Proudly presenting our Regional Winners and Distinguished Merit cats

B. Iris Tanner, the "purrson" behind Silverlock, is also a singer/songwriter! Click on the iris below to find out more about her music.

About Silverlock and Folie à Deux

GRC EredMithrin's Mirage of Silverlock and GRP Silverlock's Stravinsky
"Silverlock" is the cattery name chosen by B. Iris Tanner and her husband, the late Robert Hoffman, whan they began showing and breeding in 1988. It is taken from the novel of the same name by John Meyers Meyers which is peopled by a huge assortment of characters from myth, literature, and legend - a concept that has inspired the names of many Silverlock cats.
Initially, the Turkish Angora breeding program was Iris's, while Bob focused on the Russian Blues. After Bob's death in 1993, Iris decided to keep breeding Russians as a memorial to him.
GRC Kaybill's Jaded Mist of Silverlock, our first breeding Russian
GRC Silverlock's Aurora of Duman, the first Silverlock grand
Since then, Silverlock Cattery has produced over 30 grand champions and premiers, five regional award winners, and three distinguished merit cats. Iris is now working with a new breeding partner, who also happens to be her �domestic partner/POSSLQ (Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters).� Robert Zinck had never had a cat before meeting Iris, in early 2006. He�s now an experienced CFA exhibitor, clerk-in-training, and hand-raiser of kittens. Iris and Bob have registered a new cattery name, Folie � Deux, to focus on their joint efforts with bicolor Turkish Angoras and other breeds that may strike their fancy down the road.

Iris was accepted in to the CFA Judging program in 2002 and judged her first show in 2003, as a Longhair Apprentice judge. When advanced to Approved Longhair in 2005, she began her training on the shorthair breeds, and has been judging both longhair and shorthaired cats since 2006. She’s had the privilege of judging at CFA shows throughout the U.S., in Canada, in Bermuda, and in Japan.

Iris was elected CFA Turkish Angora Breed Council Secretary in 2005 and re-elected in 2007, but subsequently resigned to focus more of her attention on judging. In June 2009, the CFA Board of Directors advanced Iris to Approval Pending Allbreed Judge.

What to Expect from a Silverlock Cat

When you buy a purebred cat from a reputable breeder, it should come to you with more than just its papers.
  • You should know where your companion comes from, what kind of surroundings it has been raised in, what it is likely to look like as an adult, and what health issues you should be aware of.
  • You should also be able to benefit from years of selective breeding for those qualities that best exemplify the breed and are expressed even in pet quality animals.
  • Your breeder should provide you with a good understanding of how your cat can be expected to fit into your lifestyle, and be available as a resource you can turn to with any questions or problems that may arise.
Silverlock Russian Blues and Turkish Angoras come to you with these advantages and more. I am a small breeder who raises only one or two litters at a time. All my cats are raised in my home and get plenty of attention and handling from the day they are born. This helps ensure that you end up with a friendly, well-socialized companion.
I do not vaccinate for feline leukemia, but I test regularly and randomly for it and have never had a positive test. All kittens receive 3 sets of vaccines and a rabbies shot before pickup. In addition, I now offer a 90-day health insurance policy with all kitten sales at no extra charge.

If you are interested in a kitten or an adult, or have other questions, why not drop me a line?

Our Gallery of CFA Grands

GRC indicates a Grand Champion, i.e., an unaltered cat. GRP indicates a Grand Premier, a cat which has been spayed or neutered.

Turkish Angora Grands

If a cat's name is underlined, you can click on it to see a picture. Use your browser's "Back" function to return to this page.

