian breed, a pointed patteren Persian. In Canada thier classed still as a Himalayan. But the stardard is still the same the look is to be Persian. Which is in short, a nice large round head, big round eyes very small ears that are low set on the head, very flate face, coat long, body short and cobby, tail to be short only coming to the shoulders of the cat and as full as possible, temperarment is very loving this is a very important part of the breed. Colors are many from your basic to the more rare such as what we produce. This breed is for someone who loves the long beautiful coat but it does require grooming often. They are wonderful lap cats but don't let that fool you they can run and play as any cat and they enjoy everything any other cat does. There is no better feeling waking up to these very loving cats sleeping right beside you waiting for you to wake up. l guess the best example of how loving this breed is would be my story of Crystal. You see when Crystal was born she was so small in a litter of 6 babies, l nerver thought she would make it but l hoped she would. So l decided to hand feed her so every few hours around the clock l would give her some milk, and when l put her back every time l would give her a kiss and tell her l loved her and mommie would see you soon. And do you know she lived and is one of my most loving girls always with me. When Crystal had her first litter she couldn't stand to be away from me so when Goldie her daughter was a few weeks old Crystal moved her into the bed beside me just so they both could be with me. We ended up putting a nest right beside the bed to keep her happy. Goldie by the way ended up going on to being our first Grand Champion. The biggest draw back is thier grooming and it must be done often to provent matting. But there is nothing better to behold then a well groomed Himalayan or Persian. These cats as a rule are very quite thier voice is also as a rule very soft when compared to a shorthaired breed. These cats as any cat should be kept inside, today there are just way too many dangers for a cat to come into more so for a cat that has never been outdoors before. Himalayans are known world wide and are a very popular breed due to thier combination of the royal beauty of the Persian with the amazing color patteren of the Siamese. Remember however that it is only the color patteren they got from the Siamese every else is that of a Persian. l hope l have help spark an interest in this breed for you if you have any questions please feel free to contact us.

The Himalayan, A Dream Come True

The Himalayan and a dream come true truely do belong togeather. Himalayans are developed from mankind's dream of a Persian type cat with only the color patteren of the Siamese cat. What a great wonderful dream it was so many years ago that we enjoy the results of today. We the breeders of today owe so very much to these first breeder for thier many years of hard work.
The breed was developed through the 1920's a to the 50's, and although there were many problems the result was the greatest achievement of cat breeding history. That resulted in the acceptance of the Himalayan as a breed in most associations by 1957. If it wasn't for mankind's intervention, selective breeding, and hybridization, the Himalayan wouldn't be here at such a high level of excellance.
Breeders had to work with two cat breeds with extreme different types and only to pull into the new bred the color patteren of one into the Persian type of the other. Now that would prove to be a very long process, as they would also have to deal with many recessive genes over dominat genes. They had to deal with the recessive gene for longhiar with shorthair being dominant, with point patteren color being recessive to the dominant gene being color over the entire body. Now lets ad the recessive gene for the Chocolate and Lilac color. You could see the work would be long and difficult.
Other great problems liad in getting new colors accepted, such colors as the wide range of Lynx colors. Breeders and associations had the great problem as to where this new breed fitted in. Was it a new breed or just a new color patteren of the Persian breed. If it was a new breed then Persian couldn't be aloud to breed to the Himalayan forever, unless it was just a color patteren of the Persian. Could you see the problem the associations had in this even today most don't agree. The CCA list the Himalayan as a seperate breed while the CFA list it as a color patteren of the Persian breed. Wonderful breeders around the world at the same time had the dream of the beautiful Himalayan, they had the dream, went to work at makeing it come ture and the dream came true.

WHAT IS A HIMALAYAN?

