![Vivace Mahalia [Haley]3/10/2014 – 20/4/2026Stripey x Vivace La DivinaAs any cat lover knows, it is a great honour for a ...](https://img5.petshops1.com/248/909/1563092582489090.jpg)
21/04/2026
Vivace Mahalia [Haley]
3/10/2014 – 20/4/2026
Stripey x Vivace La Divina
As any cat lover knows, it is a great honour for a cat to choose you as their human. They don’t pretend. I had the great privilege of being chosen by Mahalia.
Mahalia was part of an oops litter between a roaming tabby we called Stripey, and our Vivace la Divina [Mitzi]. Although Mitzi had borne two litters to a Supreme winner of the Adelaide royal show, namely Merindalee King for a Day, she was apparently itching for some rough trade.
Having this mother meant that Haley was, and is, Fonzie’s sister. And those brilliant green eyes came down from Maestro.
This litter was extremely active even before birth. I had videos of the undulations of Mitzi’s belly that I had never before witnessed. The litter were absolutely delightful, with distinct ticking, rufousing, and tabby markings. Most dispersed after 12-14 weeks, with the usual vet work of vaccination, desexing and microchipping.
One of the wonderful features of Haley was an amazing tail with a curl in it. She held it high and curled, especially when happy. I
know others in the litter shared this charming trait. She had the boning of a British shorthair. We imagined Fonzie describing his sister as being ‘built like a brick sh*thouse’.
There were some folks who applied to adopt Haley on the basis that because she wasn’t a purebred, we might be more lenient with our indoor only policy. The answer was always that her pedigree might have but one side completed, however her life was no less valuable.
Haley was present in Group 4 at a FASA show and helped Barbara Martland teach her new group of judging trainees about the difference between the heterozygous and homozygous ticking gene. You might have met two of these trainees, Lisa McNeil and Michelle Hinder.
She did find a home in Queensland, to a very pleasant woman who was so much looking forward to having her as a companion. I described her as a big smoochy girl who loved being brushed. After a month of patience the woman wondering if Haley had ever been socialized at all as she refused to be touched. I have no reason to believe that she was mistreated at all. We took her back and within minutes of being out of the carrier she was smooching all over me. I videoed this purring cat and the woman was totally blown away. Seemingly Haley only had eyes for me 😊so, she stayed and after time Evelyn was even allowed to cuddle her.
Cancer comes on too many of us and a mass was found in her abdomen earlier in the year. She had been losing weight, which for her was very noticeable and she was a very robust chunky cat like her dad.
At the sessions with the vet in the final months, she was offered a creamy treat to help distract from the nasty needles. Three times she refused until I was I holding the treat 😊 My pet cat. Now free from pain. Bast be with you. It will always be such a gift that you chose me.
Thank you to the wonderful staff at the Old Reynella vet clinic for their care and support
![what a gag :) although we have been retired from breeding for a few years now, Vivace was still reserve [runner up] aby ...](https://img3.petshops1.com/963/458/1158304389634580.jpg)