GRC Ziya Celeste of Silverlock(National Best of Breed 1989-90) ("Cilli")
GRC Silverlock's Aurora of Duman (National 2nd Best of Breed 1991-92) ("Rora" or "Ra")
GRC Silverlock's Boreas of Do-Re ("Bo")
GRC Silverlock's Tempest of Myluvabelle ("Pest")
GRC/GRP Silverlock's Iolanthe of Silamos ("Hurricane Andy")
GRP Silverlock's Bunthorne ("Bunny")
GRC Silverlock's Ishtar of Tameral (National 2nd Best of Breed 1992-93) ("Ish")
GRC Silverlock's Kilimanjaro ("Killer")
GRC Silverlock's Ararat of Dahshur ("Rat")
GRC EredMithrin's Mirage of Silverlock (First blue-cream TA grand) ("Raj")
GRC Silverlock's Shalimar of Mercedes (National 2nd Best of Breed 1994-95)("White Thing")
GRC Silverlock's Nightmare on Elm Street ("Elmer")
FIFe Gr. CH. Silverlock's Halloween of Vaha ("Weenie")
GRP Silverlock's Stormy Weather ("Falkor")
GRC Tameral Gilgamesh of Silverlock (National Best of Breed 1995-96) ("George")
GRC Silverlock's Celestine ("Gracious One," or simply "Goddess")
CH/GRP Silverlock's Loki (First red tabby TA grand) ("Locomotive, Loco Weed, Loke Ness Monster and Mr. Happy Feet")
GRC Silverlock's Fire 'n Rain (First cameo tabby TA grand) ("Blondie")
GRC/RW Daniska Gabrielle of Silverlock (National 2nd Best of Breed 1997-98) ("Brie" or "The Cheese")
GRC Silverlock's Wildfire of Sadakat (First silver patched tabby TA grand) ("Willi")
GRC Silverlock's Camembert of Darmax (National Best of Breed 1999-2000) ("Bear")
GRP Silverlock's Chévre of House Rowan ("Amanda")
GRC Silverlock's Hearts Afire of Sadakat (National Best of Breed 2000-2001 and the first TABBY BREED WINNER! ("Sparky")
GRC Silverlock's Mascarpone of Do-Re("Pony")
and the late mother/grandmother/great-grandmother of most of the above--
CH/GRP Ziya Cadenza of Silverlock, DM
GRC Silverlock's Liberty Valance of Gildethros
GRC Silverlock's Phoenix of T'lu ("Birdie")
GRC Azima's Bi-Product of Silverlock ("Bippy") Note: Bippy was the top scoring Agility cat in the North Atlantic Region for 2005-2006 and one of 4 national finalists to compete in the CFA Centennial Challenge ("Cat Idol") online voting contest. While he didn't make it to the top, he did acquire his own web page during the voting. Visit Bippy's Beat.
GRC Silverlock's Portia of Zirdeli
GRC Kitnhevn Joie de Vivre (of Folie � Deux) ("Joy")
GRC SIlverlock's Calpurrnia (of Folie � Deux) ("Callie")

Russian Blue Grands

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GRC Silverlock's Stolichnaya ("Stoli")
GRC/RW Silverlock's Sputnik, now of Kaybill (22rd best cat in CFA's North Atlantic Region and 3rd best Russian Blue nationally, 1994-95)
GRP Silverlock's Stravinsky ("Vinnie")
GRC Grisaille Deep Blue of Silverlock ("Chessie")
GRC Kaybill's Zarya of Silverlock ("Yoda")
GRP Silverlock's Kasparov
GRC Silverlock's California Zephyr
GRC Silverlock's Charade (Best Russian Blue, North Atlantic Region, 2001-2002 and sixth best nationally) ("Raider")
GRP Silverlock's Second Hand Rose ("Jessica")
GRC Kaybil's Smirnoff of Silverlock
GRC Czar catz Rachmaninoff of Silverlock ("Rocky")

About Turkish Angoras

There IS such a thing as an Easy-care Longhair!

Coat Type:

Medium-long, silky-soft fur. The TA's coat, unlike that of the Persian, is not prone to matting and requires only minimal combing to stay looking beautiful.

Body Type:

Long body and legs, graceful, well-balanced and finely boned. The weight of an average adult is between 5 and 8 lbs., slightly more for a male, and perhaps slightly less for a female.

