Pat Kalil had come on the Somali scene by sending me a picture of her household pet which she showed in that category in cat shows. Pat thought perhaps it might just be someone's displaced Somali since she had obtained it from a shelter and its background was unknown. Since the cat in the picture did show faint tabby markings, I informed her that it wasn't a Somali, but Pat had become infatuated with the breed, so she decided to become active in the Somali cause.

As mentioned under 1972, Pat had already obtained a female out of Lynn-Lee's Sasha and Lynn-Lee's Joralemon from breeder June Negrycz (June's Dancing Moon's litter sister). Pat Kalil, therefore was in the market for a male Somali. She obtained Margus's Ulysses who could trace his Somali heritage to Golden Boise of Lynn-Lee and Mie-Lens Topaze of Margus (better known as Sunflower, by Margery Hoff, her owner). This same mating of Boise and Sunflower produced a beautiful female who went to a Mr. & Mrs. Gerbino, but, unfortunately, both Margus Tafne (as she was named) and her owners, the Gerbinos, disappeared from the Somali world forever.

Now came the time for a "happening" in the world of Somalis. Mara Senkevics (from Canada) informed me that she had a beautiful red male Somali for sale, and, "Yes", I decided to try my luck once again with a red Somali. He was none other than Saffron's Falstaf of Lynn-Lee. This little red fox could trace his ancestry back to the Canadian lines of Don-Al's Sun-Beau and Saffron's Cibi. I must say he was the most unusual Somali I had ever seen when I went to Canada to personally bring him back to the states. He was the first red Somali to appear on the show scene in the U.S.A. and the comment of the day by the judges was, quote "Oh, so you have Reds too!" Falstaf made a name for himself in the Cat Fancy and the Somali world by becoming the first All-American Red Somali. He was loved and admired by all who saw him, resulting in a "rooting section" which followed him from ring to ring at the shows. His greatest achievement as far as I personally am concerned was to sire Margus's Omega - the only female somali to ever achieve Best Somali for the year in our cat club - a record which Omega still holds!

Two other reds appeared from Canada shortly thereafter - Don Al's Amanita Spectra of Kenlyn owned by member Lynn Racquel Peirce (now deceased) and Don-Al's Segeema owned by Sheila Bos (now out of Somalis). Don-Al's Amanita Spectra could trace her ancestry back to Lili Pet Rufus and Tanya of Don-Al Segeema was of the same litter. Both could trace their backgrounds to Don Al's Leroy bred by Don Richings.