Hi--I'm new and shy

[/font] Hi..I just joined this evening. I've been sitting here reading posts for several hours, working up the nerve to jump in. I have been rescuing cats for many years. I have a large feral colony I care for and have been dubbed Cat Woman. When I moved from WV to Illinois, I brought as many of my ferals as possible with me. The ones that were too wild, I made arrangements for their care. I also breed and show Chantilly/Tiffanys, an old new breed. I look forward to the exchange of advice and the sharing of our love and concern for the felines we have been blessed to care for and to love.

Hi Amorino - welcome. No need to be shy, everyone here is lovely and friendly.

I've not heard of Chantilly/Tiffany breeds, are they specialist to the US? Can you post some pictures? Unfortunately it's a little far for me to go to get to Illinois and see your kitties in the flesh!

Lovely to hear you are working with ferals - those chaps need all the help they can get, thanks for caring enough about them.

Hi and welcome to the site! Tiffanies are beautiful cats!! Sorry but I just couldn't help posting this pic...



Really, there is no need to be shy here!! We are just a bunch of cat lovers! Sounds like you do a wonderful work with yur rescues and breeding babies... and as Yola said - we want pics!!
Make yourself at home, and hope to see you posting often!

You're right Bod - what a stunning cat!

Annnd, just for your information.. (and anyone else in the UK haha), there is a breeder in Nottingham...... sooooooo

Hi--thank you for the warm welcome! No fair Bod!! LOL...what a beautiful cat! Looks like a Chocolate Tabby? No Yola, they are not just here in the US. As Bod pointed out, there is a breeder in her part of the world...which I did not know about. I am only aware of one in Canada...Tracy, she is our breed chair, one in Washington State, Kristie, where my newest female came from, one in West Virginia, which is where my male and my next female are from, one in Illinois...gee...wonder who that could be? :tounge2: One in Germany, can't remember her name right now. There used to be two of us here in Illinois and one in Florida, but we lost them. If there are other C/T breeders/owners on this list, I would just love to hear from you.

I would love to post pictures for you, but in the meantime (since I'm late for an appointment) would it be brash of me to direct you to my web site? You'll find tons of pictures there along with a history of the breed. The address is: www.amorinocattery.com

Gotta run, I'm late for a very important date. Thank you all again for a wonderful welcome!

Just so you know - thats not my kitty!! Sorry!! I should have explained!!! (I just posted in a fit of excitement.. hahah!) I just found that pic on the net and thought it was a beautiful pic of the breed!! Oh how I wish it WAS mine!!

I'm going to look at your site right now... to drool over the pics...
hope you made it on time for your appointment!!

Welcome to the site! Your cats from your cattery are just beautiful. When you have kittens in your home you HAVE to post pics of them so we can all be good cyber-aunts (and uncles) and love them from afar until they go to their furrever home!

How wonderful, too, that you care for ferals. I'm sure you have seen the Feral Colonies forum here, and we can always use more expert advice there!

Like the others said, no need to be shy here. It is truly a wonderful bunch of people here from all over the world. And of course, we all LOVE cats of all shapes, sizes and colors.

I thought that pretty kitty was yours Bod, I was about to be jealous! Thank you twice, Valanhb..once for your warm welcome and once for the compliment about my kitties. Furever home...that's cuuute! I can't wait for my next litter! I'll be doing another breeding in February/March. I'm giving every one the winter off to just rest and hibernate. I'm sure my kitties will love all of their cyber Aunts and Uncles.

Actually, no I haven't been to the Feral Colonies yet. I don't think I've found that link. I have about 40 ferals I care for. Some are special needs kitties, so my wonderful husband built a cattery to house them in...of course, there is a girls side and a boys side. My Chantilly/Tiffanys share my home with four other special needs kitties...all rescues from through the years. One of them has cancer. Her vet is surprised that she's still with me..I wouldn't have it any other way. She's so loving, I refuse to let her go. She's not suffering, so as long as she has the will, I am right beside her with whatever she needs or wants for as long as she chooses to stay.

Ohh..Bod...next time you drool on my site, could you use a napkin...goodness but my, I must have spent 20 minutes cleaning up after you! (hehehe)

I was about 30 minutes late this morning, but I have to be forgiven because I was going to church to volunteer some time!