Head Type:

The TA's face is a smooth wedge with almond-shaped eyes. While the CFA standard says the profile should consist of two planes, it does not use the word "straight." My preferred look is a smooth profile with just the suggestion of a curve. The ears should be large and erect, set high on the head and close together for a "bunny rabbit" look.

Colors:

While the traditional TA is all white, other colors exist and have become much more popular in the past few years. Thus far, I have bred black, blue, blue cream, and tortoiseshell solids, as well as red, brown, cameo and silver patch tabbies, plus a tortoiseshell smoke.

Personality:

Playful, inquisitive and very intelligent, TAs are very "busy" cats who want to be thoroughly involved with their humans' lives. Whatever it is that you are doing, your TA will want to help you with it, sometimes with very amusing results. They need a fairly large amount of personal space, but are capable of adapting to apartment life. They are extremely loving pets, and are among the most demonstratively affectionate of all breeds.

Health and Grooming:

TAs are a healthy, natural breed with unusually long life spans. Because many white cats are deaf, a past show emphasis on all-white cats resulted in numbers of deaf TAs. While deaf TAs can still have successful show careers or make wonderful pets, happily, most breeders are now incorporating colors into their breeding program and minimizing or eliminating the problem. A weekly combing is all you really need to keep the cat looking its best, but I suggest a bath every 2 to 3 months (slightly more often for whites). This need not be intimidating, because most TAs are fond of water!

Kitten considerations:

Prices for Turkish Angora pet quality kittens range from $600 to $1200, with color, hearing quality, and show status of the parents a consideration. Please note that blue-eyed hearing whites are extremely rare and command the higest prices. I tend to produce whites and colored cats in equal quantities and can also help connect you with other breeders who might have what you want. Males tend to be more readily available than females. There is no significant difference in personality.

Russian Blues will always be among our favorite cats, but after experiencing some tragic losses in 2008, we have decided to put our Russian Blue breeding program on permanent hold. We do not expect to have ANY Russians available for the foreseeable future.

About Russian Blues

A Short Look at A Fabulous Shorthair

Coat Type:


Short, dense and very plush. Your fingers should leave "footprints" in the coat. The silver tipping shines with the cat's every movement.

Body Type:


Medium rather than long. Slender and graceful, yet surprisingly muscular . Average adults weigh between 6 and 9 lbs., slightly more for a male, and perhaps slightly less for a female.

Head Type:


A moderate wedge, broad and flat across the top of the skull. Ears are large, far apart and set as much on the side of the head as on the top.

Colors:


Silvery blue-gray with vivid, emerald-green eyes. White and black variants exist in Europe and Australia but are not recognized in the United States. Kittens may appear relatively dark or carry "ghost" tabby markings; this is normal, as the coat color lightens with age. Kittens have blue eyes at first (as do all cats) which become golden and then green. The green color comes in first around the pupil and gradually extends out to the rim of the cornea as the cat matures.

Personality:


A quiet, gentle companion with a well-developed sense of dignity. Russians do not need much space to feel comfortable, and tend to be shy with strangers but devoted to their owners. Highly intelligent, these cats are mechanically inclined and often very receptive to games and training - I have had several that "trained" me to throw toys for them to retrieve.

Health and Grooming:


The breed is not well-known for any characteristic health problems, but I have encountered occasional heart murmurs in my kittens (none serious) and am aware of heart problems that have occurred in some lines. Grooming is easy; most Russians need a good brushing every week or so and that's it. If the coat has a tendency toward greasiness, an occasional bath may be in order.

Kitten Considerations:

Prices for Russian Blue kittens range from $750 to $1000 depending on their quality and the show status of the parents. Males are more readily available than females and tend to be more outgoing and affectionate. It is not possible for me to keep a waiting list. All I can do is tell you when I expect my next litter and deal with customers on a first-come, first-served basis after the kittens arrive. (You are, however, welcome to pester me with inquiries as to the progress of the pregnancy.)
Visit the Russian Blue Web Page !

Introducing Siberians

Hypoallergenic? Maybe.
Friendly, mellow and affectionate? That's fur sure!!!!

