My name is Milly and I am a
2.5-year-old blue tabby point Birman. I am told that I am stunningly
beautiful and have the loveliest blue eyes! I have perfect white paws
and a long lovely coat. I started my life in the ordinary way, with my
feline Mum and siblings, until I was taken from Mum and along with my
sister we were adopted out together. I was happy to have my sister to
play with, but after only about two months I became restless and was
anxious to see what lay beyond the front door that kept opening. I could
see a different world out there, so one day I planned my escape and
scooted out when the opportunity presented itself!
Ooh! This was scary stuff now! Although intrigued by new scents and
fascinating bugs, birds and so on, there were some things called cars
racing past me, and terrible loud sounds I wasn't used to! I don’t know
how long I was outside, but I found myself in a back garden somewhere
and a kindly lady brought me inside. She could see I was very young (in
fact only 5 months old) and skinny, but much prettier that any kitty
she'd seen before. I was taken to a Vet; this was likely my third visit
to one of these and I was getting a bit skittish about these vets. I was
examined, estimated to be about 9 months old (they later found out I was
younger) but no chip so they didn’t know where I belonged! I stayed with
the nice lady for about two weeks and then I was turned over to the
Birman Rescue where I was sent to a vet again, having more needles and
things that hurt, as no-one knew I'd been vaccinated. A very kindly lady
in the Rescue fostered me for several weeks, even getting me interested
in toys to play with again.
My new Mummy and Daddy came and adopted me on August 18th 2016. They
were thrilled with me! I was their new little 6-month-old baby! Boy,
could I wrap them around my paws! I had a little trouble with the runs,
so after a couple of days when it wouldn't clear, my new Mum packed me
off to one of those vets yet again. Antibiotics and a diet of fresh
plain cooked chicken did the trick, and how I loved the chicken! Mum
would give it to me any time I asked for it. I gobbled it down and
thrived on it, got bigger and bigger until I was fully grown.
I had two other new sisters, but one was very old and wouldn't play but
we never fought. Mum and Dad were glad of that because, two weeks after
I came, they lost Tilly to old age. (Part of my name came from Tilly so
as to honour her memory.) I had Matchka, who was 11 at the time, to play
with, so we became buddies. I liked to play with her and we would
sometimes snuggle up together for a nap. Mum and Dad adopted two more
Birmans in October 2015, Daisy and Lucy, because their Mum had died. So
for two years there were four of us and we all got along fine. But I
lost my buddy Matchka in June, to something Mum called kidney failure.
It was sad and I missed her. I don’t have quite the same close
relationship with my two sisters now, but we do run around the house
playing and chasing one another. We just don’t cuddle up together. Mum
says that's OK as long as we don’t fight. Mum and Dad were paranoid
about the door, so afraid I might get out!! They watched me very closely
to see I wouldn’t get out again as I don’t really understand the "car"
thing.
They are always picking me up and giving me cuddles. I just look up
adoringly into their eyes, and give Mum that slow little wink that tells
her I love her too. I let Mum do anything she wants with me, from
brushing my lovely coat, trimming my nails, even down to playfully
opening my mouth and "checking my teeth". I can be saucy at times. I
love to steal Mum's pencils, leaving them chewed for her to find later,
so she hides them away from me, along with anything that is remotely
sharp in the house like needles, toothpicks etc. I can't understand
why?? All I want to do is play with them… Dad laughs when he's eating a
toasted sandwich and I love to lick the crumbs off his plate! Mum can't
understand why I can get fussy about my regular food on offer, but I
just love to have a few licks from whatever they are nibbling on while
watching TV.
 One
of my favourite pastimes is leaping onto Mum's lap and draping myself
around her neck or across her lap tray as she reads or does some crafts.
I do this all the time so she's used to it. The rest of the time I can
be found on either Dad's footstool or beside them on the sofa. I prefer
to be wherever Mum and Dad are. They are always laughing at the peculiar
way I sleep! I don’t think it's strange as I feel perfectly comfortable
but they certainly are amazed at my odd sleeping habits! My two sisters
Daisy and Lucy like to lounge in the bedroom for their naps, so
ordinary.
When Mum and Dad have been out somewhere, I also like to leap down the
stairs at breakneck speed to greet them both at the door. I'm not really
interested in the food they might offer at the time, just happy they're
home. Daisy and Lucy come too but they're slow and dainty about their
greeting, and usually want some food afterwards.
Another way I like to show my affection is at night. I can be fast
asleep on the spare chair but if Mum gets up and goes to the "loo" I
again leap down with a heavy thud and race up to her, whereupon I just
love to have my face stroked and cradled. Mum picks me up and I purr
like mad!! I love to show my soft loving nature and will sit in front of
her until she picks me up. I do this every night just so she knows what
a big softie I really am.
In spite of my laid-back placid disposition, Mum and Dad have trouble
getting me to be nice to the Vet! This was my second year for getting my
annual shots and I complained as soon as they got me into the surgery.
