SANDYPOINTS CATTERY
About Us and Our Cats
Sandypoints Cattery has been breeding Old-Style Siamese kittens for over 35 years. We are a small home cattery; our females and kittens are never caged and are well socialized.
Our cats are directly descended from the famous (in its day), old Green Lane Cattery. The Green Lane Cattery never modernized its lines to the Show-Style type of Siamese, but just ceased to exist in the early to mid sixties, as far as we can determine (we are always looking for more information).
We do not offer stud service, inbreed or line-breed, as we feel that these practices are detrimental to the health of our very healthy cats. We intend to keep it that way.
Our cattery is located in the Philadelphia area. Visits to our cattery are by appointment, and even then, to serious buyers only. It has to be this way, as we are unwilling to allow anything that could adversely affect the health of the cats in our cattery.
About Old-Style Siamese
There seems to be a lot of confusion about the various terms describing the Old-Style Siamese. The answer is that all of the various definitions can mean different things to whoever (usually a breed club) is defining them. Although some pointed cats with blue eyes might fall within the definition of Old-Style Siamese, many others might not.
For this reason, we define the Old-Style Siamese (OSS) as the same type of Siamese cat that was bred for centuries in Thailand; the same cat that became popular when it was imported to the West during the late nineteenth century and mid twentieth century. When we use this definition, there is a fairly large range of cats that will meet the criteria, but there are also many pointed cats that will not. Pointed cats are cats with blue eyes, a lighter body, and dark face mask, ears, legs and tail, much the same as a Siamese.
Just because a cat has points does not make it a Siamese; only a pedigree can do that. An Old-Style Siamese will not have a thick, fluffy coat; the coat should be smooth and silky. An Old-Style Siamese will not have a round skull, a chunky body or tufted ears. An Old-Style Siamese will have a substantial body and a moderately wedge-shaped head, although the exact proportions of the wedge shape may vary. An Old-Style Siamese will fall within the 20th century breed standard developed in 1914 by America’s Siamese Cat Society.
Most importantly, an Old-Style Siamese will have a long pedigree, going back many, many generations, that is recognized by the major cat registries.
In short, an OSS should have the same look that has existed for so long in Thailand; the look that the first imported British cats had about 100 years ago. An Old-Style Siamese should look the same as the cats that dominated the Siamese breed until the late 1960s.
Sandypoints Cattery follows the breed standard established by The International Cat Association (TICA) Thai breed standard, found here:
According to existing records, the first Siamese cats were imported to England in the eighteen-eighties; these cats were the forebears of the cats in America today. An interesting note is that all of the cats in America are descended from something like eleven British imports. They were first seen in America, at shows, in about 1903. The first Siamese cat to win Best Cat in Show was at the Michigan Cat Club Show in 1907.
A History of Our Old-Style Siamese Lineage
We always want to learn more.
If anyone out there knows anything about or anyone connected to the old Green Lane Cattery, please contact us!
Now…
As far as we can determine, the Green Lane Cattery was solely owned by Mrs. Rex Naugle, originally from Primos, Pennsylvania; her last address with CFA is listed as Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.
Born April 11, 1956
Sadly, nearly almost all of the very old catteries either closed or dropped the Green Lane lineage (along with most of the other excellent old lines) when the Siamese breed went to the extreme look we see at cat shows today. Breeders started breeding their cats mainly to the most extreme cats of their era. You will be able to notice this if you look at the show-style pedigrees from that period.
What makes our cats so special, is that the Green Lane ancestors of most other catteries Old-Style Siamese can only be found many, many generations back in the pedigrees, whereas our cats have them quite close to the fore. All of those extra generations have caused the other cats to evolve much farther away from the Green Lane “look,” while our cats still look the same as they did in the 1950s.
From all available information, Ms. Naugle bred and owned Green Lane Sam, the last important cat from Green Lane Cattery (an important cat is one that generates lots of descendants that survive to the present day). Many of our breeding cats are directly descended from Green Lane Sam, although we have incorporated other old lines for genetic diversity and health.
