‘My show cats mustn’t have a hair out of place,’ says Cork breeder 

Dr Claudia Wagner’s cats have won so many awards that she admits she no longer displays them all.

Claudia has trophies and ribbons awarded to her champion cats on display throughout her home in East Cork, but says: “There are many more ribbons and cups in the hot-press.”

In all, Claudia, who breeds cats, has 15 living with her - five breeding females and two males.

“The rest are neuters that I kept over the years and who have their retirement with me.”

Maine Coon brown torbie feline Quevega knows she is a champion.

She’s strutting around in the sunshine, bushy tail in the air, piercing eyes sharp as her claws, not missing a trick.

“She won the Dublin Cat Show held in Ballinteer Community School last month,” says Claudia.

The Dublin Cat Show has been running for 60 years and attracts competitors from across the country. This year, Claudia entered seven of her cats.

“Quevaga has won several best in shows,” she says.

“It is nothing new for her. She is a beautiful cat. She was shown in the UK when she was younger, but since covid we have stuck to entering her in shows in the Republic and Northern Ireland.”

In previous shows, Quevaga was crowned Regional Winner, Triple Grand Champion, Best Maine Coon Kitten, and Best All Breed Kitten in Europe West in 2019. The cat’s whiskers then...

Another top-winning cat is Silverfern French Kiss, who has an air of importance as he surveys his territory from the leafy trees in the garden.

“He recently got the high award of Invictus Gold Hibernian Grand Premier,” says Claudia.

“He is one of the neuters that started my show/breeding career. His elegance and beautiful, warm brown tabby pattern took my breath away. Hence, I ended up driving to Kent in the UK to collect him from his breeder.

“He is a real mammy’s boy who gives me a kiss and a cuddle every morning!

“Both cats have dominated the cat show scene, winning best in show at nearly every show since covid.”

Claudia has her own claim to fame. She is used to being referred to as the ‘Cat Lady’ since she appeared on the RTÉ programme, The Cat Hospital, with another of her prize-winning Maine Coons, Franklin.

“But when I got post addressed to the ‘German lady with a rake of cats’, I was more than surprised,” says Claudia, laughing.

“The postcard travelled from Portlaoise Post Office sorting office before it was delivered to us one Christmas,” says Claudia, who is from Germany and who lives with her partner Colm.

“When I opened the mailbox that morning, I thought somebody had hand-delivered the card. I got a real surprise,” says Claudia.

“It brought a smile to my face. I saw the Portlaoise postmark on the card and I knew then it had been posted.”

The postman was on the ball.

“He is well used to delivering cat food and cat litter to me from Zoo Plus, so the clue was in the ‘rake of cats!’”

How did Claudia, who got involved in cat shows to promote herself as a breeder and to get accurate assessments of her cats from judges, come to be so passionate about her feline friends?

“They are like my children,” says Claudia, who came to Cork in 2010 and who works at MTU as a lecturer.

“For me, they are my family.

“Maybe because I don’t have any children of my own. As a child I always had cats and rabbits. Cats are easy-going and elegant creatures with their own mind. I like their temperament.”

Claudia has owned rescue cats and Casper made her fall in love with his breed, Maine Coons.

“I had cats all my life, but Casper’s unique human-like personality made me fall in love with his breed,” says Claudia.

“Soon after Casper, more Maine Coons followed joining our household. After years of showing my Maine Coons nationally and abroad, studying the breed origins, health issues and standards, I decided to start my own small breeding programme.”

What is Claudia’s philosophy on breeding cats?

“My philosophy is to breed cats that are healthy, have lovely temperaments and are true to the breed standard,” says Claudia.

“Health and happiness of my cats is my number one priority. My cats live with us in our house and in a cat-secure garden.”

Claudia puts her heart and soul into caring for her pets.

“Sometimes, Casper sits at your feet with an expression so gentle and caressing that the depth of his gaze startles you,” says Claudia.

“Who can believe that there is no soul behind those luminous eyes!”

What does it take to present a Maine Coon in their best light entering a cat show?

“Luckily, Maine Coons love water and getting showered!” says Claudia.

“The cat’s coats must be shampooed five times with special cat grooming products and then blow-dried. It takes two hours to prepare one cat. So it is time-consuming.”

The cats must be purr-fect.

“They must not have a hair out of place,” says Claudia.

“They must be perfectly groomed.”

What do the judges look for?

“There is a list of points for the judges’ criteria,” says Claudia.

“They look at the head, the body, the tail; the full package. The bite needs to be correct, not undershot. Temperament is very important.”

Even though Claudia’s cats are pampered, they still earn their keep.

“They love having the freedom of the house and the garden,” says Claudia.

“They catch mice and insects among the shrubs and trees.”

Do the cats shed?

“Yes, I need to clean a lot inside the house,” says Claudia.

“Their coats shed a lot!”

She says breeding and showing her cats is a passion, not a business. She enjoys raising her cats from scratch.

“To see a small kitten grow and develop is just great,” says Claudia.

“I enjoy matching a kitten to a family when they are ready to be re-homed.”

Is breeding and showing Maine Coons an expensive hobby?

“It can be with annual veterinary fees for their vaccines, heart echoes, hip X-rays, and other check-ups,” says Claudia.

“Diet is very important, and the food they eat has a high meat content for protein. A female cat can weigh up to seven kilos, while a male cat can weigh up to ten kilos.”

Does she have a furry favourite?

“I have a soft spot for nine-year-old Casper and for Chaiyya, named from a Bollywood song. She is a total extrovert, loves human company, and is often shaking her head in excitement when she sees me.”

Claudia does a good job with her cats from start to finish.

“It is nice to know I do a good job. I am most happy when my cats are happy and healthy.”