Meet Clowntown Cattery

CLOWNTOWN AND HOW IT ALL BEGAN

What all began as a part time summer job in 1969 became a passion in the following years. I started working for Mrs. Mercedes Heffron in the summer before my freshman year in high school. This part time job was taking care of her Siamese cats. It was through her that I met Marilyn Fry, who owned Thistledown Cattery.

Marilyn had registered cats, and she showed them. Marilyn Fry, Thistledown cattery,  was the breeder of Clown, a blue cream pt (blue tortie pt) Colorpoint Shorthair in CFA, Siamese in most all other associations.

I had fallen in love with the Siamese cat, and Marilyn had Clown, a 2 year old female.  I bought her and took her home spring of 1971.

Over the next two years I traveled with Marilyn and her family to several cat shows. I found it fun and exciting. I bred Clown, and she had several litters.  It was through her son, Clowntown's Court Jester, a red point male, that Clowntown Cattery was established.

It has now been 53 years, and it has drastically changed my life. My entire adult life has been greatly influenced by the cats and the Cat Fancy. At times, it has been difficult to keep the line going and to juggle a life outside the Cat Fancy, but it has been very rewarding to see the line of descendants from my first cat to the present day. I now have 22 direct generations of Clowntown descendants from Clown. Her offspring are in pedigrees all over the United States and in China. .
In the 2012-2013 season of CFA, GC, BW, RW Clowntown’s Bonnie Blu Eyes of Jedi DM, 18 generations from Clown, was CFA’s Best Colorpoint Shorthair, and 10th Best Cat in the Southwest Region. Then in October of 2014 she earned her Distinguished Merit by producing 5 grand champions of her own!  That is now 3 generations of Distinguished merit females in 3 generations. Bonnie is Betty’s Daughter.
In the 2022-23 show season, Grand Champion  Clowntown's Betty Davis Eyes, DM was 3rd Best CPSH in CFA, and is in the SWR's as 23rd Best Cat,17 generations from Clown.

GC Clowntown’s Sedulous Eyes DM, the 16th generation from Clown, achieved her Distinguished Merit Award for her 5th grand champion offspring, Clowntown’s 1st CPSH DM! That makes all 3 top CFA ,CPSH national positions held by a Clowntown Colorpoint Shorthair, AKA red, tortie and lynx point Siamese.

In 2016 Clowntown’s Nineteen & Counting, Red Point CPSH  became the 19th generation to become a Grand Champion in CFA.  He is nineteen generations directly back to Thistledown’s Clown of Clowntown. His offspring have become the 20th generation, GC Clowntown’s Copper Pennie, and GP, RW. Clowntown’s Twenty-Twenty.  Now we have the 22nd generation of Clowntown cats GC Clowntown’s Pardon My Pleasure II, Seal Tortie Point CPSH.  For 53 years I have bred this same line of cats.  I hope that there will be many more.
In the 2022-23 show season  GC, BW, RW CLOWNTOWN'S CHERRY DELIGHT, cream pt.male, 22nd generations became the Best Colorpoint Shorthair in CFA.  He is the second Clowntown cat to be best of breed.
This year I have had 5 CPSH grand champions from CH CLOWNTOWN'S Periwinkle Eyes, DM, seal lynx point, which allowed her to get her Distinguished Merit award.
Clowntown Cattery is now a CFA 6s Tier Cattery, we now have produced over 160 grand champions, National winners, Regional winners and DM's  
We breed for health first and show second. Health is the most important. You cannot have 22 generations without keeping healthy cats.  I try to keep my inbreeding coefficient under 3% which helps keep the recessives down and improves the chances of a strong healthy cat and, at the same time, producing top show cats.

 Of course, today life in America has changed, and I can't say for the best when it comes to breeding and raising any hobby animals. With PETA and the Humane Society trying to stop all cat and dog breeding of any kind, it has taken its toll. These organizations, at least at the top, care nothing about animals and/or their welfare. These organizations spend all of their money on politicians. The money people send to help animals never reach the animal, but goes directly into the political coffers of national, state, and local politicians' re-election funds. What has happened because of this, is the ever decreasing number of breeders and animals left to bring forth the next generation of cats of any breed. Now more than ever, this shrinking gene pool is having the effect of less cats and less healthy outcross gene pool cats of each breed. Strict animal husbandry practices are essential to the next healthy generation of cats. Here at Clowntown Cattery we are trying to do our part to keep the next generation of strong, healthy, and beautiful pedigreed cats alive!