Top cat treasures spot as 'Best Household Pet'

Correspondent

LYNNHAVEN

Daytona was once a homeless, sickly cat. Now he holds the title of "Best Household Pet."

A Siamese mix called a Blue Lynx Pointed Snowshoe, Daytona was recently named "Best Household Pet" in the Southern Region by Cat Fanciers' Association.

His owners, Kimberly and Matthew Breiner, didn't think they liked Siamese cats years ago, but the couple now has six.

"I was a huge cat person, but my experience was like from 'Lady and the Tramp,' " Kimberly Breiner said. "I had a stereotypical experience with the breed."

She volunteers as state coordinator for the Siamese Cat Rescue Center based in Locust Dale, Va., and has fostered nearly 100 cats.

In addition to Daytona, the Breiners share their home with five cats from the rescue organization: Jordan, Chiclet, Sammy, Harley and Cocoa. They also have two rescue dogs: a black Labrador named Jack, and an American Eskimo named Cody.

Daytona was brought to the Portsmouth Humane Society in May 2001 as a 5-week-old stray kitten and was fostered in the Breiner's Windsor Woods home two weeks later.

"We quickly found that he was too cute and special, so we adopted him," Kimberly Breiner said of the now 7-year-old cat.

"It's spectacular," said Tereza Marks, executive director of the Portsmouth Humane Society, "Daytona's success at being adopted through breed rescue shows the benefits of shelter and rescue cooperation."

Named for Matt's love of NASCAR, Daytona won their hearts over with his outgoing, personable and quirky personality.

"He came when he was called and carried a baby blanket around with him," Kimberly Breiner said. "He plays fetch and plays dead on command. We learned that Daytona liked to go places and meet new people."

The Breiners spent the past year participating in shows hosted by the Cat Fanciers' Association. Daytona strutted through countless shows in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey, where he was handled and judged on cleanliness, health and personality.

"Daytona knows no strangers, likes new people on sight, greets people, plays on the podium and stretches on the sisal poll - all the things the judges are looking for," Breiner said.

Daytona walked away as the No. 1 cat in the division and serves as a mascot for the Siamese Rescue Center.

"He was someone's trash, but he's our treasure," she said.

To learn more about the Siamese Cat Rescue Center Inc. visit www.va.siameserescue.org. To see the other top 10 cats, visit www.garande.com/so040106/08winners/2008HHP.html.

Sandra J. Pennecke, pennecke@cox.net