Now lets look at what a Himalayan truely is, look back at how a Himalayan was develop and your answer is in there. First they are a longhiared pointed colored cat, which are the product of cross breeding, or hybridization between the Persian and Siamese breeds. A very important fact is that the Himalayan is a Man-Made breed, which has the over all appearance of the longhiared Persian, and it's dispostion, and the color patteren of the Siamese. It must be very clear here that the only thing in common with the Siamese is it's color. l hear so many times even today someone calling a Himalayan a Longhiared Siamese that is totally wrong statement. This would be the same as if someone was to say a dog was just another type of cat, l think we all know how wrong both statements are. The Himalayan of today is by all accounts a Persian cat with a point color patteren.
As already stated before the Himalayan comes from the Persian and Siamese, both of these breeds have almost always been in the top 3 most popular breeds. Now is it any wonder that the Himalayan is right up there in the top 3 as well. A matter of fact after 25 years in 1982 the Himalayan ranked as the second most popular breed right behind the Persian. And since then the Himalayan has hit first place several times.
When breeding Himalayans a breeder most come to terms with dominant genes and recessive genes. The more a breeder understands the effects of these type of genes the better that breeder will be at breeding Himalayans. All Himalayans will have 2 recessive genes and with Chocolate and Lilacs were dealing with 3 recessive genes. So all Himalayans have 2 recessive genes one for longhiar and one for the color point patteren. And thier dominant gene being shorthiar and nonpointed color. And with Chocolates and Lilacs we have a gene to produce these recessive colors. Inother words we have a recessive gene effecting the dominant color. Example 2 dominant genes BB a Seal point, then one dominant gene and one recessive gene Bb a Seal point that carries Chocolate, then 2 recessive genes bb a Chocolate point. The Himalayan has more recessive genes then any other cat breed today. Which makes any top breeder of this breed a true master of genetics, now what do you think of a top breeder in Chocolates and Lilacs? 

 