Happily, by good fortune, the Old-Style Siamese (Thai) continue at Sandypoints with the same old grace, beauty and intelligence as it has had for the past thirty-some years.
Then…
Ms. Naugle dealt primarily with old catteries such as Wu Cattery, Newton Cattery, Doneraile Cattery, and Hollycat Cattery when buying breeding cats. She sold her Green Lane cats to a number of later catteries, such as Velvet Paws. Because those later catteries were very active in the breed, you can find some Green Lane cats in almost every Siamese pedigree.
Ms. Naugle collaborated with Newton Cattery, which was owned by Virginia Cobb. Ms. Cobb started the Newton Cattery in the 1930s, but was still breeding until at least 1950. Although Green Lane started with several different queens, the queens were bred primarily to studs from the Newton Cattery, which links the lineage directly to the Newton cats.
The earliest Green Lane queens we are able to document with certainty are from 1948. This does not rule out earlier ones, as at first, Mrs. Naugle registered her cats with CFF (Cat Fancier’s Federation). Later she switched to CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association). In 1953, Ms. Naugle imported (at least) two extremely fine cats from England. It is from her cattery’s British imports that Green Lane’s most important studs came. One of these cats was Ch. Green Lane Vance.
Green Lane Sam’s parents did not bear her cattery name because although she did not breed Sam’s actual parents, she did breed some of their ancestors.
Born May 14, 1953 and expecting kittens in this photo.*
In other words, she had to have owned and bred Fugi Lil’ Kit (Sam’s dam), in order for her son, Green Lane Sam, to be entitled to bear Ms. Naugle’s cattery prefix, Green Lane. A breeder can only put her own cattery prefix on the offspring if she’s the owner of the dam at the time of the dam’s pregnancy.
Ms. Naugle was the owner of Ch. Doneraile Brun Malvana (see photo above), a chocolate point female Siamese whom she imported from England. She bought Malvana from Mrs. Kathleen Williams, the owner of Doneraile Cattery in England. Malvana is Green Lane Sam’s great-great-great-grandmother. With Ch. Beauchat Brunnescens Lynn of Wu, and Malvana, Ms. Naugle bred R.M. Dbl. Gr. Ch. Green Lane Van of Velvet Shadow (see photo at the beginning of this section), a chocolate point male, and a very important stud found in many Old-Style, as well as Show-Style pedigrees. He was bred by Ms. Naugle and owned by Cerise Thrift. His parents were Ch. Green Lane Vance and Doneraile Brun Malvana (both owned by Ms. Naugle).
Born May 15, 1958
Dbl. Gr. and Quint. Ch. Green Lane Beryl (see photo), was bred by Ms. Naugle and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Leigh Manley. Beryl’s sire was Gr. Ch. Green Lane Van of Velvet Shadow, bred by Ms. Naugle and owned by Cerise Thrift. Ms. Thrift, the owner of Velvet Shadow Cattery, appears to have been one of the later breeders with whom Ms. Naugle worked closely. Beryl’s dam was Green Lane Miranda.
R.M. Gr. Ch. Gidgetta of Cyreccia (see photo below) was another very influential chocolate point queen you will find in lots and lots of Old-Style and Show-Style pedigrees. She was bred by Sue McNally, but Gidgetta’s sire was also Gr. Ch. Green Lane Van of Velvet Shadow.
Sources
Dr. Cristy Bird, Sarsenstone Cattery
Su-Bali database, CFA certified pedigrees
Born July 14, 1960
Photos/text from This is the Siamese Cat by Marge Naples (Published in 1964 by T.F.H. Publications, Inc.)
* Photo/text from Siamese Cat Book by Vera M. Nelson (Published in 1967/76 by T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd.)
if we can answer any further questions you may have, please write to us at
sandypointssiamese@gmail.com
Note: Please keep in mind that although we would love to reply to your questions instantaneously, that isn't always possible due to the high volume of inquiries.
This cattery has not been inspected by and is not endorsed by The International Cat Association.