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Title: Historic WCF European Debut of Israel’s Only National Cat Breed to Take Place in Finland

United States, 7th Aug 2026 - The rare Israeli Kanaani breed is set to make its first-ever presentation in Finland and its first official presentation within the World Cat Federation (WCF) in Europe at the WCF International Cat Show in Vantaa, Finland.According to the official announcement issued by the show organizers, the presentation will mark the breed’s first-ever presentation in Finland and the first official WCF presentation in Europe, with the organizers describing the occasion as “a truly historic moment.”Developed in Israel by breeder Doris Pollatschek, the Kanaani became a recognized part of the international cat fancy and is regarded as Israel’s only national cat breed. Yet despite its recognition and distinctive history, the breed became exceptionally rare. With no active breeding population sufficient to secure its future, the Kanaani faced the very real possibility of disappearing.The story of its revival began in an unexpected place.While participating in a Blessing of the Animals during his rabbinical studies at the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute, Mikhail Salita became interested in learning whether Israel had a national cat breed. His research led him to the Kanaani — and to the realization that the breed, despite its recognized history, had virtually disappeared from active breeding.What began as a question became a mission.Salita subsequently founded the Kanaani Revival Program (KRP) and began the work of locating surviving representatives of the breed, restoring an active breeding program, documenting its history, and building international cooperation around its preservation. Today, Salita leads the revival effort and is the only active official breeder dedicated to the Kanaani revival program.The presentation in Finland therefore represents mo...

This press release is issued by King Newswire