We don’t think we can live without a Burmese or Siamese cat!
by Freddie and Lesley Pearce
(Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, UK)
Most of our married life has evolved around cats but early in the 1970s we became involved with Burmese sable (or brown).
They were a complete delight. At that time we were running a restaurant on the edge of the New Forest and the first arrival – Bronson Rangee – lived like a fighting cock.Regrettable, he was killed on a minor road and we acquired another.
He lived happily with others – a pair of ginger toms called, predictably, Tom and Gerry but one night he disappeared – probably hit by a car and taken by a fox.
Which brought us to Bronson Beaugest and Bronson Tiberius – both sable brown Burmese. Tiberius, we later discovered was deaf and probably a Downs Syndrome case but absolutely gorgeous.
These two were then joined by a Siamese seal point called Jason but he followed the other traffic accidents and was replaced (but not forgotten) by Oliver also a seal point.
These three moved with us to Somerset and this pinpointed their greatest attribute – as long as they were with us, they were completely relaxed.
They took to the countryside, happily hunting rabbits and dragging their spoils through the catflap and complained loudly when we suggested they took their bloody trophies outside.
Regrettably, although we were several hundred yards from the road, Toby went wandering one night and although we were alerted by neighbours we never knew until then. He dragged himself back home but, with severely damaged legs, had to be put down.
Tiberius soldiered on but old age and blindness finally overcame him, although to see him following walls around a room, or along borders and hedges outside, with complete confidence, was incredible.
Eventually cancer took him and the the Siamese, Oliver. Subsequently, we acquired Pushkin (not christened by us!) another sealpoint Siamese who preferred living with us rather than her owner.
But after some 12 years she, also, succumbed to a feline version of leukaemia. And now we are without.
Aged middle 80s we are contemplating taking on a pair of – what? Burmese or Siamese. We don`t think we can live without them!
Freddie and Lesley Pearce
We don’t think we can live without a Burmese or Siamese cat! to Burmese Cat
