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My
history :
It’s quite by chance
that I discovered Birman cats in 1991. At that time I had a business
in Sao Paolo, which took up all my time and I also had a Doberman,
Arthur, to look after. So I really didn’t think much about cats.
But I also had a French friend who loved Birmans, and one day her
cat had some kittens, who were placed in different families. About
18 months later, the people who had adopted Panda were not able to
keep him, and when my friend suggested we adopt him, Wilma and I
looked at each other, and a few days later Panda was with us! He
wasn’t really an exhibition cat and at that time I didn’t know
anything about the race.
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Panda |
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Panda with Telma |
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Panda, 7 march 99 |
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Some time later I said to myself: “I wouldn’t want him to die
without knowing anything about LOVE”, so I went and found him a
fiancée, Penelope, and then Chatquirit Bijou, a female seal point, arrived in
1992. After a first litter and then a second arrived, I began to
want to know more about the Sacred Cat or Burma, and realised very
soon that I had a lot to learn.
The Chatterie du Chat Botté (« Puss in Boots
Cattery ») was the result of this passion for the Birman cat. Puss
in Boots for obvious reasons …. especially as Panda’s gloves were
rather high.
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Panda and Pénélope |
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Panda and Pénélope |
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Bijou's coming,
Panda say to her hello !
From left to right : Penelope, Bijou and Panda |
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Bijou |
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I really
began breeding in 1995.
That’s when I acquired a female seal point Tuamotu
Mahiahia and a female blue cream Tuamotu
Rapa Nui a year later, both imported from Argentina.
Those two cats were my first females who were exhibition quality,
and with them I discovered the world of cat shows.
That’s when I really discovered
what I wanted to do. I have never had any favourite colour but the
type and morphology are very important for me, more than the gloves.
However I have always made an effort to leave nothing aside.
Later, in order to
enrich the breeding line, I bought a beautiful female seal point,
Keko’s Thamaris,
mother of Patchouli,
and I brought back from the United States in 1996 a very handsome
male blue point Kariams
Tampico Chico, then feom Southern Brazil a ravishing
blue creme female,
Chatquirit Jalousie. These two queens turned out to be
excellent “tracers” and produced a fine line of champions.
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Keko’s Thamaris, seal point
female |
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Chico and his
parents, in USA
with his breeder Karen Al Walbrun ( on the right )
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However, I
still have a nostalgic tenderness for my first Birman, Panda,
because he is the source of my best memories. Before I began
breeding, and we went travelling, my wife and I, we always took him
with us, making sure that the car was equipped with what he needed
in the way of water and cat litter.
Each time it was the same
story. Before we turned the first corner, he had already made a
little poo and the car had the characteristic smell. So I had to
stop as soon as possible to get rid of his present. After that he
settled down behind the passenger seat and stayed there without
moving for the next 700 km. A cat like
that you can never forget!...
If Panda was
very important for me, because he was my first Birman, and that I
cannot forget, today I am also persuaded that Chico revolutionized
the breeding of Birmans in Brazil (there was no quality production
here before that). He is a modern cat who could have graced any
cattery in the entire world.
To continue, in 1997 I acquired two females in France, a blue point
Noussia du Royaume des
Thais and a seal point
Nefertiti du Mont d’Hermine.
And finally, in 1998, I contacted the judge Mr De
Pindray who helped me to find Ocelot
du Prince de Gala, a magnificent specimen of a seal
tabby, with very beautiful dark blue eyes, which I brought back from
France in February 1999.
My sister-in-law then brought
me from France a pretty blue point female,
Rumba du Djurdjura in 2000.
Later, in 2001, I met Pascale Maignan, a French breeder with whom I
became friends. She now has
Le Chat Botte Cristal, a lovely
blue point exhibition female, and she brought across to me from her
cattery in France
Symphonie du Jardin des Hespérides, as well as
Saphire de Djurdjura,
who comes from the same French cattery as Rumba.
Today I have seven Birmans,
including two young females that have not yet had litters,
Charlotte,
a blue point and
Blanchette, a blue tabby point.
Chico very quickly became
Quadruple Grand Champion and Ocelot followed him closely, earning
the same title also very rapidly.
Both of them have fathered many
champions, all of whom were Bests and Best of Bests, such as :
Le Chat Botté Tomy ( seal ) son of Kariams Tampico Chico and Keko’s
Thamaris, Le Chat Botte Dilady, daughter of Ocelot du Prince de
Gala and of Chat Botte Patchouli, Best of race twice in Argentina,
Le Chat Botte Cristal, Grand Champion of Europe, 4 Best in show, 6
Best Variéty, 4 nominations and one general Best, Champion of Europe
at 20 months, in only nine exhibitions ! Le Chat Botte François seal
tabby, international grand Champion fife, son of Kariams Tampico
Chico and Saphire du Djurdjura, has won numerous fife awards,
including several Best in show, a First Birman seal tabby in 2005, a
Second Best male semi-longhaired in 2006, a third Best male all
races en 2005. Le Chat Botté Morgana seal tabby, international
Champion fife, daughter of Noussia du Royaume des Thais and Ocelot
du Prince de Gala, has always won many Bests, including several Best
in show, one Best Birman seal tabby en 2004 and a Second Best
Birman, a Second Best female en semi-longhaired in 2005.
The Chat Botté's cattery was elected
Best Cattery of Birmans in Brazil in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 by
Tropicats ( Feline Federation of South America).
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Jalousie in front,
Ocelot on my knees ( 6 months old),
Patchouli next to me and Noussia on the left |
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I participate in
fewer exhibitions today, but I must say I am proud of these results.
However they are the result of a great deal of effort and tenacity,
in a country where nothing is easy and where you have to have the
courage to go far from home to find the necessary cats. However if I
had the chance to choose to start again, I would do exactly the
same, because my passion for this extraordinary race of cats remains
intact. I have given so much to them, and received so much back from
them in return.
Michel |
