Richard

At cat shows, viewers often ask us to tell more about our wonderful cat, but the cat's story is inseparable from the life of our entire small family. Therefore, I will begin with the fact that my husband and I were very lucky with each other - we are both cat lovers. When my husband studied at a military school, he had a stray cat, a common striped mullet, in the pantry next to the taverns, and every day he fed her fried fish, one of favorite dishes among the soldiers. The fact he loved cats, has greatly strengthened my confidence in the correctness of the choice of life partner, and since then I strongly advise the girls, making a choice for a future partner, to ask: "How does the candidate for future husband relate to cats?". (I must say I totally agree with Larissa)

Well, the cat, Richard, a favorite of the public and judges, an incomparable black marble Siberian, was born on a cold December night the year of 1991. My husband was serving in a small town Spassk-Dalniy Primorsky Krai and he had two cherished dreams - to get an apartment and get a cat. Both dreams were fulfilled almost at the same time, and we did not know that a tiny kitten, that we named “Richard” for a laugh,would take such a large place in our life and fully justify its proud name. (That's really true: "how do you call a boat, so it will float.") But this is in the distant future, and at first, Richardik was an ordinary, very lively, inquisitive kitten who never left me a single step.
Together we were engaged in domestic affairs and we were always conversing heartily together while his  “father” was serving in endless guard’s duties. Those conversations were very important for the development of the kitten.

Now with an adult cat we communicate on an equal footing, we understand each other from a half-look, and we can always agree on a matter of principle.

Although Richard is still a cat with a capital letter and knows everything about everything better than us, he is tied with all his heart to us parents, and not to the house, unlike most cats, and a lot of our moves are completely calm. The main thing is that mom and dad are next! Probably from here and his desire to protect.Once we were brought to a mating for a kitty, a little fluffy beauty, but with a completely unbearable character. She snarled and hissed like a hundred snakes, cursing the most terrible cat-like curses, and Richard, then a young cat, was afraid to approach her closer than two meters. And I, very brave, did not fear our small guest, and I was crouched in front of her, intending to pat. The cat picked up a clawed paw and in a second would put it in my face. But my cat saw the danger faster than I did, - it took him a second to forget his fear, he crossed the room like an arrow and at the last moment, stepped close to my face protecting me with his broad back.
Andnot the only example of the greatness of Richard's soul. With age he became more restrained in the manifestation of emotions, under no circumstances lose his self-esteem, but his love and affection for the owners is manifested daily in every look and deed. Richardard loves guests very much, never hides from strangers,he greets everyone who comes at our door steps.

Actually, benevolence and generosity are the main features of his character. He wasn’t kind with other tom cats but he was very good with the ladies like a Romeo. 
 Kittens Richardard likes - with them is strict, but fair, tolerates the pranks of numerous offspring, but he does not allow them to go beyond limits. When one of our cats give birth, Richard is always there.

He started his show life quite late when we returned from the Far East to our homeland, to Kazan. He was for the first time at a cat exhibition when he was six years. The debut turned out to be very successful – From a house cat, a newcomer, Richard turned into a real Siberian cat, was nominated for Best and was awarded the title of "best in the breed." Since then, the path of Richard in the exhibition of cat beauty can be called truly triumphal: "Magnificent copy!", "I enjoyed the judging of such a luxurious cat.
Title - with pleasure! "," Magnificent, brazen cat "," Beauty is beloved! Decoration of the exhibition! ", - such entries leave admiring judges in his scorecards. And as a natural completion of each exhibition - an indispensable participation in the "BestinShow"!

At home, in Kazan, Richard, like a star of the first magnitude, has constant admirers who always come to the exhibitions – cheer, and even travel with us to other cities. n one such trip, an important event happened in the life of Richard. In the winter of this year at the World Exhibition in Moscow he met a charming Siberian cat Niagara from the kennel Veshy Son and realized that he could no longer live without seeing these emerald eyes. The true feeling gives rise to the response, the heart of the woman could not resist the power and nobility of the gentleman, and the young marble bwoman, despite her county title of the Great International Champion, threw the capital and left for the beloved in Kazan.

This is how we have a small cattery of Siberian cats, which we, as the indigenous inhabitants of Kazan, want to name in honour of the beloved city “Kazan Legend” (Kasanskaya Legenda). This name, in our opinion, is successful in many respects. Kazan is an ancient city with its centuries-old traditions, its history is intertwined with a great many legends and legends. And one of them – about the existence of the once famous to all Russia Kazan cats, which were famous for their power and beauty! They were considered the pride of the land of Kazan and were taken from here to all parts of the country and even to Moscow, to the royal court, following a special decree of Elizabeth Petrovna.

It is believed that the Kazan cats were apparently one of the isolated populations of the current Siberians. But in fact one of the Russian failures – what we have, we do not conserve …. Today you will not find kazan Siberian cats on the streets of Kazan, they milled, dissolved in the total mass of domestic cats. It is very insulting that the Kazanians did not keep their furry miracle. And if the gene pool of the Kazan Siberian cat is lost forever, then it would be very desirable to restore and increase their former glory. That’s why we are looking for among fellow countrymen who are also keen on our native Siberian breed, so that together with the Far-Eastern hero Richard, we can surprise the world with new Kazan Cats!

Well, for now “new Kazan” is still very little: In September, happiness arose in our house – Niagara’s Veshy Son and Richard had offspring – six charming marbles. Five sons and a daughter-daughter were worthy of the glory of the dad and mother. In their month and a half they already took part in the exhibition of cats and got their first title – “Bestlitter”!

Kittens grow quickly and have already begun to be determined in life: one of them moved to the new owners in Kazan, the second went to Nizhny Novgorod, the third is waiting in Novosibirsk. And the most seniors and a big one of them, with the brightest red marble pattern, is building far-reaching plans - to go to Moscow, to grandmother, Nadezhda Komolova and to become the World Champion!
But the plans of a small ambitious person to come true are very difficult, because at the last World Cat Show in Nizhny Novgorod, dad Richard was a great success but even if  he was nominated to "BestinShow" he took second place in the semi-long-haired group, losing to the handsome balinez, but got the prize "Best Siberian"  and won against a cat from the cattery "Rossiti". And most importantly, - from the hands of the WCF president, Mrs. Annelise Hackman, - Richard received his first highest title - "Candidate for World Champions"!
This is the unfinished story of the mighty Siberian hero Richard and our family, in whom everyone loves each other but for other reasons than beauty and champion titles.