Although still relatively new to the U.S., Siberians have been popular in their native land and Europe for many years. This medium-to-large cat is best known for three things: its unusually thick, dense coat, its gentle and easygoing purrsonality, and the possibility that it may be a good choice for cat lovers who have allergies.

Coat Type:

One of the most unique attributes of the Siberian is what the CFA standard calls a “triple coat.” This essentially means that in addition to the guard hairs and awn hairs most cats possess, these cats also have a dense, downy undercoat that helps protect them from the worst of the Russian winter. The coat is heaviest near the chest and shoulders, with a full ruff under the chin. While this coat type needs more grooming than the easy-care Turkish Angora, Siberians are not the major challenge that some other longhair breeds represent. Two or three thorough combings a week are all that you need to keep the coat in shape and reduce shedding.

Head, Body, and Structure:

There is nothing extreme or angular about Siberians. Their head and body structure are characterized by soft, gentle curves, yet they project an impression of immense strength and substance. Bodies and legs are medium in length, as is the tail. They are heavy boned and very muscular. Slow to mature, they aren’t considered fully grown until 5 years old.

Personality:

The Siberian is as intelligent as the Turkish Angora – perhaps more so – but is nowhere near as “busy” or outgoing. They are mellow, rather sedate cats, more likely to be found in your lap than chasing a toy around the living room. A Siberian will politely ask for your attention, but rarely demands it. When given your attention, they revel in it, purring loudly as you stroke their luxurious coats and snuggling next to you in bed. This doesn’t mean they aren’t playful, just that they don’t crave toys and make up private games with them as some of the more active breeds do!

What about the allergy issue?

It has been scientifically proven that the concentration of Fel d 1 (a protein found in saliva and skin secretions) tends to be lower in Siberians than in the average mixed-breed cat. Since most people who have cat allergies react to Fel d 1, this has made Siberians extremely popular as “hypoallergenic” cats. Some Siberian breeders test every cat and breed selectively to achieve even lower levels of Fel d 1. We are new to the breed and aren’t yet able to do this; instead, we encourage you to arrange a visit to see what type of reaction you may have. Allergies can often be managed by bathing your cat and we can help you learn to do this as well.

Available Cats and Kittens

Siberian and Turkish Angora kittens available now by reservation!

We have three Siberian kittens (one male and two females) and four Turkish Angora kittens (two males, two females) available as pets. All of them are bicolors. If you are interested in a show quality cat, let us know – we may be able to offer you that as well.

These kittens will be ready to go in mid-September 2009. They will have two sets of three-way vaccines, rabies shots, and health certificates. Our kittens also come with an extensive health guarantee, CFA registration, pedigree, and lots of new-owner hand-holding!

Turkish Angora kitten prices for this litter start at $650

Siberian kittens are $900

Please email us for more information!

Other Silverlock Cats

While working toward the Shorthair judging program, Iris bred two litters of Orientals, including GC/GP Silverlock?s Thai Juan On, a blue Oriental Longhair who was CFA?s 3rd Best of Breed in 2001-2002. He was also a Junior Showmanship cat shown by Sarah Peralta of Lexington, MA, and is now living in happy retirement with Sarah?s grandmother Marion in Lynn, MA.

American Shorthair Other shorthairs shown as Silverlock cats include GP/RW Placercats Paul Bunyan, a silver tabby American Shorthair,
Manx CH Vagary Maxaquin of Katskans, a black and white Manx,
and CH Dendereh?s J. Crew of Clarion, a ruddy Abyssinian who managed to produce a rare ?Abygora? during his stay in Massachusetts.

... and then there's Denali.

?I was walking down Silver Persian Row at the 2005 Madison Square Garden cat show when I fell madly, head over heels in love with a fabulous silver kitten. Imagine my reaction when his breeder, Tracy Smith, asked if I would like to help show him in Premiership! He is now GP Simbakui Denali of Silverlock, and a purrmanent fixture in my house, where he is being spoiled rotten and trying to grow coat so he can come out to more shows in the fall.?
-- Iris
Click here to visit Denali's breeder Tracy Smith of Sambakui.
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