SUSUKI

The Susuki was developed in Australia in 1957, but failed to take off because the genetics of blue eyes was not properly understood. The experimental breed was exhibited during the 1960s. This photo of the Susuki cat breed appeared in Our Cats, December 1965.

One of the earliest mentions of Susukis appears to be this news item from The Age, Monday March 13, 1961 (Melbourne, Australia):

"Next to religion, politics and sex, the most contentious topic in the world is cats; and we usually take a deep breath, think twice and cross our fingers before mentioning them here, because people who are interested in cats are not always happy with what we say about them or the cats. But the Susukis are especially dear to us, and we have no reservations about them. For the story we wrote about them a year ago was that rare and shattering thing with us, a scoop. Mr Douglas Greening, of Box Hill North, has been devoting a great deal of time to the Susukis for three years and the latest news is that, under the description experimental breed which, Mr Greening says, is far less offensive than hybrids, the word used to describe them until now they wall be exhibited for the first time at the Croydon agricultural show on March 25.

The Susukis are the fruits (through three generations) of the marriage of Pluto of Arden, a seal point Siamese, and a white domestic alley cat, who had a touch of Persian in her ancestry. The fruits have taken two forms both will look, in shape, like Siamese and have Siamese blue eyes, but one will be black all over and the other grey all over. They don t look quite like that yet; they may be described as being half-way there, and Mr Greening thinks that another three generations may bring success."

The Age was not a specialist cat publication, and was the only place "blue eyes" was mentioned as an aim. Mrs Chandler, a noted figure in the Australian cat fancy, always referred to the Susukis as having "hazel" eyes.

Some Susukis, owned by Mrs Van der Spek (a cat breed judge) were exhibited in Tasmania in the mid 1960s. Susukis used the same mix as the more successful Havana Brown/Havana Lilac, but the breeders' original objective of a solid black cat with blue eyes was a genetic impossibility because the blue eye colour was inextricably linked to the colourpoint pattern of the foundation sire. The foundation sire, Pluto of Arden (a Seal-Point Siamese), may also have contributed to the demise of the Susuki due to his poor temperament. The founding mother may have been a blue-eyed white, but again, that eye colour is inextricably linked to fur colour. She also carried the recessive long-hair gene.

In 1964, Beryl Chandler reported that "Black F.S.H. (now called black Oriental) were shown in considerable numbers." and in 1965 she reported "they are now called Susukis."

According to Our Cats, January 1965 in the overseas news report: "There are [. . .] quite a number of experimentalists trying to breed something new Lynx points in Queensland, Tabby points in Victoria. Also in Victoria there is a completely new type of black shorthair cat with hazel eyes called Susukis. These I found to be a mixture of Siamese and black domestic. We in New Zealand have seen the progeny of mismatings between Siamese and the ordinary British Shorthair cat. Some beautiful half-breeds have resulted, with the Siamese-type body, oriental blue eyes and a black shiny shorthair coat. But we had not thought of them as a new breed. In Victoria, Mr and Mrs Chandler, Mrs Moloney, Mrs Matheson and Mr Scott were all keen on producing Susukis, but with hazel eyes instead of blue. I am not sure how many generations they have produced they are certainly not unattractive cats."

The May 1965 issue of Our Cats carried this article:

"Australian Susukis. I am wwriting to prevent any wrong impressions which may arise from the comments made by Mrs Davies in your January issue concerning our Susukis. Fanciers everywhere are likely to get the idea that the Susukis are the result of a mismating which some opportunist decided to name and give breed status. Such, believe me, is not the case. Eight years of careful, planned and selective breeding was undertaken to produce them. Mrs Davies says they are not unattractive. They are indeed attractive with their almost fluid sleekness and grace. She also got the Susuki breeders wrong they should be Hiljoy Cattery (Mrs Van der Spek and Miss Holding), Suzeraine Cattery (Mrs Carmichael, Miss Thomas, Mrs Buck, myself and Mr Hartnell) and Rothesay Cattery (Mrs Matheson). Mr Greening, who bred the original stock, has retired. I would also like to make clearer Mrs Davies' statement that experimental cats are exhibited and judged. These cats are not included in proper classes with other cats. They are shown as experimental and the judge is advised as to the breed being bred for and the number of generations towards that (of the exhibit). Beryl Chandler (Mrs), Camberwell, Victoria, Australia. [I hope that Mrs Chandler can arrange to let me have a picture or two of Australia s interesting Susukis. Editior]"

Mrs Chandler's photo is at the head of this page. Those hazel-eyed Susukis were the prototypes for the modern Black and Blue Oriental Shorthairs.

The Susuki breed progressed through at least 8 years of selective breeding, but it would prove impossible to overcome the hazel eyes. A blue-eyed breed in other solid colours would not be recognised until the Ojos Azules many years later; this breed has all but died out due to the deformities linked to the blue-eyed mutation.

