Burmese
Pansy Blue
Reading ‘My neighbour’s cats’ on ‘Deb’s Despatches’ reminded
me of our Burmese cats.
We decided to add a cat to our menagerie of dogs, gerbils and
guinea pigs because our then youngest child wanted a rabbit. Gillian, her elder
sister, had had a couple of pet rabbits which had come to a sad end, courtesy
of Brer Fox, and we didn’t feel inclined to repeat the whole sorry exercise. We
persuaded Susannah that a cat would be a lovely alternative and duly went to
see a breeder of Burmese cats not far from us.
Lilac Angus, my velcro cat
Why did we choose Burmese? My sister and brother-in-law had a
gorgeous, very friendly brown Burmese (called Tip, because he had a white tip
to his tail) and they had also given my parents a tortie queen who had been
used in a breeding programme to produce a blue Burmese.
The breeders didn’t have any kittens but did offer a petite
brown Burmese of about five months old. She was called Coriander Autumn Lady
and we never actually decided on a name for her, so she ended up being called
Alicat, except for our vet who called her Corrie.
We were entranced by her and brought her home on a Saturday to
the bemusement of our Jack Russell terriers. Daisy, the youngest, leapt onto my
lap, and Ali never had a problem with the dogs.
We were encouraged to breed from her and being enthusiastic
and not very knowledgeable, thought it would be fun and educational for the
children. The night she had her first litter she came and gently patted my face
with her paw to wake me so that I could be with her while she gave birth to
five kittens. We kept two, a chocolate queen we called Sweet Pea, and a brown
tom, Herbert.
A basketful of kittens, one blue, one chocolate and two brown
Sweet Pea had an overwhelming maternal urge and allowed Ali’s
kittens from her second litter to suckle her, actually removing one teat. When she
had her own kittens she was fiercely protective. Biddy was wandering past her
one day, minding her own business, when Sweet Pea lashed out at her. Wisely,
Biddy beat a hasty retreat.
At the time, we kept the cats indoors with an outside run
accessible from the house. We made it clear to the children that they MUST NOT
let Alicat out when she was calling. Inevitably, Ali wished to make her own
arrangements, slipped out and danced across the lawn with a very fetching tom
cat. The resulting kittens were beautiful and we kept one, a lovely black girl
with golden eyes. We called her Boadicea and every time we saw the vet we had a
discussion about the correct name, which, of course, is Boudicca.
Like Siamese cats, Burmese are very vocal and have piercing,
quite melodious voices. Many times, callers on the ‘phone would enquire if we
had a baby in the house. They are also very gregarious, requiring and
appreciating human company.
Herbert with Bethan
If humans were in short supply, any dog would do.
.jpg)
Cariadd hosts a collection of cats
Frodo with Pansy, top, and Singleton
Cariadd with Pansy
They enjoyed riding on our shoulders and assumed that any
shoulders would suffice, so that anyone visiting us and standing still for a
moment was liable to find themselves hosting a furry adornment. That was quite
startling for unsuspecting visitors and the solution was to find a seat
immediately, as the cats realised they were not going to gain height from a lap.
Running up a human’s back was another source of entertainment,
both for the cats and for observers, though not so much for the living,
breathing, now screaming climbing frame.
The cats worked in tandem with the dogs to break into the fridge
and sample the tasty treats within. Fridge locks were not so readily available
so we had to devise a means of barring access. I believe we used gaffer tape. We
had already tightened the ball catches on our doors to stop the cats opening
the doors to join us upstairs and have midnight playtime across our faces. A
further exercise in imagination was to find a way of keeping the tropical fish
safe from the marauding paws of inquisitive felines. These days it is possible
to buy aquaria with lids, but they weren’t available then, so Barry had to
practise his joinery skills to make a lid.
 |
It was always warm on the aquarium lid and there was always a slight chance of nabbing a fish when the lid was lifted to feed them |
Meanwhile, dreams would have to do
Explaining to prospective new owners of our lively kittens
just what they might be taking on was interesting. The kittens explored
everything and could disappear into the smallest crevices, and apart from the
usual climbing wall provided by curtains, they also liked the texture of wallpaper
and could clamber from floor to ceiling in remarkably quick time. Summarising
what I had said on the ‘phone, one man said, ‘So, we look for a house with the wallpaper
hanging off the walls?’ I agreed, and it didn’t put him off.
Our children’s friends all had their favourites among the
cats, but one that was popular with everyone was Singleton. She was a blue
Burmese and the only kitten in Sweet Pea’s second litter. In common with many
oriental breeds, she was cross-eyed, which added to her appeal.
We didn’t breed many litters but our vets would always
recommend us to anyone looking for beautiful, bomb-proof kittens. I don’t
regret those days but I have not been tempted to repeat them – well, not often.
Why did we have house cats and not allow them to roam freely?
When I was a little girl I had a very pretty tabby and white kitten called Judy
(to live alongside our Springer spaniel, Punch.) She was knocked down and
killed and it broke my heart and I suppose I’ve never wanted to risk that
again.
The second question is, why have pedigree cats when there are
so many moggies looking for homes? Moggies are born free spirits and might find
it difficult to live as house cats, though undoubtedly some adapt. My children
and I agree to disagree on this. Like toddlers and dogs, I like to know where
my cats are at all times – when they’re not hiding under a bush or secreted in
a cupboard!
Angus chatting