Rustveil Shedu

Overview

Name of the Breed:
Rustveil Shedu

Origin:
Vermont, USA
(Lorem Ipsum Cattery)

Classification: Classics
Classic cat appearance with no more than 25% other blood

Utilization: 

Brief History

Overall History

The Rustveil Shedu stems from a population of cats bred by several families who immigrated to New England from Finland in the 1950s. One of these families included the direct ancestors of Lorem Ipsum Cattery's founders. Accustomed to hunting and trapping for a living but not able to bring their hunting dogs with them to the United States, these families turned to shedu as potential hunting companions. Failed racing and endurance prospects, as well as bad mannered cats, occasionally trickling north into markets at the time and could often be purchased at a low price or even in exchange for meat and pelts. They were not the easiest of cats to handle or the prettiest, but with some training and selective breeding, a durable and loyal moggy lineage began.

These cats, who were simply called hunting cats or elkmogs by those who owned and bred them, would spend nearly all of their time outdoors, hunting alongside their handlers in the cold winters and muggy summers of Vermont. They were especially helpful in winter hunts, where the cats were not as slowed down by heavy snow drifts as their humans, and those cats with thicker, warmer pelts were preferred. Owning a strong, dependable hunting cat became something to strive for, and could often mean the difference between a successful moose or bear hunt and going home empty handed and injured. For several generations, hunters bred the best working cats possible from their unusual supply of shedu, and survived off the success of the cats' hunts and the sales of some cats to other hunters.


History at Lorem Ipsum Cattery

Ari Salo, the father of Mel and Meeri Salo who founded Lorem Ipsum Cattery, grew up in this hunting community and loved spending time with the cats from a young age. Though Ari became a skilled hunter, as an adult he fell in love with farming and started a farm of his own. He never lost interest in the hunting cats of his childhood though, and he spent his spare time researching his ancestors and their prized cats. He eventually took this hobby to the next level and bought some hunting cats off of friends and relatives, and raised several litters. He noted the characteristics of the best working cats from the community's lineages and bred with those in mind, building the start of a breed standard in the early 2000s. However, with financial struggles, a family to care for, and a need to focus on farming for income, his breed work was put on the back burner. To make things worse, in 2014 his favorite cat -- a fluffy grey and rust colored queen named Margot with a fiesty spirit -- was ordered to be euthanized after a fatal altercation with someone else's shedu who had wandered onto his property. Though the situation was misconstrued by the other shedu owner, Ari was not given another choice; if he refused, his other cats would be taken away. Heartbroken, Ari lost his passion for most of the breed work, and slowed down on his projects.

When Ari passed away and Mel inherited his farm and cats, she found his notes and research on the hunting cats. In founding Lorem Ipsum Cattery, one of her main goals was to continue her father's work on getting the breed officially recognized, and in 2024 she succeeded. She chose the name Rustveil, as the Owl Face marking that is extremely prevalent in her father's cats covers their faces like a veil, and his favorite cat Margot had sported a striking reddish-brown face.

Mel continues to breed Rustveil cats that are high drive working cats with an amazing ability to track and take down prey. These days, a hunting license does not allow a handler's cats to take down large prey like deer, moose, and bear on their own. However, these cats are still in use by hunters for tracking (both for finding prey and following blood trails) and protection against injured animals. It is generally considered acceptable for the cat to take down any animal that has already been wounded by a hunter, so many hunters will take a shot and if it's not a quick kill, then send the cat in to efficiently and humanely make the kill.

While Lorem Ipsum Cattery has taken the lead on restoring this historical cat, Mel chose not to retain sole ownership of the breed. The Rustveil Shedu was a group of cats that was created by a community working together, and Mel felt like it was best to keep the cat's future available to the public. She has partnered with several other catteries and organizations that have similar goals in restoring and maintaining the breed, though she does ultimately have the final say in setting the guidelines for the breed. 

Appearance

Description

The Rustveil cat is a medium-sized, powerful working cat with long, dense fur that is longest around the neck and stomach. It features a short tail, tall tufted ears, cheek fur, large eyes, and a muscular, balanced body. Its diverse background is visible in the wide range of colors and sizes available within the breed. However, its pelt should always feature a darker upper half and white undersides, a heart shaped marking that covers the face and front of mane, and dark tips to the tail and ears. Patchy or textured coats are common and preferred, while clearly visible spotted or striped patterns are not desirable.

See individual sections below for more detail.

Head

The face should have standard classic heavy features, with a leopard-like head shape and a large muzzle. In profile, the bridge of the nose should be straight and parallel to the slope of the forehead as well as the underside of the jaw, creating a very rectangular face shape. While most of the fur on the face is short, the cheeks feature long fur that blends smoothly with the mane on the neck.

The eyes are large and bright, in order to take in light in low-light conditions. 

