This articles are from Cat-Tab june 1977

Grand Champion Pirot Lumumba of Happy Days,
Blue British Shorthair, owned by Mrs. Mona day.

THE BRITISH ARE HERE

by Kathleen A. Rohrer

My recollections of the British Shorthair go back to 1969 and a cat named Gr. Ch. Pensylva Daucus of Harobed (imp.), owned by Rose Levy of Plainview, N. Y.

In the 1969-70 CFF Parade of Perfection, Daucus was best British Blue. This in itself was just a national breed win, but with Daucus the British had arrived in CFF.

In 1972-73, Draco's Cindy-Lill of Happy Days, owned by Mrs Mona Day was CFF's 5th Best Cat in the Midwest Region. Cindy-Lill is important in that she was the dam of Gr. Ch. Happy Days Cricket of Bili Basha, owned by the late Mr. and Mrs Albert Dickens, of Cincinnati, Ohio, who went on to become the 1974-75 Best Cat in the Midwest Region and 5th Best Cat in CFF.

In 1973-74, Gr. Ch. Pirot Lumumba of Happy Days (imp.) owned by Mrs Mona Day, was Best Cat in the Midwest Region and 5th Best Cat in CFF. Lumumba is the big name in British Shorthairs today. To date Lumumba and Cricket have produced five British Shorthair Grand Chamions of which four have gone on to take CFF National Awards.

In 1974-75, Bili Basha's Azure of K-La, owned by the author and her husband, Ed, was 3rd Best Kitten Cff National and Bali Basha's Falstaff, was 3rd Best Cat in the Midwest Region.

In 1975-76, Falstaff took forth Best Cat and Azure took 5th Best Cat CFF National. In that same year Bili Basha's Pound Sterling, owned by Brad Dickens, Cicinnati, Ohio, was 3rd Best Kitten an Bili Basha's Chips of Trails End, owned by Kathleen Daburlos of Birdsboro, Pa., was 5th Best Kitten CFF National.

Both Cricket and Lumumba deservs special regognition in the world of British Shorthairs, as do their owners, Mrs. Mona Day and the late Alice Dickens. This combination has done much to promote and advance the British Shorthair in the Cat Fancy.  Their list of famous offsprings include Gr. Ch. Azure, Gr. Ch. Falstaff, Gr.Ch. Bili Basha's Lady Jane Gray of K-La, owned by the Roberts, Gr. Ch. Bili Basha's Union Jack, owned by Mrs. Bettijane Myjak of Rockfall, Ct., Gr. Ch. Bili Basha's Chips of Trails End and Ch. Bili Basha's Pound Sterling.

K-La's Bashet, owned by Mrs. Pam Marsters, Eagle River Alaska, and K-La's Pikadilly are the grand kittens of both Lumumba and Daucus. They are the blending of these two first great British sires. Both have already taken many final wins as kittens.

The cats I have mentioned above have all been shown in CFF. However, there have been great British Shorthairs in other associations. Gr. Ch. Kalico's Mary Poppins of Marvonack, owned by Jack and Yvonne Patrik, Vancouver, British Columbia, was the 1974 ACFA and All-American Cat of the Year. In 1976, Gr. Ch. Marvonack's John Bull, owned by the Patrik's was a big winner in ACFA as was Gr. Ch Happy Day's Mibritt of Far East, then owned by Jean Kryszczuk of Buffalo, N. Y., was also a big winner in CCA.

All these cats are BLUE British Shorthairs. Some associations accept all the colors of British Shorthairs. Some notable grand Champions in other colors than blue are Gr. Ch. Trafalgar's Creme de Cocoa, a cream, Gr. Ch. Jindivik Fair Apollo of overland, a cream mackeral tabby, and Gr. Ch Saramay Solikely of Overland, a white.

While they are not a new breed, the British Shorthair is relatively new in North America, but their wins are impressive and you will be seeing them more and more.

British Shorthair breeders have no reason to be blue.

by Mona Day

A few years ago I had imported a Chinchilla Persian from Sweden, Ruthborgs Lorelei of Happy days. ( She ended up 4th Best Alter a few years ago.) Her breeder sent me a pamphlet including her well-known queen. In this booklet was also a picture, shown in this article, of a mother sitting with her kittens.

A Draco's British Blue litter with mother Brämhult Blå Beatrice. This is the picture that sold Mona Day on British Shorthairs and led to the importation of Gr. Ch. Pirot Lumumba of Happy Days who is behind most of the top British Blue Shorthairs in America today.

This was the most beautiful breed of cats I have ever seen. I fell in love at first sight and knew in my heart that one day I would have one of those interesting-looking creatures living with me.

I am fortunate to have several "cat people friends" abroad and one of them got me my first British Blue, Draco's Cindy-Lill of Happy Days. At the time, I was unable to show very much myself and Alice Dickens of Bili Basha cattery became my agent. She showed first Cindy-Lill and later Pirot Lumumba of Happy Days to their grand chamionships.

Cindy was bread to Gr. Ch. Tristan de Chatelauze, a French import, and they produced my first litter of British Blues. I had sexed the entire litter as females, but a well-known judge, and a friend of mine, decided the biggest one was a boy. I decided to keep him. In the meantime, the Blues had gotten to Alice and she wanted to buy a kitten. When looking for her new companion, Alice picked my boy. I told her that he was my future stud and as she wanted a girl, she should pick another kitten. To us who were fortunate to know Alice, it is clear that she would not just take my word for the kittens sex. She picked up the kitten and I can still hear her say "If this is a male, he surely has lost all his equipment". This female kitten was later named Happy Days Cricket of Bili Basha and I dare say, became one of the Dickens' most beloved cats. Cricket was bread twice to Lumumba before the untimely deaths of Alice and Dick. This has been an excellent combination of genes and I believe that all their kittens have granded.

As the name of the breed tells us, these cats come from Britain.

...Here Mona says some words about the British Shorthairs in England and the breed standard...and she finishes the article...

If I might generalize, I would say that the British Shorthairs are quiet and pleasant cats, most with a very small voice. They are calm and not easily "ruffled". They are sweet gentle and affactionate.

It has been a very rewarding experience for me personally to know and work with these noble cats. I recommend them sincerely to people who are looking for a companion that is stable, good tempered with lots of love to give and on top of this, is so darned good-looking.

If you have any further information or photos, that you would like to add to this page, please contact me.