I've never tried an attachment and I'm not real computer literate. The attached picture is supposed to be of my Chantilly/Tiffany male, Hershey Nugget, LTD. It's one that I have framed and it goes to the shows with us and sits on top of his show crate. Ooooos and ahhhhs are definitely allowed! LOL

Well...ok, now it told me the pixles were too much...geeze...well, I'm nothing if not persistent! One more time...prepare for oooooo and ahhhhs. As I said earlier, this is the one that I always put on top of his show cage. It is in a very nice frame.

He's beautiful! That look on his face gave me a big smile!

Well, shucks, thanks! I just can't help myself, he is a handsome boy, isn't he? I love the expression on his face, too.

I'm going to try attaching another one..yeah, right...anyway, this one was taken when he was about 4 months old. He's sleeping in his lambs wool bed which sits between our pillows on our waterbed. Yes, his bed is there yet today and he sleeps there every night...except when he's curled up in my arms. We came home from town yesterday to find him all snuggled in his bed...what a life!

You know, you look at pictures like these and how could you not be a devoted cat lover? It is actually a requirement of entry into our family. Both my kids ask prospective partners how they feel about cats and more than one person has been given the chop because they don't like them! I kid you not!
Diann in Australia

Amorino - what a precious little angel.

Cute face too! Lucky you.

I understand, Diann. I have given the thumbs down twice to prospective husbands because of my cats. It's a packaged deal. Marry me, marry my cats, too. I even divorced my last husband over my cats.I heard two of my cats fighting in the barn and I grabbed the water hose to stop it. I caught my now ex-husband kicking the cats to break them up. Guess who ended up wet?? LOL. That wasn't the only time I caught him being mean, but it was surely the last.

I would never dream of abandoning one or all of my children because a man didn't like them. Well, the same with my cats, they are my children and they are a very real part of my family. I have even asked certain family members to not bring their children to my house again because the kids like to tease my cats.

There are very few things in this life I am passionate about. I am usually a very laid back and extremely quiet person. But...when someone pushes my button, I am a force to be reckoned with. I won't deal, I don't have to deal with cruelty towards another human or an animal.

If it means turning the water hose on someone, turning someone in to the authorities or divorce, I'll do whatever means I feel necessary to stop the behavior of that person. I have a reputation in my neighborhood and within my own clan...mess with her family or her animals and you have to deal with her...yikes! LOL

With that attitude, you will fit in very well here. In general, we are all that passionate about our kitties, and all kitties. The way I look at it, if a person has it in them to be mean or cruel to a (relatively) defenceless animal, there is something behind that action. I have no patience for someone like that.

Where are you at in Illinois? My hubby's from the Chicago area, Dekalb to be exact.

If you haven't done so yet, have a peek around our other forums. For some reason there are a lot of cute kitty pics in The Cat Lounge right now, and please jump right in to any of our ongoing conversations. And of course, your experience and knowledge would be greatly appreciated in the Health, Behavior, Grooming, and Feral forums. No reason to be shy around here any more! You've seen how wonderful our members are just in this thread.

It is sure nice to be around others that understand my attitude toward the care and nurturing of animals...and toward those who look to harm them. I usually find myself defending my attitudes. It's great being in place where understanding prevails. Yes I agree, people who are capable of being mean toward animals have deeper psychological problems.

I'm way down south in the paw paw patch from you. LOL. I'm just about an hour north of Paducah, Kentucky. However, we are getting ready to move. I'll be moving home whereas my husband will be the one in transition. Home is in North Central West Virginia and I just can't wait to get there! After we get established there, I am going to apply for a grant. I want to build a no kill cat shelter aimed at educating the public and especially children about proper animal care and the importance of spaying/neutering. I want to teach our youngsters about respecting our animals by letting them have hands on care in the shelter. Our youngsters are the hope of our future. Teach them right and we secure ourselves, the animals and the survival of humanity.

Thank you, I have had a chance to visit some of the other forums. The knowledge and expertise I'm surrounded by is very grand. I find I am learning much I didn't know, so I'm not sure how much help I can be to others. Before coming here, I felt fairly knowledgeable...I've been humbled and that's ok. Nothing wrong with a person staying in check with themselves.

The members here are all very neighborly. I have been welcomed with open arms and it feels wonderful. I think I've come out of my shell. Now my worry swings the other way...oh my gosh, what if they run when they see yet another amorino post! LOL

Thank you all for your wonderful hospitality.

Ohhh... don't be scared of us.... we don't bite :vampireL: (too hard!)

Welcome!!!!