DEVON REX AND SPHYNX CATS

LEYLA

LEYLA SKYWALKER DEGLI ELFI

Or our Italian primma donna.  Leyla is a Brown/Silver Tortie Tabby Darker Points Devon Rex female.

Born in Trieste, Italy in 2005, Leyla is a much wanted and waited for young lady.  Eoghan and I visited Venice in August 2005 and travelled to Trieste to view Leyla and her sister Lucilla after we had corresponded via e-mail with Cristiana Marangoni, her breeder, for some considerable time.

We were met at Trieste station by Cristiana and were taken to her lovely home in the mountains overlooking Trieste for lunch and kitten viewing. 

Leyla looking out from her window in Trieste

Cristiana asked why I chose Leyla, but Leyla actually chose us by sitting on my knee and wrapping a paw around my heart whereas her sister was more interested in playing with her siblings, so the choice was made for us.  Leyla was booked and we were hooked.  The waiting was awful, but Cristiana kept me updated on her progress via e-mail and photographs.   Leyla was shown once as a kitten, beating her sister to become Best of Variety at a FiFe show in continental Europe.  We intend to show Leyla with FiFe, but as long time GCCF breeders and exhibitors, we want to show her under GCCF regulations.  To this end she has been imported onto the GCCF register, but we intend to give some FiFe shows a whirl.

Cristiana saw to all the details regarding the Pet Passport scheme and on 10th May 2006 we were able to coordinate a meeting at Marco Polo airport in Venice.  I left Exeter on the 7pm train to Gatwick airport and flew out on the 7am BA flight and booked Leyla onto her flight by 1pm.  The flight from Venice was not scheduled to leave until 5.30p.m., but the early booking in was necessary to get all her paperwork officially stamped and for the officials to coo and ooh over such a 'different' looking cat.  I agonised over leaving her, but I think she had a less stressful journey in the hold of the aeroplane than I did.  I made a bit of a fool of myself needing reassurance from the flight staff that she was safely on board and warm and sleeping. 

On arrival at Gatwick I had to get a taxi to the animal reception area and wait for everything to be checked - a real time of nail biting - and then a further treck to actually collect her.  The very helpful official there actually took me to the railway station to enable me to catch my train.  If she hadn't I would have to to face a 3 hour wait for the next one.

We eventually got home at 2am and Leyla settled into her new home like an angel.  She immediately let my 2 Wolfhounds know that they were now relegated by one place in the pecking order and she is now top dog/cat.

Leyla may be small in size but she is a giant in character and personality. 

Leyla had her first litter of 1 kitten on 11th October 2006 after a stressful and difficult pregnancy.  Beag has stayed with us and you can read about her on her own page.  She has  had another litter to Chichi Rasputin., pictures of the kittens  here and in their new homes here  This is a rather short time inbetween litters, but as Leyla only had one kitten, followed by a couple of ear splitting calls, we decided that she knows best and had her mated.  The result is 5 babies born 2nd May 2007.

The kittens Leyla has are registered with GCCF on the non-active register.  We intend to do this until we are happy that she is producing healthy kittens which adhere to the GCCF Standard of Points for Devon Rex.  Of course, once I am happy with her progeny, I will consider letting females go to experienced breeders who will use her genetic diversity to help widen the gene pool of the Devon Rex.

Leyla is currently nursing her third litter of kittens who are now 8 weeks old.  Their details are on this page.

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