I'm taking you on a journey....

Chapter: 18 Lady Luck

Sometimes you ask yourself, why am I doing this, why am I doing this? Does it make sense? Is it what I wanted?

Perhaps the whole story here reads as if it were a single, arduous struggle. But we have also had unique, incredible moments in our breeding history. All the successes we were able to celebrate. At the shows, when we fought and won with our animals. The newspaper reports, interviews we were allowed to give, we were also on TV. All of this gave us many beautiful and unique moments. But in all those years, seeing people suddenly open up, letting the veil fall, revealing their true colours, and it was not us humans, not us, but the animal, the cat, that penetrated deep into people's souls, changed them and brought them out. These were probably the most beautiful and unique moments, in addition to all our personal experiences and memories that we made with our velvet paws and yes, every cat that found its way to us, to me, was unique and extraordinary. Every creature that was here with us was something very, very special and I know, like every other person, that no other creature can ever replace what was lost. Never! Every being is and was too personal, too unique, too extraordinary and that is a good thing....

There was a couple whose husband had deep depression and was suffering from it. We didn't know, how could we? On the outside, he was a man of integrity. Self-confident, secure in life and yet completely torn, helpless and searching for the truth. When our Kirkiboy moved in with you, he changed. Helped him to accept life as it was. When Kirkiboy had an accident and died in his arms, tragic as it was, one life gave meaning to the other and the man needed no more therapy sessions. That's what he told us.

Another time, when the father wanted to give his son a surprise. To give courage to face life, to hope for joy. To a young life whose time was limited. He begged us to give them a chance, he would look after the velvet paw after his son's death. We didn't know how bad it was. We only knew it was a 50-50 chance of living. This young man, almost grown up, so quiet, introverted and almost apathetic, entered the living room. He didn't say a word, didn't want to, didn't like to. Would there even be any contact between man and animal? And when the little kitten climbed onto his lap, paused there, gazed into astonished eyes and carefully nestled its soft, cuddly body against slender hands...

Watching what happiness means, how love grows, how joy arises, is unimaginable. We never had to make an effort, we found who belonged together. I'd like to know if the boy made it. But I will probably never know.

Back when two people found their way to coming out through our two kittens and admitted to each other and the world that yes, we two are a couple and instead of children, we want two velvety companions. Back then, when two tots approached the two of us and sat down on our laps. Without words, without gestures. Inviting them to play with them...

Or the girl who came along for her mother's sake. A mother who left no stone unturned to make her daughter's life worth living, even though the chances of recovery were slim. The girl who didn't know what she was supposed to do here. How she should behave, what she was there for. Like a butterfly, she settled delicately on a narrow strip of the sofa. While her mother hoped the girl would be delighted by all the little, fuzzy kittens. She tried to bring the light-heartedness and joy of the small, cuddly creatures closer to the girl. But it didn't work. A little toddler lay next to the young, delicate woman. It had been asleep and, as if woken by a ghostly hand, the kitten began to yawn, stretching to stand next to the girl in a step or two. Unprompted, it gained the young woman's lap, gazed up into a fixed and yet boundlessly surprised face, curled up and slumbered peacefully on....

The man who never wanted a white cat, was reluctant and tried to avoid the white Yema by all means. He had actually promised his family that he would adopt two kittens. He himself was not particularly interested. When the family entered the living room, the children immediately sat down on the floor and called out to their mum with shining eyes: *Look Mummy, how cute! The man remained standing on the sidelines, somewhat confused and impassive. They scurried, cuddled, played and the kittens were all on the move like a sack of fleas, except for one. White as snow, little Yema approached this one human. Everywhere he went, there was Yema. He couldn't sit down, Yema was there. He couldn't kneel, Yema was there. But he didn't want to and you could see the strain, the discomfort, the struggle inside him. This one man turned away, visibly moved, but unable to allow it. The wounds were too deep? Too fresh? When his wife told me later that he, her husband, had a bitch, white as snow. His life companion....

We have experienced so much. Wonderful, touching and incredible moments. I wouldn't want to miss any of these moments, even if it wasn't always easy to maintain a breeding programme!
All the births we were able to experience. Each one an experience in itself. When the mother animal, full of trust in us, surrendered to the birth and wanted us to be there. Because woe betide us if we moved away! It was always an adventure, even a struggle. Sometimes we lost, deep sadness, anger, disappointment and sometimes we won the battle, laughed, rejoiced and also cried because we had made it. Every little one, whether he stayed with us, became a star child or moved on, was worth fighting for, loving and cherishing.
Sometimes in the middle of the night, when I inspected the litter and brought food or water to the mums. When we heard and saw it, the fight for the source of life, because every little toddler had to show that he wanted to live. All this and so much more may be insignificant moments for others. But for us, for me, they are the best, the most beautiful and most worthwhile moments of my journey through this time.

