Red Ferne Abyssinians

The Home of : GCRW Red Ferne Rolo 

About Us

Welcome to Red Ferne Cattery. We are a small cattery registered with CFA located in Kentucky about 45 minutes from the city of Louisville. We are members of the Abyssinian Breed Council. My Husband is retired from Ford Motor after being there for 46 years and I was a Vet Tech for 16 years until health issues forced me to retire from my job. My passion for cats began as a child at the age of 7 when I sat a basket under the tree for Santa to bring me a kitten. I was devastated that Christmas when I rushed down the stairs on Christmas morning to find no kitten in the little basket I had left under the tree for Santa. I did not get my first cat until the age of 12 a lovely DSH named Elsa who had such a short life with me I lost her at the age of 2 to Felv.  I went on to get my second cat a DLH named Punkin and according to my Father have been making up for not growing up with cats ever since.  My Aunt Olema would take me to cat shows when I was young and I had always dreamed of showing and breeding purebred cats but what breed of cats to choose.  Well after watching the "The Cat from Out Space" (several times) I fell in love with Jake the star of the movie who is a Abyssinian so this is how I chose the Abyssinian breed.

My cattery name Red Ferne is from the movie "Where the Red Fern Grows" one of my favorite films. My Great-great Grandmother I am told was Cherokee and the legend of the Red Fern in the movie has always moved me a great deal and  its from these 2 movies that I found inspiration for my cattery name and my breed.  My goal is to improve the Abyssinian for the show ring and to strive for excellent health and temperament in our kittens/cats. All our breeding cats are screened for PK/PRA and blood typed and also screened for tritrichomonas foetus this is a parasite of the colon becoming more common in cats. We only have 1 or 2 itters a year so fill out inquiry form if interested in a future Red Ferne Kitten.



I had heard the old Indian legend about the red fern. How a little Indian boy and girl were lost in a blizzard and had frozen to death. In the spring, when they were found, a beautiful red fern had grown up between their two bodies. The story went on to say that only an angel could plant the seeds of a red fern, and that they never died; where one grew, that spot was sacred.?
Wilson Rawls "Where the Red Fern Grows"


This is Red Ferne Judah Ben Hur aka Do Lou. He was the first kitten born on 2/27/03 to my Abyssinian breeding program and we thought we were going to lose him he was a miracle for me that work day.  He was the only kitten in the litter. His Mom was on day 67 and had not gone into labor yet and being a inexperienced breeder I took her into my clinic since I was worried, this was also a work day for me.  A xray showed what appeared to be one dead kitten. The Vet I was assisting that day told me to set up the incubator I questioned this but she insisted I think she wanted to give me hope. But after assisting the vet with the c-section out came a very alive and very weak kitten another vet was present  to help and worked with him and took over with his vitals. It would be another 48 hours before he and his mother Ch Micoaby Blue Diamond and Rust of Red Ferne aka "Boo" (GA) would start to do well and the rest is as we say is history. This kitten had to be a keeper. Lil Judah did turn out to be show quality but hated showing so he fathered one litter and was then neutered to go on to be my beloved and cherished buddy.  I lost my cherished boy on 11/14/17 till we meet again I miss him so....







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