QGCA FORESTGEMS KEETO
TICA: Quadruple Grand Champion Alter
Introducing Keeto! What a lovely young man he is - so gentle and so affectionate, but a real terror with it! He is from Forestgems Bengals in Somerset. I loved the look of their cats from their website, so eventually I phoned them to meet their cats at their home. I had already seen the fabulous Forestgems Premier Krug, (who has since achieved the distinguished title of 'Supreme Grand Champion'); at a show when he was just a five month old kitten. I was very impressed by him so was most interested to see his Sire, Champion Dazzledots Banner Headline who was imported from Canada. Banner is just so impressive with his stunning markings, colour, head shape and huge stud ‘jowls’ - and such a friendly boy with it. Keeto’s pedigree is very impressive with International and Regional Winners as well as Supreme, Quadruple, Triple and Double Grand Champions.
Keeto didn't take to showing so easily, and although he came first out of four kittens in his first GCCF show, he wasn't so keen in coming out of his pen. I then tried him with Tica and the judges liked him very much and he very quickly gained the title of Quadruple Grand Champion Alter and in the Tica 2008/9 showing season, Keeto ended up 4th Best Bengal Alter in Northern Europe. Because he still wasn't so comfortable on the show bench I had to make the sad, but correct decision to retire him from showing. Not every cat you introduce to the show bench will take to it, and Keeto just happened to be one of them.
He has since grown into a very large, muscular, relaxed boy who's favourite place at night is next to my knees on top of my duvet. He's a real softie and loves his life here at home in the vast countryside that he has at his disposal, as he is a great hunter. I put this down to Ziggi, who I actually witnessed teaching Keeto how to hunt when he was barely out of kittenhood. It was amazing. Ziggi brought a freshly killed mouse in from the fields and plonked it down in front of a bemused Keeto. Ziggi, then picked it up and again threw it in front of Keeto. Keeto still didn't respond, so Ziggi picked it up once again and with his paw holding the mouse down, he pulled at the little body till it tore, exposing the raw flesh. Ziggi then picked it up and threw it once more in front of liitle Keeto. This time the penny dropped and Keeto sniffed it and played with it, flinging it high in the air and jumping on it and when done he nibbled bits of the fesh meat. It was very much like watching a lioness teaching her cubs how to hunt.
Keeto didn't take to showing so easily, and although he came first out of four kittens in his first GCCF show, he wasn't so keen in coming out of his pen. I then tried him with Tica and the judges liked him very much and he very quickly gained the title of Quadruple Grand Champion Alter and in the Tica 2008/9 showing season, Keeto ended up 4th Best Bengal Alter in Northern Europe. Because he still wasn't so comfortable on the show bench I had to make the sad, but correct decision to retire him from showing. Not every cat you introduce to the show bench will take to it, and Keeto just happened to be one of them.
He has since grown into a very large, muscular, relaxed boy who's favourite place at night is next to my knees on top of my duvet. He's a real softie and loves his life here at home in the vast countryside that he has at his disposal, as he is a great hunter. I put this down to Ziggi, who I actually witnessed teaching Keeto how to hunt when he was barely out of kittenhood. It was amazing. Ziggi brought a freshly killed mouse in from the fields and plonked it down in front of a bemused Keeto. Ziggi, then picked it up and again threw it in front of Keeto. Keeto still didn't respond, so Ziggi picked it up once again and with his paw holding the mouse down, he pulled at the little body till it tore, exposing the raw flesh. Ziggi then picked it up and threw it once more in front of liitle Keeto. This time the penny dropped and Keeto sniffed it and played with it, flinging it high in the air and jumping on it and when done he nibbled bits of the fesh meat. It was very much like watching a lioness teaching her cubs how to hunt.