Animal Chaplain and Rabbi Mikhail Salita and Kanaani cats Haifa and Haya turn a rare-breed preservation mission into a story of human and animal partnership.
New York City, New York Sep 7, 2026 (Issuewire.com) – Second World Record Recognized for the Kanaani Cat Breed After Historic WCF Show in Finland
The World Kanaani Organization announced that Animal Chaplain and Rabbi Mikhail Salita and Kanaani cats Haifa and Haya have turned a rare-breed preservation mission into a remarkable story of human and animal partnership.
A second world record has been recognized for the rare Kanaani cat breed, marking another milestone in the international effort to preserve and revive the breed.
The new record, recognized by Record Holders Republic, follows the participation of Kanaani cats Haifa and her daughter Haya at the WCF Jubilee Show, held August 8 and 9, 2026, in Vantaa, Finland.
Following that single show, Haifa reached the No. 1 position among adult Kanaani cats in the WCF Best Cat world ranking, while Haya reached No. 1 among Kanaani cats in the Kitten and Junior category. Two generations, two different age categories, one international show, and two simultaneous No. 1 world-ranking positions.
The achievement became the second world record associated with the modern Kanaani revival. The first documented the extraordinary rarity of the Kanaani as the world’s rarest documented cat breed, with recognition from Official World Records, Noble World Records and Record Holders Republic.
The second record, however, tells a different story. Behind the rankings is Mikhail Salita, a Rabbi, Animal Chaplain and custodian of the Kanaani breed, whose American Kanaani Revival Program is dedicated to preserving and rebuilding a breed that became extraordinarily rare.
For Salita, being a rabbi and being an Animal Chaplain are not two separate callings. They meet in an ancient understanding of responsibility toward living beings. That idea, that human beings can be custodians of lives placed in their care, finds a modern expression in the story of the Kanaani.
According to Salita, Haifa and Haya were not brought into his life to collect titles. They became partners in a preservation journey built on care, communication, trust and responsibility. Their appearance in Finland was part of a much larger effort to return the Kanaani breed to international attention, and the world record became an unexpected result of that journey.
The recognition therefore represents more than competition. It reflects the relationship that can develop between humans and animals through care, trust, communication, responsibility and respect. It is not merely a record about cats reaching No. 1, but a record born from a relationship between the animals and the human custodian committed to their future.
About The World Kanaani Organization
The World Kanaani Organization is the official Kanaani registry and an affiliated branch of the Salita Foundation. Based in Brooklyn, it protects, documents and restores the rare Kanaani breed through verified pedigrees, responsible breeding, historical research, animal welfare, cultural education and international cooperation. The Kanaani emerged in Jerusalem in the 1990s and today survives through a fragile, carefully documented population.
Media Contact
The World Kanaani Organization
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https://twko.org
Tags : Kanaani cats , world record , rare cat breed , WCF Best Cat , cat show , pet preservation , Mikhail Salita , Record Holders Republic