Arizona Cornish Rex and Sphynx

My name is Jacque Howell and I've been a cat lover for my entire life. 

 

More than 30 years ago I became active in animal rescue, which I continue to do.  Over time, interacting with literally thousands of cats, I've developed a special interest in improving their lives through better food, better health care, and a supportive environment.  This goes for all of my cats but of course with the rescues the end goal has always been finding them safe, loving homes.

​

When I first started fostering, I would take rescue cats to cat shows and enter them into the household category, just for fun and the experience.  It was a thrill when they won, and it helped with getting them adopted!

​

If you’re a cat lover, you’ll probably love the experience of a cat show.  You don’t have to show a cat, you can just walk around, take it all in, and see all the different breeds up close.  And since most cat owners love to answer questions about their pride and joy, you can learn a lot.

​

It was during these shows that I met and fell in love with two extraordinary breeds, the Cornish Rex and the Sphynx.  At that point in time it was difficult to justify owning one since I was a single parent raising two kids.  It would be a while before I could really afford one though occasionally I would get one to foster, but it was rare. 

​

Once my kids were out of high school, I could finally justify the purchase of my first Cornish Rex, a 16-week-old kitten I named “Squeak.”  That one kitten was all it took to know that I couldn’t live without them.

 

Ten years later, I bought a pair of Sphynxes.  They came from a breeder who had recently retired them.  My experience with these two is what got me thinking about breeding.

​

Starting out had its difficulties.  There’s so much to learn and not a lot of readily available help.  The best help comes from experienced breeders, but gaining their trust isn’t easy, and without it, you sometimes have to learn things the hard way.

​

I once bought a Sphynx kitten from a breeder who told me it had asthma, only it was far worse than that.  I ended up spending a lot of time and a ton of money over the next several months trying to save him only to lose him at six months of age.  It was a costly lesson both financially and emotionally, and it broke my heart. 

​

Today though, in spite of all the pitfalls, I have a well-developed breeding program and I’m determined to make sure that people who get a kitten from me won’t have to go through any of the hardships that I have.  To this end, I fully guarantee the health of every one of my kittens. 

​

Everything I do is geared towards producing healthy and properly socialized kittens.  It starts before they’re even born, with the best nutrition and veterinarian care for the parents, and continues right up until they day they’re adopted, and even after if someone needs help. 

 

Every kitten is born in my home, and by the time they go to live with their new families, they will have interacted with their own parents and siblings, other parents and siblings, children (usually my grandchildren), dogs, and everything else that goes on in an active home.  And since I live on a farm, they will have also become familiar with more sounds and smells than they normally would otherwise.  When finally adopted, these kittens will have already explored a wealth of positive and formative experiences.

​

For those who are unfamiliar with the costs that go into breeding, know that it isn’t cheap.  Proper breeding is very expensive, and just as every other legitimate breeder can tell you, there’s no money in breeding.  I’m happy if I can break even. 

 

My rewards come from maintaining the integrity of two extraordinary cat breeds, and knowing I provide serious cat lovers with the healthiest, well-bred kittens that I know they’re going to love for many years to come.

​

Thanks for visiting, and please know that I’m always happy to answer questions.