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BREED

The most interesting fact in the planning of this breed, is that several breeders around the world at the same time, unknown to each other, had the same dream, at the same time. The earliest know premeditated crosses between Persians and Siamese cats occurred in Sweeden and the United States in the early 1920s and in England in the 1930s. Not very much was achieved from these first attempts, but they did set the goal down in breeding programs.
They're where great failures in these first attemps, most likely due to not fully understanding the recessive genes for longhiar and the point color patteren.The first offspring from these first crosses would produce shorthiared kittens, with solid color. Now if first breeders didn't understand genetics correctly these kittens would totally confuss the first breeders. The next step in these programs would of been to breed the offspring from several of these breeding togeather. Out of the resulting kittens there would be some longhiars, and some longhiars with the point color patteren. First breeders in these breeding programs used the following solid colors, Blacks, Blues, and whites. These first breeders who dreamed of the Himalayan sure had thier work cut out for themselves, and today's breeders owe them everything. For without them the dream would of never come true.
After these first experimental breedings in Sweden came 2 breeders in United States that picked up the dream. They were Virgina Cobb, and Dr. Clyde Keeler, a harvard geneticist who continued the experiments during the next decade. As with everything in this time period these breeding programs quickly became interrupted with one of our greatest black areas in world history the, ''World War II''. After this war, in United States and England, came 2 new breeders onto the scene to take up the dream. Unknownst to one another in 1947 Marguerita Goforth in America and in England it was Brian A. Sterling-Web.
The American breeder, Marguerita Goforth of the Goforth cattery maded it very clear in the beginning that her goal was to create a new breed called the Himalayan. She choice this name as in other animals such as the rabbit this name was used to relate to them. Stirling-Webb the breeder in England used the term Colorpoint Longhiars. In his program he crossed Black Persians to Siamese. Mrs Goforth succeeded in her goal, and in 1957 the Cat Fanciers' Association in the United States recognized this great new breed. Not far behind all other North American Associations followed suit. The very first Himalayan to become a Champion in United States was Goforth's La Chiquita.
Back to England as mentioned before Mr. Stirling-Webb of the Briarry cattery, was the first in this country joining him and working very closely was Mrs Harding, of the Mingchiu cattery. The Mingchiu line became very popular and much sought after in many parts of the world and most pedigrees trace back to this line. One great example of a breeder useing this line was the Harobed line of Plianview, New York who importanted many Mingchiu cats.
A very important breeder in the development of the Himalayan line was the Chestermere cattery in Alberta, Canada. Ben & Ann Borrett named thier cattery after thier ranch. These breeder became very important in produceing some great cats with great type of the time. Most of thier stock was imported from the Briarry cattery in England. One of thier most famous cats of the time was GC. Chestermere Kinuba. She was sold to Larry Keely and Boris Teron of the Nevah-Tep cattery of Illinois in 1964, and became one of thier foundation cats. Kinuba was the first Himalayan to become a Grand Champion in 4 assocations. 
Sterling-Webb and Mrs. Harding where the breeders in England that helped to get them recognized. In 1957 the Borrett were asked to draw up a standard for the breed. Many top cats came out of the Chestermere line and used to improve the breed, as the Chestermere line had a larger body type, much more massive then other lines of the time. For this reason the Chestermere line played a major roll at improveing the breed as a whole.
Now durning the 50s & 60s the Himalayan was being developed in other areas around the world. Work was being done in Germany on Seal points and Blue points. Also in the 60s in Holland Miss Gegina van Wessem of the Siyah Gush cattery a biologist introduced the Himalayan into that country. This breeder is a very important player in the development of the breed as she was one of the first to work on the beautiful Chocolates and Lilacs. To develop her line she crossed Blue Eyed White Persians to Siamese. She wasn't the only one developing these colors but her line was of very good type and much sought after in that time.
As the new breed took off most breeder in Europe got thier stock from England instead of North America as it was much less expensive for shipping. And North America was left to develop thier bloodlines. One must remember in this time that the standard for Persians and Himalayans in North America was more extreme in other words in North America our standard required a flatter face then the standard in England of the time. As time went by around the world most breeders desired the flatter North American look and North American lines in Canada and United States became very popular world wide, and even today they are. Today with the internet our world has indeed become a much smalled place makeing in much eazier to obtian any bloodline in the world, for the faster and greater development of the breed.
The Himalayan took about 37 years to develop into the great breed of today, from the first experimental breedings in the 1920s until the breed was accepted for registration in 1957. During the 37 years there was countless failures around the world but breeders kept thier dream alive and the Himalayan came into existance. The real dream had arrived but the dreaming went on to put a variety of colors in the breed, and of course to improve the quality at all times, no matter what. Now if you think of what you just read perhaps you can see where we got the name of our cattery DREAMZ, as the breed is truely a great colection of great dreams comeing into life. Where would we be without our dreams in respect of this breed. Lets pray our dreams keep this breed going on into the great future ahead. This is the one bred man can take credit for as comeing out of our dreams.

