Felis-Historica on WOC president May 11, 2021
The last issue of Felis-Historica had our president's bio published. With their editorial permission, we post it here for you to check out:
Text article:
A hearty welcome to our newest contributor…
Dr. Victor Zaalov
I was born in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, to a family of a Prof. Physicist and a Prof. Philologist. There were always pets in the house, and yet it would be me who would take took up the reins of professional cattery management.
Having graduated from Saint-Petersburg State Pediatric University as a Pediatrist, I then entered the Dentistry Department at the Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg to study Maxillofacial Surgery, successfully completing my doctorate at Oxford university.
Ever-enthralled with genetics, I sought to continue my professional growth in this field, and soon graduated from Charite Berlin’s forensic genetics and medical criminology department.
These days I find myself as an owner of a private dentist cabinet in Israel, among leading forensics specialists in Israel’s MoD, and a criminology adviser to Israel General Administration for Security.
Despite everything, I have always had free time for cats, and started breeding Don Sphynxes back in St. Petersburg, and used to hang around cat shows and have been an active official at a the largest local fancier club. Back in 2008, I became the WCF’s treasurer and a President of my own club. To date, my cat career spans over 20 years, and I remain a dedicated Don Sphynx and Norwegian Forest Cat breeder. As a judge I have been active since 2001 in several Cat Federations.
In 2020, myself and my dedicated team have decided that the felinology scene needed, like no other, a progressive development, sophisticated technology and could use more dedication to both breed development and democratic principles.
So, the triumvirate has decided, and clubs from 3 different countries have formed the World Organisation of Cat (WOC). This organisation is created for the people, by the people, with an objective to improve on the most important aspects of felinological development and club-system-breeder interaction - basically our form of democracy.
To this date, WOC is among the few systems accredited to work on almost all continents, enabling us to spread our love of people and cats from China to Oceania and with Europe in between.
The CFA and WOC have signed a partnership agreement in 2021, now all experts, pedigrees and work standards are mutually recognized between the two systems.
My love is cats, cat shows and diving, and professional medicine as well!
Dr. Victor Zaalov. MD, DMD, MSc, PhD
President, Weltorganisation von Katzen
World Organisation of Cats