A Retrospective Look at CFA’s Distinguished Merit Cats

Jeri Zottoli
CFA Allbreed Judge

CFA has always been known for establishing and growing their awards programs. In the 1970s, we had Top 5 National Winner (NW) Premiership cats. Over the years as quantity and quality increased, Premiership NWs increased to 10, then 15, then 20 and now the current Top 25. In the 1970s, Kittens had Top 5 awards that were increased like Premiership to 10, then 15, then 20 and the current Top 25. NW Championship has changed very little, from Top 20 in the 1970s to the current Top 25. In the 1970s, CFA recognized approximately 10 breeds – a far cry from the 45 breeds/divisions we have now.

It was always thought that the NW or Regional Winner (RW) titles were the “big prizes.” But where did these top winning cats “come from?” In 1987, CFA developed an award that would become a most sought-after title – the Distinguished Merit. The DM title is thought to be almost as (if not more) precious as the NW or RW titles because it honors the breeding programs that produced the NWs and RWs. These cats have contributed significantly and added long-lasting genes to their breed(s), creating offspring that are able to carry on a desired look that meets the breed standards.

The requirements to achieve the title of Distinguished Merit are that a male must produce 15 Grand Champions, Grand Premiers or DMs, and a female must produce 5 Grand Champions, Grand Premiers or DMs. Why the disparity in numbers? Because a male can sire many more offspring than a female could/should have. The male number was reduced to 10 in April 2021, when the COVID pandemic devastated the cat fancy and many of its long-time breeders. Reducing the number to 10 also created 103 (by my count in the 2022 Yearbook article) “retroactive” male DMs that did not produce 15, but had produced 10 grands/DMs.

The Distinguished Merit title was “established” in 1987, although many of the early qualifying offspring had granded in 1971, 1972 and 1973. The first confirmed female is GC Skyway’s Gai Doll of Simbelair, DM, a copper-eyed white Persian female who actually qualified in November 1971. The first confirmed male is GC Sandef’s Robt E Lee, DM, a silver tabby American Shorthair male who actually qualified in October 1982.

In looking at the most recent list of Distinguished Merit cats with the largest number of qualifying offspring, we see more than a few untitled cats. So what’s up with that? Just because a cat achieves a RW or NW does not mean that this cat will go on to be a good producer. In fact, some of our DMs are, shall we say, not quite up to show standards, may have never been shown, or are ineligible to be shown for whatever reason. I will never forget a good friend from years ago, Pam McLaughlin of McPuddy cattery, who had a professional picture taken of her first DM, a Persian female with a paper bag over her head, she was that homely … but she produced five beautiful Persian grands.

In the October/November 2007 Cat Fanciers’ Almanac, there was a chart showing what at the time were the Distinguished Merit cats with the largest number of qualifying offspring by breed/division. There were many breeds that didn’t yet exist or, if they did, they didn’t have any qualifying cats in 2007: American Bobtail Shorthair, Bengal, Burmilla (Longhair and Shorthair), La Perm (Longhair), Manx Longhair, Oriental Longhair, Siberian, and Sphynx. There are still some breeds/divisions that have yet to hit the male DM threshold of 10: Burmilla Longhair, Exotic Pointed, Exotic Shaded & Smoke, Manx Longhair, Scottish Straight Ear Longhair & Shorthair, and Selkirk Rex Longhair & Shorthair. However, there are female DMs in all of our recognized breeds/divisions.

And who would have thought that some of our DMs ADDED to their numbers between the 2007 and the 2024 lists: GC,NW Placer’s Purrfect Salute, DM went from 37 to 39; GC RW Caricature’s Isaac Hayes, DM went from 19 to 23; GC,BW,NW Bryn Mawr Bugsy Malone, DM went from 22 to 25; GC,RW Idlemaine Butler of Texas Belle, DM went from 37 to 45; GC,RW Red Sky Wooden Ships, DM went from 36 to 38; GC,RW Jolee’s Dune of Boberan, DM went from 48 to 51. There were a few others who increased by 1 or 2.

There were a few breeds whose 2007 DM tally was passed significantly by those on the 2024 list. The few that really “jumped out” at me were: 2007 Birman GC,RW Pleasantview McPorkchop, DM at 33; 2024 CH Whitesox Winnipesaukee, DM at 41; 2007 Manx Shorthair CH Tahame’s Shamen, DM at 16; 2024 GC Tra-Mar Irish Dancer of Fuzzy Foot, DM at 28; 2007 Ragdoll GC,GP,BW,RW Dollhouse Denver Blues of Kebekat, DM at 15; 2024 GC Blue Coins Jasper of D’clover, DM at 38; 2007 Egyptian Maus GC Brockhaven Mamnoonam, DM tied with GC Sansih Twice A Brat of Bacamamdit, DM tied at 15; 2024 GC,RW Mautrix Footloose, DM at 33. And finally, the one with the largest “leap” was 2007 British Shorthair GC Brynbuboo Georgypeorgy of Earendil, DM at 32 and passed in 2024 by GC,BW,NW Castlkatz Harry Potter, DM at 57!!

So WHO wears the crown of the highest scoring Distinguished Merit cats in 2024, both male and female? In the males, we have GC Purssynian Jambe Finete, DM, a fawn Abyssinian bred and owned by Beth and Darrell Newkirk, with a whopping 62 to his credit. Jammer’s success as a breeding male is that he really set the type in fawn and blue Abyssinians. As for the females, Ocicat Pawaw’s Crowheart SOS of Wildtracks, DM, “Lisa,” is an imported female owned by Sue Riley, who made the 2003-2004 list with 12 grands to her credit. Lisa is CFA’s highest scoring female DM in 2024 with 26 (yes, 26!) grands to her name – quite an impact in the Ocicat breed!

And there you have it – CFA creating the Distinguished Merit title to celebrate all these cats who put their mark on their respective breeds. What a past and present we have had, and as we look to the future, who knows who our next DM might be – maybe that little baby in your nursery right now. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge Cat Fanciers’ Almanac and CFA Yearbook articles by Marianne Clark and Lorraine Saunders, along with many outstanding articles by Debbie Kusy. Thank you all for helping to make writing this article a whole lot easier!