HIMALAYAN HYBRIDS, CPSs, or NONPOINTEDS

This can be the most confuseing topics at any time for a new comer or a pet owner let face it this area has even caused much debat through the history of this breed. Even some breeder today have a hard time explianing what a hybrid is to a new comer or pet owner and this misinformation is past on and past on causeing even more confusion in the fancy.
With each new generation a new term is used for the same thing, first it was Hybrid which explain perfectly for the time what it was a cross between 2 breds to develop a new breed. The cross was between the Persian and Siamese, a perfect term. Then the term CPC which means a cat that ''Carriers the Color Point gene'' . This was a great term to explian the offspring of a litter that was a produce of 2 parents that may give you kittens that carry the pionted color gene. Nonpoint the term most commonly used today this tell you that the kitten is a Persian color over the entire body but they have the gene to give you a pointed color patteren gene, this kitten would have pointed cats in his or her pedigree.
In the beginning the reason for Hybrid was very clear to develop the breed, latter on it was to bring in other colors and color patterens such as lynx patterens. Even today the Himalyan lines are crossed to top Persian lines produceing Hybrids or nonpoints the term most used today. This is done to continueally improve the type of the Himalayan or in other words to bring the type more like the Persian line being used. In the formation of the breed this was more so important. When breeding a Himalayan to a Persian the kittens are nonpointed looking like the Persian parent as the point gene is recessive. These nonpoints will produce pointed offspring. Another reason to breed to the Persian breed other then type that most breeder over look is to increase the gene pool which is of as great importance as the type improvement. Most Chocolate and lilac breeders know only too well how important this is. The Himalayan of today is now as good as many top Persian lines of the day.
Nonpoints have been very bad thought of in the fancy in the past and can even be seen today in a show hall. It is sad but old thoughts die hard, some judges and breeders see them as second rate or of a lower class. But when looked at for type they are just as good as other cats founded in both breeds Persian and Himalayan and several nonpointeds have won over both Himalayans and Persians, so don't be fooled.. For pet owner not understanding this at all some would think how is this possible how could it be a prue breed cat a cross between 2 breeds, how is this so. But all one would have to think is well the Himalyan was formed to be just another color of the Persian breed with no features of the Siamese other then color. Any crossing to a Siamese must never take place as that would be going the oppisite way.
Now lets think of this problem the asscociations had, they can't truely aloud cross breeding between 2 breed forever, if they where indeed 2 breeds, or could they. So some decisioned such as the CFA to classifiy the Himalayan as just a color class of the Persian breed, while other wrote in that the Himalayan was only permited to cross breed to the Persian breed. Now l ask you if breeders and the general public where confused about the cpc / nonpointed why would you think the registering associations would be any different. So in the CFA Himalayans are called Himalayan-Persians just a color class of the Persian breed and not a seperate breed. Many other associations still think of the Himalayan as a seperate breed. For the CFA this works as they couldn't think of alouding 2 breeds to continually cross breed indefinitely unless they became one breed.

BREEDS POPULARITY

Before the Himalayans came into existence there were two very popular breeds of cats, the longhiared Persian and the shorthaired siamese. Himalayan's ancestors are both of these breeds. Is it any wonder that since the development of the Himalayan, it has been up in the top 3 most popular breeds of cats. It was in the 80s that the Himalayan actually got into the top 2 most popular breeds of cats. It is amazeing that this breed was develop with the best appealing triats in mind of both of these breeds and it was materialized. And today Himalayans are being produced with as good as type as it's counter part the Persian.

