Local woman breeds unique felines

By Michaela Bowyer

Shelbie Moore, born and raised in Burlington Jct., owns and runs the Naked Ladies Cat House, where she breeds and sells hairless cats.

Moore spent some of her teenage years living in Dayton, OH, but recently moved back to Burlington Jct. with her boyfriend, Gerald Coffman, to begin her cat breeding business.

Moore’s business was technically established in 2014, becoming fully operational in December 2017. She mainly breeds Sphynx, but she also deals with Bambino cats, which have much shorter legs than a Sphynx. They sell for $1,800 for the Sphynx breed and $2,500 for the Bambino cats.

Moore knew in high school she wanted to do something with animals, so while in Ohio, she took veterinary assistant classes at the University of Cincinnati. She then worked for a veterinarian in Dayton before moving back to Missouri. She decided to try breeding dogs, but it was not what she expected. So she switched to breeding cats, since she had Sphynx cats as a young girl.

She started to sell these cats through Facebook, but word of mouth and recommendations helped bring in curious cat lovers from different states. Moore gets anywhere from five to 10 inquiries about her special kitties every day. She now has a waiting list to purchase these cats, with spots reserved until spring 2021. This has become a full-time job for her.

These cats are very unique. They have very friendly personalities, love to cuddle and have a lot of energy. Each cat goes through health testing before breeding. They visit a feline cardiologist and go through DNA testing to check for genetic disorders. Each one is registered through The International Cat Association (TICA). These cats have a high metabolism, meaning they need access to a lot of water, and they need more fat and protein in their diets. Moore uses a dust- and chemical-free cat litter. On average, Moore expects about eight litters a year from her cats, one litter per female every 12 to 14 months.

Moore hopes to be in Burlington Jct. for at least a few more years working to build up the business, but says she would like to continue her breeding business for at least 25 years.