Our Cats

OUR FIRST SHOW 

To cut a long story short I entered Jasmine at the Surrey & Sussex show and with Linda in tow arrived with great trepidation - what if the judges hurt her, what if she escapes and just what does happen at a cat show as they are so different to dog shows. We got through vetting in and settled Jasmine in her pen and luckily we could watch the judging from a convenient balcony. Jacqueline Hitchen was the open class judge and I watched with bated breath as she judged my precious baby. There were five brown girls and each one was examined and returned to its pen and then Jasmine was brought out again, then another cat then Jasmine Oh God what was wrong!!! The results eventually came out and she had won a second and went on to get second in all her side classes and I was hooked. (novice owners with Afghans did not win at their first show!!)

EARLY HONPUSS KITTENS

Unfortunately Jasmine did not share my enthusiasm and began to hate shows actually becoming quite aggressive, so at the end of 1996 she was retired to attend to maternity duties. On the 26th January 1997 Jasmine gave birth to 8 kittens sired by Champion Kizwozzi Oliver, it was actually Oliver’s last litter. One sadly, was born dead but the others were lovely bouncing babies, five brown boys, one brown girl and a blue girl - who later became my first homebred show cat who to my absolute joy is now UK Gr Ch Honpuss Silver Willow.  Jasmine went on to have two other litters, this time to Marilynn Sneesbys beautiful chocolate boy Gr Ch Katome Choccee Wallace before being neutered. These two litters gave me my own Ch & Pr Honpuss Wally Too and Gr Ch & Gr Pr Honpuss Tiger Wolf.
 

STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

 The year 2000 was an unbelievable one for me as Willow won her Grand title, gave birth to four stunning kittens, Tiger Wolf won his first Grand at the Supreme and I won Top Burmese Breeder. Two of Willows ‘kids’ attended their first show (the Burmese Cat Society Show) and at the tender age of 17 weeks Nicky Wades Honpuss Duc D'alba won first open only being beaten to BOB by his sister my own Honpuss Chardonnay who went on to BIS.  Chardonnays sister went to live in  Mallorca with my good friend Gwen D'Arcy Watts where  Honpuss Bellabonny Bambi won 1st excellence and nominated BIS the first day and 1st excellence and BIS shorthaired kitten the second day at her first show. Today I am thrilled to say that Bambi is a Grand International Champion and consistently producing wonderful typey kittens with her ‘bombproof’ temperament..

 In 2003 Chardonnay had her first litter of kittens by Gr Ch Rusella Seaspray. I kept a blue girl, Ch Honpuss Mashona, who has had a successful show career to date, and won her Champion title at the 2003 Supreme show

After 6 years breeding  Burmese I bred my first Asian litter.  The Asian breed (originally an accidental mating between a Burmese and a Chinchilla) looks just like a Burmese but in a wonderful array of coat colours and patterns. They are affectionate loving cats with the charming Burmese personality.  I mated Willow to Deborah Laughers Ch Kennbury Lohr Deaconblue and on March 18th 2003 Willow gave birth to 7 beautiful kittens.

 Linda Taylor had the only girl in the litter and my good friend Dee Cowell one of the boys.  Tuki (I Gr Ch Honpuss Elanay Tukana) gained her Grand title at the Wiltshire Cat Club show on the 5th July 2003 on the same day as her brother Ziggy (UK Gr Pr Honpuss Ziggy Stardust) gained his. In 2003 Ziggy won his first UK Gr certificate and was Best of Variety at the Supreme cat show gaining his UK status in 2004. These two beautiful cats also thrilled me by winning Best of Variety adult and Best of Variety Neuter at the London show the same year. Today Tuki has two Imperial Grand certificates won at consecutive shows – so watch this space!

 Willow had her second litter of Asians to Alison Beattie and Bruce McClachlans beautiful UK Gr Ch Beannocht Pendragon. My own  Honpuss Ziath won Top Ticked Tabby Kitten in the Asian Cat Associations show cat competition and Honpuss Galioth won Best in Show Foreign kitten at the Bucks Oxon and Berks Cat Club show in 2004. 

Zia gained her Championship title at Southern Counties Cat Club show in January 2007 also winning Best Asian Adult in show.

In August 2003 we went on holiday to Mallorca and of course went to visit Gwen and Bambi. On a tour of her cattery to see all the beautiful cats and kittens I fell in love with a brown ticked tabby Asian boy and in May 2004 Gwen brought him over for me.  Bellabonny Johnny Begood (Pepper) charms everyone who meets him – he can purr for England (and Spain!) and is an affectionate loving boy. Pepper has been consistently placed at shows and is now a Grand Champion, he also has one UK Grand certificate won at the 2006 Supreme show and an Imperial Grand certificate.  He has produced some beautiful kittens to a number of queens. I am planning on mating Pepper to both Chardonnay and Ziath soon.