About Us
We were founded in 1973 by Doug and Linda Gabel, as a training facility for show dogs. In 1979, we began breeding show quality Cocker Spaniels, and we added Lhasa Apso and Shih Tzu breeds in 1984.
Both Doug and Linda are American Kennel Club-certified breeders. We are licensed by the State of California. Please contact us with questions about any aspect of our business. We’re always happy to hear from fellow dog lovers.
Norwegian Forest Cats
DeltaWoods is my small cattery in upstate New York. Cats have always been a part of my life. Now thanks to a few very special people, I am privileged to breed, show, and reside with Norwegian Forest Cats.
It all began when a cat started coming into my yard to visit and socialize with my Siamese cats. She was not hungry for food, but for affection and attention. This continued for may weeks and when the cold winter set in, I could no longer bear to see her outside and lonely, so I brought her inside. While I was familiar with many cats breeds, I was not sure which breed she most resembled. After a quick search I decided that she was very similar to the Norwegian Forest cat breed. It took only a few hours for her to become part of the household and she was named Rani. Sadly it was only to be for a few years, but to have her with me for those two years was truly a gift that lives on. My search for a Norwegian Forest cat led me to Ann and I began my wait for a kitten.
One night I received a call from Ann telling me about two Norwegian Forest rescue cats, Mikey and Ryder. They were at a breeder's home in upstate N.Y. and it would be best if they were not separated. Well after hearing about their misfortune, I knew that they would be coming to live with me. This is when I first met Katherine who played a huge part in their rescue. Not only bringing them to her home, but getting them to her vet, watching them for any problems and the huge task of bathing them. They did indeed come home with me, scared, angry, and lonely. There were not enough words to describe what these cats had been through. Today, I can tell you that they are two very different cats. Secure, happy, loved, and content. Well, the next phone call took me by complete surprise, when Ann asked me if I wanted to take Angelica and breed her. This was not something that I had even thought about and I did take a while to make a decision. Yes, Angelica aka Angie came to live with me. With Ann and Katherine’s support and guidance, Angie, along with Katherine’s sire Alex, produced the Alpha litter in April of 2009.
From this litter came Asita, and odd eyed male, who became a Grand Premier in two shows, Abu who is the social director of the house, and the face of the Deltawoods logo, Arunya who is the clown and protector of the household, and Amara, a sweet girl . After the first litter was born, I decided that I needed to have my own cattery name. After many options were considered, it became Deltawoods. Why? Well I had decided to identify my litters by using the Greek alphabet and my last name was Woods. So Deltawoods was born. Along the way I was introduced to Brenda, who also provided me with information learned from her many years of breeding experience. This led to Brenda allowing me to add Rockingham as the sire for my breeding program. Rockingham and Amara produced the first Deltawoods litter, the Beta litter in June 2010.
Next, I needed some advice and direction when adding a logo etc. Enter another Norwegian Forest cat owner, Kristin, who with all of her expertise in the world of art and design has and continues to direct me as DeltaWoods comes to life. And finally, Helen who has been ever so patient with me through the process of finalizing and producing the logo, the business card and the web site. To Ann, Katherine, Brenda, Kristin, and Helen, thank you for all of your guidance,mentoring, advice and much needed help along the way. And to Rani who brought so much into my life in so little time. So now I invite you to enter the world of the Norwegian Forest Cat. Shari
About Deltawoods
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shari@deltawoodsforestcats.com slider_designs@graphic-designer.com 