This article, which gives a background to the Susuki breed, first appeared in Cats May/June 1971

EBONY. A New Colour-type of the Foreign Shorthair. by Dagmar Thies

Only a few years ago I first saw her at an International Cat Show. She was sitting among a row of Chestnut-brown slender "Havanas" and her gorgeous black coat was shining as wonderfully as theirs. But her expressive amber-green eyes stood out in her black face in a more lively contrast. This was the first time that J had met a Self Black Foreign Cat and I had been most impressed by her graceful charming beauty. Now and then she could be seen at Shows. But either under the No.15 like an "European Shorthair" on account of her black coat but without the body-type of an "European Shorthair" or under the No.29 like a "Havana" (Chestnut-brown Foreign), corresponding to the "Havana"-type but without the same coat colour. Only later on, when I myself acquired such a sweet beauty did I begin to look for the connections of these facts.

What I had been astonished to read in "Katzen" by Prof. Dr. Hans Petzch ((Neumann-Neudamm-Verlag, Melsungen, page 163) that Prof. Schwangart just before the last war had already mentioned the "Black Foreign". At this time he called his modern slender race "Egyptian", (The Dutch today call them "Oosters type, saying the same!) or "Slimform". A picture of an ancient Egyptian bronze sculpture of the Cat of Bastet shows exactly the same noble cat-type.

Prof. Schwangart gave the description as follows: "Body-shape: counterpart to the shorthaired tiger cat. Extremely slender. long-legged, delicate boned. Neck svelte and a little bended. Tail long. thin and tapering. had small and high-ranking. Crown of the head slightly cirved. Front without stop to the back of the nose, which is straight or slightly saddled. Long muzzle, intense tapered. Ears big or oblonged and narrow. Eyes looking slanted. Hair like velvet, never strawy....Black and Blue are looking best and were justly preferred. Beautiful strains with good capability of inheritance are at hand....."

But what is the reason that here in Europe this "Slimform'" in spite of those "strains with good heredity" does not exist? That this breeding is lost in all probability may have its reason in the effects of the last war. In other Continents long ago the "Slimform" was known and popular. The "Slimform" comprises all colours called by Prof. Schwangart, also "Smoke™ if not joined with any coat pattern. But up to now only "Chestnut-brown Foreign" has its official acknowledgement.

In my opinion the most impressive colouring however is black, indeed. because it best brings to bear the Foreign type. By choosing the name "Ebony" we want to emphasize the deep, lustrous ebony-black of the close-lying coat of these wonderful cats. Colur-dilution of black produces chestnut-brown (Havana). Also the blue colour of the "Foreign Blue", up to now also without official recognition, is produced by colour dilution genes. Under 16a which actually belongs to the "Russian Blue", we sometimes may meet her on cat shows. But strictly speaking she does not belong to it.

Perhaps it sounds revolutionary -- but it seems to me to be advisable if all breeders of the "Foreign Blue" would meet with the breeders of the likewise slender "Korat" to get a common recognition of a "Korat Blue Foreign Shorthair" by the GCCF by aid of a methodical breeding programme. The fourth "Foreign" colour type, also in experimental stage is "Self-Lilac" (Lavender). This charming light colouring genetically seen is the result of a union between blue and brown colour dilution genes. All these colours which I just specified we want to breed with green eyes. Only the eyes of the "Foreign White", bred in England and America, are showing an intensive Siamese blue.

It is not easy to give a description of the "Ebony" apart from all the other self-colours Foreigns. They constitute only one family and later on surely they may be judged by one common standard and points. This judging system we know in some other breeds, whose members are differing from each other only in colour but not in type (Persians, Rex, Siamese, Manx etc.) Nevertheless, first of all careful pure breeding of each colour among one another is necessary, because the regulations of the GCCF working together with all European Cat Societies up to an official recognition with own numbers and points do require four generations of the same colour and race.

After I had realized all coherences together with other interested congenial breeders I determined systematical breeding of the "Ebony" with the one aim, if possible, to realize their acknowledgment. We are conscious of a long and hard way, because the desirable 'ideal-type' by selection and back crossings to Siamese already must be well developed before definitive matings of 'Black to Black' are practicable. Later on every Siamese crossing would retard the moment of recognition.

In Australia now, after a time of ten years, they have succeeded in this breeding labour. There the "Foreign Black", called "Susuki Black Foreign Shorthair got the official acknowledgement with breeding number 34 by the Governing Council of Victoria and Australia. And I suppose the same standard as for the Australian "Foreign Black" may become valid also for our "Ebony Black Foreign Shorthair". Already now in its essential signs it looks like the provisional "Ebony" standard, which we recorded in issue 4/1969 of our German magazine "Die Edelkatze" For we who are starting selective breeding of the "Ebony" it is a self evident task and duty not only taking into consideration external body signs but it 's our common object also to have regard to character qualities and thus breed charming and beloved family friends whose living together to all intents and purposes for every cat lover and cat owner is really delightful and desirable.