Rectangular shaped head with parallel slopes

Face Variants:

Ideal:
Classic

Acceptable:
None

Faults:
Ram Profile
Saber Teeth

Disqualifying:
None

Ear Variants:

Ideal:
Big

Acceptable:
Classic
Curved
Cut

Faults:
Folded

Disqualifying:
None

Nose is average in size and shape. Teeth are robust but should not include enlarged canines (saber teeth). 

Ears are large in proportion to the face, triangular in shape, and tufted at the tips. Exact size and shape of the ears varies due to the wide genetic makeup of the breed; while big, straight ears are ideal, smaller or curved ears are widely accepted, with some breeders or lines highlighting different ear types based on personal preference or strongest genetics. Occasionally ears are cropped close to head for working cats; this is an acceptable as part of the breed standard, though it is less common today. 

Big ears

Small ears

Curved ears

Cropped ears

Neck

The neck, though covered in a long dense mane and difficult to see, is strong, wide, and straight.

Body

The ideal representation of the breed should have a heavy, muscular body covered with long dense fur which is especially thick and long around the neck and stomach. 

Body Build: 

Classic Heavy

The withers and rump should be similar in height (shown in orange) and the spine rather straight. When standing square, the distance between topline and paws should be equal to the distance between front and back paws, creating an equal square (shown in green). In this position, forelimbs and hocks should be vertically aligned (shown in blue). Long fur should cover the back of all legs, from elbow to wrist on front legs and from tail to hock on back legs.

Ideal proportions while standing square

Type:

Heavy sport/working build

Variants: 

Ideal:

[AMBER] Classic Heavy - e2 - m5 - t3 - c4 [no lines yet] - Classic Heavy, Longhair, Singtoo, Extreme Bobtail, Big Ears

[AMBER] Classic Heavy - e2 - m5 - t2 - c4 [no lines yet] - Classic Heavy, Longhair, Singtoo, Bobtail, Big Ears

In more recent history, some groups have started to breed a more show-focused variant of the Rustveil, which often features a longer, silkier mane and a leaner body, but otherwise retains the qualities of the breed.

Mane

x

Variants:

Ideal:
Singtoo

Acceptable:
Silky Singtoo

Faults:
Komainu
Full

Disqualifying:
All others

Standard Rustveil Shedu mane

Show Rustveil Shedu mane

Tail

The tail should be short and close to the body, either in a relaxed position or curled up over the back. Its tip should be black or dark in color.

Standard tail

Curled tail

Variants:

Ideal:
Extreme Bobtail

Acceptable:
Bobtail
Curled

Faults:
Classic

Disqualifying:
None

Gait / Movements

x

Variants:

Efficient
Smooth

Coat

The coat of the cat can have a wide variety of colors. It is highly suggested that breeders choose pairings based more on wellness, physical traits, temperament, and skill at hunting and tracking than on the markings of the cats. As a result, the pelts of Rustveil Shedu often vary wildly in color and pattern so long as they fit the breed description.

The undersides of the cat should feature a hard-edged white marking. The cat may optionally have additional white coverage anywhere on the body. The non-white areas of the coat should not feature prominent shedu patterns like spots and stripes. A plain, single color coat is acceptable, but ideally it should have a textured or patchy appearance. The topline of the cat often has a dark gradient. 

White coverage

Coat texture

Variants:

Ideal:
Longhair

Acceptable:
None

Faults:
Classic
Curly

Disqualifying:
Sphynx
Lykoi

The face of the cat should feature a large heart shaped marking extending down onto the front of the mane; this marking may be any color distinct from the surrounding coat. 

As with most Rustveil markings, this heart shaped marking is not gene-specific and can be Owl Face, Panda Siam, or any other combo of genetics that creates such a shape. However, the Owl Face marking (in any color) is highly desirable and even considered the mark of a good hunting cat. 

Owl Face

Panda Siam

There should be a dark tear mark extending horizontally from the outer corner of the eye, like a lynx's facial marking. This marking may end, turn downward at a 90 degree angle, or turn back and continue under the eye. 

Lynx eye marking options

The tail tip and ear tips should be dark.

Dark tips

Actual genos and phenos at work:

Facial Markings:

White Unders:

Body:

Other:

Size

There are no breed guidelines or restrictions based on size. While today the Rustveil Shedu is a reliable cat under saddle, it was not traditionally ridden unless it was a hunter's only cat. 

Smaller Rustveils often have an easier time pursuing prey through brush and other difficult terrain. Several shorties and dwarf cats have proven themselves to be very strong and capable hunters, and are accepted within the breed.

A large Rustveil may be used as a riding shedu or hunting cat.

Smaller Rustveils are still highly sought after.

Character / Personality

TBD based on starter cat temperament stat

1-10 tem = hell cat
10-20 tem = so-so cat
30-40 tem = nice good cat
40-50 tem = cuddly, loyal, loving etc

Faults

Disqualifying Faults

Project Cats

Cats that are helping to build the starters for the breed

Females:

Males: