CFA's highest scoring Exotic kitten in the 2002-2003 show season is a brown spotted tabby female, Kuorii J-Lo of Marcus. J-Lo was bred by Paolo Carnevaletti in Italy. This girl has an impressive pedigree which includes her grandmother, CFA's Best Kitten from a few years ago, GC, NW Jovan Cheers. Many American Persian lines are behind J-Lo including Tehy, Bolo, Mystichill, PaJean, Myshadows, and CFA's top-producing Persian male GC Anz Nicholas Nickleby, DM.

When the litter was born, Paolo knew the little female was a star. He's bred a number of top show Exotics and Persians, so has the experience to know. He brought both J-Lo and her litter-brother, a brown classic tabby, to the CFA International Cat Show in Houston last November. They just turned four months old and both kittens made finals. It was J-Lo, however, who was getting the greater attention. She was Best Kitten in several rings and 3rd highest scoring longhair kitten in show with 239 longhair kittens entered, quite an accomplishment for such a youngster. Paolo's plan was to show both kittens at shows in the CFA International Division in Europe. CFA judge Larry Adkison had a different idea. He suggested that Paolo offer J-Lo to Mark Hannon and David Raynor (Marcus) to show in the USA. They were, afterall, already campaigning a cat in championship so shouldn't have any problem taking along a kitten. Paolo and Mark emailed back and forth the following week and were able to work out a satisfactory arrangement. The first weekend of December Paolo flew with J-Lo to a show in Portland, Oregon, where there were a number of nationally ranked kittens present. J-Lo was Best Kitten in five rings and wound up highest scoring kitten. The day after the Portland show, J-Lo moved in to Mark & David's home in suburban Washington, DC. She was shown for only 2-1/2 months, from December through mid-February, and picked up enough points to land her in CFA's Top Ten Kittens nationally. She was highest scoring kitten at most of those shows. At many of those shows she competed against another brown spotted tabby Exotic female from Europe, Ormeryds Short N'Sweet of Catipurrn, shown by Florida's Dana Crabtree. While the two girls split rings, and both usually made the finals, J-Lo took a greater share of the breed wins and picked up enough points for a national win while Shorty came up … err … a little short, ranking 22nd, just 34 points out of the Top Twenty.

Judges often commented on J-Lo's super short body, her stubby little legs, her dense coat, and her amazing, large eyes. She has a wonderful expression that just sucks you right in. You can tell from that expression that she's looking for trouble. Judges had a lot of fun with her on the table and she had just as much fun back in her cage. She was an easy cat with which to travel, was a good eater so maintained her condition, and was fun to be around. She is now back in Italy with Paolo. Ciao, bellissima!

GC, RW Omeryds Short N'Sweet of Catipurrn & GC, NW Kuorri J-Lo of Marcus

Return to Home Page