CHOCOLATE, AND LILAC DEVELOPMENT

Now lets explian how Chocolate and Lilacs solids relate to Himalayans before getting into the topic, in any great detial. First, solid color nonpointed of any color whether Chocolate, Lilac, Blue, Black, or what ever, are in some assocations considered Himalayans as they carry the recessive gene to produce the pointed pattern a true Himalayan. In many associations solid Chocolate and Lilac Longhiars are registerable as Himalayans because the Chocolate point and Lilac point is being used to get the chocolate and lilac color transfered to the nonpointed. In the beginning to get the solid this was the case. It must be stated here, however if you breed to solids togeather or in other words 2 nonpoints togeather you can get a cat that does not carry the pointed gene. And liveing in the world we live in today these cats can be DNA color tested with Davis labs to see if they truely carry the pointed gene.Now to go back those first solid cats got thier color from the pointed cats as this rare color was only found in the pointed cat. Working with these colors was even more difficult as now they were working with another recessive gene bringing it up to now 3 recessive genes. They were a recessive gene for longhiar, a recessive gene for pointed color patteren and a recessive gene for the Chocolate / Lilac color. They're truely a masterpiece in genetics, makeing any good breeder in this color range a true artist.
All Chocolate and Lilacs in North America are descendent from the stock of 2 breeders, Brian Stirling-Webb from England, and regina van Wessem of the Netherlands. Brian Stirling-Webb, owner of the Briarry Cattery, first started to transfer the Chocolate, and Lilac colors to the longhiar cat, in the 50s.
The recessive gene of the Chocolate / Lilac means that when trying to produce one there must be a unbroken line on both sides of the cats pedigree to produce one. So there are only 3 ways to get a Visual [Chocolate / Lilac], first from 2 Visuals, second from a Visual to a Carrier, [a Carrier here refers to a cat that has the chocolate / lilac gene], and the last way is with 2 carriers bred togeather. Now in todays world things have gotten alot eazier, as there is a DNA color test to find out if a cat carriers the Chocolate / Lilac gene. But in the beginning there wasn't any such DNA testing so in order to determine which cats were carriers it was a long method of test breeding. Now look at your own breeding useing carriers how many litter do you produce with no Visuals, now you can see how hard and long these breedings took.
In 1957, the first Chocolate longhiar male was produced Briarry Bruno in England. The first Lilac longhiar was Mingchiu Lilak produced by Mrs Harding of Mingchiu, and Mr Stirling-Webb. After the death of Mr Stirling-Webb, Mrs. Harding continued to work on these colors. Two of Mingchiu Lilack's sons, Ch.Mingchiu Chirk and Mingchiu Kohcoh played a major role behing the Mingchiu Chocolate and Lilac line.
Chirk was a Blue point male Carrier which help to improve the type of the new color range of the time. While his brother Kohcoh was a solid chocolate, he helped to produce three generations of chocolate to chocolate, which is required to obtian a new breed status in England.
In the Netherlands during the 1960s, working independently of the English breeders, Regina van Wessem, owner of the Siyan Gush Cattery, created her own line of Chocolate and Lilac longhiars, Siyah Gush Zilveraschoon a Chocolate solid male, was the first Chocolate to be produced in the Netherlands. Regina van Wessem used imported U.S. Persian stock to improve her Chocolate and Lilac longhiars. During the period from 1970-1973, the better type Chocolates and Lilacs came to the United States from the Siyah Gush line. In 1973, Miss van Wessem's work was cut short by a fatal heart attack, however Mrs. Prose Hoog Moersbergen carried on her work in the Netherlands. 
Briarry Mould of Tahma, a Chocolate Longhiar in North America. This cat was imported in 1963, by Margaret Ewins, owner of the Tahma cattery in Montreal, Canada. The first Chocolate and Lilac longhiars in the United States arrived from England in 1969. They were four Mingchui chocolates imported by the Schneiders [ owner of the Assissi cattery ], Elinor Pittman [ owner of the Pitt's cattery ], and Patrick Horan [ owner of the Miversnit Cattery ]. The last three breeder imported Chocolate males named, Mingchiu Philo, and Mingchiu Bronzo, all of which played an important role in establishing the new colors in the U.S.
The cats imported during this period where of poor quality. The offspring from these imports were also of poor quality. In 1970, American breeders discovered Regina van Wessem in the Netherlands, and began importing Chocolates and Lilacs. The type of this line was better than the imported Mingchiu stock, because Siyah Gush stock was more Persian looking. It was the hope of the American breeders to cross the top lines and achieve better type than the parents. This unfortunately didn't happen for the American breeders, and the resulting offspring had worse type than the parent's type. American breeders finally gave up and started cross breeding to thier established top quality Persian lines. This work is long and tedious, and still going on today.
Besides type improving, work was and is being done on the color range of the Chocolate and Lilac. In 1972, the first Chocolate Tortieshell longhiar in the U.S. was Miversnit's Marmelade; in 1973, the first Lilac-Cream longhiar was Miversnit's Ambrosia. And the list of firsts goes on and on including the list of first Grands. This color range group is continuing to grow in both type and new colors.

