I had found an ally in Don Richings to work for the recognition of our cat. Don and I exchanged many phone calls, letters, pictures, and pedigrees. I don't know who was more excited at the time, Don or me. Don had been in the same boat in Canada with is longhair Abys - he had no one working with him either.

Don informed me that his longhair bloodlines went back to Ken McGill's cattery (Dunedin). Ken is a famous Canadian judge who has also served as president of CCA (Canada). Unfortunately for Ken, and even more so for the longhair Aby project, leukemia struck his cattery! At that time it was not known that is is a virus and any breed could be the victim of it. Again, the Somali was thought to be the culprit and Ken gave up the Somali telling Don that he would only begin to work with them again if Don's longhairs survived for five years. Don took up the challenge.

His longhairs did survive five years and then some, but Ken McGill never became involved again. Ken was always therefore so delighted to see a Somali in his ring, always announcing proudly that he had worked with the breed, bestowning a loving kiss or caress on the lucky Somali being judged by him (if the Somali was willing, of course). Don Al Cattery became the backbone of the Canadian lines, many of which were exported to the U.S.A. Ken McGill's cats' bloodlines go back to May Ling in Canada. May Ling Tutseita was to become a foundation longhair sire. The combination of Dunedin Moseph of Don Al and Don Al's Marsue (Don's oldest Somali) produced Don Al's Leroy, ruddy mail and Don Al's Flashette, ruddy female, in 1970. These two were to be the foundation of the Don Al Bloodlines.

At home, the birth of my first complete litter of longhairs from 2 shorthair Abys (1 female, 2 males) prompted me to found the SCCA. This female, Lynn-Lee's Pollyanna, was born Janurary 3, 1972 out of Lynn-Lee's Kleopatra sired by Lynn-Lee's Dublin. Kleo went back to Lo-Mi-R's Trill-By and my first Van Dyke male, Aby Shi Boi of Lynn-Lee. A person not involved in breeding Miss L. Dees-Porch, who owned Tawa, a female longhair born to Lord Dublin and Trill-By contacted me saying she would like to breed her longhair to another longhair. She was tired of her cats escapades kittening non-pedigreed kits. I could offer her only Lord Dublin, a shorhair, which offended this non-breeder so I suggested she advertise in the Cat Fancy for a stud since I had no luck from advertising from a year of advertising in Cats Magazine for a year.

Lori McClain of Saika Shams Cattery responded with a registered Aby male who was really a longhair. The result was Golden Boise of Lynn-Lee whom I purchased as my first longhair stud cat in order to bring in some outcross at least on the sire's side. Then Mei-Len's Topaze (Sunflower) bred by Len and Mable Giarrputo was offered to Margery Hoff of Margus Cattery who was interested in working with the breed. We now had some new bloodlines in a female. Du-Ro-Al's Samson bred by Alma Cowell came to live at Lynn-Lee Cattery as a complete outcross male stud. We were now on our way. We had bloodlines!