Burmese cats and Me.

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This started off as a reply to Lincslass, but thought I’d share the origins of my love of cats anyway.
I have always loved cats, a friend introduced me to Burmese when she rescued one and I was smitten! I got involved with the Burmese Cat Club and rescued and even ‘fostered a couple’ before deciding to breed and show these beautiful cats. Burmese cats are like people they help and advise you every day!! Try reading a Sunday newspaper with one (and often more) perched on your chest helping! Of course the whole family has to be involved – Dave absolutely adored them all, but had a special affinity with Leo (who was definately his cat)
Once involved I bred and showed them for over 10 years.
Fenclare was actually my Breeding Prefix. A mixture of ‘Fen’ cos we lived in the ‘fens’ and Clare which was the road name of our address! Over the years we bred many Champions and got to know people from all over the UK too. If we had a kitten enquiry call and the first question was how much? I used to reply – you can’t afford them! Big responsibility placing kitts into the right homes.They all had fancy Pedigree names, but we had Pet names for them too. Pedigree or not, cats are cats – they were still naughty and fought on occasions like demons, but we loved them all.
After I stopped breeding (due to work pressures) I had every one of my girls (and my Stud cat Coco) neutered. Coco went to live with my son, first in Docklands (London) and later to Zurich when they moved to Switzerland. He died a couple of years ago, aged 16. The girls we kept with us and when we moved here 6 years ago, of course they came too. All 7 of them – the eldest was 15 and the youngest 11.
Not only did they cost us a fortune to move they became minor celebrities too! Any livestock flying in the hold of an aircraft needs the heating kept on!
Our 7 flew with Monarch from Heathrow and, presumably because of the quantity the Captain informed the passengers of their journey to ‘retirement’ in Spain.
We had had a large run and indoor accommodation adapted for them in our underbuild, before moving of course. Once we had unpacked (we were there 2 days before) all their toys, bedding etc it was all very familiar. Once installed they settled in immediately.
Because of the variation of climate we timed our move for January so they could aclimatise. They couldn’t understand the brilliant Sunshine in January!
Inevitably over the couple of years we have lost our ‘babies’ More or less in age order. First Matriach Sophie at 19 eldest of the 4 generations living with us, down through to finally just 3 or 4 weeks ago Marco our youngest (17) who followed his Mum Daisy (18) after less than a fortnight. Of course we were devastated when we lost each of them but Marco’s death was the most difficult because he just ‘gave up’ Neither we or the vet could save him.
I knew this was going to be difficult which is why I left it for a while ….
We are still trying to take comfort from knowing they enjoyed their final years in the sun.
We will never forget them, they cannot be replaced. But with Freddy. Cilla and the others in our lives we will continue our love affair with all cats.
Chris xx

• 11 Sep, 2009
• 7 likes

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