LYNX POINT DEVELOPMENT

Around 1972, the latest color pateeren entered into the Himalayan's color range. Unlike everything else dealing with the Himalayans. this lynx patteren was fairly easy to work with. For the gene responsible for the lynx patteren [ agouti gene ], is dominant and not a recessive gene. Finally Himalayan breeders had a dominant gene to work with. With this gene only one parent needed to be a Lynx for the offspring to be Lynx points or Tabbies.
Due to this Lynx point breeders were able to breed Lynx points fast then Chocolate and Lilac breeders.Which means that top Lynx points could be breed faster then Chocolates and Lilacs, a Lynx point breeder's job was much eazier.
You would think that everything sounds great for this color patteren well not so, as Lynx points had a harder time to get accepted by associations and some breeders. The problem was in that some breeders felt these stripes would ruin the other colors of Himalayans, by putting stripes on point color where they didn't want it. Another problem was the name Lynx point it caused Confusion. Some breeders thought that this patteren came about from crossing with the wild Canadian Lynx to the Himalayan, as the main work on lynx points was first done in Canada. Of course this is not true, and the name Lynx point is just that.
Lynx points were developed after all other colors points in the breed. One of the first breeders was Shirley Graziani, owner of the jubilee cattery. The development resulted from an accidental breeding between her Himalayans and Silver Persians. As already mentioned in the section on Nonpointed Himalayans, this type of breeding produces a solid color cpc / nonpointed. Shirley Graziani kept the best female and bred her back to a Himalayan producing Lynx points and off we went.
Kay Hughes, owner of the Kaze Khyber cattery, in Toronto, Canada played a very important role in Canada as well as the United States at getting the Lynx point recognized by the associations. Some of Kay Hughes's foundation stock came from Sunny Louch, owner of the Sunny Lo cattery, in Ontario Canada. And Sunny Louch's first Lynx points came from Shirley Graziani. A point of interest here is that l knew both of these breeders and was a good friend of Kay Hughes, l also saw many of Sunny Louch's cats in Ottawa cat shows. l actually owned a couple of Kay Hughes's cats many years ago when l first breed cats. Kay was a very stronge promoter of the Seal Lynx and Blue Lynx point, however she was just as stonge agianst other Lynx point colors being bred. Her belief and not just her's was that other Lynx points such as the Tortie Lynx point had too much going on in a small pointed area to properly, and clearly see the color. Lucky there was other breeders who disagreed on this point and the other Lynx point colors were developed and accepted. To be honest l was one of those breeders who had produced the Tortie Lynx point and Blue Cream Lynx point, and this led to some very heated talks over the phone about the right or wrong of these beautiful colors. l truely believe that if Kay would of stayed in the fancy long enough she would of seen these newer Lynx point colors in thier glory.
In 1975 Carolyn Baker of SandyPaws in United States, got a pleasent surprize Lynx point in one of her litters. Sandypaws soon became a very important part of the Lynx point's development and acceptance in North America. And today her bloodline is greatly respected and looked after. Carolyn Baker's Lynx bloodline was developed from Tabbies, this was founded to produce the much more desirable body type much more massive and heavier boneing.
The Lynx point color originated in Canada, and the Canadian breeders have always led the way in produceing top show Lynx points. Even today, Kay Hughes is looked upon by many as being one of the top founding breeders of Lynx points. The CCA was the first association to recognize the Lynx point. During this time the demand for Canadian Lynx points was great. In the beginning Lynx points came from Silver Persians, but Silvers tend to have a finer boneing and much smaller body size in the Persian world. Another method was to use Tabby Persians, that are of a larger body structure. This later method soon became the better way of produceing top Lynx pionts, and many breeders around the world took this route. Both of these breeders Kay Hughes, and Carolyn Baker are the 2 breeders were the first to develop this color patteren in the Himalayan and any breeder of these colors owe so much respect to these 2 breeders. 

CONCLUSION

In closing, l would like to say that through all seemingly impossible odds agianst the development of the Himalayan cat; the dream came true and today we have truely the most beautiful cat in the world. Breeders had to fight agianst, the lack of knowledge regarding genetics, World War II, distances between breeders involved in this similar goal, lack of awareness regarding breeders involed in this goal, several recessive genes, having the new breed accepted in the associations, getting new colors developed and accepted in the associations, confusion over cpcs / nonpointeds and where or if they should fit it, and finally whether or not to keep the Himalayan as an independent breed.
Today the Himalayan is truely a masterpiece of genetics, but with the advancements now in breeding and genetics who knows what new colors will come to be. It has always been a great learning experience, and l've been very proud to have been involved in a small way, with this breed's continual development. In the cat world, the Himalayan is truely a prime example of a man-made breed, an excellent example of what can be done through genetics, cross breeding, hybridization, selective breeding, the corporation and shareing of knowledge amoung breeders, and through patience. The Himalayan has been a great success not only in over comeing the seemingly endless problems, but also in becomeing one of the most popular breeds of today. Finally the Himalayan is a beautiful dream come true, even agianst the seemingly impossible odds.

