What is a Mentor

True Mentoring never stops, it expands with time. "Mentor" is defined by Webster as "a person looked upon for wise advice and guidance" Now if you apply this to a breeding program, it would mean a person experienced in cats, in a particular breed, who has knowledge of breeding, birthing, exhibiting, campaigning and promoting that breed. This would eliminate those who breed solely for monetary gain, breeding without careful thought of the results and for their own ego.

A true mentor has experience, knowledge, a successful record, and is very familiar with pedigrees. He/she realizes the good and bad points of his own cats and is always thriving to improve. He is not "cattery blind" to the merits of what he produces.

Before any person can truly obtain the status of a "Mentor," he must have:
     1. Experience
     2. Wisdom
     3. The ability to be a proper instructor with people skills.

The mentor can pass along the building blocks that took many years to learn. If you have a good mentor you are very lucky and a few steps ahead.
__________________________

I would like to thank my mentor: Lynn Forbes of Oresta Cattery, now retired.
With Lynn I have to strike out No. 3, his people skills were harsh. Lynn never told me what I wanted to hear but hit me hard where it hurt and made me realize what a really good Persian was, what would win in the show ring. And he would not allow me to be cattery blind. I am totally grateful to him.

I am also grateful to Susannah Pincheira of Kissables Persians and Sheila Kirkwood of Abaqua Birmans and Orientals. Susannah and Sheila are my rocks, they are always there with advice and direction. There are no words to express how lucky I am for a friends like this. And, last but not at all the least to Richard French of Frenchcats, now retired. Richard sold me, a rank novice, my extraordinary "Puffy", CH Frenchcats Nimbus of Parti Wai DM. Without Puffy Parti Wai would probably not be.

Gloria Busselman