I am frequently asked how I got interested in showing and breeding cats and why I chose the Burmese breed.  I always smile before I reply that I didn't have an interest in showing or breeding cats until I fell in love with a Burmese cat.

I met one of my close neighbours one day when delivering something to her from my mother.   When I knocked on the screen door I was greeted by a beautiful cat that talked to me while I waited for a human response.  Christine invited me in and I commented on her beautiful "black" cat.  I was quickly corrected from black to sable.  I appologized as the sun was at my back at the door and must have cast a shadow.  In the sunlight the colour is unmistakable.  "Augusta" came up to greet me.  One look in her big gold eyes and I was in love!  Christine gave me my first Burmese "Chrisary Minka of Kalmer" a tiny little runt of a kitten who grew up into a beautiful sable girl.  It's all Christine's fault that I got into showing because she took me to my first cat show, and from then on I was hooked.  Minka loved showing and showing off and consistantly won at shows.  I was 17 years old when I started breeding Burmese.  I purchased a Male and two females.  My first female breeder that I purchased (unknowingly) was of the worst possible body type.  Her hind quarters stood tall over her shoulders. She always looked like she was hunched down at the shoulders.  Her head was flat on top and her coat was too fluffy.  How many of us breeders have a story like this about when they first started out?  I am sure we all have a horror story of a cat we purchased in hopes of showing to win awards, that didn't quite live up to expectations.

Over the years I have bred many generations of Burmese and have loved every minute of the time that I have spent with each of them.

I have seen Burmese breeders work to eliminate barring and white lockets from the gene pool.  Saw how we stood together to stay out of the contemporary gene pool that resulted in all kinds of genetic anamolys.

I was a single mom raising two sons after a divorce in 1989.  My boys came to cat shows with me all the time and they loved it.  Although I had a couple of scares from my youngest son Chris who used to find strange cubby holes to fall asleep in so we could all go crazy looking for him!

After more than 20 years of showing I decided I become a show judge.  I have spent the last few years doing what I love most.  I get to go to shows even if I'm not showing.  I get to handle all of the cats in the show!  But most of all I am doing what I really love and that is as close to happiness as it ever gets.

I have been breeding for more than 30 years now.  My cats are known for their amazing easy going temperaments.