When Wendy Powell’s new cat first arrived from Belgium last year, she immediately knew she was on to a winner.
With his small well-appointed ears, round face, “cobbly” body, powerful frame, striking orange eyes and “dog-like” personality, the blue British Shorthair cat perfectly fit his pedigree name, Masterpiece du Petite Prince.
Powell has owned cats all her life but believes Traeger, Masterpiece du Petite Prince’s “home” name, may just be the best cat she’ll ever have.
“I said the day he arrived in the country he would be perfect for TV commercials”, she said.
Despite her admiration for Traeger, Powell said she never expected such immediate success at the recent National Cat Show in Palmerston North, where the young cat “cleaned up”.
“He won the New Zealand Cat Fancy National Supreme [...] he’s the top cat in New Zealand for 2024, it’s pretty surreal.”
Going up against 170 of the country’s finest felines, Trager wowed judges from China and Sweden, taking home a suite of ribbons, trophies, bags of premium cat food, a self-cleaning litter box, and a custom cat-crate emblazoned with the words “NZCF 2024 National Supreme” in gold text.
“You dream beforehand and hope your cat is going to win but realistically, I kind of thought he might still be a year or two away” she said.
Turning two next month, Traeger is “still a very young fella that still has lots of growing to do”, but Powell believes he’ll only improve with age.
“He is so powerful, when you see him move you can literally just see the power in his body, he’s almost like a mini lion, he’s really quick and his reflexes are really on point.”
After Traeger’s big win, Powell’s cattery British Bella’s, based from her Kāpiti Coast home, has seen a surge in interest, with several inquiries each week about purchasing a kitten.
While she believes her operation is relatively small, it’s still a serious set-up. At the time of our interview, Powell has 12 cats at home, but said it “gets a bit complicated” to keep track with new litters and many coming and going.
Being a real-estate photographer by day, juggling both jobs can get “pretty full on” but it’s something she does out of love. “Your cats become your world.”
The girls live inside the house, with two rooms designated for the kittens, and a number of purpose-built enclosures in the backyard for the male cats, to prevent them from fighting and spraying indoors.
The half-hectare lifestyle block was purchased with the cats in mind. After outgrowing their previous home in Lower Hutt, Powell and her husband moved an hour out of the city to a more fitting home to accommodate her demanding job.
“If it didn’t suit the cats we wouldn’t be here”, she said.
It’s not only time Powell’s invested in her hobby, breeding also comes with a hefty price tag. She said importing three cats from Europe would cost around $45,000.
And while she only discusses the price for one of her kittens with serious buyers, Powell acknowledges British Bella’s come at a cost.
“We’re talking big money, my cats aren’t cheap and they’re never going to be cheap. My vet bills aren’t cheap” Powell said, noting last month’s cat food bill topped more than $1100.
Breeding also doesn’t come without its challenges.
“It’s not all wonderful fluffy ducks, there are things in nature, just unfortunate accidents at no fault of the breeder, that just go wrong.”
Powell said she’s experienced a number of heart-breaking incidents in the importing process which despite taking years from start to finish, isn’t without its risks.
She had one cat injured in a “freak accident” before being flown to New Zealand, which caused a spinal injury and ended in the chocolate-coloured boy dying.
Another import from Spain was delayed longer than a year and a half, due to European heat waves impacting flights and challenges with language barriers dealing with Spanish vets.
“It’s a lot more upsetting when things go wrong than people realise,” she said.
But when things go right, Powell said there is nothing more rewarding than finding homes for a litter of beautiful kittens. Often, she says, a buyer will message her the same day as receiving their new pet asking “Can I get another one?”
Getting your hands on one of the British Bella’s isn’t an easy task. Demand has slowed slightly due to economic challenges - Powell said she used to open her waiting list at midnight on New Year’s Eve and it would fill up in one minute.
Now, she chooses to take names of interested clients over the first few months of the year and then selects prospective buyers to join the exclusive waiting list.
The kittens then travel all across the country to their new homes.
After Traeger’s big win, Powell isn’t complacent about the business’ success. She said she’s got big plans to expand and is always looking overseas at different British Shorthair’s with specific genes and features to breed with her own.
“I have a look I go for, I have particular lines I try and hunt down to bring into my cattery.
“There’s always stuff to learn and you’re always trying to better yourself. I feel like I’ve improved a lot but I have my goals and I still strive to keep bettering the breed.”
Powell credits her mother for her love of cats, and said growing up the family always had a large number of moggies in the house. She says it’s a special connection her and her mum share and something they continue to bond over.
She says while some people do tend to stereotype women with a strong interest in cats as “crazy cat ladies” it’s not a label that fazes her. “I’ve earned the title” she laughs.
“It doesn’t bother me at all because let’s face it, your cats become your world, I know I’m at that level. I don’t think it’s a crazy addition, I’m sure there are worse additions out there.
“I couldn’t imagine what life would be like without them.”
Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 and is interested in politics, local issues and the public service. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz or messaged on X (formerly Twitter) @ethanjmanera
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