They think it’s because I’d been to a few vets in my younger life, but
then the Vet this year got excited, her voice rose and that scared me so
I got mad. I hissed and jumped down off the examination table. The Vet
got more excited and finally Mum had to grab me. The Vet got the job
done but I hated it. Mum will try a different personality in a vet for
me for next year. I find it all so traumatic! I just want to get back
into my cosy little home and the world that I am familiar and happy
with. I go out on a lead in the garden once in a while with Mum but
that's as much of an adventure that she wants me to experience. I'm
happy as long as I don't have to go to one of those vets.
I'm content just to be me, Milly, in a home where I'm deeply loved and
cared for by Mum and Dad. They are pleased for my personality to shine
and for me to be the cheeky but happy character that I am, a big playful
Birman.
Colleen Smith
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The Runner up in the Competition is
ALFIE
Owned by Pauline Rowley
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Hello, my name is Alfie or Kendalian Silver
Bourbon if you want the posh version. My colour is chocolate silver
tabby and because of this I could not be used in the Silver Birman
breeding program, not that I am worried about that! I am three quarters
Birman and quarter Chinchilla; my coat is very soft and does not have
the under coat of a Chinchilla but it does knot more than that of my
Birman friends. I have some white on my paws and greenish eyes, my ruff
is really developing now and is silver in colour.
My mum says she saw my photo on Facebook when I was just 3 days old! She
has always wanted another tabby cat and I seemed to fit the bill. But
then she had to do a lot of persuading to tell Dad that I was the one
and 5 cats weren’t too many. Actually, she thought that my oldest
brother Sid may not be with us for very much longer, but Sid has proved
everybody wrong and bless him he is still with us enjoying life. They
say I am very good with Sid and don’t try playing with him. Dad fell in
love with me as soon as he held me but then I did my purring routine and
the “I love you” look, so who could resist! Actually, they say I have
“Catitude” but I need to be a confident little fellow as, besides Sid, I
have to share the house with Lottie, Archie and Marley. I love playing
with them and now I am getting older we have fun together catching mice
in the field next door.
I came to live with Mum, Dad and my furry friends at the beginning of
January once the Christmas tree was down! It was a very foggy day and a
160 mile round trip for mum to collect me. I think the other cats
wondered who had arrived to disturb their peace but lots of play time
with everybody did help me settle in.
Then came the trips to the Vet! They found I had an umbilical hernia and
as I needed to be castrated I had an operation to sort it all out. But I
scored an instant hit with the vet nurses …..cuddles all round! After
that I was allowed out in the garden and what a surprise, not only is
the garden big but full of places to hide and snooze. They say I was
very good coming when I was called and not venturing into the fields
until I really knew my home territory.
 About
the same time more trips in the car followed but this time to the Cat
Shows as a Pedigree Pet, and what an adventure that is: lots of
different cats, some yelling their heads off! I don’t mind going as
again I get lots of cuddles. The pre-show bath is bearable and I even
put up with the hair dryer although the bigger I get the longer it takes
to dry me so I do get bored and sometimes run off. At my first show as a
kitten I had a Red Card Day, whatever that means but mum was overjoyed
so it must be good! I repeated that at the Northern Birman Show and
again at the Havana & Oriental, this time as an adult and at this show I
also gained my Master Cat title.
Well, it was my 1st Birthday last week and what a year I have had
growing up fast in the Cheshire countryside. I love joining mum in the
garden and the greenhouse is always a good sleeping place, as are the
bushes that I can hide under. I have grown into quite a big cat now
weighing over 4kg but Dad is delighted as he always fancied a big cat.
(I think he has a thing about tigers but I don’t think I’ll get that
big!)
I must tell you my brother Casper is now going on to hopefully progress
the Silver Birman line. Our other brother Mozart is a big cat too, they
say, and living as a pet too.
Mum’s comment: "Alfie is just a joy to own and I am so grateful to
Angela for allowing me to have this precious boy. He makes us smile
every day and is a great stress buster! All our cats are precious and
each and every one has a place in our hearts."
Pauline Rowley
Both stories are also published in the Spring
2018 of the Club's annual magazine
It is the members of the Club's Committee who determine the winner of
Pet Birman of the Year, by voting for their favourite stories as
submitted to the Trophy Secretary, who then calculates points on the
basis of the voting.
The Pet Birman of the Year winner receives a Cup trophy to engrave and
hold for a year, a personalized rosette. a Certificate with photo, plus
a small engraved salver trophy to keep. The Runner-Up also receives a
personalised rosette and certificate ,and a small engraved salver to
keep
In the event of the Winner being from overseas, the owner will receive
only an engraved salver of a larger size, to keep, because it is not
practicable to post the returnable cup
Owners of all entrants receive a special commemorative rosette for their
Birman
Graphic illustration by John Assiter-Tuppen, © The Birman Cat Club
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