Showing and breeding Somalis since 1987 and American Shorthairs since 1994
GC, BW, RW Gunsmoke's I Will Always Love You
MEET BREEDER CHARLENE MUNRO
A resident of Georgia, Charlene had been an admirer of the Abyssinian, at least until she saw her first Somali … and then it was game over for her!
As the Somali is “basically” a long-haired Abyssinian, she didn’t shift her ideal far from the breed she had admired in the beginning and began her first breeding program. Later, when her husband Mac fell in love with the American Shorthair breed, she knew she had to add it as another breeding program.
She is a member of CFA’s Breed Council for both the Somali and American Shorthair breeds, currently serving as Breed Council Secretary for the Somali breed.
You can find Charlene showing her cats in cat shows around the country on a regular basis, however Atlanta is part of CFA's Southern Region, and this region is where you are most likely to find her. She is a member of several cat clubs who altogether are responsible for the production of multiple CFA cat shows in the Atlanta area each and every year.
"I cannot imagine my life without the cat fancy,” she says.
Charlene is pictured here with ruddy Somali male GC, BW, NW, AM Gunsmoke's Coquito. Besides being a National Winner, Coquito is also pretty swift at running the agility courses and has earned his Agility Master title as well.
About Gunsmoke Cattery
GC, BW, NW, AM Gunsmoke's Coquito with Judge Russell Webb - video courtesy of new vision cat club/melody boyd
Charlene registered her Gunsmoke cattery name in 1987, and the first Somali litter was born in 1988. Her foundation Somalis came from famous catteries such as Zarpa, Carquinez, Foxtail and Silamos, and foundation Abysinnians from Bastis. In the mid-1990s Charlene discovered the American Shorthair and her love for that breed is a close second in her heart to that of the Somali. The first American Shorthair litter came along in 1995, and she wove foundation cats from Miribu, KC Dancers, Hedgewood and Stedam into her breeding program.
She has been highly successful in both breeds, with 58 Grands to date, along with 4 Distinguished Merit cats, 3 National Winners and an abundance of Regional Winners.