Doris Pollatschek: From Holocaust Memory — The Story of the Kanaani Cat Breed
When I first began working seriously with the Kanaani cat breed, I did not yet realize that behind these cats stood not only a rare genetic line, but also the life story of an extraordinary woman and an entire generation shaped by tragedy, survival, and resilience.
This story begins with
Doris Pollatschek — an artist, sculptor, writer, and the founder of the Kanaani line.
She was born in Germany in 1928 into a Jewish family. As a child, she was forced to flee Nazi Germany together with her parents. Many members of her extended family were murdered during the Holocaust.
She belonged to the generation of Jewish children who survived only because their families managed to escape in time.
This generation grew up with loss, fear, and memory.
They had to learn how to live again after destruction.
After the war, Doris received professional artistic training. She became a sculptor, worked in Germany, and later moved to Israel. There, she continued her creative work — shaping clay, writing books, and searching for meaning through creation.
In Israel, she also began working with local wild and semi-wild cats.
This was not a business.
It was not a commercial project.
It was not about profit or prestige.
It was a continuation of her inner path:
after destruction — to create,
after loss — to protect,
after death — to choose life.
From this approach, the Kanaani line gradually emerged — cats that preserved the strength and appearance of the Middle Eastern wildcat while adapting to life with humans.
There was deep symbolism in this work.
After the Holocaust — to preserve life.
After genocide — to nurture creation.
After Doris passed away, her project slowly lost institutional support.
There was no foundation.
No central organization.
No formal structure.
The line survived only through the efforts of isolated enthusiasts, without a unified system or long-term security.
Kanaani stood on the edge of disappearance.
When I began working seriously with this breed, I understood that this was not only about cats. It was about preserving a fragile legacy — cultural, historical, and biological.
I began restoring bloodlines, collecting documentation, registering cats, building international partnerships, and seeking official recognition.
Through systematic work and international cooperation, I was able to establish a distinct and clearly defined Kanaani breed type in the United States.
Today, my cats are registered with
The International Cat Association (TICA)
and
World Cat Federation (WCF).
Ukraine played a crucial role in this process.
I received strong support from
Association of Rare Breeds of Cats (ARBC),
represented by Anna Kalinichenko,
as well as
Feline Alliance of Ukraine (FAU),
and Alexander Melnikov and
Their professionalism, trust, and support made international development possible.
A special role was played by TICA.
I am deeply grateful to members of the TICA Genetics Committee —
Adriana Kajon and
as well as
Their patience, expertise, and openness helped guide the project through complex genetic and administrative processes.
Important professional validation was also provided by
a long-time WCF judge and internationally recognized expert.
She confirmed that my cats correspond to the Kanaani breed and invited me to participate in WCF exhibitions — a meaningful sign of professional recognition.
A very personal chapter of this story is connected to people who helped preserve the line during difficult times.
A special role was played by
Evgeny Ryvkin, a close friend of my brother Dmitry Salita,
his friend Gleb,
and Israeli caretaker Lyudmila Vlasova.
A special place belongs to Lea, an Israeli breeder of Kanaani cats.
After the tragic events of October 7 and the outbreak of war, she became a refugee in Holon. In those difficult circumstances, she met Lyudmila Vlasova and entrusted her with two Kanaani kittens.
It was an act of trust.
An act of responsibility.
An act of hope.
Lyudmila raised the kittens with care and devotion, and in time they became part of my program as mature, well-developed cats.
Thus, the Kanaani line passed through war, displacement, and uncertainty — and reached a new stage of its history.
Alongside practical work, I also began restoring historical memory.
When I first saw the Ukrainian Wikipedia article on Kanaani, it was weak and incomplete. There was almost no information about the breed’s origins or its founder.
I searched for sources, found German-language materials, translated them, and studied Doris’s biography.
I expanded the article, added references, and worked to restore historical justice.
Gradually, I realized that my work is not only about breeding.
It is about memory.
It is about continuing the work of a generation that survived the Holocaust and chose life.
Today, Kanaani is developing and gaining international recognition.
For me, this is not merely a project.
It is a form of service.
A way to preserve a name.
A way to preserve a lineage.
A way to preserve meaning.
The story of Doris Pollatschek is the story of people who passed through darkness and did not lose their light.
The story of the Kanaani breed is the continuation of that light.
And my responsibility is to ensure that it never fades.
Дорис Поллачек: от памяти Холокоста к живому наследию — история породы кошек Канаани
Когда я начал серьёзно заниматься породой кошек Канаани, я ещё не понимал, что за этими животными стоит не только редкая генетическая линия, но и судьба удивительной женщины и целого поколения, прошедшего через трагедию, выживание и внутреннюю силу.
Эта история начинается с
Doris Pollatschek — художницы, скульптора, писательницы и основательницы линии Канаани.
Она родилась в Германии в 1928 году в еврейской семье. В детстве вместе с родителями была вынуждена бежать от нацистского режима. Многие её родственники погибли во время Холокоста.
Она принадлежала к поколению еврейских детей, спасшихся лишь потому, что их семьи успели уехать.
Это поколение выросло с болью, утратой и памятью.
Им пришлось учиться жить заново после разрушения.
После войны Дорис получила художественное образование, стала профессиональным скульптором, работала в Германии, а затем переехала в Израиль. Там она продолжила творить — лепить, писать, искать смысл через созидание.
В Израиле она начала работать с местными дикими и полудикими кошками.
Это не был бизнес.
Это не был коммерческий проект.
Это не было стремлением к прибыли.
Это был её внутренний путь:
после разрушения — создавать,
после утраты — беречь,
после смерти — выбирать жизнь.
Так появилась линия Канаани — кошки, сохранившие силу ближневосточной дикой кошки и способность жить рядом с человеком.
После ухода Дорис проект остался без институциональной поддержки.
Не было фонда.
Не было центра.
Не было структуры.
Канаани оказались на грани исчезновения.
Я начал восстанавливать линии, документацию и международные связи. Мне удалось сформировать чётко определённый породный тип Канаани в США.
Сегодня мои кошки зарегистрированы в
The International Cat Association (TICA)
и
World Cat Federation (WCF).
Огромную роль сыграла Украина:
Association of Rare Breeds of Cats (ARBC),
Feline Alliance of Ukraine (FAU),
Особую роль сыграла TICA:
Важную экспертную поддержку дала
Отдельной частью истории стали
Evgeny Ryvkin, близкий друг моего брата Dmitry Salita,
его друг Глеб и
Израильская заводчица Леа во время войны после 7 октября оказалась беженкой в Холоне и передала Людмиле двух котят Канаани.
Это был акт доверия.
Акт ответственности.
Акт надежды.
Со временем эти кошки стали частью моего проекта.
Я также занялся восстановлением исторической памяти, работой с источниками и Википедией.
Постепенно я понял: моя работа — это не только селекция.
Это работа с памятью.
Это продолжение дела поколения, пережившего Холокост и выбравшего жизнь.
Сегодня Канаани живёт и развивается.
Для меня это не просто проект.
Это служение.
Это сохранение имени.
Сохранение линии.
Сохранение смысла.
История Дорис Поллачек — это история света, прошедшего через тьму.
История породы Канаани — это продолжение этого света.
И моя задача — не дать ему погаснуть.