Tonks was born back in May 2010 and Nelly entrusted her to me. I asked for a girl with lots of fur, which Tonks definitely had. But Tonks not only had a breathtaking coat, she was also extremely intelligent and dominant. A great cat who not only gave us fantastic offspring like Bjarki or Ariel, she was also very sure-footed in breeding as a mother and raised every kitten confidently and without any problems. There is not much to say about Tonks. But that doesn't mean that this cat didn't get to me. We later rehomed Tonks. She moved to Basel and was the absolute ruler and queen😊

Wizard's Alley Tonks

Bjarki and Ariel from A-Riverway, both children of Tonks.

In the same year, at the end of November 2010, you were born. Actually, I slowly stopped buying foreign kittens. I was no longer so much on the hunt for new, rare lines. Because I had everything I wanted. We had it here. These rare lines, rare colourings. We had achieved so much. What else did I want? Now it was time to put all this into the work to realise my vision of a Norwegian. We hadn't achieved a World Winner, but I still had a picture in my head of how I saw a Norwegian Forest Cat and even today he is the epitome of my Norwegian! Heaven Hills Big Bang.

But today, here and now, I can also say for myself that I have realised my Norwegian. I take for example:

North Cape Nemo, Onyx, Bjarki, not to forget Svan. On the female side, Leona, Nubia and Astrid are just as important as Sasha.

I think I can say without arrogance, but with a lot of pride, that I was able to realise my Norwegian. But I would also like to mention that I more or less withheld all these cats from the shows, apart from Leona. Because I already knew back then that I would never win with them, even if one of them had ambitions to become a World Winner. Each of our animals was and is a unique jewel and I was allowed to have them with me. What a success! And then there was you, and as it happens, one day, or was it in the evening? I saw you. It's those moments when trained eyes see and know exactly that! Again? No, leave it Uli. We'll leave it. I thought to myself. But it was already too late. You were already in my head and you conquered my heart just as quickly.

Satyr's Nora Farah

In the spring of 2011 you came to us by plane and won Best in Show at a tender young age. Oh, how proud I was. But your character was actually worth much, much more. You were a calm, incredibly even-tempered cat. Nora showed an authority that I have only ever seen in Astrid. Nora was never loud, aggressive or argumentative, and yet Nora stood her ground. But this cat never got loud or quarrelled. As a mother, Nora was very confident. Every baby was brought up. Nora quickly taught the kittens to be independent. Nora was able to stop the flow of milk from the 6th week of pregnancy. Nora was a cat who always ensured peace and order in a quiet way. There were never any arguments, bickering or hissing, NEVER!
You gave us Yello and my marvellous Brun. Through Yello, Farah came to me, who reminded me so much of you. And through Farah came Sasha, who gave birth to MilkyWay, who is the perfect copy of her great-grandmother Yello.

Nora was a big, heavy and proud cat. But as quickly as she came into my field of vision, she left me again. At the age of 7, within 14 days Nora's condition deteriorated rapidly. At the beginning it was almost a *routine examination* and the vet said: *We'll get it sorted out. It's probably an upset stomach.* It wasn't! The medication didn't work. The examination showed that Nora's values had deteriorated and they didn't know why. It wouldn't get better, wouldn't take effect. Maybe I didn't fight hard enough for you. Maybe I should have tried to treat you in a different way. But they all told me it wouldn't work. Even in your last lesson, you were calm and collected. My mentor, who worked with Nora, said that you were a being who radiated a lot of joy, but was also very grounded and at peace with herself. I couldn't get over the loss of Nora for over two years. The pain was very deep and it was the time that almost took away the joy of breeding. Today I see you and memories come flooding back. Sometimes I stroke your photo as if you could see it. What a fantastic creature you were! Over the years, I kept asking myself, could I have done more? Should I have done more? Why didn't we have an autopsy carried out?

It's a sunny, warm April day today. The kittens are all snoozing in their kennels. The vaccination is starting to take effect. Our new vet signs the vaccination booklets and stamps them. We discuss this and that and end up discussing deaths, the causes of which are not always clear.
*Many owners ask for an autopsy. I worked in pathology for years. Out of 20 cases, only 2 cases could be clearly declared and their cause determined*. She continued to discuss this with me. While my thoughts began to wander. Nora....Why? Why was my question only answered NOW? My thoughts continued to wander.
*That means there's not much point in having an unclear death investigated? I asked further. *No, it doesn't actually do much good.* I paid my costs, thanked them, carried our seven dwarves into the car and looked up at the sky. It was blue and a gentle breeze caressed my cheeks.

Milky Way Your great-granddaughter moved out today. Yello your daughter Nora will probably follow you soon. But we still hope for a little time together with us. Farah Nora Your granddaughter has long since followed in your big footsteps. She has given us an enchanting offspring, Sasha, who is now a mum herself. Two boys - your great-great-grandchildren 😊 and dark as night, my lucky fairy.