 

WILL TWO POINT CARRIERS PRODUCE A KITTEN THAT DOESN'T CARRY THE POINT GENE 

Many breeders have wondered if it is possible for 2 Color Point Carriers to produce a kitten that doesn't carry the point gene. It is a very good question when you think of it and the simple answer is yes. Some breeders will take it one step further and claim that it isn't possible and that some breeders may falsify their pedigree. Now to what ends would this give, DNA testing when done properly doesn't lie. Two reasons why this would be important to a breeder first if a breeder is trying to improve type and has bred 2 CPCs together. Next is for the Chocolate & Lilac breeder who wishes to develop a line of solid Chocolate and Lilacs that don't have the point gene. A few very good Chocolate and Lilac breeders have produced cats already that don't carry the point gene. It is old school way of thinking that all solid Chocolates and Lilacs carry the point gene because this just isn't the case and DNA testing can prove it. Once again I state a good breeder must DNA color test even more so if they breed Chocolates & Lilacs, using a good lab. I must also state here that a DNA test is only as good as, first, the person taking the sample and, second, the lab doing the testing. Therefore, great care must be taken in getting the sample and great care must be taken in finding a lab that produces correct results. There are some breeders using this tool in their breeding program to remove the point gene in their solid Chocolate and Lilacs already today.

Two Non-pointed Himalayans of any color can produce a solid that doesn't carry any point gene at all, and such off spring will never produce a pointed kitten. You must remember a firm rule as with the Chocolate & Lilac gene the point gene is Recessive, therefore when producing them there must not be an unbroken chain on both sides of the pedigree. In other words, the gene must be carried down both sides of the family tree. So lets put it in gene wise, so Cc [color point carrier] X Cc [color point carrier], now remember each kitten gets one gene from each parent. Also remember that a dominant gene is shown by a capital letter in this case C, and the Recessive is small case c. Now such a breeding would give you an average percentage of:

****25% CC full color kittens that don't carry the Recessive pointed gene this is what we are talking about, these kittens end up with 2 Dominant genes.

****25% cc pointed color pattern kittens these have 2 recessive genes therefore showing the pointed pattern,

*****50% Cc would be full colored cats that carry the point gene, these kittens have one Recessive gene and one Dominant gene, makes these kittens show full color but carries the pointed pattern gene, [like both parents].

One must also remember that if you are looking at any solid colored kitten from 2 non-pointed Himalayans to bring into your line, and you want pointed kittens down the road you must DNA test to see if that kitten indeed has the pointed gene. A breeder should never assume all kittens of 2 non-pointed cats will carry the pointed gene, it is not a given. If you don't use the DNA testing one can waste much time. Just think of the time before DNA color testing. Breeders had to go through a lot of test breedings. Think of all that time waiting for a kitten to mature only to find out she or he didn't have the genes desired for the breeder's program.

Now here is another point to think about. Say you are a Chocolate / Lilac breeder. And lets say that you want a line of non-pointeds that don't carry the point gene, remember that with 2 cpcs you can get 25% in such a litter that don't carry the point gene. And with DNA testing you could find which kittens in a litter don't carry the point gene and develop a line that is pure without the point gene. Lets think about this. Such a line would give you solids with no pointed cats and when bred to a pure Persian line to improve the type even more, well the results could be a very beautiful line of Chocolates and Lilacs. Some breeders are doing just that today. One must never forget however that your greatest tool in developing such a line is DNA testing; it is a great time saver. I hope I've helped some of you as it is an area some breeders get lost in and I've already answered it for others before. Some breeders clearly understand all this completely but this is purely to help those who don't.

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