Photo by Kjeld Krogh

 

Flatland's Bjørnstierne - Nature, culture and (the first) World Winner!

by Jette Eva Madsen.

Bjørnstierne was our most civilized and gentle cat. He also became our first World Winner. He was indeed the first World Winner of the breed, with Hedda Gabler Felis Jubatus in hot pursuit. She was World Winner Kitten that same year, when Bjørnstierne was voted World Winner and Best of Best at the world show. That was in Austria in 1991. A memorable day that was celebrated for a long time; it was the final coming of age of a breed that many judges had mockingly referred to as a longhaired house cat.

I have never had a cat that made me weep so much - for joy. Bjørnstierne won everything worth winning, and no matter how much he won, he remained our sweet, well-balanced and prudent Bjørnstierne.

Bjørnstierne had one weakness. He licked people - literally. His immediate surroundings had their face and hair washed daily - no matter whether we liked it or not, or whether we thought that he had bad breath and smelled from cat food with fish. At shows he threw himself at the judges with his long and wet tongue. He especially appreciated male judges with high temples and females judges with an inviting cleavage. This could have been one of the reasons for his success - who knows?