A BRIEF HISTORY OF WHO WE ARE AND OUR BEAUTIFUL CATS.
Barrie and I met in 1970 in Mount Eliza, Victoria, and were married in 1971. At that time I had a Siamese female called Linmouth Eliza and a Siamese neuter nicknamed Phread (fred). Also a Burmese Raelyn Golden Amber. Amber was the most affectionate cat I had owned until we got into Scottish Folds . Lacey was old fashioned by today’s standards but he graced the show bench until he was thirteen. He was loved by many people and it was often said by Judges from all over Australia you have never been kissed until you get a moisty on the cheek from Lacey. He passed away suddenly two weeks short of his eighteenth birthday.
We bred the Siamese and Burmese under the prefix of YAMBALIN. (An aboriginal word for Cats Cradle).
After a few years Mrs. Lorna Nottingham gave Barrie a beautiful Cornish Rex Aberdare Baa Lam which we showed in Victoria for many years with great success. From there we graduated to buying a White Devon Rex Adina Pandora from Bev & Jeff McMillan. After she was spayed she was given to some friends of ours in Mornington (Vic) and she eventually travelled around Australia twice with them. The Land Cruiser had a special area for her so when the weather was too hot she could relax in air-conditioned comfort..
Mrs Doreen Angliss who was living in Sydney at the time imported a Scottish Fold from Scotland. For reasons I do not know this cat passed away not long after it arrived. Following this Doreen moved to Melbourne and imported Denisla Scoobie Doo (Black Bi-Colour Male) and the Australian connection to the Scottish Fold had begun.
Doreen mated Scoobie Doo to a British Shorthair (Anduin Blue Bryony) and from that first mating Mrs. Diana Arnold, Mrs. Maureen Courtney and myself bought a female each to help continue the breed in Australia. Mrs. Arnold and Mrs. Courtney eventually had heir cats spayed and we continued. This was 1975 and our first Scottish Fold was Kutjing Gemini. A magnificent Black, very true to type and temperament.
Like a lot of new breeds there was enormous controversy at the beginning but persistence has prevailed and we now have many excellent true to type Scottish Folds in Australia.
From there we progressed to British Shorthairs with the purchase of Albany Parchment and registered the prefix CUNEGANS ( an originall spelling for Cunningham before it was Anglicised)
In 1976 Parchment and Gemini gave us our first litter and CUNEGANS Scottish Folds was truly born. With the exception of the American line through Lillian Carter of PTAH Cattery in Queensland, all Scottish Folds in Australia and mostly in New Zealand can be traced back to this stock.
We have sent our British and Scottish Kittens to every State and Territory in Australia and have exported British Shorthairs to Holland along with Scottish Folds and Scottish Shorthairs to Hawaii, New Zealand and Malaysia. Through Steve and Angie Wickes (Labaesi Cattery) our stock is also in the USA. All enjoying great results on the show bench.
Cunegans is Australia's longest continuing Scottish Fold Cattery
We have life membership with the Governing Council Cat Fanciers of SA Inc.and are also members of the Feline Association of SA Inc.
Located in O'Sullivan Beach, the Cunegan household enjoys non-caged and family raised felines. Only a few litters a year to ensure quality attention to the adults and kittens alike.
Although winning at shows is very nice it isn't everything. Our Breeding philosophy is to breed cats true to type, good health and have an excellent nature for the new owners. To date this has been achieved and we look to a bright future.
